The best way to ski in the Lyngen Alps of Norway is to sail to the slopes!

Picture skiing untracked fields of spring snow under the midnight sun right down to the sea, magnificent dreamscape vistas where snowy mountains meet turquoise waters of the U-shaped fjords (shaped by another epoch), likely encounters with arctic wildlife: herds of reindeer, possibly puffins, sea eagles and even maybe whales.

The Lyngen Fjord area of Norway is a mountainous peninsula of Northern Norway covering an area of 810km², above the Arctic Circle. Even further north, approaching 70° latitude, islands dotting the North Sea offer peaks accessible only by boat. There is the potential for skiing from 1800 vertical metres right down to the sea. By mid-May the sun never truly sets! Though come earlier in the season and there’s the chance of viewing nature’s spectacle Aurora Borealis (the Northern lights).The weather and snow conditions are variable in these parts of the world so one needs to visit with a sense of adventure.

Apart from one ski lift in Tromsø; skiing in this area is exclusively off-piste, requiring ski touring equipment, backcountry skills and, a guide. Tromsø, known as the Gateway to the Arctic is well worth a stopover. It’s a vibrant, cosmopolitan city rich with arctic history that once thrived on the fishing industry and, the departure point for Lyngen.

By using a sailing boat to access the skiing; itinerant lodging allows you to travel in the evenings to anchorages that provide access to the best snow, hoisting the sail when conditions allow. At the end of a hard day of ski touring imagine kicking back on the boat deck with a beer or a Pims and Dry and sailing by the magnificent peaks and checking out your signature ski tracks carved on the snowy face of the mountain skied that day.

Written by  Lisa Auer.

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