Lyngen Alps Skiing: Snowboarding, Touring and Sail & Ski in Norway

If you’re looking for proper backcountry skiing or snowboarding in Norway, the Lyngen Alps are hard to beat.

The range sits across the fjords from Tromsø, and for splitboarders and ski tourers it’s become one of the best places in Europe to ride natural terrain. Big peaks rise straight from the ocean, most of the access is by touring, and there are endless lines scattered across the range.

You won’t find big resorts here. It’s all about getting out into the mountains, putting the skins on, and earning your turns.

Why the Snow Is So Good in Northern Norway

A lot of people are surprised by how good the snow is in Lyngen.

One of the main reasons is the climate along the Norwegian coast. Moist air moves in from the North Atlantic and hits the mountains of northern Norway, dropping consistent snowfall throughout the winter. At the same time, the temperatures stay relatively cold because of the latitude. Even when storms come in from the ocean, the snow usually falls light and dry once you get higher up in the mountains. Compared to many parts of the European Alps, the snowpack in northern Norway often stays more stable and less affected by rain during the core winter months. And because the touring season runs well into spring, you get a mix of conditions — from powder after storms to smooth spring corn on sunny days.

It makes the Lyngen Alps a really reliable place for good riding.

Touring Terrain in Every Direction

The Lyngen Alps stretch for more than 90 kilometres along the coast, and the amount of terrain here is huge.

There are mellow touring peaks, wide open powder slopes, narrow couloirs, and long alpine ridgelines. Some days you go out looking for big open turns, other days it’s about exploring new lines deeper in the range. Because most tours start close to sea level, the climbs are straightforward and the descents are often long. It’s not unusual to start your run high in the alpine and ride all the way back toward Lyngenfjord.

It’s a pretty special setting for a snowboard line.

Spring Is Prime Time For

Lyngen Alps Skiing

The classic season for snowboarding and ski touring in the Lyngen Alps is March through May. By then the sun is back and the days are long enough to spend proper time in the mountains. Temperatures are usually perfect for touring, and the snowpack settles into good conditions for riding.

Some days you’ll find powder in shaded terrain, and other days you get smooth spring snow that lets you open things up a bit more.

Either way, it’s a great time to explore the range.

Exploring the Lyngen Alps by Boat

One of the best ways to experience the area is on a sail and ski trip.

Instead of driving between valleys, you travel through the fjords by boat and access different mountains directly from the shoreline. This allows you to acces many unridden slops not accesibly by land. You tour during the day, return to the boat in the afternoon, and move to a new anchorage overnight. It’s a relaxed way to explore the coastline and it opens up a lot of terrain. We’ve spent a lot of time skiing and snowboarding around these mountains, and we’re currently putting plans together to start running our own sail and ski trips in the Lyngen Alps this comming spring. If you’ve ever wanted to combine sailing through Arctic fjords with proper backcountry riding, this is about as good as it gets.

A Place That Keeps You Coming Back

The Lyngen Alps have a reputation as one of the best ski touring destinations in Scandinavia, but the real appeal is how much there still is to explore.

There are always new peaks to climb, new lines to ride, and different conditions depending on the weather and the season.

After a few days touring here it’s easy to understand why so many skiers and snowboarders keep coming back.

Once you’ve had a good run down a quiet face with the fjords below you, it’s hard not to start planning the next trip.