Norway ski touring – Finnmark trip

Sea-to-summit ski touring from our cabin in Western Finnmark

Join us for six days of late-season ski touring in the wild coastal mountains of Western Finnmark, northern Norway.

Staying together in a comfortable self-catered cabin, we’ll choose our objective each day according to the weather, snow conditions and the ambitions of the group. The mountains rise directly from sea level to summits of around 800–1,000 metres, allowing us to link several peaks and descents into a single day.

Finnmark offers a very different experience from ski touring in the Alps. The terrain is quiet and varied, the days are long in May, and there are countless possible routes within reach of our base. As well as the skiing, wildlife is a memorable part of the trip. On our previous visit we saw reindeer, otters, foxes, porpoises, dolphins, eagles, oystercatchers and more—often directly from the cabin beside the sea.

Day 1 – Travel to Tromsø and Western Finnmark

We meet at Tromsø Airport before collecting our hire vehicle and travelling together to our cabin in Western Finnmark.

After settling into the accommodation, we’ll organise equipment, shop for food and discuss the weather and touring possibilities for the week ahead.

Accommodation: Shared self-catered cabin.

Day 2 – First sea-to-summit ski tour

Our first touring day will provide an introduction to the local snow and terrain. We’ll normally choose a straightforward summit starting close to sea level, giving everyone time to settle into the group and refresh their touring skills.

Depending on conditions, we may link a second summit or descent into the day.

Typical ascent: 800–1,200 m
Time: Approximately 5–6 hours

Focus: Touring efficiently as a group, assessing the local snow and enjoying our first Norwegian summit.

Day 3 – Multi-summit circuit

Many of Finnmark’s mountains can be combined into excellent circuits. Rather than simply climbing and descending the same route, we can travel through the landscape and link several summits and ski descents.

The exact route will be chosen according to visibility, snow stability and the best skiing available.

Typical ascent: 1,000–1,500 m
Time: Approximately 6–7 hours

Highlights: Multiple summits, varied descents and wide views across the fjords and surrounding mountains.

Day 4 – Coastal ski touring

We explore another part of the region, travelling by vehicle from the cabin before beginning a tour from close to the sea.

There are numerous possible objectives, from broad open mountainsides to more complex ridges and bowls. Our guide will select a route suited to the conditions and the experience of the group.

Typical ascent: 900–1,300 m
Time: Approximately 5–7 hours

Highlights: Skiing from summit to sea, remote terrain and views over the coast.

Day 5 – Longer touring day

Weather and snow permitting, we aim for one of the longer objectives of the week. This could involve several climbs and descents or a journey through a more remote section of the mountains.

Typical ascent: 1,200–1,600 m
Time: Approximately 6–8 hours

Highlights: A longer mountain journey and the chance to explore further away from the most frequently visited areas.

Day 6 – Flexible weather and conditions day

Finnmark’s coastal weather can change quickly, so we keep the programme deliberately flexible. We may seek out sheltered snow during poor visibility, travel to an area with better weather or return to a promising location discovered earlier in the week.

Several shorter summits can often be combined to make a rewarding circuit, even when higher or more exposed objectives are unsuitable.

Typical ascent: 800–1,300 m
Time: Approximately 5–7 hours

Day 7 – Ski touring and return to Tromsø
We’ll leave the cabin and travel back towards Tromsø together. Depending on conditions and logistics, we may complete a final tour in Finnmark before leaving, although we will most likely break up the journey with a ski tour along the way. We’ll then continue to Tromsø for our final night in a hotel. Dinner that evening is not included.

Day 8 – Departure from Tromsø
After breakfast, the trip finishes at the hotel. Guests can book flights for that day without worrying about completing the long journey from Finnmark immediately beforehand. Transfers from the hotel to Tromsø Airport are not included.

Notes for Participants

Dates: 9th – 16th May 2027

Difficulty: This trip is intended for experienced ski tourers. Participants should already be comfortable using touring equipment, making kick turns and skiing off-piste in a range of snow conditions.

Fitness: You should be comfortable completing consecutive ski-touring days with approximately 1,000–1,500 metres of ascent. Some days may be longer or shorter depending on the chosen objective, weather and snow conditions.

Group Size: Maximum of four skiers per IFMGA mountain guide. (bigger groups on request)

Accommodation: Seven nights’ accommodation: six nights in the shared cabin and one night in a Tromsø hotel. Accommodation is in shared twin rooms with shared bathroom facilities.

Food: The group will shop, cook and eat together. Grocery costs for main meals, breakfast, lunches are included in the trip price. Extra food such as personal snacks, alcohol, and the like can be bought individually.

Transport: Group road transport between Tromsø Airport, the cabin and our daily ski-touring locations is included.

Required Equipment: Complete ski-touring setup, including touring skis, skins, ski crampons and suitable ski-touring boots. Each participant must also carry an avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe.

Avalanche safety equipment can be hired from Vertical Frontiers if required.

Conditions: This is a flexible ski-touring programme rather than a fixed itinerary. The guide will select each day’s route according to the weather, snow stability, visibility, road access and the ability of the group. The published itinerary is representative and individual objectives cannot be guaranteed.

Price includes

• Six days of guiding by an IFMGA mountain guide
• Seven nights’ accommodation: six nights in the shared cabin and one night in a Tromsø hotel
• Hire vehicle and group road transport from and back to Tromsø Airport
• Daily transport to the selected ski-touring areas
• Guide’s travel, accommodation and expenses
• Organisation and trip planning

Price excludes

• Flights to and from Tromsø
• Food, drinks and groceries
• Ski-touring equipment
• Avalanche equipment hire
• Personal rescue and travel insurance
• Additional accommodation required because of individual flight schedules
• Personal expenses

2027 price

€2,850 per skier

Private guiding may be available on request.