Alperittet
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Alperittet is a competition in the sport telemark skiing (mountain telemark) that is being held each year at the end of February. The race is arranged in a small Norwegian town called Stranda and attracts about 250 competitors each year. It was arranged the first time in 1995 and has been held each year since (except in the year 2002 when the race was cancelled in respect to one of its competitors that died the very day before the race). The race is a non-profit arrangement where everybody works for free in order to organize it. In the year 2004 Alperittet became a part of the Norwegian telemark cup, and hosted the Norwegian championship for mountain telemark in the year of 2006.
The race course is 6200 meters long (the same number as Stranda's postal code), starts at 1230 meters above sea level on the mountain Roalden, and winds its way through canyons and a forest, over farm fields, through town streets, before reaching its end down by the sea side. The finish line is located downtown Stranda in front of the city hall. The race is not only a competition; it is just as much a public party that gathers the whole town for days with skiing, eating and partying putting Stranda on the map.
However, Alperittet is not only a competition for those fond of skiing; it is also a Mountain Bike competition (cross-country) that happens every year medio September. The competition gathers around 100 riders for a really tough and fun competition. The first race was back in 2002 when only a few local riders entered, but the popularity has increased rapidly ever since. The name Alperittet is taken from the winter competition but suitable for the summer competition as well. The 42 km long track starts at the City Hall of Stranda, from there it goes up in the mountains and through the “alps”, further down to the sea and back to the finish line at the City Hall.
