The 2025 Ski for Light International Event

The Dates

The 2025 Ski for Light International Week will be held from Sunday evening, January 26 through Sunday morning, February 2, 2025. First- and second-year guides will need to arrive one day early, by Saturday afternoon, January 25th, for guide orientation and training.

The Location

The 2025 Ski for Light event will be based in Provo, Utah. Provo is located in the middle of Utah, about 45 miles south of the Salt Lake City airport. It is a clean, pleasant city of about 100,000 people, and is the home of Brigham Young University.

Provo is situated along the western base of the Wasatch Mountains, which form a rugged divide spanning the center of the state for 160 miles from north to south. The rugged terrain of the Wasatch, coupled with the lightest, driest and deepest powder anywhere, result in some of the finest skiing anywhere in the country, if not the world. If you plan to arrive early or stay late at SFL to downhill ski, you will be pleased to learn that within 30 to 45 minutes of Provo are the world-class ski resorts of Sundance, Park City, Alta, Snowbird, the Canyons, Brighton and Solitude.

For more information about the Provo area, visit the Provo area information and maps website.

Getting to Provo

Unless you are driving to Provo, you will want to fly into and out of the Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) for your trip to Ski for Light. SLC is a large, modern facility that is served by most major airlines, with 300 flights daily to 90 nonstop destinations. It is about 45 miles from the event hotel in Provo, a trip that usually takes less than one hour.

Ski for Light will provide free charter bus service between the Salt Lake City airport and Provo, at designated times and on designated days. If you wish to take advantage of this service please be sure to schedule your arrival in Salt Lake City for no later than 3:00 pm on your arrival day, and your departure for no earlier than 10:00 am on departure day, Sunday February 2nd.

Please be sure to read the 2025 Arrival and Departure Information page for additional important information that you will need to know before making your travel plans.

The Event Hotel

The event hotel will be the Marriott Hotel & Conference Center in Provo. It is a modern full-service business and convention hotel, with all of the amenities you could ask for. the 330 guest rooms are large, airy and well-appointed. All rooms have either one king or two queen beds, a flat screen television, a mini-refrigerator, a coffee maker, an ironing board and iron, and a hair dryer. The hotel has a large indoor heated pool and hot-tub, a state of the art work-out facility, a restaurant and bar, and more than enough meeting and banquet space to meet our needs. The hotel is located right in the middle of downtown Provo, so restaurants and shops of all kinds will be just a short walk away.

View the Provo Marriott Photo Tour

The Ski Area

We will ski at the Soldier Hollow cross-country ski area. Soldier Hollow is in the town of Midway, about 27 miles from the Marriott. The route to Soldier Hollow will take us through Provo Canyon, passing the Sundance Resort on the way.

While the dry powder of the Wasatch has long been a magnet for downhill skiers, it has not been of much interest to cross-country skiers until recent times. The major ski resorts in the area are generally too rugged for good cross-country skiing, and there was no economic reason to develop good cross-country venues since the area already attracted so many downhill skiers.

This all changed starting in about 2000, with the approach of the 2002 Winter Olympics. Park City was the Olympic venue for downhill skiing but it was not suitable for cross- country competitions. The Olympic Organizing Committee and state of Utah solved the problem by carving good cross-country trails into Wasatch State Park. They added a beautiful two-story ski lodge and built roads into the area, named it all Soldier Hollow, and the rest is history. The 2002 Olympic events that were held there were described by all who attended as among the best ever held.

The 35k Soldier Hollow trail system has trails for all abilities. Trails are wide and wonderfully well-groomed. There is snow making capability at the site should it ever be needed, but the probability of good natural skiing conditions is quite high.

Soldier Hollow contains, in addition to the cross-country trail system, a popular and large tubing hill operation. While tubing is not part of the SFL program, some attendees may want to give it a try on their own.

