Everything You Need to Know About Skiing in Lofoten!
One of the main reasons we moved to Norway was for the skiing. There are not many places in the world where you can ski straight from the summit to the sea and we wanted to experience it to the extreme! So this is how we ended up spending a winter skiing in the Lofoten Islands.
While I can tell you that skiing here is unbelievably magical when you get the right conditions, there are certainly some things I wish I had known before planning a ski trip to Lofoten. So to fully prepare you for the reality that is Lofoten skiing, I decided to put everything you need to know about skiing in Lofoten into one easy-to-read post.
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Contents
Quick Summary
There are two really small ski areas in the Lofoten Islands (Stamsund and Kongstind) which are great for learning, but the place skiing in Lofoten really shines is in the backcountry. With so many mountains in such a small area, you can easily find amazing ski touring routes for all abilities in Lofoten, you’re guaranteed amazing views wherever you go!
Of course, it wouldn’t be Norway without some cross-country skiing too and Lofoten has plenty. I will go into all the details for all of this throughout the post but make sure not to miss the “things to know” section in part #5.
Lastly, above you’ll find all the best activities, hikes and skiing in Lofoten on a map. Check it out to find my favourite spots!
1. Ski Touring in Lofoten
Ski touring is the most popular form of skiing in Lofoten (along with cross-country). This is mostly because the type of people that Lofoten attracts in the winter months are generally here for the rugged backcountry landscape and raw adventure.
That being said, there are plenty of routes for all abilities in the Lofoten Islands. We actually taught a friend to snowboard here and he came touring with us on his second-ever day!
The great thing about skiing in Lofoten is that the mountains are not too tall which means you can easily get a few summit laps in one day without too much uphill effort. Plus, you’ll have breathtaking views of the sea from pretty much anywhere!
NOTE: You will of course need all your avalanche gear and training, and I highly recommend hiring a local guide as there isn’t a whole lot of information available on the ski touring routes in Lofoten. (I will talk more about the avalanche danger and guides later on in the post).
Before heading out, I also recommend getting a copy of the Lofoten ski touring guidebook called “Lofoten – Skiing in the Magic Mountains”. It goes through 40 of the best ski touring routes in Lofoten with pictures, topos, avalanche information and full descriptions.
Some other places you can find ski tours is on Ut.no (a Norwegian website that shows all kinds of outdoor activities), outdooractive and Strava.
Best Ski Touring Routes in the Lofoten Islands
Ryten
Elevation Gain: 527m / 1,730 ft
Distance: 6.4 km / 4 mi
Difficulty: Easy
The winter route up the famous Ryten starts from Torsfjord, providing a much more mellow ascent for the first part of the route than the summer path. The whole trail is pretty straightforward as you can see the summit basically the whole time with very minimal obstacles. Only the last pitch to the top is a little steep but still doable for intermediate skiers and snowboarders.
After taking in the view you have wide gentle slopes for a fun descent without any trees or rocks to worry about.
Kvittinden
Elevation Gain: 647m / 2,156 ft
Distance: 4.5 km / 2.3 mi
Difficulty: Moderate
Kvittinden is another great option if you have beginners or a mixed-ability group. There are plenty of decent options and the majority of the skin up is relatively mellow. Beginners may want to avoid the last pitch to the summit which is over 35 degrees but more advanced skiers can find some more challenging terrain up here to make your time worthwhile.
Skiing the east side of Kvittland is the most popular slope but in good conditions, you can actually ski all sides of this fun mountain.
Pilan & Sautind
Elevation Gain: 904m / 2,966 ft
Distance: 8 km / 5 mi
Difficulty: Moderate
These two easy summits share a saddle and a great day out if you want to get the best bang for your buck. With the ability to summit without taking any slopes over 30 degrees, you can probably see why these two mountains are quite popular for skiing in Lofoten.
From the saddle, Pilan is on your left and Sautind is on your right. While both slopes are wide, open and gentle, the summit of Sautind has more space so is better if you have a larger group.
Lauvdalen
Difficulty: Easy
This was a local favourite for us as it was just down the road from where we were staying and had plenty of options for mellow tree skiing. Lauvdalen is located at the end of a valley so you essentially get to ski a huge bowl which collects powder from all angles.
