Post written by Ridge CEO Jeff Russell
Photo of Jeff skiing in Norway by guide Ian Havlick
This winter I was invited on a ski and sail trip in Norway's Arctic Circle. I hadn’t heard about this type of trip at the time—it's an adventure where you live aboard a sailboat for a week using it to reach remote fjords and access ski touring routes directly from the shoreline up into the mountains.
Immediately intrigued by the proposed adventure, I thought of my great-grandfather who grew up in the nearby town of Narvik before hopping a freighter as a teen to New York. As a kid, I was always fascinated by the family stories of him skiing to school in Norway and wondered what Northern Norway was like.
Getting to Norway for the Sail & Ski Trip
We flew into the city of Tromsø, one of the main launching points for ski and sail trips in Norway, where we would meet the rest of the crew and load the 50’ sailboat. We were supposed to depart once the boat was loaded, but bad weather delayed our departure until the next morning. We spent the night on the boat in the harbor, made dinner, and took advantage of a nearby floating sauna with cold plunges into the 39 degree sea.
We woke up to a few inches of snow on the deck and the wind was still ripping. We got to experience some spirited sailing before taking refuge in a local fishing village on the way to the Lyngen Alps where we got our first short ski in after a long day on the water.
First look at our sailboat for the week
The floating sauna in the Tromsø harbor
Sailing on the first day of our Norway ski and sail tripSkiing in the Lyngen Alps in Norway
We were fired up waking up to snow on the deck again and set off right away to our main destination. The Lyngen is a mountain range just below 70 degrees latitude in the Arctic Circle located on a 56-mile-long peninsula that is home to more than 140 glaciers. The tallest peak is Jiehkkevárri at 6,017’. The Lyngen Alps rise straight from the sea making them ideal for ski touring because there is little to no approach and lots of varied terrain options.
That morning was our first full ski day. We anchored off shore, loaded our skis and boots into ski bags, and took the dinghy to shore, where we would transition to ski mode on the beach. We would start skinning right from the shore to make our way up then ski back to the boat where snacks and cold beer were waiting for us.
Each day we repeated this cadence and moved the boat to a new zone to ski. We enjoyed great skiing, incredible views and amazing time hanging on the boat with our crew, which included six skiers plus our incredible ski guide, Ian, and our local skipper, Trygve, who really made the trip for us.
The morning commute from the sailboat to the shore
Taking the skis and boots to shore for the day
Our ski touring guide, Ian, leading the way
Making our way up below a glacier in the Lyngen Alps
Above the clouds: stoked to get some better light halfway up the couloir
Booting up a chute past a frozen waterfall
Gear and Packing List for a Norway Sail and Ski Trip to the Lyngen Alps
Packing for this trip was challenging because we needed a lot of equipment for skiing and sailing, but space is limited on the sailboat. I’m lucky to have a closet full of Merino wool, which is perfect for Norway, and the odor resistance allowed me to bring less clothing.
I feel stupid saying this about a trip in the Arctic, but I didn’t realize how cold it would be. The long range forecast seemed to be around freezing at sea level each day, and that seemed really manageable.
The ever-changing weather in Norway. Snow squall incoming...
However, on the boat you're exposed to the elements making those temps feel colder. Then we had northerly winds for a few days after the storm blew out, which brought in colder temperatures around 15-20 degrees with a low of zero one morning. You’ll see in the notes a few places I would have opted for warmer options, but for the most part, my layering system was great.
Bags
1x Soft Duffle - evo Duffle 45 liter
1x Ski Bag - Armada double ski bag
1x Ski Pack - Patagonia Descensionist Snow Pack 37L
Clothes
1x set of travel clothes for travel to and from Norway:
- Ridge Merino Journey Tee: This is a great Merino t-shirt for travel.
- Ridge Merino Treeline Flannel: I wore this as a second layer.
- Duer No Sweat Relaxed Taper Pants: These pants are great for travel. They look nice, stretch and are made of natural fibers (cotton and Tencel).
- Ridge Merino Minaret Socks: My favorite socks are light and breathable making them great for travel.
1x set of lifestyle clothes for boat life:
- Ridge Merino Journey Pocket Tee: I lived in this comfy, breathable Merino tee when I wasn’t skiing or sailing.
