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Lyngen Alps 4/20- 5/8 Big Ole TR Part 4- Just the facts
Heres the first 3 parts
https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...-Photos-Part-1
https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...-Photos-Part-2
https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...-Photos-Part-3
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The trip was obviously incredible, and hopefully I’ll go back in a couple years. Being out for 17 days is a long time, especially with the weather coming in for the second half. However, if it had been in and out weather the whole time then 17 days would’ve been perfect. We got super lucky with all those calm, bluebird days. We were fully sun soaked by the 8th day or so of high pressure, we were praying for clouds. Billy Goat plates or Verts are pretty crucial for the long bootpacks that we had to set. I highly recommend the Billy Goats. You have to carry your crampons as well, but they pack way better than verts. Besides, it’s nice to have the sharps on your feet. The Norwegian avalanche site, varsom.no is super vague. They don’t throw out specific drainages or mountains in their discussions. That regObs app was more informative for sure. Going back, I would spend half my time in that Nordkjosbotn/ Vaggashytta spot, then the other half near Laksvelbukt. These seemed like the densest zones with the most options. While staying at those hotels, breakfast was the main meal of the day. I usually skip breakfast altogether, but it made sense to eat big at free breakfast, then snack for the rest of the day. I didn’t include distances to the peaks because they were all fairly short approaches, less than 3 miles usually. Lastly, after skiing at 9-10,000ft in Montana, it was crazy easy to hike from sea level, up to 5000ft peaks. You feel almost super human.
Here’s the detailed beta if you ever wanted to shred the shit out of Lyngen:
Yr.no is your Norwegian source for weather. It also has links to avalanche forecast (top right) and links to weather stations (lower left). Look at Lenangsstraumen, Jaegervasshytta, and tromso stations for temp and precipitation. You can also find historical data and averages for the last few years at least.
Get the reg Obs app on your phone, it has detailed maps and recent snowpack information. You can save map sections for use without cell service.
There are two guide books. “The Lyngen Alps Skiing/Climbing/Trekking” and “Ski Touring in Troms”. The Lyngen book is more detailed and has better photos. Pretty sure both are in English. Either are a great way to get stoked before your trip and have an idea of the zones you want to focus on. We took ropes and glacier rescue gear over there, but never got into the spicy shit, it was too good on the bigger roadside stuff. I can definitely see using this shit if you are up on the high flats, or later in the season. Seems like it was cold enough when we were there that we wouldn’t have needed it even if we got up to those more interior glacial spots.
Everyone uses cards in Lyngen. I don’t think you would need more than 1000 kroner (110 dollars) in cash for a good trip. What the fuck is 1 kr. Anyway? It’s nebulous, like a nipple fuck, or a cunt hair. There’s no way to keep track of that. They ALL have little swipers, whether it’s on their wizard phone or the counter. Swipe on! Seems like it’s the desired mode of payment. I bet there’s a brothel in Oslo that lets you swipe that Citi Blue Preferred ‘tween her titties or in her butt cheeks.
There was decent cell service for my Verizon phone around the peninsula. I got an international data plan for 40 bones and went over on data, ended up spending like 80 dollars. Talked to some other people who got a Norwegian sim card, they had to jump through some hoops, and it was more like 60 USD.
There are lots of lodging options to choose from, Hotels, Hostels, Air BnBs, and backcountry cabins. We stayed at the Tromso hostel a couple nights, it was rad. We also stayed at a couple hotels, the Lyngen Gjestegard in Lyngseidet, and Vollan Gjestestue in Nordkjosbotn. Both had awesome breakfast buffets so we could stuff our pockets for lunch. We got an Air BnB up in Nord Lenangen for 3 nights that was right on the water, pretty dope. The 3 huts we stayed in were Vaggashytta, Rorneshytta, and Fastdalshytta. They all had stoves, mattresses, couches, and rad views. They are larger and better equipped than the Forest Service Cabins in Montana for sure. They are first come, first served. Seems like most tourists stay at hotels though. You can check them out at visit-lyngenfjord.com/en/ski-touring-norway/?Article=72. I think there are more cabins around, but you’d probably need some on the ground local knowledge to figure those ones out. All in all, lodging was pretty cheap, with the hotels being the most expensive option at like 110 dollars/ night. Lots of people stay at Magic Mountain, Koppangen Bryyger, and Lyngen Havfiske and Tursenter, but we didn’t need that kind of finery. Never did get that Norwegian Sauna though.