After parking at the end of the road by the lake, the tour starts by walking a couple of hundred meters down a road and across a field to your right (you should be able to see what I mean once you’re there), just head for the bottom of the treed slope away from the houses. Next, you’ll start meandering upwards through the trees but eventually, you’ll pop out on top of a ridge which you can follow all the way to just beyond the radio tower.
For the descent, you can follow the ridge back the way you came for 100m or so and then drop wherever the snow looks good. Keep in mind you’ll want to gradually traverse back to the right to avoid walking across a frozen lake to reach your car!
I don’t have any of the stats for this tour but I’ve given you a Google Maps link to the location where you start walking across a field.
Blatind
Elevation Gain: 1,100m / 3,609 ft
Distance: 7.5 km / 4.6 mi
Difficulty: Hard
For a bit more of a challenge, experienced ski tourers should check out Blatind near Svolvaer. When searching for this tour, make sure you’ve found the correct Blatind in Lofoten. There’s a more famous Blatind in Lyngen that often comes up in its place.
Blatind (in Lofoten) starts in quite a moderate way as you climb up to Tuvvatnet Lake but to reach the actual summit often requires crampons and possibly an ice axe. For the descent, there are also a couple of choices. You can drop straight down the south face directly to Svolvær for a seriously technical line, or follow your tracks back the way you came.
If you want to get an extra lap into your day you can also ski down the eastern slope from the saddle between Tuva and Blatinden then skin back up before continuing onto the summit.
Varden & Smatinden
Elevation Gain: 1,025m / 3363 ft
Distance: 11 km / 6.8 mi
Difficulty: Moderate
As you can see, Lofoten has a lot of peaks squished super close together. These two are another two summits that you can easily pack into one route. These two mountains are a popular choice when there is a strong westerly wind as they offer mostly sheltered eastern slopes with moderate terrain.
In fact, the first part of the trail is mostly flat until you reach the base of Varden (on your left). You can skin straight up the ridge here and then choose a line down the main bowl. If you want to make it into a loop you can continue back up Smatinden. Note that the faces on Smatinden are steeper than those of Varden and can have totally different avalanche conditions.
Geitgallien
Elevation Gain: 1,094m / 3590 ft
Distance: 7 km / 4.3 mi
Difficulty: Hard
Geitgallien is one of the classics when it comes to skiing in Lofoten and it’s also one of the highest summits. From the ground this mountain can look pretty intimidating but don’t worry, the skin up is actually made on the west side which is much more mellow than the 3 other aspects.
About halfway up there is a short, steep punch that often requires boot packing but then you are back to skiing a relatively moderate include. For the final push, there is another steep and icy section that is best done with crampons. In fact most people don’t even try to ski from the summit so this final section is only really necessary if you want to stand on the summit itself.
From the col, there are 3 main descent choices, each of which is more difficult than the next. The easiest way down is to of course follow your skin track but check out the description on Strava for some of the more interesting lines.
2. Cross-Country Skiing in Lofoten
Whether you’ve never skied before or simply want to make the most of the snow, cross-country skiing is a lot of fun. What I love about it is that it just feels silly, I can almost guarantee that you’ll be laughing a whole lot the first time you try it.
Like in the rest of Norway, there are plenty of places to go cross-country skiing in Lofoten. In fact, there are three different illuminated XC ski areas in Leknes, Borg and Kabelvåg. Each of them has lights around parts of the track so you can even ski at night which simply adds to the fun.
TOP TIP: While there are enough lights around the tracks to go without a torch, I would recommend bringing a headlamp just in case you encounter a particularly dark patch.
Each area has multiple well-maintained trails so you can easily find something to suit your ability. Kabelvag is the biggest cross-country ski center in Lofoten but I also really liked Borg as it was super quiet and we almost always had it to ourselves when we went.
Note that none of the ski areas rent out cross-country skis so if you don’t have your own you will need to rent them in Svovær at Retur.
