[CENTER]22 April 2025
Photos: Grant Francis A ski and sail trip through Troms county, but better known as the Lyngen Region of Norway has been on my radar for sometime —the blend of sailing through the arctic fjords and islands in search of ski descents plunging from summit to sea seamed like an incredible adventure. It finally came to fruition April 10-22, 2025. The Lyngen Alps of Norway sit close to 70 degrees north in the Arctic Circle. While the Lyngen Peninsula has been a hot bed for ski touring for quite some time, the outer islands offer plenty of ski descents away from the busier parts of the Lyngen Region. Most of the islands are accessible by ferry, but using a sail boat allows for flexibility and the opportunity to incorporate sailing as another part of the adventure. Norway’s maritime heritage is well known and is best experienced by boat in my opinion. Waking up to a gently rocking boat anchored in protected bay or feeling the salt water of the Norwegian Sea spray over the bow while the main sail is stretched tight by the northeast wind harkens back to a different time. One can only imagine what it was like living in one of the villages on these remote islands when fishing and farming was life. Our trip started in the city of Tromsø, Norway where I met my six clients and Maria and Ulrik, the owners/operators of Jolly Good Times Sailing and got on board their 15m Dutch built sail boat named Jolly. Maria and Ulrik have been operating their business since 2019 and are full-time boat dwellers along with their dog Ramoncito. The experience they offer is different than other businesses who run charted sailing trips, principally because they welcome guests in to the their home aboard Jolly. Their hospitality is unparalleled with Maria’s motherly warmth and Ulrik’s dry sense of humour. Their expertise as sailors is evident too with their ability to read the wind, forecast weather and choose sheltered anchorages. After a safety briefing and boat orientation, we set sail from Tromsø in the afternoon on the 14th of April and headed northeast up the fjord towards our first ski stop. By mid-April the days are already quite long in the Troms/ Lyngen regions with operable light until 10pm. The daylight gains each day are significant and by the end of your trip on April 22, there was only a few hours of relative darkness in the polar nights. This was perfect for our program as we generally sailed an hour or two each morning and finished the day with a passage to another island. Over the course of the eight day ski and sail trip we skied on six different islands, one day on the Lyngen Peninsula, summited six mountains, spent five nights at anchor and two nights in harbours with Jolly as our mobile basecamp. Hauling in the fishing net. Boat living is tight, but not cramped, and our time spent on Jolly was quite comfortable. Her build was solid, with a steel hull, aluminum deck and warm, dry insulated galley and cabins. There were three bedrooms for the six guests, plus Maria and Ulrik’s cabin, while I slept on the couch in order to give the clients a bit more space. The Jolly also has three bathrooms each equipped with a shower and a 1000l water tank, which makes for a comfortable experience. [/FONT][/COLOR] https://arctosguides.com/lyngen-norway-ski-and-sail-trip/"]Click here to read the full report [/URL]
A ski and sail trip through Troms county, but better known as the Lyngen Region of Norway has been on my radar for sometime —the blend of sailing through the arctic fjords and islands in search of ski descents plunging from summit to sea seamed like an incredible adventure. It finally came to fruition April 10-22, 2025.
The Lyngen Alps of Norway sit close to 70 degrees north in the Arctic Circle. While the Lyngen Peninsula has been a hot bed for ski touring for quite some time, the outer islands offer plenty of ski descents away from the busier parts of the Lyngen Region. Most of the islands are accessible by ferry, but using a sail boat allows for flexibility and the opportunity to incorporate sailing as another part of the adventure.
Norway’s maritime heritage is well known and is best experienced by boat in my opinion. Waking up to a gently rocking boat anchored in protected bay or feeling the salt water of the Norwegian Sea spray over the bow while the main sail is stretched tight by the northeast wind harkens back to a different time. One can only imagine what it was like living in one of the villages on these remote islands when fishing and farming was life.
Our trip started in the city of Tromsø, Norway where I met my six clients and Maria and Ulrik, the owners/operators of Jolly Good Times Sailing and got on board their 15m Dutch built sail boat named Jolly. Maria and Ulrik have been operating their business since 2019 and are full-time boat dwellers along with their dog Ramoncito. The experience they offer is different than other businesses who run charted sailing trips, principally because they welcome guests in to the their home aboard Jolly. Their hospitality is unparalleled with Maria’s motherly warmth and Ulrik’s dry sense of humour. Their expertise as sailors is evident too with their ability to read the wind, forecast weather and choose sheltered anchorages.
After a safety briefing and boat orientation, we set sail from Tromsø in the afternoon on the 14th of April and headed northeast up the fjord towards our first ski stop. By mid-April the days are already quite long in the Troms/ Lyngen regions with operable light until 10pm. The daylight gains each day are significant and by the end of your trip on April 22, there was only a few hours of relative darkness in the polar nights. This was perfect for our program as we generally sailed an hour or two each morning and finished the day with a passage to another island.
Over the course of the eight day ski and sail trip we skied on six different islands, one day on the Lyngen Peninsula, summited six mountains, spent five nights at anchor and two nights in harbours with Jolly as our mobile basecamp.
Hauling in the fishing net. Boat living is tight, but not cramped, and our time spent on Jolly was quite comfortable. Her build was solid, with a steel hull, aluminum deck and warm, dry insulated galley and cabins. There were three bedrooms for the six guests, plus Maria and Ulrik’s cabin, while I slept on the couch in order to give the clients a bit more space. The Jolly also has three bathrooms each equipped with a shower and a 1000l water tank, which makes for a comfortable experience. [/FONT][/COLOR] https://arctosguides.com/lyngen-norway-ski-and-sail-trip/"]Click here to read the full report [/URL]
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