Norway 2024: An Unforgettable Skiing Adventure
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Time to read 3 min
Norway 2024: An Unforgettable Skiing Adventure
Mid-afternoon daylight still shines brightly, reflecting off the fjord below us. Snow covered and glacier glad peaks rise out of the cold clear water in every direction, offering miles of endless ski lines. This has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. As I slide smooth splitboard turns down the sun-softened spring corn snow, each turn swooshing like splashing grains of sand, I ride all the way to the water's edge and soft waves washing ashore. The Scandinavian country of Norway, lined with channels and fingered fjords, sky scraping mountains, and archapeligo of islands, offers a lifetime of skiing for the die hard rider to casual cruisers. The landscape has been carved by melting, eroding, and retreating glaciers, melting and freezing snow and rain chipping away at sheets of folded iron rich gabbro. Above the Arctic Circle, Northern Norway, has glaciers clinging to and spilling off of alpine peaks, creating jagged, steep ramparts, unlike the rounded soft southern regions.
Journey to Tromsø
After flying over the glacier clad sub continent of Greenland, transferring in Reykjavik Iceland, and connecting in Oslo, we finally made our way to the island town of Tromsø to experience what life above the arctic circle in Northern Norway has to offer. Norway is nine hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time with April daylight hours being similar to mid June in the PNW the long days make it easy to compensate for jet lag. Depending on wether there is good visibility, heavy snow, cold temps, or warm sunshine, you could start your ski day as early as 4am or as late as 1230pm, but either way, you'll have a full day of skiing by choosing the most ideal time for weather and snow on your arrival day.
Exploring Tromsø and Beyond
We picked up our rental car just across the Sandessundbrua, which connects Tromso to Kvaloysletta, shopped for groceries finding a variety of delicious sweets like Kvikk Lunsj, rich creamy cheese, a variety of smoked and cured fish, and explored the island city of Tromsø. Meandering along the glacier carved fjord shoreline, we admired snow-covered peaks towering in every direction. Villages and vacation houses lined the wavering shoreline as we made our way to our first ferry across Ullsfjorden. A short ride across the fjord brought us to the northern Lyngen Peninsula.
Skiing the Northern Lyngen Peninsula
The Northern Lyngen Peninsula offers everything from great introductory tours up gently rising slopes to large rounded summits to couloir skiing through steep clefts down staggering rocky escarpments. While low visibility skiing is limited in this sparsely vegetated region, there are many options to choose from in adverse weather. On our first day, we chose an easy, gradual tour to survey the landscape and get a sense of the snowpack. Clouds rolled over the summit as we quickly skinned 3,500 feet to the top of Storgalten Mountain (Big Pig Mtn). Breezy conditions and flat light guided us as we descended through rolling terrain, skiing all the way back to the car.
Southern Lyngen Peninsula Adventures
After spending a couple of days exploring the northern Lyngens couloirs, gentle slopes, and spectacular summits overlooking famed island Arnoya we headed south. Here the peninsula widens and car traffic decreases. The tallest peak on the peninsula reside here, Jiehkkevarri, offering a healthy vertical relief of 6,017 feet, capped by glaciers and lined with steep slopes and jagged peaks. Large massifs cram into this compact region. The southern region did not disappoint, with long day sunlight softening corn snow for brilliant smooth sliding descents. We skied through rolling terrain, along riverbeds, and back to the water's edge.
Couloir Skiing and More
We surveyed the entire area, coast to coast, valley in and out, each access point, and from each peak that enticed us. Every turn of the coast curving roadsides, each harbor and beach break unveiled new horizons of skiing and riding beauty unrivaled anywhere. While we couldn't ride them all, this peninsular range offered plenty, with more adventures unfolding deeper within the tight valleys and expansive cirques. Tricky weather and visibility led us back to the northern Lyngen to seek out couloir skiing. We crammed in low elevation couloirs between crashing waves and hovering clouds, descending 2,000 feet to the beach below.
An Unforgettable Experience
Driving to and from our destinations, every turn and transition impressed us with unrelenting, breathtaking views. After a week of skiing the best terrain safely, we made our way back to Tromsø. It was a successful trip, exploring new ranges, a new country, and new experiences to bring our guests back year after year. Norway 2024 provided an unforgettable skiing adventure, showcasing the best of what this stunning country has to offer.
