Sail & ski in Norway

Ski touring is hard work. You may spend a morning climbing up an 800m mountain – of course, you’re always starting at sea level – then less than half an hour skiing back down. The exercise is repeated in the afternoon. It’s a 5,000-calorie endeavour that will have you both skiglede, and grateful to be alive.

In the afternoon, after a warming soup back on the boat, you’ll sail to a new destination for the evening. In Lofoten this might be just around the headland. In other locations, ski destinations can be a little more spread out.

You don’t need to know how to sail – it’s the means to an end – but you do need to know how to ski tour. For instance, you need to be able to do a kick turn when climbing up a slope. “We really like to teach people how to sail,” says Marie-Lou Blandin from our partner Seil Norge. “The skipper will always teach you how to put the sail, how to navigate. It’s a great trip to give you a taste of sailing. Usually, our clients are more into ski; the sailing is a plus. If it’s your first time coming on a sailing boat, that’s no problem.”

Coastal mountains experience less stable weather than mountains inland, and this can mean more variable snow quality and trickier conditions than, say, skiing in the Alps. “You’re always adapting to the weather in Lofoten,” says Marie-Lou. “It can change a lot. It’s more adventurous ski touring in Norway than France. You have to be ready for a ski adventure because you never know what you will get.”

Experts are at the heart of these trips. “Our colleagues practise ski touring every winter. That’s why I moved to Norway,” says Marie-Lou, who is originally from France. “It’s what we do from February to May – and even into June.” They have worked with some of their guides for over 15 years and many are from the local area. Knowing how to identify the right type of snow (yes, there is such thing as ‘right side up’ snow – and many other types of snow besides), and seeing what the weather is doing, is crucial – as is the ability to read the group and know when to turn back.

Every morning you’ll convene to agree a plan for the day. “We work as a team to decide what we are going to do,” says Marie-Lou. “And the rule is never go to the top if the snow is not good enough. We always go back if we need to. Of course, we have people who want to reach the summit – it’s a goal – but we always have to be prepared to turn around and go and find another place to ski.” You’ll follow the instructor as they take the most efficient route up the mountain to conserve the group’s energy, and keep a steady pace up to ensure everyone is calm, safe and reaches the top.

Safety is everyone’s priority. On the first day you’ll have a refresher on avalanche training and other safety briefings (travelling with an experienced group with a great safety record means the chance of you actually being caught in an avalanche are incredibly low).

Sail and ski is low impact when done consciously. “We try and always use the sail as much as we can,” says Marie-Lou. “It’s really important to us and we have competition between different boats of who used the least benzene.” Local suppliers provide everything from food to saunas to ski hire.

Marie-Lou also has tips for getting to these northern locations in the first place. “You can come without flights. We can explain how to get there by boat, train and bus from Oslo.” You can even get to Svalbard flight-free on a sailing crossing from Tromso.

Is it cold on the boat? You won’t be the first person to ask about the heating: “Guests are really scared!” says Marie-Lou “But our boats are really warm. We use heating all the time.”

The longer the trip, the more chances you have for good weather and snow, and more opportunities to ski. If the group get tired, you may have a half day off to rest, sail and fish off the boat (fishing season in Lofoten is also in the winter). Spend downtime interspersing local saunas with sea dips, or gathering around a bonfire on the beach.

Our partners often run two boats together in Lofoten, so there can be two ski groups to suit different ability levels. You can spend time socialising between boats in the evenings. “We may not go in the same area for skiing,” says Marie-Lou, “But we may spend the night in the same harbour. We can have dinner, share the night, and have drinks. It’s a really good atmosphere.”

Between encouraging each other on the climb, celebrating a summit, following each other’s tracks down the mountain, or wet footprints down the jetty into the sea: there’s a lot of camaraderie on these trips. Not only do you ski together, but you’ll cook for each other; cabins rotate cooking duties.

You’ll meet a very interesting bunch of other travellers: split-boarders, passionate paragliders, and people who spend their summers hiking or mountain biking. People of all ages and nationalities do these trips. Their previous experiences will give you plenty of inspiration for your next adventure... though this one will be hard to top.

Try the Lofoten Islands for easy-to-access peaks that you can ski early in the spring, or head to Tromso and the Lyngen Alps further north. Finnmark, the most northerly mainland region, has drier snow in the east, and glacier-cooled slopes. The Svalbard Archipelago is a five-day sail from Tromso for the brave, or a flight away. You’ll find true wilderness on Spitsbergen, and guides must travel armed in case of polar bears. Expect longer passages of sailing by boat, and a longer trip of ten days to get the most out of the island.

Go from February to May. Ski and sail holidays move with the light. Early in the year stay south (though still north of the Arctic Circle). As the days get longer you can move further north. The season starts in February-March (where there might be a welcome ‘March metre’ of snow in Lofoten) and ends in May, which is the best time to be in Svalbard.