CopenHill, Copenhagen, Denmark.
It was 9am and we were kitted up in salopettes, waddling down from the hotel room. Brightly coloured goggles brushed against thick gloves in pockets and boots were slung over shoulders ready to hit the ski slopes. Other guests eyed up our ensembles and the receptionist let out a slight giggle as we shuffled past. We had checked the weather. No snow. There had been no snow in months. My brother and I stepped out of the hotel into the middle of downtown Copenhagen and picked up two Lime scooters from around the block.
We may well have been an unusual sight in the Danish capital, the nearest ski resort was 206km away and the city’s elevation was only 1m above sea level, but this sight may soon become something of a norm. Scandinavia’s forward thinking approach to greener, year-round entertainment is becoming increasingly common and Norway’s latest creation is no exception. Architects at Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) have worked hard to create Amager Bakke (or CopenHill as it is better known), one of the most impressive urban multi-activity centres I have ever witnessed. It is a magnificent biomass powerplant at the edge of the city which supplies electricity for over 150,000 homes, converting 440,000 tons of waste into clean energy annually. Somewhat surprisingly, it is also home to a ski slope, hiking path, rock climbing wall and rooftop champagne bar.
It was only a twenty minute scooter ride through the colourful streets of Nyhaven to reach CopenHill, which rose like a castle against the port. Signs guided us inside the ‘Ski Café’, where we sat ourselves down on wooden benches with fur throws as the friendly waitress bought us over glass mugs of boiling herbal teas. She told us the centre had only been open six months but it was really starting to gather steam. You could already see the glimmer in her eyes as she spoke of hitting the ski slope in the heat of summer, with events and DJ sets going on well into the long, light evenings.
"You could already see the glimmer in her eyes as she spoke of hitting the ski slope in the heat of summer..."
A chirpy voice came from around the corner calling our names. We were stunned by such a bespoke greeting but as the only booking for the day (it was still fairly undiscovered then), we were waited on like VIPs. Brand new skis and poles from the rental shop were presented and we were directed out to the slope. The place was practically empty, so we had free reign, making the experience even more surreal. We clicked the skis to our boots, wiggled the pole straps around our wrists and shuffled onto the ‘magic carpet’. With each metre we rose up, we uncovered a whole new view of the plant and surrounding area which had been rejuvenated as a sustainable, quirky part of town. There were three sections to the ski run, the lowest part was a comfortable green slope, becoming a fun blue at the next level and finally a sporty black at the top, reached only by a separate button lift (which was well worth doing just for the view!). The magic carpets allowed us to get off where we liked and our lift pass allowed us to go up as many times as we could squeeze in within the time period.
As we slid down, the cool air slapping against our faces, we were cheered on by the lift marshals and hikers who were watching in delight from the side of the slope. Our confidence grew and we found ourselves starting higher and hurtling down faster on the soft green plastic. We had soon reached the top from where we started trying to catch the optimal wind. We blasted through the opaque plumes rising from the powerplant below like something out of Stars in their Eyes. However, we realised our new found speed was all relative when two young Danish children joined us on the slope, overtaking us on their first run.
The two hours flew by and with our delightfully aching thighs and rosy wind-rushed cheeks, we returned the gear and wandered around the plant on foot. We took the glass lift up through the hard-working core of the plant, and for the first time we could smell the natural odours of the waste recycling. It was important to bring our minds back to the real focus of the site and remind ourselves how Scandinavia continually maintains its reputation at the forefront of the green energy curve. The lift doors opened onto the open rooftop bar where we grabbed a drink and bite to eat, taking time to photograph the coast of Malmo sticking up on the other side of the water. We had our own chance to observe the next bunch of gleaming skiers attempt the incline, and laugh about our own experience.
"...with our delightfully aching thighs and rosy wind-rushed cheeks, we returned the gear and wandered around the plant on foot.."
It was time to leave and we began to walk back to the city for the rest of our afternoon exploring. I wondered when I would be able to return to CopenHill, hopefully in shorts and t-shirt, finding the cooling rush of air down the ski slope a comfort in the hot summer.
As I looked back at this structure I couldn’t help but think whatever would be next in this quick paced, forward thinking nation’s attempt to save the planet? A helter-skelter on a wind turbine perhaps or a bowling alley in a solar farm … either way I’m excited to find out.
Follow in my footsteps...
We stayed at the Skt Petri (https://www.sktpetri.com) right in the heart of Copenhagen. It’s location and wow-factor lobby are worth the spend, not to mention the impressive breakfast! The cost of an average double bed is £200/night (March 2020). Lime scooters (https://www.li.me/electric-scooter) can be found all over the city using the Lime app. It was a little trickier to find at CopenHill itself but we managed to pick two up after only walking 5mins on the way back. You can hire CopenHill lift passes, skis, poles and helmets online at https://www.copenhill.dk/en before you arrive. It’s very easy to do and the staff on site are more than willing to help once you arrive. A ski pass for two hours (what we had) was 740 DKK (£44) each. – March 2020. We wanted to try out Reffen ( https://reffen.dk/en/), an urban start up food market on the coast next to CopenHill but we were too early in the season! Looks amazing and lots of good reviews.
Top Tips
You don’t have to be a pro to ski here. Yes, it is a slightly different feel to snow but don’t let that stop you trying. When booking the time slot make sure you know that is in LOCAL time, i.e. in Copenhagen! It should be obvious on the print out but it can easily seem confusing. You don’t pay to walk up the hiking trail or get to the rooftop bar via the glass lift, which is well worth doing-so make sure you have your camera ready! This is also good if you don’t fancy the skiing or if you want to bring spectators. The slope often doesn’t open before 12:00 and the Ski Café doesn’t open until 11:45, so don’t be caught out and sit around waiting if you arrive early! There are a few seats and cabins around if you want to sit outside before going inside.
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