Price

NOK 16 350 per person twin share

The tour price includes transport, all meals, accommodation, sauna, dog support and guide.

Single room supplement: NOK 2,100

Dates in 2021

9-13 April

30 April – 4 May

Have a look at this video to get an impression on how to dress while cycling in the cold.

Equipment

Sled with device for pulling (GLØD)
Dog (GLØD)
Primus stove (GLØD)
Saucepan (GLØD)
Gasolin (GLØD)
GPS (GLØD/private)

Bike

Fatbike (rentable from GLØD)
Tubes (2)
Tool
Pump

Clothing

Windproof hooded jacket
Windproof trousers
Cap
Gloves
Mountain mittens (woollen mittens with windproof cover)
Down jacket, if necessary thick woolen sweater/thick fleece
Thin sweater/fleece
Long underpants and top
Long underpants and spare top
2 pairs of socks
2 pairs of woollen socks
Headover

Additional Equipment

Rucksack minimum 20-30 litres (rentable)
Sleeping bag for indoor use
Seating pad/Camping mat
Plate, cutlery for lunch
Thermos bottle, 1 litre
Water bottle
Sun Glasses
Photographic equipment
Bag for equipment not carried on your back

Toiletries

Towel
Any necessities

If you like carrying heavy loads, you might consider

Slippers for cabin visit
Reading material

Day 1

Arrival in Alta in the afternoon
Pick up at the airport, check in at Aurora Canvas Dome or Pine Forest apartment

Assemble your bike or adjust rental bike, possible test trip

18:30 (6:30 p.m.): Informal info meeting and greet each

19:00 (7 p.m.): Dinner

Day 2

Breakfast
Morning fatbike ride on the closest trails, 15-20 km
Lunch at Glød
14:00 (2 p.m.): Planning of mountain plateau crossing
Possible afternoon ride for those who are keen
19:00 (7 p.m.): Dinner

Day 3

After breakfast, depart by minibus up to the Finnmarksvidda
Lunch at Soussjavri mountain lodge

Start biking from Soussjavri
Arrival at Mollisjok mountain lodge in the afternoon
Sauna, dinner and overnight stay
Approx. 25 km

Day 4

After breakfast we continue our journey northwards, including crossing Iesjavri, the largest lake in Finnmark
Lunch en route
Arrival at Jotka mountain lodge, sauna, dinner and overnight stay
Approx. 30 km

Day 5

This will be the longest day, but also the most varied and will take us down from the Finnmarksvidda and into the fertile Alta valley (45 km).
Lunch and bonfire en route
Arrival at Glød HQ in the afternoon
The sauna will be hot.

If you plan to travel home today, SAS has a flight from Alta at approx. 18:00 (6 p.m.)

If you would like to extend you stay and spend an extra night in Alta, we can assist with accommodation and other practical arrangements.

Finnmarksvidda

Finnmarksvidda is Norway’s largest plateau, covering an of more than 22,000 km². Most of the plateau is 300-500 m above sea level, while Bidjovaggi in the southwest is around 700 m above sea level. Mountain birch forest and willow thicket grow in the lower areas of the gently rolling landscape, while bare plateau dominates above 350 m above sea level. The relatively flat landscape creates shallow fishing lakes and rivers with low slope.

It’s common to distinguish between the eastern and western parts of the plateau, and the highway between Alta and Kautokeino (the E45) forms an obvious boundary. Some also refer to the southern part of the plateau, the area south of the road between Kautokeino and Karasjok (route 92). The south-eastern part of the plateau close to the Finish border is protected by the Øvre Anarjohka National Park, while the south-western part of the plateau in Troms county is protected by Reisa National Park.

Low temperatures

Every winter, the temperature on the Finnmarksvidda drops towards minus 40 °C and the official record low is minus 51.4 ºC. January and February are the coldest months but also in March it’s not uncommon that the temperature can drop towards minus 35 °C. Even in April, some nights can be as cold as minus 25 °C.

However, it’s worth noting that as the cold on the Finnmarksvidda is dry and not humid it does not feel so cold. Another advantage is that there is generally relatively little wind.

Reindeer and the Sami

Finnmarksvidda is the place the indigenous Sami people engage in reindeer husbandry. As mentioned above, there is plenty of space on the plateau. During the wintertime, the reindeer husbandry mostly takes place in the southern part of the plateau towards the Finnish border and, to a certain degree, in the south-western part around Reisa National Park. The winter pastures of the reindeer are in these areas. The reindeer start to migrate northwards in April. Within a fortnight, a reindeer herd travels from the southern parts of the plateau to the summer grazing areas on the north coast. The calving season takes place during this journey, generally in late April and early May. The reindeer remain on the coast until August when they start the long migratory trek back to the winter pastures in the south.

If you are skiing across the Finnmarksvidda in April, you may be lucky enough to experience a herd of reindeer migrating to its summer pastures. The reindeer will generally be followed by Sami reindeer herders on snowmobiles accompanied by dogs to assist them. This is a majestic and unforgettable experience, but please exercise caution. Reindeer, especially females with calves, can be easily frightened. In the worst-case scenario, the mother can abandon her calf. As a skier, it’s wise to wait until the herd has passed before continuing. The reindeer herder will generally come over for a chat if he/she thinks you may get too close to the herd.

Northern Lights

As you probably know, the Northern Lights originate from energy that is released when charged particles from the sun (solar storms) hits particles in the atmosphere, 80-500 km from us. The light that occurs is visible in the northern (and southern) parts of the globe. As the Finnmarksvidda is located directly below the Northern Lights Oval, it’s a wonderful place to see the Northern Lights, not least because there is virtually no light pollution at all. However, the sky must be clear and dark to see the Northern Lights, which generally means no later than mid-April. It then becomes too light in the evening/at night to see the Northern Lights and after a while is light 24/7.

Settlements on the plateau

Settlements are few and far between on the Finnmarksvidda. There are a few small settlements consisting of a few houses and cabins along the road, while Kautokeino and Karasjok are the two main villages. Both have populations of around 3,000. The Sami village of Masi, roughly midway between Alta and Kautokeino, has about 300 inhabitants.

Mountain lodges

The mountain lodges are traditional lodging houses offering basic accommodation in cabins and dormitories with 2-6 bunks. The mountain lodges were originally state-owned, but in recent times many have been transferred to private operators. They have permanent keepers (hosts) and are equipped with crockery, kitchenware and linen. Although the hosts are not obliged to serve meals, most provide meals and/or sell basic groceries such as canned foods, margarine, flour and bread. Meals and saunas must be booked in advance. The same goes for beds, especially during the peak seasons. All the mountain lodges have a telephone and are open year-round.

The mountain lodges in Finnmark were built in the late 19th century and at one stage there were 40 such mountain lodges in the county. There were also previously more basic state-owned wilderness huts (resting places), which were open. These were equipped with bunks, mattresses, pillows, cooking utensils and cutlery, but not provisions. The state no longer operates such huts and many of these have now burnt down or fallen into a state of disrepair.

Internet, phone coverage and electricity

All the mountain lodges have electricity so charging mobile phones and other electrical equipment is no problem. Jotka Fjellstue has good mobile coverage (even 4G) but there is no telephone coverage at Ravnastua and Mollisjok. There is mobile coverage on parts of the plateau, especially when you cross an elevation in the terrain.