UKC

Looking for any info, accommodation, travel advice. Has anyone done a ski trip out here without using Lofoten Lodge?

Many thanks

G

In reply to graeme gatherer:

We've just rented a house for a week on Senja, my friends found it by just looking through commercial websites. It does seem that there are plenty of house to rent in Northern Norway and obviously winter is going to be quieter (although Easter time in Lyngen seems to be getting super busy). There is rent-a-reck in Tromso if you fly there (easiest airport in the North to get to from elsewhere in Europe it seems), flying to Lofoten itself seems a pain although with Norwegian you can probably get to Narvik reasonably cheaply these days.

Have fun. A Finnish ski tourer was killed in avalanche there recently, so obviously like anywhere you need to take care. Have you seen the video of the guys skiing the big gully next to Presten? It looks very cool - friends have climbed it, but they then downclimbed it!

In reply to TobyA:

Thanks.
Yeh, we've started looking at fishing lodges/websites. What guidebook have you used? there seems to be a kayak/ski combo and also a topturrer norge which i presume just dedicates a chapter to the area. We've found a few places very close to Svolvaer. Do you think that's central enough for the skiing or should we look elsewhere?

In reply to graeme gatherer:

Speak to Al Powell and Rich Cross at Alpine Guides. Both have been skiing and climbing in the area several times.

PS. Hey Graeme, hows it going? You might remember me from the Heb a few years back - the short and curlies team ))

In reply to graeme gatherer:

I've not skied in Lofoten, only Lyngen and around but there is that Topptur book that covers all (?) of Norway. That might have something on Lofoten. I don't think you'll got too far wrong with a map and a sense of adventure.

Lofoten is a long chain of islands if I remember Å is well over a 100 kms from Svolvaer, and there are plenty of mountains long before you get to Svolvaer driving round from Narvik. The well known climbing areas are near or nearish to Svolvaer but I don't know if that's necessarily where the best skiing is.

In reply to TobyA:
Hi Graeme,
Will contact the mates who were there a couple of years ago for the details. As I mentioned the other week, I'm pretty sure they used DinTur to book the place they stayed at. Can't remember where they were based though - Will let you know..

http://dintur.no/Holiday-in-Norway/home/?NavId=5

In reply to Nick Wallis:

Thanks Nick. I'll get in touch. Wondered if that was you. Thought i saw your name against some ski races too? Mainly climbing and skiing for me these days though i want to do the UTMB and have found myself plodding around all the scottish ultras in recent years!

In reply to GraB:

Thanks Graham. Met with my mates last night to discuss Lofoten and was gonna mail you today!! Yeh, any info would be appreciated. Cheers. G

In reply to graeme gatherer:
There is a new guide to classic ski-mountaineering tours in Lofoten published earlier this year by Thorbjor and Jonas - looks really spectacular,

Chris


PS The only link I can find is a FaceBook one: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Skiing-in-the-Magic-Islands/143374849066283?...

In reply to Chris Craggs:

Fantastic. Will look into that. Thanks

In reply to graeme gatherer:

I spent last easter there; my mate wrote a blog about our trip.
http://scoop.simplyexcited.co.uk/2013/06/06/lofoten-ski-touring-diy/

Heading to Lyngen alps for 10 days on friday; super excited.

I'll have to go ski touring in svalbard next easter to keep up the going north trend I guess.

Lofoten was great, but there was very high avalanche risk all last Easter, so we were very cautious. Only did one of the classic routes, and then found a bunch of gentler slopes by looking on the map. I'd love to ski the Preston Couloir though!

In reply to JuneBob:

Cool- we came across that. Think we've found ourselves a fishing 'hut' which looks rather nice and not too expensive at all. Enjoy Lyngen! We there there middle of March last year- awesome!

In reply to Chris Craggs:

The new guidebook arrived this morning- looks fantastic!! well written , easy to use, links to maps, accommodation, shops etc..

In reply to graeme gatherer:

Just got back from 3 weeks there about 10 days ago (2nd trip in 2 years...).
Loads of accommodation options - plenty of self-catering all over Austvagoy and out in the 'wild west', or Lofoten Ski Lodge (very friendly crew there) and Nord Norsk Klatreskole (in Henningsvaer) will do full catered or self catering packages.

If you have Jonas' guide then don't bother with the Toppturer i Norge guide as everything in it (and more) is in Jonas' book.

Fly into Svolvaer as it is only marginally more expensive than Evenes and saves 3.5 hours driving (and its a cool flight in from Bodo). All the shops you need in Svolvaer. Get used to the smell of drying cod before you go.
Actually, don't go, it's really cr@p...

Blog posts from last year start here:
http://offpisteskiing.blogspot.fr/2013/04/lofoten-adventures-fishy-tales-pa...
(i won't post all the links)
Blog posts from this year are gradually coming up starting here:
http://offpisteskiing.blogspot.fr/2014/04/lofoten-update.html

In reply to Pinch'a'salt:

Cheers
Starting to piece it all together now.