Meals During The Week

At Ski for Light all meals are group meals, meaning meals with a fixed menu and in a location apart from other guests, as follows:

Breakfast each day will be in the Marriott hotel. From Monday through Saturday breakfast is a “distributed buffet,” which means a number of items pre set on each table, such as hard boiled eggs, yogurt, granola, fresh fruit, pastries or bagels, and similar items, for those desiring a lighter breakfast, plus two to four hot food stations that offer items such as scrambled eggs, pancakes or waffles, bacon or sausage, potatoes, oatmeal and similar items which rotate from day to day. Breakfast on the final Sunday is a continental breakfast.
Lunch each day will be at Soldier Hollow, and will consist of hot soup and sandwiches and similar fare.
Dinner each evening, also in the Marriott Hotel, is a served, plated meal. There are three meal plans available for dinners during the week, as follows:
- The standard menu plan, which includes red meat, poultry and seafood, as well as other foods
- The pescatarian menu plan, which includes eggs, dairy products and seafood as well as other sources of protein (legumes and soy) but no red meat or poultry
- The vegan menu plan, which is plant based and includes vegetables, fruits, beans, grains, nuts, and seeds, but no red meat, poultry, seafood, eggs or dairy products.
- All entrees served during the week will be gluten free, and gluten-free bread and/or dessert will be available upon request to the wait staff.
Attendees must choose one dinner menu plan for the entire week, with their choice noted to the wait staff by the color of the name tag that they must wear at dinners.

COVID Considerations

On May 11, 2023, the federal COVID 19 Public Health Emergency declaration ended but COVID has not gone away. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), people who are more likely to get very sick include older adults (ages 50 years or more, with risk increasing with age), people who are unvaccinated, and people with certain medical conditions, such as chronic lung disease, heart disease, or a weakened immune system.

Anyone with a weakened immune system, or other underlying medical conditions may wish to discuss attending Ski for Light with their medical provider. Understanding the risk of COVID for yourself and those around you can help you make informed decisions to stay safe and healthy.

To help insure a safe and enjoyable Ski for Light event, all participants are strongly encouraged to obtain recommended COVID vaccines, booster shots and flu shots. Ski for Light will seek to further minimize Covid risk during the event by adhering to the guidelines and requirements of the Center for Disease Control, the state of Utah Department of Health and Human Services, the Utah County (Provo) Health Department, and the Wasatch County (Midway) Health Department that are in effect at the start of the Ski for Light event.

The Application Process and Acceptance to the Event

In order to attend the Ski for Light International Week in 2025 you must first complete and submit an event application, which is LINKED BELOW. The application asks for your contact and personal information, your desired meal and housing options for the week, and about your skiing ability and experience.

After reviewing your application, Ski for Light may email you an invitation to attend based on the following considerations: Your skiing ability if applying to be a guide, your ability to physically participate in cross-country skiing if applying to be a visually- or mobility-impaired participant, and the available space in the event hotel if applying to be a worker-bee, companion or guest.

The application deadline for visually- or mobility-impaired participants is October 1, 2024. Acceptances to the event will be issued to as many applicants as possible beginning soon after the close date of October 1, 2024. Acceptance priority will be given to first-time and second-time participants, and to those SFL veterans who are necessary to conduct the annual event and/or manage the affairs of the organization. The number of visually- and mobility-impaired participants who can be admitted to attend is dependent on the number of guides who have applied. After the initial wave of acceptances is issued, additional acceptances will be issued to people who applied by the application deadline when made possible by the receipt of additional guide applications. Applications received after the application deadline of October 1 will be considered on a space available basis.

If you are applying to be a guide you will be notified of your acceptance to the week quickly. While there is no application deadline for guides, you are urged to apply by October 1 so that as many visually- and mobility-impaired applicants as possible may be admitted in early October.

The application deadline for worker-bees, companions and guests is also October 1, 2024. Acceptances to the event will be issued to as many of these applicants as possible starting on October 1, 2024. The number of such applicants to be accepted will depend on how much space is still available in the event hotel. The acceptance of companions will also be linked to the acceptance status of their companion, if that companion is a guide or disabled skier. Additional applications will be accepted and acted upon on a space available basis.

Ski for Light will endeavor to insure that the number of guides is approximately equal to the number of visually- and mobility-impaired participants. Last minute cancellations, or illnesses, of either guides or disabled participants, may result in the final numbers being slightly out of balance. If this occurs, SFL will work with all attendees to ensure that everyone has the experience that they want for the week.

Cost For The Week

The total cost for the week will depend on which housing option you select, as follows:

Double-occupancy, $1,075 per person
Single-occupancy, $1,575

Prices shown include: room and all meals from Sunday evening January 26 through Sunday morning February 2; round-trip transportation between the Salt Lake City airport and the Marriott Hotel in Provo; round-trip transportation between the Marriott and Soldier Hollow each day; all cross-country trail fees; and most afternoon and evening programs and activities.

