Ploughed skating tracks

Ploughed skating tracks are the easiest way into tour skating. When the municipality ploughs snow off a frozen lake and makes a wide long-track, you can skate without worrying about ice forming, currents or self-rescue. The ice has been checked and confirmed by the municipality before ploughing; tracks are laid out as a circuit or a long-track; and you can focus on the simple pleasure of gliding across flat ice.

In Oslo, Bymiljøetaten (the City of Oslo’s Agency for Urban Environment) ploughs Sognsvann (and in some years Nøklevann) in season when the ice is at least 15 cm thick. Maridalsvannet is Oslo’s drinking-water source, with strict access restrictions, and is not ploughed as a skating track. Bymarka in Trondheim has several ploughed lakes. Smaller municipalities across Norway often have local ploughing on popular lakes, usually announced via the municipal Facebook page or the local outdoor association.

For anyone new to tour skating, ploughed tracks are the easiest first goal. You can hire skates from DNT Oslo og Omegn (the Oslo-area chapter of the Norwegian Trekking Association) or a local sports hire shop, go round a track with no equipment requirements (ice picks and a throw line are still recommended), and find out whether the activity suits you without investing in a complete natural-ice kit.

Why ploughed tracks exist

Natural ice on lakes is often snow-covered in winter. The snow blocks the skating surface — you do not skate efficiently on snow-covered ice. Natural-ice tour skating needs specific conditions:

Clear black ice without snow
Stable thickness across whole areas
Avoiding areas exposed to currents

These conditions occur naturally from time to time — early in the season before snow, in mild winters with little snowfall, or after a thaw has melted the snow and the ice has refrozen. But in a typical Norwegian winter, clear stretches of natural ice are rare.

Ploughing solves this: the municipality (or a local outdoor association) clears snow from an area once the ice is stable enough. The result is a guaranteed, prepared skating track that is safe and accessible from the moment it opens until a thaw or precipitation makes it unskateable.

For anyone who wants to do tour skating in the lowlands, ploughed tracks are often the realistic alternative. Natural-ice skating on Mjøsa or Tyrifjorden requires timing and local knowledge; ploughed tracks in Oslo or Trondheim are predictable.

Sognsvann — Bymiljøetaten’s classic

Sognsvann lies in Nordmarka in Oslo, about 15 km north of the centre. Bymiljøetaten ploughs a wide long-track of 1.5–2 km when the ice is at least 15 cm thick. The ploughing is announced on Facebook (Bymiljøetaten’s page) and by local outdoor associations.

Typical users: beginners, families with children, everyday skaters. Later in the season, tour skaters also come to warm up before a natural-ice trip.

Season: typically January–March, depending on the winter. May be shorter in mild years.

Practical:

Sognsvann T-bane (metro) is the terminus — direct access
Parking at the end of the metro line
Hire not available locally; bring your own equipment or hire from DNT Oslo
Price: free access
Premises for changing and warming up in season

For anyone new: Sognsvann is the easiest first goal for tour skating in Norway. You take the metro, walk to the lake, and you are on the ice within 5 minutes.

Maridalsvannet

Maridalsvannet is a lake in Maridalen north of central Oslo, 3.7 km², and the city’s most important drinking-water source. The lake has strict access regulations — among other things, it is forbidden to swim, fish or stop to rest closer than 50 metres from the shoreline — and it is not ploughed as a skating track. For a ploughed track in Oslo, Sognsvann is the alternative.

Typical for: longer outings than Sognsvann (a full lap of the lake can be 8–10 km), experienced tour skaters who want more distance.

Season: typically January–March.

Practical:

Access: metro to Sognsvann, then about 2 km on foot to Maridalsvannet, or by car to Maridalen
Parking at Maridalen
Price: free

For anyone wanting to build from Sognsvann towards longer outings: Maridalsvannet is the natural next step.

Other ploughed areas

Norway has ploughed skating tracks in several areas beyond Oslo:

Trondheim, Bymarka — several ploughed lakes in season. Local outdoor associations and Trondheim municipality plough when conditions allow.

Bergen — ploughing is rarer because of the mild climate and less stable ice formation, but it happens in cold years on local lakes.

Stavanger — like Bergen, rare ploughing opportunities.

Tromsø — a shorter season but does have local ploughed areas.

Smaller mountain towns — Beitostølen, Geilo, Hovden and Sjusjøen often have ploughed skating tracks in the main season.

Local municipalities — check the municipal Facebook page or outdoor association for local information.

To find ploughed tracks in your area: search for “brøytet skøytebane [place name]” or contact a local outdoor association or municipality.

Ice-thickness requirements for ploughing

Bymiljøetaten in Oslo requires at least 15 cm of ice before it ploughs Sognsvann or Maridalsvannet. Other municipalities have similar requirements.

Why 15 cm?

