Finnmarksvidda 2026

March

12 – 18

Price NOK 18,400 per person

The package price includes all accommodation in mountain lodges and tent, all meals from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 6, transport, wilderness guide, expedition sled, assistance by polar dogs, safety equipment such as satellite telephone and GPS and mountain equipment such as tents and cooking gear.

3 – 7 participants

For more information and booking, please do not hesitate to contact us!

As we start our ski expedition at 08.30 (8.30 a.m.) on day one, it’s natural for participants from afar to arrive the day before. For those who require accommodation in Alta, we can provide good alternatives.

A planning meeting is held at 15.00 (3 p.m.) on the day prior to departure during which we go through the expedition plan and look at maps and routes, etc. We will also check the gear, any supplements and hand out rented equipment.

 

Day 1 (first day of skiing)

We are transported from Alta, up the Tverrelvdalen Valley to Stilla, from where the expedition starts. The first leg to the Jotka Fjellstue (mountain lodge) is around 18 km. We are greeted on arrival by our hosts, Steinar and Lisa. We will be served a fantastic dinner, preferably with blueberry pie for dessert.

Day 2

We follow part of the course for the annual Finnmarksløp sled dog race and cross Iesjavri, Finnmark’s largest lake. Few people venture in this area, so we will often be on our own most of the day. We follow the easiest possible route through the gently rolling landscape. However, we sometimes head up a small hill to enjoy the view. The total skiing distance is about 22 km. In the afternoon, we find a sheltered tent site, preferably on the south-western shores of Iesjavri. Dinner is served in the “mess tent” before we sleep to deafening silence!

Day 3

We wake up to the barking sound of the male ptarmigan, who no doubt wonders why we have set up camp exactly where he usually chats up the ladies. We smile and enjoy breakfast and a morning coffee before packing up camp. We head eastwards to Mollisjok Fjellstue (mountain lodge), where we will spend the night. Is it the aroma of Margit’s bidos (reindeer stew) we smell in the distance? We are now right in the heart of the Finnmarksvidda mountain plateau, and the landscape is mostly flat. We ski roughly 16 km in easy terrain, if the conditions are favourable. As the air is crystal clear here, we can often see all the way to the peaks of the mighty “Gaissene” mountains east of Stabbursdalen. On arrival at the mountain lodge our host Margit will greet us with a hot sauna followed by delicious dinner. A warm bed also awaits!

Day 4

We follow the Mollesjohka watercourse further east in the direction of Porsanger. As we ski from lake to lake in the rising terrain, we encounter large willow thickets. This is home to the willow ptarmigan, and we often see many of them. In the late afternoon we reach Stipanavzi, a place few have visited. You will have a complete sense of being in the wilderness when we pitch our tents, enjoy a delicious dinner and fall asleep. We ski roughly 20 km in terrain that is either flat or gently rising. When the conditions are favourable, it’s relatively easy skiing.

Day 5

We wake up to the mournful sound of a bird of prey, which thrives in the “ávzi” (the Sami word for gorge). They find plenty of food here and it’s safe enough for pairs to nest. After a classic porridge breakfast, the trek continues southwards to Ravnastua (mountain lodge) in a fertile valley. We will be greeted by our host Oskar and, if we know him right, the sauna will be hot! We ski roughly 18 km, slightly uphill to start with and after a while gradually downhill. This is a relatively easy leg if the conditions are favourable.

Day 6

The last leg is 14 km, initially through the mountain birch forest followed by 5 km downhill to the  pine-covered valley, Karasjokdalen. We end our ski trek over the Finnmarksvidda mountain plateau in Assebakte near Karasjok, where we will be picked up and transported back to Alta.

We plan to be back in Alta about 16.00 (4 p.m.) and head to GLØD HQ for a well-earned shower/sauna. It is therefore possible to catch the 18.15 (6.15 p.m.) flight south. For those who are not in a hurry, we will meet for dinner in Alta to round off the expedition in a proper manner. We can assist with arranging accommodation in Alta for those who require it.

Equipment and clothing

Sleigh with device for pulling (GLØD)

Dog (GLØD)

Primus stove (GLØD)

Saucepan (GLØD)

Gasolin (GLØD)

GPS (GLØD/private)

Skiing Outfit

All-terrain ski, back country

Ski poles

Boots

Ski wax. Blå extra/(GLØD)

Clothing

Windproof hooded jacket

Windproof trousers

Cap

Ski gloves

Mountain mittens (wool 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 woolen socks

Headover

Additional Equipment

Rucksack minimum 40-50 litres

Sleeping bag, minus 25 dgr Celsius comfort temp (rentable)

Seating pad/Camping mat

Plate, cutlery for lunch

Thermos bottle, 1 litre

Water bottle than can handle boiling water

Sun Glasses

Headlight

Photographic equipment

Bag for equipment not carried on your back

Toiletries

Towel

Possible necessities

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.