Winter
Backcountry skiing in Northern Norway
Mountains that rise straight from the fjord
Lavangen · Spanstinden · Northern Norway
Backcountry skiing in Northern Norway is about the most fun you can have on skis. Almost every skier knows the Lyngen Alps, but there are plenty of good mountains to ski around Villa Sjøsiden and the area nearby as well.
Here the mountains rise straight up from the fjords, and in good conditions there are options for both long summit days and shorter ski trips.
- 1,457 m
- Summit
- ~1,000 m
- Ascent
- ~500 m
- Start elevation
- South side
- Spanstinden area
These figures are for the winter ascent of Spanstinden from the south.
Spring is my favourite time
For skiing, March and April are usually a fine time in Northern Norway. The days get longer fast, and by April there is light well into the evening.
A long day gives you plenty of time in the mountains, and you don't necessarily have to start early. As spring goes on the light keeps stretching further, until May brings the midnight sun to Northern Norway.
Snow and weather conditions still vary from year to year. A good ski season doesn't follow the calendar, so conditions always have to be checked separately.
Spanstinden – the local classic
One of the best-known skiing mountains nearby is Spanstinden. The same mountain shows up in many of the photos taken around Villa Sjøsiden.
Spanstinden rises to 1,457 metres above sea level.
On a fine spring day you may well not be alone here. Other people are out on skis too, and the popular ascent line is often visible in other parties' tracks.
The mountain is large, though, and there are plenty of open slopes to ski.
About 1,000 metres of climbing
In winter Spanstinden is usually approached from the south side of the mountain. Depending on where you start, you can set off from the Lapphaugen area or from a suitable car park near the E6 road.
The start is at around 500 metres, so going all the way to the summit adds up to roughly 1,000 vertical metres.
You don't have to reach the summit
Getting to the summit of Spanstinden and back can take several hours, depending on conditions, route, breaks and your own pace.
But you don't have to reach the top. There is skiing lower down as well, and in the mountains the goal for the day should always be matched to the weather, the snow and your own experience.
If conditions line up and you do get all the way up, the open slopes on the upper part are good skiing.
Spring below – winter above
One of the fine things about Northern Norway is the big difference between the shoreline and the mountains in spring.
Towards the end of May the grass at the cabin can already be green and the buds out on the trees, while there is still snow high up in the mountains.
The contrast sometimes feels almost unreal. You set off from a springtime fjord landscape, and higher up a down jacket can be exactly the right layer.
Skiing under the midnight sun
One of the finest experiences we have had is climbing a mountain on skis during the midnight sun.
Towards the end of May the sun barely dips below the horizon any more. If the snow, the weather and the safety conditions all line up, you can head out at a completely different hour than on an ordinary winter day.
Standing on a summit close to midnight in midnight-sun light is something that stays with you.
Down by the fjord it can be full spring at the same time, while high up there is still snow and mountain terrain all around.
The other extreme – the polar night
The complete opposite of the midnight sun is the polar night.
Moving in the mountains by headtorch in the dark is an experience of its own. The same landscape feels entirely different from how it does in the endless light of spring.
On a clear night the northern lights may also appear. If they turn up on the same trip, the atmosphere is hard to find anywhere else.
Before you head out
The mountains of Northern Norway are proper alpine terrain. Snow, weather and avalanche conditions can change quickly.
Tracks left by others, up or down, do not mean a slope is safe.
Always check the current weather and avalanche forecast before setting off, and choose your route according to your own experience, skills and the conditions of the day.
Backcountry skiing requires proper avalanche equipment and the knowledge to use it. If your own experience isn't enough to judge the route, the snow or the avalanche risk, going with a qualified local guide is the safe option.
Check the avalanche forecastWeather forecast
The weather by the fjord and on the summit can be two entirely different things. Check the forecast for the higher elevations too before you go.
Check the weatherStarting from the cabin
Villa Sjøsiden sits by the fjord, and the mountains begin close by.
Some destinations need a short drive, others start nearer to the door.
In practice
In winter Spanstinden is usually climbed from the south side, for example from the Lapphaugen area or from a suitable car park near the E6 road.
Park where parking is clearly allowed, and don't leave the car in a road widening where it blocks snow clearing.
- Spanstinden 1,457 m
- Lavangen
- Northern Norway
Good to know
- Avalanche equipment and the skills to use it are essential
- Check the avalanche and weather forecast before every trip
- You don't have to reach the summit – there is skiing lower down too
- Weather on the summit can differ completely from the shoreline
- A local guide is a good option when your own experience isn't enough
A base for the ski season
Villa Sjøsiden is a cabin by the fjord, a short drive from the skiing mountains in the area.