Explore-Share logo and link to home

Arctic night ski touring in Finnmark, Norway

4 days of ski touring by night in the fjords of Finnmark, close to Alta, in the north of Norway, accompanied by a certified mountain guide.

Not specified

6 Days

Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Dec

Fit

Intermediate


Description

Alta is located in Finnmark, Norway. It's the "city of the northern lights". In fact, people travel all the way up north to observe them. However, going up to 70° north in mid December is still an unusual plan for skiers. It wasn't easy to discuss it with the locals, but we managed to do it and we have no regrets!

It's during this period, the darkest of the year, that ski touring in northern Norway becomes such a unique experience.

Up there, in December, there is a very special light. In fact, it's not dark all of the 24 hours. During part of the day, an unusual blue lights gives a new life to the environment.

Everything looks both unreal and sharp: the mountains, the fjords, the ocean. Indeed, this vision is beyond what you can imagine.

And when it's truly dark, the time comes to ski with our headlamps on. There are very strong headlamps that will allow you to ski easily and having fun in the dark.

Feel free to get in touch with me if you wish to live this unique ski touring experience in an incredible environment between sea and mountains. Another great option is to got to Finnmark for a ski touring week during the spring.

Price includes

- Accommodation included

- Guiding fee

- Breakfast

- Lunch

- Dinner

- Transportation start and back

- Transport during the trip

Price details

This is the price to join a group of 6 people.


Itinerary

Day 1: Langfjordbotn

Arrival at the airport of Alta. We drive 80km to the place where we will stay, Langfjordbotn. Meeting with Moonlight Mountain Gear that will provide us with headlamps and skis for the ones who need it.

Day 2 to 5: Four days skiing.

Every day we go for a new ski tour. Even during the darkest periods, the region is full of possibilities. We will both ski the forests and go for the peaks.

Day 6: Departure

A last tour in the morning and we leave to Alta Airport.

 

Details

More info

Dinners and the loan of an avalanche transceiver are included. Level: Ski touring, walking 2 to 5 hours each day. Physical level: 3 to 4 Technical level: C to D To be sure to give you the best experience, we ski only with small groups of 6 people maximum. If you are more there will be a second guide. Weather and snow conditions: To make of this very special trip an experience that you will enjoy to the maximum, we need some days of stable weather and a decent snow cover. To ensure that, we will get the flight tickets and confirm the trip two weeks before departure date. I will be in close contact with you to follow the evolution of the weather and make the best decision. For that reason, no deposit will be asked from you. Climate: The absence of sun doesn’t help the temperatures to rise, but even in the winter the gulf stream is still on, and we can expect a coldness that is similar to what we experience in the Alpine valleys in the winter. Which means that it can go down to -20° and sometimes be a bit above freezing level. Equipment to rent: If you’re curious of trying this very specific gear, my partner Moonlight Mountain Gear will rent: TOURING SKIS. Depending on the snow conditions, Moonlight Mountain Gear is proposing different size of skis, all made incredibly light by the use of carbon and advanced technology. They come with super light bindings that can do both alpine touring and telemark. HEADLAMPS: the toughest and most powerful on the market, up to 6000 lumens. Bright as day is their name ! Prices on request.

Meeting point

Alta airport

About the guide

Guide profile image

Up Ski and Mountain

4.73

(15)

Mountain Guide

Founded by two IFMGA-certified mountain guides, Fred Buttard and Victor Charron, Up Ski and Mountain Guides is made up of a passionate group of guides and ski instructors.

Originally from Maurienne, in France, the team also spends several months a year skiing the mountains of Norway and Sweden, and travelling to off-the-beaten-path destinations, including Morocco, Albania and Japan.

Eric Tollund, Fabien Berrod, Jean Baptiste Buttard, Fabien Suiffet, Pauline Bermon, Oscar Wahlund, Clément Bléteau, Sylvain Rechu, Fred Buttard and Victor Charron are the members of our amazing team :) Get in touch with us and let's explore the mountains together.

