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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
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    694

    Ski Touring the Lofoten Island. Picture heavy

    Just back from ski touring in the Lofoten Island. And oh man, what I place. It's very hard for me to understand how it took me forty years to get here. This stuff is explosive!

    This is where we were staying. Really nice place, with a Sauna etc.

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    First couple of days, the weather really didn't cooperate, but the surf was up. I was happy staying on land to document it.

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    This really wasn't beginners stuff..
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    So we just drove around and looked at the nature. Oh and what a nature!

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    The weather is very much on and off up there. Remember, this is far above the polar circle. The forcast said sun with a few clouds, so it was time to ski!

    Skinning up, is it going to storm on us, or not?
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    So far so good, and what a view!
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    Going for the summit

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    Sun came back when we skied down, so we opted in on getting a ridge climb and a second summit that day.

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    Luckily, the weather was very cooperative from there and it was game on! Did I mention that the views are off the charts?

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    One of my friends making her way up with crampons.

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    On the top, we were completely blown away..

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    Me just standing there, my mind is blown..

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    Good thing, even resting is great here.

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    There you go, hope you enjoyed it!
    Last edited by LiveLarger; 04-11-2017 at 11:10 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
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    3,711
    Whoa! Amazing photos. The hanging fish photo kind of blows my mind. Great TR!

    How was the skiing?

  3. #3
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    Aug 2007
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    Bump for bucket list and jealousy.
    Well maybe I'm the faggot America
    I'm not a part of a redneck agenda

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
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    694
    Quote Originally Posted by AKbruin View Post
    Whoa! Amazing photos. The hanging fish photo kind of blows my mind. Great TR!

    How was the skiing?
    Thank you!

    The skiing is great. It's all touring obviously, the terrain is great and there is an endless opportunity to ski steep couloirs for those who are into that sort of things. You start pretty much at sea level, and the alpine zone is just 100 meters higher than that. Most of the terrain go to 800-1000 meters and the peaks are very jagged, so getting one top, ski down a bit and getting another one is very doable.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
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    235
    WOW, thanks

  6. #6
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    Mar 2011
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    Magically whisked away to...Delaware
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    Errrrmazing! Thanks!!!!!
    It makes perfect sense...until you think about it.

    I suspect there's logic behind the madness, but I'm too dumb to see it.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
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    25
    So rad! Pictures look phenomenal and cannot believe how magnificent the mountains are there.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2009
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    inpdx
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    LiveLarger, indeed!

    thanks for the TR!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
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    Couloirfornia
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    8,871
    Nice dude. Thank you.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ernest_Hemingway View Post
    I realize there is not much hope for a bullfighting forum. I understand that most of you would prefer to discuss the ingredients of jacket fabrics than the ingredients of a brave man. I know nothing of the former. But the latter is made of courage, and skill, and grace in the presence of the possibility of death. If someone could make a jacket of those three things it would no doubt be the most popular and prized item in all of your closets.

  10. #10
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    Dec 2008
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    Place is da bomb, nice TR

  11. #11
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    Jan 2012
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    Juneau
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    1,093
    Sweet TR, thanks.

    A little butter and salted cod, mmm.

  12. #12
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    Jan 2008
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    Paper St. Soap Co.
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    Nice photos!

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
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    Lakeside California
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    545
    DAMN That is Awesome

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
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    Wa wa..tatic
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    3,987
    Bucket list for me too

    Where did you stay? Where did you fly in to and how did you get around? Where did you eat?

  15. #15
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    Aug 2007
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    So I'm probably answering Diamond Joe's question. I've had talks with Lofoten Lodge before, and the main pain in the ass is getting there, (maybe not obviously). So for me, from Seattle, it's a nightmare. Which of the many ways did you get to Oslo, and then which of the 3 ways on their site did you use to get to the lodge, and was the Hetrtz rental a decent deal, like they say on the website?
    Well maybe I'm the faggot America
    I'm not a part of a redneck agenda

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
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    Seattle
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    33,546
    Looks awesome.

    Thanks!
    Quote Originally Posted by Downbound Train View Post
    And there will come a day when our ancestors look back...........

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
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    694
    Quote Originally Posted by Diamond Joe View Post
    Bucket list for me too

    Where did you stay? Where did you fly in to and how did you get around? Where did you eat?
    I stayed at the Lofoten Ski Lodge. That also mean I was eating there for most of the time. Good food. The lodge it self is super cool and really cosy. You have badminton court, sauna with stairs into the ocean etc to keep you occupied on weather days. The staff was also awesome, all of them. Like really awesome.