- Ridge Merino Onsen Hoodie: This warm, cozy pullover hoodie was perfect on the boat. I wore the Journey Tee and Onsen Hoodie for six days straight with no odor, and the combo was so comfy after skiing.
- Ridge Merino Minaret Socks
- Arc’teryx Norvan Insulated Pant: I brought these because of their great packability, but they were cold and I should have brought my Ridge Merino Hyde Joggers. While sailing, my legs got cold with one base layer, so adding my Merino joggers on top of my base layer under my bibs would have been perfect. I also would have worn them on the boat after skiing each day. I longed for them the whole time.
3x Ridge Merino Boxer Briefs: My go-to for everything.
1x Foehn Lightweight Down Jacket: I love this jacket for its more street look and low bulk warmth. I wore this on deck throughout the trip, but I would swap this for a higher-loft, warmer down jacket if I had a do-over. My old “Michelin man” down jacket would have been great in the cold weather.
Footwear and Accessories
1x Muck Boots - Arctic Sport Tall: Maybe the MVP of the trip. These boots go on like slippers, and they are warm, grippy and waterproof, perfect for landing in the dinghy on the shore and stepping into the water. My friends with ankle-high boots relied on me to pull the dinghy in closer to shore each day.
Muck Boots in action
1x Stio Colter Mid Boots: These are slip-on apres-style boots that I wore inside the boat and around town.
2x hats: I brought one for skiing and one for after skiing that would be dry.
1x Ridge Merino Cliffside Merino Wool Beanie: 100% Merino warmth and comfort.
1x Ridge Merino Aspect Balaclava: Wore for both skiing and sailing.
Ski Gear
1x Armada Locator 104 skis with Salomon MTN Summit 12 Bindings: This setup was awesome. It's light but still skis great. We had some variable conditions and full-on pow days. These skis were great in both… so fun and surfy in the Norway powder.
1x Armada Precut Climbing Skins: Needed for climbing.
1x Tecnica Zero G Pro Ski Boots: I opted for good downhill ski touring boots—these ripped.
1x Armada Carbon Adjustable Ski Poles
1x Armada Coveted GORE-TEX 3L Bibs: Another MVP item, I used these bibs for both sailing and skiing.
1x Flylow Kane 3L Jacket: I liked this shell because it’s lightweight and packable but still has a longer freeride cut. It was great for both skiing and sailing.
2x pairs of Ridge Merino Aspect ¾ Length Base Layer Bottoms 180g: Perfect for skiing.
1x Ridge Merino Aspect Crew Long Sleeve Base Layer Shirt 180g: I wore this Merino base layer top pretty much daily.
1x Ridge Merino Pursuit Long Sleeve Shirt 135g: I switched out this Merino base layer with the Aspect for a few days. Great for ski touring because it dries fast.
2x pairs of Ridge Merino Ritter Ski Socks: I lived in these... great socks for ski touring. I had no blisters thanks to the great fit and no movement in my boots.
1x Ridge Merino Cloudripper Grid Fleece Midlayer (coming Fall 2025): One of my two mid layer options that I brought. This is a new Merino grid fleece jacket that is very versatile. It's warm and breathes great, and the hood was perfect for cold starts.
1x Salomon Mountain Flex Jacket: I used this as a mid layer for starting and downhill on the coldest days. It's an active insulation piece so it's breathable.
1x Ridge Merino Aspect Beanie: Packable and warm beanie that I pulled out when my ears got cold.
1x Hestra Ergo Grip Active Leather Gloves: I love these gloves for the dexterity and durability they bring. They were great for sailing and touring except I got cold quickly in them for both uses.
1x Ridge Merino Northwind Merino Fleece Gloves (coming Fall 2025): I used these more than expected as they were warmer than the Hestra gloves above. I also used them inside my Armada 3L GORETEX PRO Mitt as a layer.
1x Armada Turducken 3L Mitts (discontinued): This mitt system worked great and gave me a lot of options as I went from frigid temps to getting warm on the skin track and then colder again skiing back down. This mitt is a seam taped GORE-TEX PRO shell with a removable insulated glove inside. I used the insulated glove for downhill skiing and just a liner when starting touring. I eventually put the mitts in my pack as I warmed up and skinned in just the fleece gloves.
