A day’s skiing through the pine forest and across the plain near Karasjok is suitable even for skiing novices. Most skiers at all levels can also manage the nine-day trip over the Finnmark plateau at the end of winter. The 17-day extreme trip in February, on the other hand, is a lot tougher. The tour guides from Turgleder in Karasjok can introduce you to the Finnmark plateau.
Finnmarksvidda, the Finnmark plateau, is a gently rolling landscape with solid snow cover from November to May. There are not many prepared runs, but the area offers perfect conditions for anyone who wants to experience skiing through pristine wilderness. Liv Engholm and Thomas S. Nilsen from the activity firm Turgleder AS in Karasjok spend the winter organising long and short ski trips in this snowy skiing paradise.
Facts about skiing on the Finnmark Plateau
The 9 day tour is suitable for all who are in good shape and are accustomed to exercising and being out in all weather conditions. No special skiing skills are required, as long as you are willing to learn along the way.
You must have been on a long ski tour in the past, and gone overnight in a tent in winter before. This is for the more advanced skiers.
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Skiing on the Finnmark Plateau is a complete Arctic experience
In April, when the sun is warm during the day but the night-time frosts still provide crisp skiing conditions, Liv and Thomas invite skiers to cross the Finnmark plateau from Alta to Karasjok as part of a nine-day trip, seven days of which are on skis. A week on the plain may sound like a long time for the normal Sunday skier, but this is really not an extreme trip. The daily runs are around 15 kilometres, so the stretches are not particularly intimidating. Everyone joins in with setting up the camp, packing up and cooking. The nights are spent in tents or cabins in the mountains, and dogs are used to draw the equipment.
Even beginners can take part in the tour
As the nine-day trip does not cover particularly large distances, it is also fine for people from countries that traditionally have poor skiing conditions, such as the Netherlands and South Africa. It is all a question of attitude — if you are used to being outdoors and active, you can easily get used to the snow and skiing. If you’ve never skied before, it’s worth taking a beginner’s course in Karasjok first. The course covers basic techniques and balance on a level area, before participants move on to the slopes. You can learn the basics in just four hours.
A 17 day tour is not for everyone
February is when the winter temperatures on the Finnmark plateau reach their lowest point, and the days are still pretty short at this time of year. February is when Turgleder invites skiers to join an extreme trip that lasts a total of 17 days, with the trip itself taking 12–14 days. The trip starts at Hatter, the mountain pass between Skaidi and the Porsanger fjord, and continues south through the Stabbursdalen national park and over the Finnmark plateau to Karasjok. The group sleeps in tents, with night-time temperatures reaching as low as -40C. Everyone is expected to join in with setting up the camp and cooking. The route has been chosen with the aim of bypassing all the snowmobile trails, and some sections of the terrain are very challenging.
People train here to prepare for a Greenland crossing
In terms of difficulty, the extreme trip can be compared to crossing Greenland. The landscape of the Finnmark plateau is actually more challenging than the flat ice of central Greenland, so you can really test yourself. Some skiers even use this trip to train for crossing Greenland. Participants on this trip must be used to the outdoor life, have done a lot of skiing and have slept in a tent before.
Guests in Karasjok can take part in a day tour
On request, Turgleder can also arrange day trips for guests who are based in Karasjok. These trips take you skiing in the countryside surrounding Karasjok. The programme is tailored to guest requirements: Some people are very used to outdoor pursuits and love to have a long day’s skiing, but the day trips are also an excellent opportunity for those who are not so used to outdoor life to take a skiing trip through untouched nature. Lunch is served around a roaring camp-fire and hot drinks are, of course, included.
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Turgleder in Karasjok takes you skiing across the Finnmark Plateau