LOFOTEN, NORWAY

GUIDED SKI & SPLITBOARD EXPEDITION

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Norway is the place of skiers’ dreams. From its national parks like Jotunheimen, to the peaks that rise above the iconic western fjords, to the far north, above the Arctic Circle. By now, you’ve likely heard of the more popular zones in Northern Norway—the Lyngen Alps and Lofoten in particular. And for very good reason. The terrain is endless, often providing epic views out to the Norwegian Sea (and thus unreal sunset descents), and at night during the darker winter months, the aurora borealis dances overhead. It’s pure magic. There’s also incredible road infrastructure including the most impressive tunnels and bridges you’ve ever seen, and with so many different valleys and islands linked together, there’s literally roadside skiing to last a lifetime.

If you have a picture in your mind of Arctic Norway, it probably looks a lot like Lofoten: a quintessential grouping of red or ochre-colored cabins, built right on the coast, with dramatic peaks jutting above. These rorbu, or fisherman’s cottages, are actually an iconic part of the archipelago, originally providing shelter to traveling fisherman during the cod hunting season. They were traditionally painted with homemade cod liver oil paint. Today, most rorbu are rented at a steep price to tourists, and while still known for the world’s best cod, the primary industry of Lofoten has transitioned from fishing to tourism. Ski touring is hugely popular, and in fact, the main town and port of the island group, Svolvær, is buzzing with ski tourists from around the world. Fortunately, there are many islands, and our guides have locked in a unique house rental—albeit not a rorbu—that is more than an hour drive from the crowds. A singular house overlooking the water, with road and speedboat access to close-by zones for skiing. It’s the mind-blowing Lofoten experience…with a greater chance of having the skintrack to ourselves.

AVAILABILITY & REQUIREMENTS

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AVAILABILITY

Max 6.

EXPERIENCE

Participants must be advanced to expert level skiers or snowboarders, with at least 1 year touring experience. Participation does not require formal avalanche safety certification. Basic ski mountaineering experience (using an axe and climbing in crampons) is recommended.

PHYSICAL FITNESS

Participants must be in excellent physical condition and comfortable touring for long distances carrying their own backcountry packs.

GEAR

Splitboards are required for snowboarders. Participants must provide personal touring equipment, avalanche safety tools and basic mountaineering kit (harness, axe, crampons, ski/split crampons). We will distribute a mandatory gear list closer to the expedition start date.

VISAS

There is no visa required for most nationalities visiting Norway. See here for a complete list of visa-free countries.

2025 DATES

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MARCH 29-APRIL 5

6 DAYS RIDING/8 DAYS TOTAL

DETAILS

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Looking at the map you might assume Lofoten is difficult to access. But a short flight from Oslo to Harstad/Narvik Airport (EVE) will land you within ~1.5 hours driving distance from our private house. Our guides will greet you at the airport, and the cars will be pointed towards our first stop: the nearby gas station for bacon-wrapped hot dogs topped with potato salad. A Norwegian delicacy.

Driving in this part of Norway is fun in itself. Think idyllic farmhouse scenes, and snowy mountains that never end and become more and more dramatic as you near the archipelago. Every tunnel and bridge leads to more “wows.” Within ~30 minutes from the house, you’ll be looking up at terrain that is fair game for the week. Roadside bowls and couloirs, and every so often, a skintrack that you know leads somewhere epic. Crossing straits and passing inlets, you’ll likely notice just how crystal clear the water is. Again, this place is magic.

Our home away from home is perched on the edge of the Raftsundet strait, frequently traveled by fishing boats and cruise ships. Across the strait and directly behind the house—as you can imagine—are snowcapped peaks and countless drool-worthy couloirs. It’s a modest, cozy house, but very updated and, of course, very Scandi in design. There’s a glass-enclosed porch overlooking the water, living room, 8-person dining table in the kitchen, bathroom with shower and washer/dryer (hopefully two bathrooms for next year!), shared bedrooms upstairs, and an outdoor hot tub. The house also comes with our own chef. Breakfasts, picnic lunches, and dinners featuring soups, main courses, and desserts are all prepared for us. The breakfasts are proper, and timed according to our daily plans, featuring strong coffee, juice, eggs, bacon, waffles, and toast with various accoutrements such as brunost (famous Norwegian brown cheese), smashed avocado, grated tomatoes with oregano and olive oil, chocolate/hazelnut spread, and butter and jam.

Our ski days will mostly start on the side of the road. How far we need or want to drive will all depend on conditions and objectives, but the entire length of the island group is in theory available to us. For 2 of the 6 ski days we’ll use the gracious home owner, Freddy’s, speedboat to access further down the strait. The famous Trollfjord—accessible only by boat—will absolutely be on our agenda, as the terrain there is hands-down some of the best Lofoten has to offer. That does mean crowds, but it’s worth it, promise! The other day we’ll be able to literally pick and choose our drop off/pick up location along the straight, and in the case of really terrible weather, we can use our second boat day to fish for some of Lofoten’s famous skrei (cod). Also in the case of bad weather, there’s surfing in Unstad…

After 6 very big days our guides will drop you back at EVE for flights back to Oslo and beyond. And if you’ve never spent time in Oslo, we recommend a night or two. Fun times guaranteed.

GUIDES

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Our 2025 Lofoten expedition will be lead by Spanish-born/Chamonix-based IFMGA guide David Pujol, and co-guided by his partner in crime Javi Barro. Don’t let the Spanish guides thing fool you into thinking this isn’t the right team for a Norway trip! These guys are on-point, beautiful skiers (David) and riders (Javi), and know Lofoten super well. Meet our guides.

BOOKINGS

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USD $TBA/PERSON

6 DAYS RIDING/8 DAYS TOTAL

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ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE REQUIREMENTS

Participants will need to arrive at Harstad/Narvik Airport (airport code EVE) on March 29 and depart on April 5. Flights between Oslo (OSL) and EVE are frequent, with multiple flights per day. Ideally we’ll be able to get everyone on the same flights in and out to prevent anyone from needing to wait around at EVE.

PRICE INCLUDES

40 Tribes Lead and Tail Guides; Airport transfers; 7 nights lodging and all meals once in Lofoten; Hot tub; Cars to use for the week; 2 days speedboat usage (fishing possible in case of terrible weather); 6 days of epic guided skiing/splitboarding!

PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE

Airfare and baggage fees; Medical/evacuation insurance; Alcohol; Tips for guides.

BOOKING POLICY

A 20% deposit is required to secure your spot, with the remainder due 4 months prior to the expedition start date. Our cancellation/refund policies can be found here.