3. Ski Resorts in the Lofoten Islands
Before I even get into the topic of ski areas in Lofoten I want to preface this by telling you to immediately drop your standards of regular ski resorts around Norway (or the world).
There are only two lift-accessed ski areas in the Lofoten Islands and they are both tiny! This of course is great for kids or if you are a complete beginner and simply want to learn, but if you’re an intermediate or above, I highly recommend you try out ski touring.
Okay, so the two ski areas are Stamsund (1 t-bar) and Kongstind (2 t-bars). Kongstind is a bit bigger and is used by the island’s race club so I would say it’s the better option out of the two (you can find more info here).
That being said, both ski areas only open when there is enough snow (often that’s February at the earliest) and are predominantly run by volunteers. What this means is that tickets are super cheap, but if you want a real ski resort I still think you’re better off going to Narvik.
Skiing in Lofoten for Beginners
For those of you who are a beginner, I always recommend taking lessons. Unfortunately, there isn’t a regular ski school in Lofoten like in other parts of Norway so private lessons may be your only option.
Honestly, I don’t know of any professional ski instructors in Lofoten. So if it’s your first time and you really want to try skiing in Lofoten, I would recommend watching some videos and trying cross-country skiing first. It’s much lower consequences if you get out of control and much easier to learn on your own.
Alternatively, if you already have the basics down (turning and stopping in control), you can always reach out to one of the many mountain guides in Lofoten and try some easy ski touring!
4. Ski Guides & Lofoten Skiing Tours
Now that you know a little about the different types of Lofoten skiing, it’s time to book your guide or tour!
Being such a small place, there are just a handful of options depending on what kind of guiding you are looking for.
- For private ski guiding – Northern Alpine Guides or Fjellkompaniet
- For ski touring & avalanche courses – Northern Norway Climbing School or Fjellkompaniet
- For all-inclusive packages (accommodation, food & guiding) – Lofoten Ski Lodge
- Ski touring tours – Explore-Share
Lofoten Ski and Sail
If you’re a higher intermediate to advanced skier looking for a real adventure of a lifetime, why not consider a ski and sail tour?
I didn’t get the chance to take a ski and sail tour myself while in Lofoten but it is the very top of my bucket list for the next time I go back.
Basically, ski and sail is exactly what it sounds like… you get to stay on a sailboat cruising around the incredibly scenic mountains of Lofoten while being guided on some super unique ski touring routes, often only accessible by water. Need I say more?
There are a few different companies that can organize your ski and sail adventure and tours usually run for 5-7 days. Everything such as food, accommodation on the boat and your ski guide is included in the price so you can simply turn up and enjoy the ride!
Check out Seil Norge, Lofoten Ski Lodge or Alpine Guides for more details and prices.
5. Things to Know Before Skiing in Lofoten
Before I let you run off to wax your skis in excitement, there are a few things you should know that are specific to skiing in Lofoten. Make sure to read this before booking as it could really impact your vacation!
Ski Season in Lofoten
Unlike in central Europe, the ski season in Lofoten doesn’t really start until February! This is a combination of the darkness and lack of snow in December/January so make sure to book your trip in the right months.
Generally, the best time for skiing in Lofoten is from February – April but it’s usually still possible in May depending on the season. I have a full run down of all the seasons in my post on the best time to visit Lofoten.
Polar Nights
Speaking of darkness, the darkest part of the year in Lofoten is from early December to mid-January. During this time the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon. While even on the darkest days you will still get an hour or two of “blue light” there isn’t much time for outdoor activities unless you take a head torch.
You can check sunrise and sunset times throughout the year here.
Avalanche Risk
Being an arctic island chain that sticks out into the Atlantic, it’s probably no surprise to you that the weather here can be wild!
All throughout the year it’s not uncommon for storms to bring hurricane-force winds and dump truckloads of precipitation in one day. While this may sound amazing when it comes to all the powder you’re hoping to ski, it actually means that the avalanche risk can be quite deadly for a lot of the winter.
You may notice that all of the beautiful arched bridges in Lofoten have a wind speed sign at either end. This is because the bridges can be closed if the wind speeds get too high. Along with this, roads can also close due to avalanche danger since the steep mountains line almost every stretch here.
