Finnmark Plateau East–West Skiing Expedition

On this expedition trip we ski with pulks (sleds) from Karasjok in the heartland of the Norwegian Sami culture, northwest, across the Finnmark Plateau to the town of Alta. We sleep 5 nights tents and most of the trip will be of trails. Our daily skiing distance is between 4 and 16 kilometers. Total distance is approx. 80 km.

The highlights of this trip are the silence, a true wilderness experience and the Northern Lights (not guaranteed)

Warning: An adventure like this can be addictive.

Season, terrain and weather

From mid-February to late April is probably the best time to see the Finnmark Plateau. The dark polar night is over, and the light returns with higher temperatures and longer days. The skiing conditions are normally excellent, making it easy to get to almost anywhere you want to go. The weather is often good, and the ice fishing gets better every day.

The terrain is open, flat and easy to ski across. The weather is normally good with cold nights and “mild” sunny days.

How we travel

We will be cross-country skiing the whole way and we transport everything we need in pulks. On most trips, we bring a dog who will help us pull some of the equipment. These happy, social and hardworking Alaska Huskies give the trip an added social dimension. Your guide will show you how to handle the dog in the best way possible.

Comfort, food and safety

We leave the hustle and bustle of civilization behind, and we focus on making this a stress-free outdoor experience. Every day brings new scenery as we ski across wide open plateaus, over hills and around mountains. We take the time to enjoy the environment and to make our tent camps as comfortable as possible. On our way we might, if time allows it, try ice fishing. Your very experienced guide will make sure safety is taken care of at all times.

The Arctic weather, however, can sometimes present some challenges. But do not worry! Your guides are highly professional and have years of experience in this environment, he/she will make sure you are well taken care of in any situation. On this trip we focus on comfort, good food and, as with all our trips, safety.

Who can join

You do not have to be an experienced cross-country skier to do this trip. Several first-time skiers have already done it. However, if you wish to learn the basics of skiing or improve your cross-country skiing skills before you go, we can offer you a skiing instruction program at 10 am in Karasjok, day two of the program. A reasonable level of fitness is necessary and some outdoor experience is helpful.

In the press

The American travel publication Forbes Travel Guide has ranked the skiing trip on the Finnmark Plateau to be one of the 5 most stunning cross country skiing spots in the world.

Here are links to articles about our Finnmark Plateau East-West Skiing Expedition in international media:

The German Spiegel Online (published December 2014).

The Nederlandske Hoogtelijn, (published November 2012).

About our skiing trips on Northern Norway tourist board.

Day by day plan

Day 1

Arrival to Karasjok and Engholm Lodge during the day. Program start by dinner at 7pm, your guide will welcome the group to Finnmark and you will be introduced to both the guide(s) and your fellow expedition partners. If time allows, we might start going through your personal equipment tonight.

Day 2

After breakfast we will do the last preparations and there will be time for some last-minute shopping if needed. You will also have time, this day, to do a daytrip with dogsledding, visit a reindeer herder or practice your skiing skills (these activities are extra and have to be booked in advance) In the afternoon you will be teamed up with 1 or 2 other people with whom you will work together and share a tent during the trip. You will also be shown how to put up your tent and how to use some of the equipment that you will be using during the trip. There will also be time to make your final personal preparations and adjustments before the journey across the Finnmark Plateau starts. Your guide will also go through safety routines, skiing routines and how to handle the dog in the best way possible.

Day 3

We have breakfast in the lodge kitchen and will make up a nice lunch pack for the day. With everything prepared yesterday, we aim to start just after breakfast. We will be transported by car to the starting point at Assebakti, where we will leave the road behind and move into the mountains. Today we will ski on tracks, up the hills and across some frozen lakes to our first campsite. We will be working on rutines today and make sure everyone is up to speed with how to handle all of the equipment. Distance today will be 5-6km.

Day 4

Our first morning in the tents! We will take our time and still spend a good amount of time getting into the rutines and learn how to handle the equipment. The first hour we walk through the forest before emerging out onto the plateau itself and we are in a world of white. For most of the day we move on tracks, but around lunchtime we leave the tracks behind and starts to navigate through rolling hills and further into the wilderness before making our next camp.

Day 5

We are heading towards west, and we see the coastal mountains as they tower on the horizon to the north. The whole day is spent skiing, we aim for a frozen freshwater lake where we will camp on the shores. The lakes are both a great water source and gives us the option to do some ice fishing if weather and time allows.

Day 6

The first kilometers will be in gentle uphill terrain before we reach the highest point on the trip. Here you can enjoy a fabulous view and there will be time to take out your camera before we continue. We will be skiing a few more kilometers before we make camp for the night.

Day 7

A full day skiing across the winter landscapes and last night in tent.

Day 8

After breaking our last camp, we start skiing towards Jotkamountain cabin where we will spend our last night together. The last kilometers will be on tracks. A warm shower, saunaand a good dinner served by the host at Jotka are waiting for us before going to bed.

Day 9

The day starts with an early breakfast and a final packing of the pulks, before we ski the remaining 4km from Jotka and out to the nearest road, where our transport will be waiting for us. The car journey is approx. 1 hour down the valley to Alta, where you can choose to be dropped of directly at the airport or at one of the hotels in the town center. The equipment you left in Karasjok will be given to you in Alta.

The price includes

• All meals from dinner at 19.00 on day one until breakfast on the last day
• All tour equipment
• Arctic clothing for mushing — see the equipment list
• Guide and activities according to the programme
• Design-cabin accommodation at the lodge
• Dormitory at the mountain cabins

Not included

• Personal equipment
• Individual services
• Insurance
• Transport to and from the lodge

The full terms are in the booking terms.