INTO THE ARCTIC

NORWAY, SO FAR BUT SO GOOD

PHOTOS: DANNI FORDE

Some people are content with ski resorts, many enjoy the ease and convenience of North America while others love the food and culture in Japan. Don’t get me wrong these all have their merits, but if you’re chasing a once in a lifetime, bucket list type of skiing experience, you might want to start thinking about putting a trip to Norway on your list.

Full disclaimer: It ain’t cheap. If you’re on a shoestring budget and looking for bang for buck this isn’t for you. Also, it is not exactly easy, geographically speaking. For most of us, Norway is kind of far away. All that said if you can make it happen I’m pretty sure you won’t be disappointed.

When we started planning for this trip we looked into a few options, including a resortbased trip and yacht trips through the fjords, but in the end we chose a tour involving a converted Finnish military truck.

The truck, nicknamed “The Nest”, offered transport, accommodation and catering. Throw in a ski guide to help keep you safe and to find the goods and you have all the key ingredients for a good time.

The tour is based out of the city of Tromso in Northern Norway, 350 kilometres inside the Arctic Circle. We arrived a day early to acclimatise and check out the city, known as “The Paris of the North”. With nearly a metre of fresh snow on the ground and peaks jutting out of the fjords in every direction, the stoke level was high. With new snow on a slightly problematic snowpack, we opted to rent airbags for the week and then spent the rest of the day exploring the town.

The next day we met up with our Finnish hosts, Mika and Panu and the adventure began. We hit the road in our new home en-route to our first ski touring location and a couple of hours’ drive

Tom Costa taking in a spectacular view in Norway’s deep north and a few moose-spottings later we pulled over and geared up for an afternoon tour.

Panu had an 800-metre peak in mind, a good first target of the trip.

However, it was hammering down snow and visibility was poor forcing us to pull the pin at about 600 metres. Still, the ski down was fun, and we enjoyed some mellow powder turns back through the forest back to the cosy Nest.

After a quick change out of ski boots we were back on the road to make the ferry that would take us across the Ullsfjorden to the Lyngen peninsula and Lyngseidet, the main township on the peninsula, where we park up for the night. After a gourmet meal prepared by Mika we turn in to our tight but comfy accommodations, filled with both dinner and excitement for what the rest of the week will bring.

The following morning we wake to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and a fresh coat of snow. Fredrik, the third member of our Finnish support crew and our guide for trip arrives soon after. Fredrik is a U.I.A.G.M qualified mountain guide (International Federation of Mountain Guides Association) who has settled in the Lyngen Alps.

After a quick scan of the map and transceiver checks we headed off into the forest. Skinning through deep snow and birch trees gives us all Hokkaido vibes, but as we climb higher and catch glimpses of the surrounding peaks and the local ferry crossing the fjord, the scenery is unmistakably Norwegian.

We stopped for a short break in a mountain hut then transitioned our gear to downhill and enjoy some especially deep powder turns through the trees in the upper section of the descent. The tree-skiing became slightly more “adventurous” at lower elevations, but we successfully negotiated the tight, steep trees and farmers’ fences before arriving at the only dedicated ski lodge in town.

With a cold (albeit expensive) beer, a bartender from Queensland and a wood fired sauna, we settled in for some Scandinavian après-ski. After some sauna science lessons from Fredrik and several rolls in the snow, we shower and make our way back to the Nest and head off to our next location.

An hour later we pull into a beachside carpark on the Northern tip of the peninsula and soon after are presented with another delicious meal. Tired, full and pleasantly dry roasted, it’s not long before the sound of the wind and the waves outside has us crawling into our bunks.

The morning brings a sunny if blustery view of our new beachfront home. Coffee, breakfast, and packs filled with snacks, we set off along the beach. There’s something surreal about ski touring with peeling waves on one side of you and a jagged mountain range on the other.

The tip of the Peninsula stretches out in front of us with snow covered island peaks busting out of the Norwegian Sea in the distance. The natural beauty of this place is enough to make you borderline emotional. The climb up from the beach, complete with aggressive kick-turns, is almost enough to snap us out of our reverie. However, as we climb higher and the easterly views open up across the fjord towards the mainland we are struck again by the sheer beauty of this place and the seemingly endless possibilities for adventure in this remote corner of the world.

