My second visit to Lofoten Islands and it still blows my mind how stunning a location it is. Not as lofty as Lyngen Alps a few hours’ drive further north, it is however more spectacular. The jagged summit to sea landscape and access to wonderful ski-touring, freeride powder & interesting villages all add to its allure.
Being there during Easter holidays meant the more popular mountains were quite heavily utilised, but there are still plenty of untracked options throughout the island chain. You just have to look a little harder at the maps or arrive early each morning! Also, avoid the trap of becoming fixated on just skiing the classics like Geitgallien. Unless you are into ‘peak bagging’ for the sake of it, if the likes of Geitgallien and its various descents are heavily tracked-out (like they were during our visit), one is better off finding another quiet peak for some solitude & fresh silky turns.
Despite some lean snow weeks in the lead up to our visit, we skied wonderful, deep, dry powder snow on the shaded aspects of several less-travelled peaks (I could tell you where they were but then I’d have to kill you!). We were able to ski 1,600m (ish) of vert of untracked snow on the best powder day. Some strong wind and blowing snow in the middle of the stay led to instability in the snowpack, but it was manageable.
The tree skiing was sublime on the north-aspect slopes and the only reason it doesn't rate 5 paws is because it is restricted to the bottom 2-300m vertical and much of it is more sticks & twigs than trees. Cracking fun nonetheless.
We got here by flying into Evenes-Harstad (EVE) airport and despite the late hour, picked up our rental car straight away. For the entire visit in the islands, we stayed in Svolvaer. The fully self-contained, unattached apartment was beautifully appointed and perfect for our small group of travellers. The central location with all services is handy. The tang of stockfish in the air takes a little getting used too, but its all part of the experience. Wandering around Svolvaer is fantastic and a stomp up the stairs toward Djeveltrappa to overlook the town is essential. Despite the light pollution at night, it is possible to see the northern lights from the darker areas out on the breakwaters near the stockfish racks and old gun emplacements.
The meal of the trip was at Børsen Spiseri, attached to the fabulous looking Svinøya Rorbuer Hotel which was conveniently located next to our apartment. Whilst not cheap (no dinners in Norway are cheap!), it was simply divine. The only downer was tasting some whale for my first & only time. Yuk! But you gotta everything at least once, so as to not die wondering.
This visit was in late March/early April, but we think any time from late February to mid-April should get you the goods. Due to the occasional chance of liquid precipitation (r&*# ….not gonna say it) at times down low at Lofoten, Norwegian ski-tourers we came across on the trip prefer to wait for a favourable forecast before heading there. Whilst we agree with this mentality (it is what we prefer to do too!), this is a location that may require groups to commit early. We think that’s ok, as a visit here is about so much more than just skiing, particularly if it is your first time.
The question of whether to join a tour or get a guide is up to every to consider themselves. We go solo or in our own group but are confident in our backcountry skills & ability to find fresh lines. Lofoten has plenty of terrain easily accessible by rental car and a little imagination, however on a tour or with a guide the possibilities may expand exponentially. If considering a trip by boat into the isolated Trollfjord and using the huts there, we recommend using a guide as the logistics and terrain selection will be greatly simplified as a result.
GO HERE ................ JUST DO IT!
You can see our thoughts on the pros & cons of this incredible ski region via the Lofoten Islands overview page.
It is hard to describe coming to the Lofoten Islands for the first time. The beauty is stunning & breathtaking in every way. A perfect combination of sea, mountains, villages, ice, snow and sublime backcountry skiing turns, earned!
Having travelled through Iceland in a previous winter, I anticipated some similarities between its northern coast and Lofoten Islands. But in reality, the Lofoten Islands knock Iceland out of the park. In fact it probably knocks most snowy coastal regions back down the pecking order.
On this same trip (in the second half of March 2023), I also visited another spectacular Norwegian ski-touring destination, Lyngen Alps, a few hundred kilometres further north of Lofoten Islands. The Lyngen Alps beat Lofoten islands in the BIG mountain backcountry ski realm, plus probably snow quality, but for all round oooh-aaah jaw-dropping ski-touring & travel, I don’t know that anywhere beats Lofoten. Although we are told that the Finnmark is the closest thing to perfection in Norway …… we shall see in 2024!
I explored Lofoten Islands after flying onto Evenes airport near Harstad. A fantastic all-wheel drive car with studded winter tyres was waiting for me. It gripped the often-glacial roads with absolute surety. Mind the local speed limits & speed cameras though. Fines in Norway are exorbitant (thanks for letting me off officer!).
After a warmup at the excellent Narvikfjellet ski resort, drove back toward Lofoten for a mix of skiing, photography, eating [local cod (skrei) & reindeer], scenic driving & reconnaissance. Spread the overnights between a guesthouse on a reindeer farm, an old fish coop turned into a seaside hotel, and in hotels in the ‘capital’, Svolvær. Along the way I only drove as far west as the tourist honeypot and fishing village of Henningsvær.
Svolvær is as good as anywhere to stay. It was quite lively when I visited due to a big fishing comp being on. But if being in a large town is not for you (regardless of how intriguing the place is), there are plenty of other options dotted throughout the islands, many in cracking seaside locations.
Driving through the islands and finding the starting points for ski-tours was straight forward. No doubt a local guide will make finding the best skiing and snow a little easier, but where was the fun in that! I picked a few spots where I skied faultless powder from top to bottom, with the last 250m vertical in amongst gorgeous open glades. The highest elevation peak I climbed was around the 800m above sea level mark, so nothing too nosebleed inducing! At other locations I hardly bothered getting out of the car as I had obviously missed the memo. The area around the formidable looking Geitgallien was particularly ‘busy’ and ostensibly tracked out. Some of the descents do look quite technical and definitely of interest, but for another day with an early start to get ahead of the ‘pack’. From my estimations the next most popular spot was on the opposite side of the fjord below Scout Kvittland, Pilan & Sautind. These gentler peaks, with less avalanche prone slopes, were quite tracked the day after a storm, but there were still plenty of pleasant turns to be had nonetheless. My earlier reconnaissance paid off when I snuck up Pilan via the opposite side of the range, avoiding the overflowing car parks on the Laupstad side. Overflowing meaning more than 10 cars! And to be fair, on that particular day I started too late to be a frontrunner. Regardless of where one went though, the scenery, the skiing and the overall experience were first rate.
The local ski hill near Svolvær is pretty good for easy powder turns during blizzards, plus the requisite waffles, brown cheese & jam at the ski café.
I was lucky enough to be in the hinterland of Lofoten on a clear night when an incredibly strong aurora borealis episode occurred. Just blows you away how insignificant it makes one feel as the waves of green & purple shimmer across the night sky for hours. Knowing that many tourists come to Lofoten just to see an aurora, being able to see one, whilst also doing everything else I’d planned was the icing on the cake.
I will come here to ski again for sure, but not alone and not just for skiing, although that is still the main reason to visit here in winter. You should come here too. Just sleep in when you do, so I can get up on the skin trail ahead of you!
Read more about the pros & cons of this backcountry ski region, plus loads of useful insight & info on the Lofoten Islands overview page.