Languages

Norwegian | Swedish | French | English

Certificates

IVBV | UIAGM | IFMGA

Request more information

What people are saying about Up Ski and Mountain

Valentine

5.00

Whow! Amazing trip in Finnmark, our guide Sylvain made the trip perfect, looking every day for the best snow conditions and beautiful itineraries! Arriving on ski after a crazy descent in powder to the water in lonesome fjords and getting home by boat as well as kayaking to the start of itinerary on a perfect sunny day are unbeatable! Sauna after a powder day, dog sledging and watching northern lights in the night make the trip even more unforgettable!

Arthur

5.00

Super disponibilité et flexibilité des guides sur place pour satisfaire les envies du groupe et tirer un maximum du cadre exceptionnel! Guides très relax et très sympa. Logement simple et exceptionnel à la foi: une maison typique norvégienne au bord du fjord. Nous avions donné une liste d envies par mail avant le voyage. Elles ont toutes pu être réalisées. Les guides et nous mêmes avons pu planifier les extras (sauna, kayak, chien de traîneau, pêche...) parfois avec les locaux la veille en fonction des envies et des conditions. On sent donc qu’on est pas dans un grand tour opérateur avec des activités en chaînes  réglées selon un planning stricte mais bien dans quelque chose de très humain et très personnalisé. Si possible, la seule info qui pourrait être communiquée plus tôt et plus clairement est le budget à prévoir pour ces « extras ». (Rating 4,5/5)

Danielle

5.00

I was lucky enough to spend 8 days skiing with Fred in Finnmark in May of 2017. The conditions were unusually epic that year— it snowed almost every minute I was there, or so it felt. Even so, you still need quite a bit of expertise to find the right conditions (there's no reliable freeze thaw cycle when it's constantly snowing!) and Fred did not disappoint. It was almost like he was a magician, finding us the perfect snow every single day, even on days when the conditions were tricky. Most guides are good at finding snow, but what made Fred such an outstanding guide was his passion. You could tell that not only did he love to ski, but even moreso, he loved helping other people deepen their passion for skiing. He was so incredibly encouraging, and I definitely improved my technique and confidence tremendously over the course of the week. Add that to the beauty and wonder of Finnmark, the truly magical aspect of kayaking with skis, and it really was the perfect skiing holiday. Also, the food: delicious! I hope I can be lucky enough to ski with Fred again someday.

Serge

5.00

Bonjour Pauline et Fred, Je suis très heureux de prendre un moment aujourd’hui pour vous écrire. Le séjour au Finnmark été exceptionnel. Clément est un excellent guide. Très dévoué, soucieux de rendre l’expérience agréable, Clément est vraiment très talentueux et dévoué. Sa personnalité est agréable, il est à l’écoute de nos besoins et démontre, malgré son jeune âge, un haut niveau de compétences et de savoir-faire. Son enseignement sur recherche de victimes suite à une avalanche est de loin, la meilleure formation que j’ai reçue à ce jour. Les paysages du Finnmark sont exceptionnels, nous avons été particulièrement chanceux pour les conditions météorologiques. Nous avons vraiment eu le loisir d’admirer ces magnifiques paysages de montagnes entre ciel et mer. L’expérience de groupe a aussi été excellente, la chimie entre les participants-es a été fort agréable. Nous avons vraiment passé de bons moments ensemble.  Je vais très certainement voyager avec vous dans le futur, l’expérience a été extrêmement positive. Au plaisir de nouvelles aventures !!! Serge

Colin

5.00

Thursday was a fantastic day, we were lucky with the conditions and I was lucky with the company! A big thanks to you and the team for such a great week, but particularly to Clement who made each day so different and showed me so much of Maurienne - I'm sure I'll be back!


Join our newsletter!

Stay up-to-date on the best adventures.