By this stage the blustery conditions at sea level have scaled up to full blown 100km/h winds. Fredrik assures us the view from the peak at 817 metres will be worth it, so we press on. Touring out onto the exposed ridge the wind goes from bad to worse, but Fredrik isn’t wrong about the 360-degree views from the summit. We huddle around a rime covered outcrop, taking in the views, snapping photos and drooling over the couloir, that in in safer conditions would have been the express route back to the truck. After an awkward windblown transition back to ski mode we hastily make our way off the peak and out of the worst of the wind, re-group and plan our route down.

The wind had wreaked some havoc on the snow but there are still pockets of pow and fields of wind-skimmed goodness up high, opening into protected gullies in the lower section. By the time we make it back to the water’s edge the sun is dipping behind the peaks to our west. We trudge along the beach to the awaiting Nest where we are greeted with a warming fire and crepes cooked to order.

The plan was to push on to the next location, but the cold winds did a number on the truck’s fuel system. After several attempts in the freezing winds to sort the issue the towel is thrown in and dinner is served. After dinner entertainment is provided by the Aurora Borealis, more commonly known as the northern lights. It’s almost a given to see the lights this far north, but no matter how many times you see this phenomenon, it never gets old. I won’t bang on about the wonder of nature or try to explain the science behind the Northern Lights, suffice to say, it’s fricken awesome and if you get a chance to see it, go somewhere really dark, rug up and keep your eyes peeled. The following morning with the help of a local

IT’S ALMOST A GIVEN TO SEE THE LIGHTS THIS FAR NORTH, BUT NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU SEE THIS PHENOMENON, IT NEVER GETS OLD farmer’s moonshine bi-product (ethanol), the old girl is back in action and it is on to another ferry and a short drive, to a new location. This time we find ourselves on the mainland but with a fjord at our feet and mountains all around us it’s getting difficult to come to grips with the geography of this place. Everyday feels like a new world but in reality, we’ve barely moved more than 50 kilometres.

WITH NEARLY A METRE OF FRESH SNOW ON THE GROUND AND PEAKS JUTTING OUT OF THE FJORDS IN EVERY DIRECTION, THE STOKE LEVEL WAS HIGH.

We set a goal for a 1100-metre peak but some tasty terrain above the treeline distracts us and we burn up most of energy/daylight in good snow until it is too late to make it up to the peak. We turn around on a ridge below the top and party-lap down in the golden hour light. Quick drive, dinner, sleep.

Can you see a pattern developing here?

New day, new location and this time we’re on a small island. The ferry captain gave us a tip on an easy route up through the forest and with no particular goal in mind for the day we climb until we find some cool features, ski them, then climb some more.

Eventually the good snow gives over to windblown sastrugi, so we pick out some playful terrain to mess around on, then turn and burn to catch the fading light through the trees back to our mobile haven. A little worn out and slightly musty from days of ski touring and truck life, we book ourselves in to a local sauna. With hot tub, showers and a chill out room and located right next to the harbour, it’s the perfect spot to get our Wim Hof on.

You’d think that 3-degree water and negative air temps would not lead to a pleasant experience time but turns out it is not that bad. Actually, it felt pretty amazing and I don’t like swimming at the best of times. The final ski day of the trip dawns grey-bird and with energy levels waning we choose to keep it mellow and stay at lower altitude.

After messing around on some features in the woods we wrap up early, content that we’ve made the most of our time. The early mark gets us on the next ferry allowing Fredrik a chance to spend some time at home with his girlfriend in between ski groups.

We exchange contacts and phone photos and hit the road bound for Tromso. One last ferry ride and a 60km drive gives us time to flick through our photos and reflect on a whirlwind tour of absolute epicness. The skiing. The scenery. The saunas. The Aurora. Minds blown. Bucket lists ticked. Norway. So good.

Tom Costa, finding respite from the wind deep in the trees.