1x Giro Ski Helmet
1x Oakley Line Miner Ski Goggles with two lenses: A low light lens is mandatory for skiing in Norway with the constantly changing weather.
1x Sunski Sunglasses: Used ski touring and sailing.
1x Black Diamond Crampons: Used to climb couloirs.
1x Camp Ice Axe: Carried for security.
1x Ski Crampons: Our snow was good so we never needed them, but I could see how necessary this would be on most trips here.
1x BCA Transceiver: Part of avy kit.
1x BCA Shovel: Part of avy kit.
1x Black Diamond Probe: Part of avy kit.
1x Petzl Altitude Harness: Lightweight harness for glacier travel.
1x G3 Tension Strap: Used for boot packing but could be used for so many things—a must-have.
6x Skratch Labs Energy Chews: I ended up eating one pack on each ski tour for energy and to break up the monotony of climbing for hours.
1x Skratch Labs Sugar Free Lemon Lime Hydration Mix: I opted for this mix because it's a small pack with many servings. I think it helped me stay hydrated all week.
1x Nalgene Water Bottle: I chose this for the weight and ease of use for both skiing and on the boat. I was a little light on water on the bigger days and could have used more than 1 liter.
1x Rocky Talkie Radio: This was really helpful to communicate as a ski group in the mountains.
Other Items
- A slimmed-down toiletries kit
- Ibuprofen
- Laptop: only used during travel because the boat time was filled with other things
- Phone and charger
- Voltage converter
- Power bank
- Garmin Instinct watch
Cruising to our next skiing location
Tips for Skiing & Sailing Norway's Lyngen Alps
The people make all the difference. A sailboat is tight quarters, so the better your crew, the better your trip. Our trip leader started by coordinating with a great guide that he had a personal relationship with plus a good crew of skiers.
Our guide—Ian Havlick—was very familiar with ski touring in Norway, especially in Lyngen, and brought in The Mountain Bureau guide service to help plan the trip and arrange the boat and skipper. Having a skipper that brings local knowledge, flexibility and good vibes makes a big difference. Our skipper, Trygve, quickly became our friend and we shared great times and lots of laughs throughout the trip.
If you're planning a sail and ski trip, I recommend using an experienced guide and guide service like The Mountain Bureau to provide insight on the options and arrange all the details. They'll know the best areas to ski and sail to keep you away from crowds and maximize the trip by working with the weather forecast at hand. In addition to Lyngen, you can sail and ski in other regions like Helgeland, Steigen, Lofoten, Finnmark and Svalbard.
Tromsø is a great town. We enjoyed our time there on both ends of the ski and sail trip. Our group stayed at the Radisson Blu and Scandic and both hotels were great. If you go through Tromsø, book an hour at Pust (the floating sauna mentioned above) to relax after your trip.
Jet lag was not a huge factor with life on the boat and skiing helping us adjust. Plus your bed is always close by.
The view while skinning up
Training for a Norway Sail & Ski Trip
A sail and ski expedition is physically demanding. We climbed 3,500–4,500 feet most days except for the first and last days when we had longer sails and had to do shorter runs. While it's easier at sea level compared to at altitude, you still need to do some training.
I live in a ski town so tried to ski tour when possible and skied the resort when I could, but my schedule didn't allow as much touring as I hoped. When I was short on time, I would go for a quick run or get a gym session in. I would train harder if I went again. My legs were tired after the first two big days and then felt stronger again by the second half of the trip. My sore legs would loosen up on the skin track, and it gave me an excuse to cold plunge into the fjord after day three.
I would recommend ski touring as much as possible beforehand. If you live outside the mountains, I'd recommend hiking uphill with a weighted vest or backpack, regularly running or doing cardio, and working your legs with a lot of lunges and squats at the gym. Last, try to plan trips to ski when possible to get your ski legs ready.
Recommended Reading
- We Die Alone by David Howarth – An incredible true story from World War II that took place in this area.
- The Lyngen Alps (Norway): Skiing / Climbing / Trekking Guide – A guidebook for skiing the Lyngen Alps.
Our trusted guide and our skipper
A member of our group taking a cold plunge off the boat
Cod from local fishermen
Tromsø, Norway from the airplane