Do not stay at Solhov in Lynseidet unless you like the paranormal shit. It’s an old mental hospital turned into a hotel. I walked around it, looked at a creepy ass room, and ran the fuck outta there. They don’t even have free breakfast there. I’d entertain the horror movie shit if the food was free.
If you need a guide, they can be found pretty easy. They’ll probably take you and about 12 Euros up a flat ass skin track to noodle 31° alpine meadows- EPIC.
You can drink from pretty much any stream in Norway, no need to filter your water. They don’t have the disease carrying mountain creatures we have in the West I guess.
Stock up on groceries in Tromso. There is a huge Rema 1000 inside a mall at the first round about you hit leaving the airport. There are smaller ones dotted all over, but they are a little more expensive. The Rema 1000 in Tromso was about the same cost as stores in the US. We got hooked up with Harry’s Rokt Laks through the outdoor store in Lyngseidet for some of the best smoked salmon I’ve ever imagined, highly recommended.
Beer isn’t sold on Sunday, only til 6PM Saturday, and til 8PM other days. It’s mostly Mack Beer, which is like a sweet PBR. They have all different brews, but all taste like they use the same shitty Lager base. Barley pops will run you 15-20 dollars a sixer. 10 bucks/ brew at the bar if you go out.
Liquor is sold in different stores that have fucked up hours. You’ll want to google that one. There are vinmonoplets (liquor stores) in that Tromso mall, and at the Extra grocery store in Lyngseidet.
There is a nice outdoor store in Tromso, Skandinavisk Hoyfjellsutstyr right downtown if you break some shit or forget your poofy coat. The outdoor store in Lyngseidet is Elektro Sport. They have a very limited selection, but did have the stove fuel I needed, were pretty knowledgeable on conditions, and super friendly. You can find nice paper maps of Lyngen both places, we got the Nordeca 1:50,000 ones.
We got a VW wagon from Hertz for like $800 for all 17 days, pretty cheap if you ask me. We asked for a ski rack, and got a “rack” you could put “skis” on, definitely not a Thule, but it worked with a couple extra straps. You can find rad vans and shit to rent if you have sponsors or your wife is a dentist, way more expensive. Watch out for the tunnels, especially right as you leave the airport in Tromso. Negotiating a subterranean 2 lane roundabout is extreme.
The Breivikeidet ferry is the fastest way to the North half of Lyngen, if you can time it right it’s only about an hour from Tromso to Lyngseidet. You can find the schedule pretty easy on google. Driving E8 out of Tromso will take you to the Southern part of Lyngen in about 45 minutes.
Skibsbroen is the bar to go to in Lyngseidet, its chill and on the water. The Vollan in Nordjkosbotn claims to have one, but I never personally saw it open in the 5 days we were there. I highly recommend Sivertsens Kafe, the Bastard Bar, and Blarock Café for spots in Tromso. Don’t think that just because you heard they don’t tip in Europe, that you can stiff some nice waitress on a $10 Mack beer. Youre better than that, giv’er a couple bucks, she’ll be stoked as shit.
All but 3 people we met in Norway spoke English, which made everything crazy easy and smooth. Everyone was super friendly, accommodating, and open.
We didn’t go to a bunch of spots that would have been awesome. Jeagervashytta, Trollvastinden, Istinden, Peppartinden, The Godmother chute, Jiehkkevarri, All the stuff directly out of Laksvelbukt, Ellendaltinden chutes
Learned a handful of words:
Botn- Cirque
Breen- Glacier
Bukt- Bay
Dalen- Valley
Din Fart- “Your Speed” or that slight squeak the skimo lets out while hes reverse switchbacking up a steep ass face
Fjellet-Mountain
Gjestestue- guest house
“ “Gard- guest farm?
Hallo- “Hi, you fucking tourist. No, I don’t know where to get beer on International Worker’s Day.”
Hei Hei- “You must be Norwegian, hello. Ima hit you with a shit load of Norwegian, then be bummed when I find out you don’t know what I’m saying.”
Hytta- Bad ass backcountry lodging. You may find a troll or non working stove.
Mack Beer- “Palpable 4.2% barley pop”
Piggtinden- Spike Peak
Rokt Laks- rare ass salmon that you should buy. Lasts at least 17 days from purchase unrefrigerated on the floor of your rental
Tinden- Peak
Venomoplet- “Liquor Store” use google to find the hours, subject to any and all applicable “holidays” that may be in affect.
Vatnet- Lake
There are Norwegian names as well as Sami (traditional) names for TONS of shit. Don’t be surprised everything on the map has 2 different names.
