Canadian seeking help to plan ski tour in Norway

[Calypso]

I'm hoping someone in this forum understands english because I unfortunately don't write or speak norwegian.

I'm starting to plan a ski tour trip in Norway and looking for information on the sweet spots to go for powder. I've searched the teletips talk forum and found some info that was helpful. I haven't had too much luck on the Web. As recommended by someone on teletips, I thought I would try this forum.

For the moment I'm trying to find out the following:

- Best time of year to go over for powder/ winter conditions. Old threads seem to indicate late Feb/ early March? Not interested in spring skiing conditions. Looking for intermediate to advanced ski terrain.

- searching for an area where can do land based tours. The sail and ski tours are lots of krone $. If there's anyone who's done any backcountry hut trips in the Canadian Rockies or British Columbia Interior and can recommend anything comparable in Norway, I'd really appreciate it. Looking to do day ski's from a hut/ accomodations or hut to hut (7-10 day period). Jotunheimen and Lyngen seem to keep coming up in old threads.

- I'm also looking at a guided tour or hiring a local guide. Has anyone heard about midnight sun mountain guide outfitter?

Any advice regarding this will be welcome. Stay tuned for more questions.

As they say in Canada, Thanks a lot eh!

[jankj]

The Norwegian Trekking Association maintains an extensive network of huts and cabins, with standard varying from very primitive to large lodges that serve 3-course dinner. Note that some cabins may be closed in mid-winter. They also arrange guided tours, which probably is the equivalent of your "backcountry hut trips". Check out their website:

http://www.turistforeningen.no/english/

This guy seems to be mainly interested in climbing, but his web page may be a good introduction to the geography of the area:

http://www.scandinavianmountains.com/

More experienced "powder-hunters" than I must answer your question about optimum "powder" conditions. February and March is probably your best bet, but weather conditions vary. You may have anything from perfect conditions to too cold, too wet, or too much snow (blizzard and high avalanche risk). The risk of stormy weather is lower later in the spring - but the storms also provide the powder (as well as high avalanche risk), so there is a trade-off here. Many skiers actually go skiing the highest peaks as late as in April-May, seeking soft (wet) spring-conditions. Everything is more predictable later in the spring: The snow conditions are more stable (the ice-hard snow on wind exposed faces has softened), the weather is better and the risk of avalanche is lower.

You will find LOTS of entertaining terrain pretty much everywhere along the Western and Northern coast of Norway, as well as in the central mountain regions. Most of this is accessible by car.

Due to the variability of the weather, you could consider to plan multiple alternatives, say

- Lyngen

- the mountain areas near Ålesund (the Sunnmøre area)

- Some location in central part of Southern Norway

- Røldal (Southwesternmost part of Norway)

The last 3 alternatives would be accessible by ground transport from any major city in Souther Norway (typically Oslo/Gardemoen airport) within the same day. This could be improvised based on conditions there and then. To reach Lyngen you would need another flight northwards.

[Tomasnl]

http://www.sunalp.no/article.asp?w=&x=3127

http://www.ryggsekk.net/turer/fjellturer.htm

[Lena]

Yes, we've heard about the msm-guides They are great guys. Professional, but very down-to-earth. I will recommend a trip to the Lyngen-area, it's a beautifull scenery and great skiing.

[torhaa]

I suggest you bump this thread a few times during fall / early winter, to ensure more people get to see this and may provide you valuable info... I would guess quite a bit of the skiing part of this community isn't logged on very much nowadays..

I am not experienced with the mountains here (I have just bought me alpine touring gear this spring). If I were, I would try to comment on some of the things you ponder upon. However, after reading a bit on this forum, I know there are a lot of folks around here possessing great knowledge! So be patient with the answers, and bump this from time to time, and I'm sure you'll get a good way on the track.

Good luck, and welcome to Norway!

[Aslak]

Take a look at friflyt.no. This site is for dedicated skiers and those that like it steep and fast.

[Calypso]

Takk (thank you?) everyone for the information, I'll be following up on most of these leads. So here is a crazy question. There are some kayakers in the group, who I am sure are going to want to paddle a fjord somewhere if at all possible. So what are the chances of arranging a kayaking day trip in March? Anything near Tromso? I don't think they mind if there is ice in the water, because they have done it here in the Canadian Rockies. Yes to my mind these people are a little crazy.... , but they are quite passionate about their sea kayaking.

Also we have an ice climber or two, can anyone comment on ice climbing near Tromso? What kind of ice climbing is found out there? ie typical number of pitches etc?

Thanks eh!