    There is a couple of things worth noting though. If you sign up for a week in a random group, the skill level in the groups vary widely. We met a guy who was plenty comfortable hucking cliffs, that was in a group just practicing kick turns. I'm not kidding. We had private guide and I'm very glad we did. If you do get a private guide, you also need to arrange your own transportation, and you should do that anyway, if not, you are stuck at the lodge, while you really should spend time exploring the islands, so much to see there, if you spend your time at the lodge, you are really missing out.

    The only thing that bothered me, was that I was one out of three norwegians on the whole lodge. Apart from the staff, but even most of them were foreigners. Nothing wrong with that, but it kind of kills the "authentic" feeling and I may look at other options next winter. I don't like it when it feels like I'm abroad, and not in Norway. I don't think it's going to feel that way, if you are not from Norway though.

    I think http://www.nordnorskklatreskole.no/ which is the longest running climbing/alpinism school in Norway will be worth checking out too. You will then stay in Henningsvær which is the coolest little town on the islands. Don't get me wrong, the ski lodge is awesome, and I guarantee you will have fun there. Just sign up for a private guide if you are already a competent at backcountry touring. If you haven't done mouch touring from before, the regular group will do just fine.

    Getting there is easy, you just fly up from Oslo to Svolvær. It's usually a one stop flight, but I have seen some direct flights too, just not very common. Pick up a rental car at the airport and it's a 15 minutes drive. Very easy to find. Google maps will send you right to the door.

    If it's on your bucket list, I'd say you should just go! You will have a lot of fun!
    Last edited by LiveLarger; 04-11-2017 at 05:36 PM.

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
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    694
    Quote Originally Posted by plugboots View Post
    So I'm probably answering Diamond Joe's question. I've had talks with Lofoten Lodge before, and the main pain in the ass is getting there, (maybe not obviously). So for me, from Seattle, it's a nightmare. Which of the many ways did you get to Oslo, and then which of the 3 ways on their site did you use to get to the lodge, and was the Hetrtz rental a decent deal, like they say on the website?
    I live in Oslo, so I just flew up from there. It's a one stop flight from Oslo to Svolvær. Propeller plane on the last leg. Pretty fun actually. Not sure about the Hertz deal, we paid NOK 625 for each day. That landed us in a Opel Zafira. I think that a fair price and probably discounted, but it's not like it's a steal either.

    Going to the lodge from Svolvær is very easy. Google maps will take you directly there. You have to put "Northern alpine guides" in the google maps to get there though. Or "kalleveien 21 8310 Kabelvåg" which is their address.

    I feel you on the flight from Seattle to Oslo, I did that two years in a row to get to Haines, and it was a long haul for sure. It's well worth it though. It feels exotic, even for of us who are born and raised in Norway.

    Cheers!
    Last edited by LiveLarger; 04-12-2017 at 04:20 AM.

  19. #19
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    Apr 2005
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    Between a rock and a soft place. Aberdare and The Brecon Beacons, Wales
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    Excellent. And top info too. Thanks.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
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    Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
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    Looks excellent. One of these days!
    Putting the "core" in corporate, one turn at a time.

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  21. #21
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
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    Great info, thanks. I've been in bad groups a couple times and it sucks. The few times it's happened the owner/guides figured it out without me saying much and put me in a private group or with one other person. I also think it kinda sucks to not get the out-of-country experience. I often get US guides in Europe, and it does take something away. Still, cool place.
    Well maybe I'm the faggot America
    I'm not a part of a redneck agenda

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Vanity Fair
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    Beautiful pictures! We were there a couple of years ago in a very low snow season and it was still so much fun. Would love to return in a year with more snow. Kinda jealous of all that snow in your pictures

    While I'm sure the lodge offers interesting deals and guides make things easier, it is quite possible to do this without a guide, in case anyone was wondering. There are a bunch of fairly obvious roadside options and a reasonable amount and quality of maps/other info for the not so obvious options. Having a car is very helpful, as the OP mentioned. I remember our rental being surprisingly cheap-ish, especially compared to the relatively high cost of everything else.
    Ich bitte dich nur, weck mich nicht.

  23. #23
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    Jan 2008
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    out there on the neon avenue
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    Norway is amazing, great TR thanks for the photos.

  24. #24
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    Sep 2009
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    N side, Terrace, BC
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    I second that! If I ever get my camera card back from my buddy I'll post some photos up too. TC you going to put up a TR?
    “I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different.”
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  25. #25
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    Jan 2007
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    in a van down by the river
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    Nice TR... looks like another spot to add to the ever expanding list of places to go.
    I don't work and I don't save, desperate women pay my way.

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