What I’m trying to say is that you shouldn’t take avalanche danger lightly in Lofoten and be prepared to encounter any weather during your trip. Here are some Norwegian resources for avalanche forecasting:
- Varsom – The best place to check avalanche forecasts for your area (they also have an app).
- KAST Map – Detailed topographical map of Norway with slope angles/steepness indicated by colour
- YR.No – The most reliable weather forecast in Norway
Snow Conditions
The first thing to know when planning a Lofoten ski trip is that the mountains are actually not very tall which means many of the runs are short but steep. This is amazing news if you hate long approaches, but also means that if you want to ski all day you will probably be doing a lot of laps up and down.
The next thing to consider is the huge variety of snow conditions that you can encounter here. The snowpack honestly changes nearly every day and being on the coast, you can have everything from blower pow to a punchy crust or bulletproof ice.
The truth of the matter is that the temperatures in Lofoten are not that cold (it usually sits between (-5 to 2°C / 23 to 35°F) which means the blower pow you are dreaming of is actually quite rare. Skiing in Lofoten isn’t so much about the snow but more about the adventure.
When I was living in Lofoten it often felt like we were waiting for the perfect window to ski…It would dump snow for 5 days with avalanches shutting down all the roads, then it might be sunny for a day or two, increasing the avalanche risk once again, followed by a week of rain!
Of course, this doesn’t happen all the time, and you may be blessed with cotton candy skies and the best snow of your life! It just felt like a long and repetitive pattern for me while living there and I want you to head into your ski trip with realistic expectations.
Gear Rental
Bringing your own gear is always the best option for a ski trip as you won’t have to worry about getting to understand different gear which lets you relax and enjoy the experience that much more.
However, if you don’t have your own gear or simply can’t bring it, the best places to rent from is Retur in Svolvaær or Fjellkompaniet in Kabelvåg.
Norwegian Ski Terminology
Lastly, here are a few words that will make it easier for you to understand all the Norwegian information you will inevitably come across during your trip planning:
- Ski Touring – Topptur / Randonnee
- Downhill / Alpine skiing – Slalåm
- Ski Resort – Alpinanlegg
- Chairlift – Stolheis
- Cross Country – Langrenn
- Snowboard – Snøbrett
- Slope – Bakke
- Powder snow – Pulversnø
- Crusty snow – Skare
- Heavy wet snow – Slaps
Getting Around in Lofoten
Unless you have booked a package which includes transportation, renting a car is essential for getting around Lofoten in winter.
I have a whole article that goes through how to get to Lofoten and includes a section on the limited public transport options, but in short, you can’t get to and from a day of skiing without a car as a lot of the trailheads are off the main route.
You can pick up rental cars in Leknes or Svolvaer as well as at Bodø, Narvik or Tromsø airports. I like to use Discover Cars to compare all my options and pick the one best suited to my requirements.
Note that you will of course need winter tires for driving in Lofoten but as this is a legal requirement in Norway, all rental cars should already be fitted with them.
6. Where to Stay for Skiing in the Lofoten Islands
Choosing where to stay in Lofoten for skiing really depends on your preferences. Do you want the best ski lodge atmosphere or prefer the closest access to your objectives? Of course, you probably also want to consider the price of your accommodation.
I have an entire article where I explain all the different towns of Lofoten and help you pick the best place to stay in Lofoten, so here I thought I would quickly highlight a couple more accommodation choices that are specifically great for a ski vacation.
All Inclusive
Lofoten Ski Lodge
If you’re looking for the full package you can’t go past the Lofoten Ski Lodge. They offer luxury accommodation, amazing food and even provide ski guides for your stay. You can book packages for a weekend, a week or fully customise your trip.
Luxury
Hattvika Lodge
For those of you who like a little more independence, Hattvika Lodge offers luxury self-catered accommodation with incredible views and top-class amenities. They also offer ski guiding and other adventures right from their doorstep.
Mid Range
Kule Gule Huset
Located in Svolvaer, this guesthouse is reasonably priced with a great location for accessing local tours, public transport and rentals. With an outdoor fireplace and picnic area, this cozy cottage is a great place to relax after a big adventure.