Black ice at 15 cm can bear the weight of ploughing equipment
Margin for variable thickness — even if the main surface is 15 cm, particular parts may be thinner
Safe for groups — several skaters at once in the same area

For natural-ice skating with a few people, 7–10 cm is typically required. For ploughed tracks with vehicles and many users, the requirement is higher.

Practical information — what to expect

For a typical outing to a ploughed track:

Opening hours: ploughed tracks are open in season — typically from morning until evening, or until a set closing time (often 21:00 with lighting).

Lighting: Sognsvann has the classic lighting around parts of the track. Maridalsvannet rarely has lighting.

Maintenance: ploughing is carried out when the snow has become too thick (typically 3–5 cm). Frost build-up on the ice can occur between ploughings.

Users: beginners, families and tour skaters mix. Keep your distance, watch out for children.

Weather conditions: ploughed tracks are usable even on poorer days than natural ice requires. Light snow and sub-zero temperatures are fine.

Price: free in Oslo. There may be a small charge in other municipalities (typically 30–80 kr).

Equipment for ploughed tracks

The thresholds are lower than for natural-ice skating:

Skates — tour skates or hockey skates both work. Hockey skates can be slower over long distances, but are fine on circuits.

Ski boots (for tour skates) or hockey skates with a fixed binding.

Clothing — layered for winter use. Ordinary training clothes.

Hat, gloves — you sweat more than you think, so build up lightly.

A thermos with a hot drink — especially on cold days.

Helmet recommended — especially for beginners who fall. Bymiljøetaten recommends a helmet.

Ice picks and a throw line not needed on ploughed tracks — the municipality has checked the ice, and falling through is extremely rare. But if you want to build the habit for natural-ice skating later, take them along.

For anyone new: ploughed tracks are a good way in partly because the equipment threshold is lower. You do not need a complete natural-ice kit (6,000+ kr); a basic skating kit (1,500–3,500 kr) will do.

Local municipal ploughing

Ploughing is run locally by the municipality or an outdoor association. That means:

Each municipality has its own rules — check local regulations.

Season start varies — some plough at 12 cm of ice, others at 15 or 20.

Ploughing frequency — typically 1–3 times a week in season, more often after snowfall.

Announcements — Facebook, municipal websites, outdoor-association information.

To stay up to date: join a local outdoor association or municipal-environment Facebook group. In Oslo, Bymiljøetaten’s Facebook page is followed by about 50,000 people.

Ploughed tracks and natural ice — the transition

For anyone who starts on ploughed tracks and wants to build towards natural ice:

Build skill on a ploughed track first. You learn skating technique without ice-safety worries.
Learn ice safety in theory — through Foreningen Turskøyting’s (the Norwegian Tour-Skating Association’s) theory course or your own reading.
Join a natural-ice group tour once you have solid skating technique. You focus on ice safety, not on balance.
A fall-through practice evening (plumpekveld) before you set out alone on natural ice.
An independent natural-ice outing in company, after a solid foundation.

For many Norwegians, ploughed tracks are the destination, not a stepping stone. They prefer the predictability and the accessible (lavterskel) approach. Entirely acceptable — not everyone wants to do natural-ice outings.

Climate change and ploughed tracks

Climate change affects ploughed tracks as it does natural-ice areas:

Later season start — milder December/January means ice formation takes longer.

Earlier finish — warmer March/April means the season is shortened at both ends.

More thaw windows — a brief thaw can ruin established good ice and require fresh ploughing.

For Sognsvann and Maridalsvannet, the season has been uneven over the past 10 years. Some winters have practically no ploughing; others have 8–10 weeks of good skating.

For anyone planning seasonal use: follow the local Facebook group and be flexible with dates.

Alternatives when ploughing does not happen

If a ploughed track does not open in your area:

Natural-ice tour skating — requires local knowledge and equipment.

Hockey or ice dancing — on artificial rinks. The classic option for city dwellers.

Alpine ice rinks — in mountain towns (Beitostølen, Geilo) there are often ploughed tracks in cases where the lowlands have no ice.

Skiing — an alternative winter outdoor activity with the same fitness base.

For anyone who loves tour skating: location matters a great deal. If you live somewhere with few ploughed tracks and little natural ice, consider whether travel (a weekend trip to Mjøsa or Femund) is worth it.

Next steps

If tour skating is new to you: go to Sognsvann or the nearest ploughed track. Hire skates or buy a basic kit (1,500–3,500 kr).

If you have skated a ploughed track and want to go further: do a fall-through practice evening and join a natural-ice group tour. Your first tour-skating outing goes through the practicalities.

For anyone wanting to build up equipment: tour-skating equipment goes through the choices.

For classic natural-ice outings: classic trips gives an overview of Mjøsa, Tyrifjorden and other destinations.

Learn more

Text: Snuitide (2026).