Steinskardtinden ski tour with great snow and views - ski day 9 (Topptur)

There was some low cloud around Tromso so we decided to ski Keipen on Senya, about 2h 30 minutest drive.  However, on our way we saw skiers climbing Steinskardtinden, a "topptur ski peak" on Kvaløya, so we decided to ski it  A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

The snow was nice and firm at the bottom, there had been a freeze.  Towards the top there was fresh snow, the best of our trip.  On the summit we chatted to Rudolf, a Swiss guide from Zermatt and his client, it was there first day on skis in Norway.

From the summit we could see down to Tromso and across to the summits of Skitntinden, Middagstinden and Storsteinnestindend.  We could also see down to Ersfjordbotn where we stayed in 2016.

The descent was great.  Soft snow and sweet turns.  Down lower the snow was heavy and funky.  We finished with a straight run back to the car park.

This was a great way to end our skiing this trip in Norway, we were lucky to score a brief weather window.

We then drove to Sommaroy Island which is a popular tourist destination in summer due to its white sandy beaches and good scenery.  The clouds dropped and then it started raining so we were very happy to score the ski summit.

Tomorrow Roger flies to Iceland (via Oslo) and I board the Hurtigruten (large coastal ferry) for Kirkenes. 

All photos

Storstolpan - we hit the jackpot! Kvaløya ski day 5

Storstolpan 974m Kvaloya, we hit the jackpot. Sensational views and a magical descent. 12 May 2016

Kvaløya ski day 5, Norway ski day 14

George and Alison arranged another afternoon start to get a weather window on Storstolpan. We departed from the lodge at after an "early dinner" at 3 p.m. and saw some reindeer as we drove towards Rekvik.

It was sleeting at our departure point at when we arrived at the col above Rekvik so we sat in the car for 30 minutes wondering if the forecast would come good. It didn't look promising - here is the video I took outside the van!

We headed off at about 5pm after the sleet and wind stopped with Storstolpan now visible in the distance.  A short skin up and ski down to a frozen lake took as to the start of the climb proper,

It was quite steep skinning up the first headwall in the fresh snow but it got easier further up.

As we climbed spectacular views to the surrounding fjords and islands opened up while dark squalls scudded past out to sea.

We reached a col between the twin summits with a steep view down to Ersfjorden then climbed higher up the steep slope with ice axes and crampons reaching our high point at Summit at 7:30 pm with views over towards Store Blåmann (Kvaloya's highest mountain) and the Lyngen Alps.  A huge gendarme towered nearby.

We down-climbed back to our skis and got ready for the descent. We hit the jackpot!  Great skiing in fresh powder with a good slope angle and a superb back drop.  This was our best descent so far.

The head wall further down turned out to be strait forward to ski.  The run back down the van was a nice finish at around 9:00 pm followed by a late supper back at the lodge.  Big smiles all round!

See also: Jöttnar :: The Waiting Game, Alison Culshaw