Budget
Furu
This is where I lived in Lofoten and loved the friendly atmosphere and stoke for the outdoors. Dorms, private rooms and apartments are all available, they have room for gear storage and can even help organize a ski guide for your adventure.
Frequently Asked Questions about Lofoten Skiing
Can you ski in Lofoten?
Yes, you can ski in Lofoten, there are two small ski centers for alpine skiing, three XC ski areas and plenty of ski touring.
When can you ski in Lofoten?
You can ski in Lofoten from February to May.
Can you snowboard in Lofoten?
Yes, you can snowboard anywhere that you can ski in Lofoten.
Where is the best skiing in Lofoten?
The best skiing in Lofoten is on Austvågsøya and Vestvågsøya as the mountains here are more mellow than those of Moskenesøya making for fun skiing terrain.
Well, I hope you’re now an expert on Lofoten skiing! When I lived there I felt like figuring out all this information was super difficult so I really wanted to spare you all the same trouble.
Let me know in the comments if you have any more questions or if you simply want to share your own experience.
Next stop, book your accommodation! While places don’t book out quite as quickly in winter as they do in the summer season, I still recommend booking as far in advance as possible so you can secure the best price.
Mountain guides are also fairly limited in Lofoten so once you have your dates locked in, I recommend organising that too!
Happy skiing,
Kate
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Helpful Resources
Hotels.com - Another great place to find a hotel with specific requirements for your trip.
Agoda - Best for booking hotels in Asia. Has options worldwide however in Asia it seems to have the most options of all the booking sites.
Hostelworld - Perfect for backpackers, Hostelworld is my go-to to find dorm rooms and cheap, social accommodation options.
Rental Cars - Another option to compare rental car companies and providers worldwide.
Sixt - Previously “Thrifty” car rentals.
Europcar - Offers car and van hire around the world.
AutoEurope - Best place to find RV’s to rent for your trip.
Paul Camper - Rent campervans directly from their owners at reduced prices.
Viator - Preferred by US providers so sometimes has a bigger range of activities in select locations.
Klook - Most popular in Asia, you will find a bigger range of attractions and tours in the region of Asia on Klook.
Civitatis - Specializing in European Cities. Although it provides tours worldwide, always check here for additional options if visiting Europe.
HeadOut - Best place to find discounted attraction tickets.
Tiqets - Offers a lot of combo tickets. Make sure to visit if you are planning on visiting a few iconic attractions within a city.
Tripaneer - Where to go if you want to book retreats of any kind (yoga, cycling, outdoors etc).
Guru Walks - Book your spot on a free walking tour.
G Adventure - Lets you compare multi day tours around the world to pick the right itinerary for you.
Cruise Critic - Check out the different cruise options for long or short trips world wide.
Cruise Direct - Another option for comparing and booking cruises for your trip.
Helly Hanson - Norwegian based clothing brand which produces durable outdoor clothing, particularly ski gear.
The North Face - High quality clothing for all your outdoor adventure needs.
Decathlon - Has a great range of cheap equipment and clothing for a huge range of sports and outdoor activities.
Sport Chek - Everything you need for general sports and outdoor adventures under one roof (or website).
Kiwi - Best platform for comparing different routes and dates.
Flixbus - Cheapest bus service mostly serving Europe but available in a few other destinations.
Greyhound - US long distance bus transport service.
Busbud - Compare and find all the bus times and providers for your chosen route.
Trainline - Find train times and tickets for long distance travel around the world.
Save a train - Another place to get train tickets and compare services for your destination.
Welcome Pickups - Pre book your airport transfer to your hotel.
Get Transfer - Another option to find airport transfers within your destination city.
Kiwi Taxi - Find and pre-book a taxi service in your location (including airport transfers).
SafetyWing - Best for digital nomads, offers ongoing monthly travel insurance plans.
Bonzah - Rental car insurance. Cheaper plans than those offered by the rental car companies themselves.
2 Comments
Cornelia
Loved reading this, thank you Kate!
Kate Fletcher
Glad you enjoyed it! Have fun skiing 🙂