Cross-country skis, boots and poles will be provided free of charge to first-time visually-impaired participants, and will be available for rent by all others for a fee of $135 for the six-day week (if the rental fee is paid at the same time as the event fee).

There is no extra cost for first- and second-time guides arriving early for guide training, on a double-occupancy basis.

The cost of transportation from home to and from Salt Lake City is the responsibility of the participant.

Full payment is due from all accepted applicants by November 15, 2024.

Please be aware that for the 2025 event each participant is paying only about 80% of the cost of their participation. The remainder, amounting to a bit more than $250, is being provided by funds donated to SFL by individuals, foundations and Sons of Norway lodges, and by the investment earnings of the SFL Endowment Fund. If you are financially able, we encourage you to become one of our financial supporters by going to the online donation form and making a tax-deductible contribution to SFL.

Financial Assistance

Ski for Light recognizes that some prospective annual event participants may not be able to attend the Ski for Light International Week without financial assistance. Accordingly, all guides, all visually impaired participants and all mobility impaired participants with such a need who reside in the United States are eligible for a stipend to partially defray the cost of attending the annual SFL event. Applicants requesting a single room, or arriving early at the event hotel, other than people arriving early on SFL business, are not eligible for stipends.

Stipends awarded to first time visually impaired participants, first time mobility impaired participants and all Instructor/Guides will usually not exceed 60% of the applicants International Week event fee.

Stipends awarded to second time visually impaired participants and second time mobility impaired participants will usually not exceed 50% of the applicants International Week event fee.

Stipends awarded to visually impaired participants and mobility impaired participants who have attended two or more previous SFL events will usually not exceed one third of the applicants International Week event fee.

The specific amount of each stipend will be based on the remaining funds that SFL has available for this purpose, the applicant’s stated financial need in their stipend application, and any other relevant considerations.

The deadline for financial aid applications to be submitted is October 1. Exceptions may be made if funds are still available after that date.

To receive an application for financial aid for the 2025 event please so indicate on your event application.

Getting in Shape for Cross-Country Skiing

If you have never cross- country skied before, have minimal experience, or just want to make sure you are in good shape to get the most out of the experience, there are two things that you need to know before applying to attend the Ski for Light International Week, or before actually attending the event.

First, cross-country skiing is an aerobic activity that may not be physically appropriate for every prospective attendee. If you have concerns about participation, consult with a physician who can discuss with you the risks of participation in vigorous physical activity, given your medical history and physical condition. For more information on this subject please read About Cross- Country Skiing and the Ski for Light International Week
Second, once you have determined that cross-country skiing is for you, we recommend that you begin some basic physical conditioning so you can get the most enjoyment from the week. This is just common sense for anyone planning to participate in a week of physically demanding aerobic activity. We have developed some resources that will help you get ready for the week. First, Ten Easy Steps to Increase Fitness helps you find easy ways to incorporate exercise and stretching into your daily activities. If you are ready for more rigorous exercise, including a training calendar, see Physical Conditioning for Ski for Light Skiers which provides suggestions for aerobic, core and upper and lower body exercises, which will help you get the most out of your ski week. The final section of this document contains exercise resources geared for people with visual impairments and some high intensity fitness programs. Additionally, here is a recording describing how one SFL veteran prepared for a recent event.

Application Forms

To apply to attend the Ski for Light International Week in 2025, please complete and submit the appropriate application form below. Before you apply, please be sure to read the frequently asked questions about the 2025 week as it includes much information that you will want to know before submitting your application.

Forms for Accepted Applicants

If you have received a notification of acceptance to the 2025 Ski for Light event, please follow the links below to let SFL know how and when you will be travelling to and from the event, to learn about the Apres Ski sessions that will be held during the week and to volunteer to lead such a session, and to make your event payment.

Guide Handbook

The Ski for Light Guide Handbook contains a wealth of general skiing tips, SFL-specific terminology, a standard progression of instruction for beginners, and other information to help new guides approach their first event with confidence, and to help everyone ski together more safely and enjoyably.

The Narrated Video Accompaniment to the Guide Handbook brings the concepts presented in the PDF Guide Handbook to life. (MP4 format, 8 minutes, 38 seconds)