Finnmark Plateau North – South Skiing Expedition. 16 days
The Finnmark Plateau – the name alone brings to mind images of grand nature and magnificent experiences for many European adventurers. The endless rolling terrain, the Northern Lights and the silence will always make a deep and lasting impression on those who see it.
This is the long way across the Finnmark Plateau! There is no other way of saying this: This is a real expedition. The time spent outside, the nature we ski through and the fact that there is no other people in sight makes this an Arctic challenge for the true adventurers and explorers.
-And the reward; images of magnificent untouched nature forever burned into your memory, the indescribable Arctic light, a relaxed mind and the rewarding feeling of having done one of the toughest Arctic challenges available in mainland Scandinavia.
Warning: An adventure like this can be addictive.
With this tour you get the opportunity to test yourself and your equipment. You can gain valuable expedition experience before going to Greenland, Antarctica or to the North Pole. The program is 16 days and depending on year we start around mid-February. This is the coldest period of the year and the light is stunning. Trips later in the winter will have longer days and milder weather.
If you have no other expedition or tour plans, this tour has so much to offer in itself. Your mind changes mode when you are out beyond 8 or 9 days without contact with civilization. The white landscape, the silence and the meditative motions of cross country skiing will give you plenty of time to reflect, philosophise and day dream along the way. Many people find themselves in a very balanced, relaxed and harmonic state of mind after a trip like this.
But be aware; this feeling can in some cases lead to a life long addiction for long duration outdoor adventures!
This expedition holiday is suitable for adventurous people with strength of will and a can-do attitude. It requires a good level of fitness and previous camping and outdoor experience is helpfull.
The route goes from Hatter in the north to Karasjok in the South. We will be skiing the whole way transporting our equipment in pulks. Almost the entire route will be off track and our daily skiing distances will be between 7 and 22km. Total distance will be between 160- 210 km.
Depending on what part of the winter you go We will be skiing during the coldest period of the year when the temperature can drop to below -40°c and the weather can vary from clear blue skies with no wind to storms or blizzards. Or if the trip is later into spring, we can have daily temperatures just around 0c and nights a manageable -20c. Either way this will challenge you both physically and mentally, but it will also bring forward friendship, character, cooperation, grand nature experiences and a wilderness feeling that few other places in Europe can offer.
If in doubt of what part of the winter that might suit you best, please don’t hesitate to ask us and we will elaborate on availability and differences found in the offered dates.
The guides on the expedition are very experienced and highly qualified for this type of expedition. Their most important task and their main focus will be making this the best possible experience for you.
The American travel publiation 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.
Link to an article about our skiing trips on Northern Norway tourist board.
Food on the expedition:
Breakfast: Cereal mix with dried berries, fruits and nuts (those who like can mix with milk and sugar) Te, coffee, berry juice.
Lunch: Dehydrated expedition food with bread
Dinner: A combination of warm, comforting, delicious home cooked meals that you’ll miss even when back at home and dehydrated expedition food.
We will bring some snacks, but everybody should also bring their own snacks to eat between the meals according to their own preferences. If you like any special tea, coffee or fruit drinks please bring of your choice.
Day 1 Arrival, dinner and briefing about the expedition program. Preparing for the expedition
Day 2 Continued preparations and training. Last minute purchases.
Day 3 Start the expedition.
Day 3-15 The Finnmark Plateau expedition
Day 16 Breakfast and journey home
Day by Day:
Day 1- Arrival day: You arrive at Karasjok and Engholm Husky Lodge where your guide will meet you. Program start with dinner at 7pm. After dinner you will be briefed on the route of the expedition and we will go through your equipment to see and evaluate whether it will be sufficient for the expedition. We will talk through subjects like first aid, safety and how to avoid frost injuries.
Day 2 - Day two we will spend preparing for the expedition. We will put together teams of two or three that will work and stay together in the tents throughout the expedition. We will do our final purchases in town and test and pack our equipment, learn more about how to use the equipment like tents and stoves and ensure that everything is ready for departure. If you like, there might be 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), please ask us for options if this is of interest.
Day 3 - We have breakfast at the lodge and then we are off to the North and our starting point. On this first day of the expedition we will be skiing only a few hours before we set up our camp for the night. This is to give you the best possible start and to give you the opportunity to adapt to the situation and to make adjustments to your equipment.
Days 3-15 - We will be skiing an average of 10 to 20 kilometers per day. Some days this will mean skiing into the dark hours of the day, especially early in the season. The landscape will vary from mountainous terrain with steep slopes and narrow valleys by the coast to the typically flat terrain with rolling hills and scattered patches of wood on the inland mountain plateau. Day 15 we will ski down to the Karasjok Valley and Engholm Husky Lodge. A good shower and dinner is waiting for us.
