5 BEST SKI & SAIL DESTINATIONS IN NORTH NORWAY
You want to go on a ski & sail trip in Norway but don’t know which destination fits you best? In this article you will read all about the pro’s and con’s of the, in our opinion, five best destinations.
Steigen
Possibilities
Skill level needed
Crowded
Best time of year:
February – March
Steigen is the beautiful coastal area north of Bodo. With only a few hours you can sail from Bodo to Stiegen, which only accesible by boat. Therefor you will most likely be the only skiers around. So if you want to experience the unique feeling of being on the mountain all by yourself, Steigen is the place to go. In Steigen you will find beautiful fjord landscapes, coastal islands and mountain peaks inland. This makes it a very reliable location in different conditions. One of Steigen’s best pro’s is the stability of the snow deck. As it is situated behind the protection of the Lofoten Islands, Steigen enjoys the more calm and inland weather. The result is less wind efected snow and lower temperatures. And yet it is not a well descoverd area as the infrastructure is very limited. A boat is the only real option to open all new randonee oppertiunities.
Pro's and con's
- You are the only one
- Weather protected
- Abundant wildlife
- Can be challenging to find a landing site with the boat
- Documentations on this area are slim
Lofoten
Possibilities
Skill level needed
Crowded
Best time of year:
February – March
In the Lofoten islands you can find some of the rawest nature that Norway has to offer. It’s located not on the cost but in the ocean. That provides you definetely super great views, you do not even have to reach the top for it. However, its situation also makes it very prone to bad weather. The area is popular because it offers possbilities for a wide range of skiers and you only have to sail short distances between good ski spots. Because it is a popular area it also a bit more crowded, even more if you don’t go by boat. Lofoten has a lot of natural pistes and most summits are 700 to a 1000 meters high.
Pro's and con's
- Great views
- Many options, well documented
- Easy accessible by boat
- You are not the only one
- Rather evolved infrastructure
- Prone to westerly storms, thus instable conditions are regular
Senja
Possibilities
Skill level needed
Crowded
Best time of year:
March – April
Senja has the nickname “little Norway” because on the island of Senja you will find almost all the different types of landscapes that you can find in Scandinavian nature. This makes that Senja has endless possibilities for tour skiing. The mountains reach up to a 1000 meters and offer varied terrain. In the West, the terrain is steep with many couloirs, in the East a more flattened easy going terrain. The island is located on the very egde of Norway’s coastline, making it more difficult to estimate the snow stability but on the other hand, every view is just stunning. Fresh snow falls one minute and before you know it the sun is back. This makes this a unique setting for sailing and skiing. In this area you also find the thickest population of the Moose.
Pro's and con's
- Variety in terrain
- Stunning sceneries
- Just a few people
- Prone to westerlies
Lyngen Alps
Possibilities
Skill level needed
Crowded
Best time of year:
March – April
Lyngen alps is one of the most famous ski touring regions in Norway and there is a reason for that. This is because this area is known for its unique landscape of stunning peaks and steep walls that rise straight from the sea. On the mountains you will find lots of powder snow, making sure every descent is spectacluar. The Lyngen Alps is a peninsula stretching from almost open sea all the way into the protected inland area. This provides tour skiers an opportunity to go with whatever the weather is doing that day. However, this weather in combination with the crowds also causes more casualties caused by avalances. The avalance danger veries strongly from face to face. The Lyngen alps is fairly good eccesable by car while the option to moore the boat and acces it from the water are slim.
Pro's and con's
- Challenging terrain
- Always an option to go touring, no matter the weather
- Very well documented
- Crowded
- Challenging to acces by boat
- Difficult to estimate the avalanche danger
Finnmark Alps
Possibilities
Skill level needed
Crowded
Best time of year:
April – May
The Finnmark Alps around the Oksfljord and Langfojrd host many great alpine peaks and are known for their long and reliable ski season. Most summits are 800 to 1200 meters high and start directly on sealevel and due to its unique microclimate, the region gets plenty of snow. Its northern latitude makes it great for long days of touring until late in the season. When sailing from one ski spot to another you often find a calm and easy wind for sailing. In our opinioin this area is just the best, our favorite. That’s beacause we feel all the great aspects of all the other area’s in one. It’s the largest region of these five. It is very slim populated, from mellow to very challenging, no other people around if you spent just a little time planning an uncommon route, Just a handfull of boats, if not just one, the one you are joining.
Pro's and con's
- Large area
- Long days, long season
- Limited amount of people
- Many options and many levels
- Besause of the size it can sometimes take quite a while to go from A to B