[jankj]

The fjord is there, just paddle away... Take a lot of the map, there's plenty of roads that gives you easy access to the water. Provided, of course, that you have the skills and equipment to handle the conditions. Personally, I don't, but I understand the attraction of it...

Some general tips:

- Try asking the "padling" group at this forum

- Your friends probably want to rent kayak and some gear. Make arrangement for this early. I would suspect that the rental market for kayaks is rather meager in the winter season, implying that the supply will be extremely limited.

- Local wind conditions in the fjords can be somewhat surprising, with possibility of strong gusts and/or high waves. With low air temperature and wind I would also suspect that icing (water spray that is freezing on the kayak) could be a problem. Watch the weather, and listen to people that know local conditions. Quite often an off-shore wind component (say, south-easterly) will give a surprisingly strong wind in some fjords, but not in others. This may not be evident in the forecast. (Of course, this tip also applies to wind in the mountains).

- The Atlantic water is usually 6-8 deg C even mid winter, but you may have a much colder fresh or brackish layer on top of this, with temperature close to freezing point.

[Lena]

For kayak rental, please check out http://www.mamut.com/homepages/Norway/1/18/padle/default.htm. If you look closer at the page you'll find that some of the information is actually in english You can even rent his car so that you can get your kayaks with you.

For ice climbing I believe an email to the Tromsø Klatreklubb (Tromsø Climbing Club) will be the best thing: [email protected]. They will be able to give you the best information about all the ice climbing possibilities, routes and local conditions.

[TormodiFuruskogen]

There are a few professional kayak shops that rent out kayaks in Tromsø, and as most people stay on land during winter it shouldn`t be a big problem to find kayaks that`s possible to rent.

Depending on where you want to paddle, how many people want to go kayaking, transport, budget, weather conditions there are different options.

The local Kayak club offers kayaks for the club members quite cheap. But it just includes the most nessesary equipment to get on the water.

At the shops you can pay about 4-500kr for one kayak per day, byt you can also rent the rest of the equipment you need there, clothing etc.

It all depends on how extreme you want it. Tipping over in mid winter up here isn`t something you wanne do. There`s usually no ice on the sea water near Tromsø(all fresh water lakes are covered as you probobly know )

Paddling in winter time is quite special cause you have the water for your self, there`s hardly any boat traffic. You might see the Hurtigruten ships but they`re no problem for a kayak as the speed isn`t that great.

[Tomasnl]

http://home.online.no/~b-svi/tromsturmal.html

[inaktiv]

I can really recommend inner Nordfjord as a destination for you guys. It's very good from feburary until may, and as everyone else here says, weather gets more stable later in the season. The area is awesome for daytrips, but there aren't many official huts and cabins to make lengthy trips. But all you need in the wintertime is a shovel and an hour or two, saves you a lot of weight and it's more comfortable than a tent or a freezing cabin.

Multi-day trips can be make over the jostedal glacier, or if you want to go entirely around a valley. I've got lots of suggestions if your starting point is Loen (nearby Stryn). There are also tons of daytrips, you could definitely spend a good week there and never go on the same mountain, and they all fall into intermediate-advanced descents.

There are sooo many waterfalls that haven't even been climbed in that area, I'm just amazed when driving through. I've just started ice-climbing but locals say it's best in february. Of course there is much variation year to year, just like anywhere else. I know of 2 established routes, 80m and 120m. There is also tons of mixed climbing to do, but it's not well documented yet.

Nordfjord is 106 km long, and you could paddle any length of it. It's possible to start in Måløy for instance, and either paddle all the way to Loen in one day, or make a stay in gloppen hotell http://www.gloppenhotell.no/ You could also paddle a round trip along the edge of the fjord and visit the different villages. Freezing on the lakes in the area is quite normal, but the inner fjord only freezes every 20 years of so.

Sogn to the south is also a perfect place for touring. Stranda is great for sidecountryskiing, and going a little bit east to Grotli would be better for high-mountain tours eliminating all the bush. Going north would take you toward Sunnmøre which is also highly recommendable. If you get to the area, just go to the places with the most snow to try it out for a few days. Then you decide if it's too bushy, steep, avalanche-prone, boring and shift after a some days. If the weather is sketchy for touring you could use the local skihill for a day to wait it out, or travel to a different place.

Daylight is a major issue here. The further north you go, the less light threre'll be. You should also be aware that deep fjords means sunlight might never get to the village at all in the winter months. The earlier you're going here the further south you should go, but I wouldn't come until mid february. If you want to come in april or may you should aim for Lyngen as it's getting much brighter, warmer and more stable weather.

Also consider Telemark (haven't been, but I've heard..) and Svalbard These are the areas I most want to explore in the near future.