Day 16 - Last day, with breakfast at our lodging, final packing and departure
| Wind proof jacket (and preferably also waterproof e.g. GoreTex, BreTex or similar membrane fabric) | 1 |
| Windproof pants (Like the jacket) | 1 |
| Thick insulated jacket to put over your wind proof jacket during breaks | 1 |
| Thick woollen sweater or fleece jacket | 1 |
| T-shirts, thin woollen shirts or other technical underwear | 2 |
| Warm underwear (longjons and top with full length arms). Preferably wool or woollen terry | 2 sets (minimum) |
| Warm and wind proof hat that also protects your ears in the wind | 1 |
| Warm and wind proof mittens. Preferably wool or down mittens with wind proof over mittens. | 1 pair |
| Thin gloves (to protect fingers from direct contact with cold metal) | 1 pair |
| Woollen socks (thick x 3 and thin x 2) | 3 + 2 pairs |
| Scarf and/or balaclava | 1 |
| Headlamp | 1* |
| Gaiters/leggings (not needed if you rent ski/skiboots from us) | 1 pair |
| Ski-gogles | 1* |
| Ski boots, skis, skins and ski poles | 1 sett* (NOK 2400) |
| Sleeping mat / roll mat | 1* |
| Sleeping bag (minimum comfort temperature >/=-20Celsius) | 1* (NOK 700) |
| Liner for sleepping bag or thin sleeping bag | 1* |
| Knife | 1* |
| Drinking flask, Nalgene bottle with wide opening, 1 Liter | 1* |
| Thermos flask, 1 Liter | 1* |
| Compass | 1* |
| Sun glasses | 1 |
| Toilet articles, towel and other private equipment |
- Items marked with * can be provided by Turgleder on request for free or at an additional cost. Any additional cost is given in parenthesis. Information about equipment you need must be conveyed to Turgleder minimum 1 month before arrival.
- Please note that this is the minimum required clothing and equipment for this holiday. You are of course welcome to bring other clothes and equipment in addition to this.
- We also strongly recommend that you bring a down jacket (and pants) to put on in camp and when we are not moving, however this is only for comfort and is not vital for the expedition.
- If you choose to bring your own sleeping bag, this needs to be a warm winter sleeping bag with minimum comfort temperature >/=-20Celsius.
- If you choose to bring your own sleeping mat, it must be suitable for camping on snow. A foam mat (roll mat) should be thick /insulated enough (≈14mm). If you have a inflatable mat you can bring that and combine it with the roll mat we provide you with for extra comfort if you like.
- You are of course welcome to bring your own skis on this trip. The skis must, however, be mountain/expedition skis (back country skis) or touring skis. Racing skis or other narrow and/or short skis will not do the job. The skis are vital on this trip and anything other than mountain/expedition skis or touring skis are not considered safe to use on this trip.
- Turgleder can provide a modern expedition ski package;
The package contains modern light weight expedition skis (Åsnes Amundsen) and poles, skins and boots (Alfa Polar A/P/S or Alfa Quest A/P/S).
Turgleder also provides:
- Tents
- Stoves, cutlery and cooking equipment
- Pulks (sledges for equipment transport)
- Other equipment necessary for this trip
Equipment that you do not need on the expedition will can stay in Karasjok.
Dates 2024:
25th March – 9th April . Guaranteed departure
Dates 2025:
17th March - 1st April.
Minimum 3 participants required. In case of less participants, we will inform and refund no later than 8 weeks prior.
Private trips are available on request. From February to May.
The price includes:
Local transportation, all meals from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 16, lodging in double room in Karasjok (three nights), some equipment (see eqiupment list).
The price does not include:
· Travel to and from Karasjok
· Personal equipment (please check the equipment list)
· Travel insurance
· Alcoholic beverages
· Snacks to eat between the meals (we recommend sweets, dried fruit, nuts, chocolate etc)
· Any unforseen expenses due to delays due to weather or safety considerations or if you have to leave the expedition miday for any reason.
Lodging:
- In Karasjok you will be lodged at the truly unique Engholm Husky Lodge in double rooms in cabins with one or two rooms.
- In Karasjok single rooms are available for an additional cost.
- The nights in tents, teams of 2 to 3 persons will share one tent.
Extra days in Karasjok:
We would like to encourage you to stay a few extra days at Engholm Husky Lodge to explore Karasjok and the neighbouring town Kautokeino. At the Husky Lodge there is always many things happening and you can, among other things, take part in the daily handling of the husky sled dogs. You can visit the sights of Karasjok or you can relax with a good book from the “mushers library”. You can also experience the Sami culture by visiting the Sámi Museum, buy Sámi art and hand craft, visit the local Sámi knife smith or get a guided tour at the Sami parliament. You can aslo book a dog sledding trip or a trip to visit a reindeer herder.
For lodging prices and options, please go to the "Lodging" tab under "General information".
If you need more information about this adventure before you make your reservation/booking, please feel free to contact us via mail@turgleder.com or call us on +47 90855556 (Liv).
When you are ready to book, please go to “booking” under the «general information» tab and fill in and submit the booking/registration form. When we receive your booking/registration form we will reserve a place for you and send you a booking confirmation also including some questions if necessary and a waiver/disclaimer of responsability. When all details regarding your participation are in place, we will send you an invoice. Your reservation is valid for 7 days after the invoice is sent. The waiver/discalimer of responsability must be signed to be accepted as a member on this expedition.
For more information, please see our booking terms and condition under the “general information” tab.
Note: If you do not receive a reply right away, please be patient with us. We might be out on other adventures without any internet connections. However, if you have not received a response within 3 days, let us know.