Ski touring week Seiland Island, Norway
Fjord to Summit Skiing in Arctic Wilderness
Seiland National Park is a remote island in Altafjord, northern Norway – Norway’s 8th largest island – and a true hidden gem for ski touring. The whole touring area around the island sees max 3 ski touring groups at the same time. You can ski for days without seeing people or other tracks.
Here sea-to-summit is not a marketing word, it’s daily reality. Many tours start directly at the fjord in front of Seiland House or with skis on from the lodge. Most days we start at the dock with a short motorboat transfer to an untouched fjord, climb 800-1’300m in 3-5 hours, and ski a different line down to another fjord where the boat waits. You finish at sea level. Every day.
The highlights: Seilandstuva, the island’s highest peak over 1,000m, with views over Norway’s northernmost glaciers including Seilandsjøkelen, and across the Stjernsund to Stjernøya [Stierdná] for classic tours like Rottenhallen. Alpine terrain, secluded summits, deep snow slopes, birch forests for bad weather days, and in the evening – Northern Lights.
Basecamp: Seiland House in Rognsundet. Authentic, cozy, right inside the National Park limit where steep mountains plunge into the sea. Our hosts Stig and Diamela host you in double rooms [single on request] with home-style full board – breakfast, pack lunch, dinner, tea & snacks. Not a hotel – rooms share showers – but with sauna, cocktail bar, 3x jacuzzi after touring, and a privilege to stay this remote. 2h flight Oslo to Alta + 1h boat transfer.
I have gained my first ski touring experience through an introductory course or by joining guided ski tours. Most tours are rated easy to moderately difficult and typically involve terrain with slopes of around 30°. Short, steeper sections provide enough space to make turns comfortably. I am able to manage kick turns during the ascent. Confident skiing in deep, ungroomed snow and parallel turns off-piste are expected skills.
In terms of fitness, I regularly practice endurance sports such as hiking, running, and cycling. I can handle around four hours of uphill travel per day, which corresponds to approximately 1,200 meters of elevation gain. A steady pace of about 300 vertical meters per hour feels comfortable for me.
Individual flight to Alta, Norway.
We meet at Alta airport – flights from Oslo usually arrive around 4pm. Together we transfer by bus and ferry to Seiland Island. After about one hour boat ride through Altafjord you reach Rognsundet in the southwest of Norway’s 8th largest island. Check-in at Seiland House, welcome by our hosts Stig and Diamela, gear check and tour briefing with your IFMGA mountain guide, and first dinner together. You are now inside Seiland National Park
Night at the lodge
Every day is sea-to-summit. This is why Seiland is special.
A typical day: Breakfast at Seiland House, pack lunch ready. We walk to the dock in front of the lodge. Short transfer by motorboat to a remote fjord – no roads, no people.
We skin up directly from the sea. 800 to 1’300 vertical meters, 3 to 5 hours climb through birch forest, open bowls and alpine ridges.
Seiland offers everything: easy tours above Seiland House for warming up, steeper couloirs, wide powder slopes and the classic summits.
Highlight is Seilandstuva, the island’s highest peak over 1’000m, with views over Seilandsjøkelen – one of the northernmost glaciers in Scandinavia – and the whole Altafjord. On clear days we cross Stjernsund in 20 minutes to Stjernøya [Sámi: Stierdná] for dramatic fjords and classic tours like Rottenhallen, the highest summit of the neighboring island.
We almost always descend a different line to another fjord where the boat is waiting – true fjord to summit skiing, finishing at sea level.
Maximum 3 ski touring groups on the entire island at the same time means untouched snow every day. You can ski for days without seeing other tracks – completely different from Lyngen or Tromsø.
After touring: boat back to Seiland House, sauna, 3x outdoor jacuzzi, cocktail bar, home-style dinner with stories of the day.
Ski touring Day, see Day 1
Ski touring Day, see Day 1
Ski touring Day, see Day 1
Ski touring Day, see Day 1
Ski touring Day, see Day 1
Ski touring Day, see Day 1
After breakfast ferry and bus transfer back to Alta airport. Individual flight home. You can book a late flight after 2pm.
Goal: Functional, warm, light. Temperatures like Alps at 2’000-3’000m, plus wind from the fjord. -5°C to -15°C + windchill possible.
SKI TOURING GEAR – Required
Touring skis with touring bindings and skins – well waxed, skins. Width 85-105mm ideal for Norway
Touring boots – comfortable for walking, tech fitting
Poles – adjustable, with big powder baskets
Crampons for skis – mandatory for icy traverses
Avalanche safety set: beacon [3-antenna, checked], shovel, probe – mandatory
Helmet
CLOTHING – Layer system
Base layers top + bottom – 2x merino
Mid layers – fleece + light synthetic down or primaloft jacket
Hard shell jacket – Gore-Tex, waterproof + windproof, with hood
Hard shell pants – side zip ideal for touring
Ski touring pants – softshell, windproof
2x ski touring socks – merino
Warm beanie + sun cap + buff
Gloves – 2 pairs: thin touring gloves + warm waterproof gloves/mittens
Sunglasses + ski goggles – Cat 3-4 + low light lens
FOR SEA AND LODGE
Seiland House is warm and cozy but not a hotel. Bring:
Hut slippers for lodge
Small towel + toiletries
Earplugs – walls are thin
Swimsuit – for jacuzzi and sauna after touring
Casual clothes for evenings – 1 set is enough
OTHER
Thermos 0.75-1L + water bottle
Sunscreen SPF 50 + lip balm – arctic sun is strong
Blister kit, personal medication, painkillers
Phone + charger + power bank – limited charging spots
Passport/ID, insurance card [mountain rescue + cancellation], cash NOK/EUR, credit card
Prices are based on double rooms
Organisation, IFMGA mountain guiding for 6 ski days, 7 nights lodging with full board (breakfast, pack lunch, dinner, tea and snacks), boat transfers to ski touring start and back each day, transfer from and to Alta airport, Sauna, 3x Jacuzzi
Flights, personal insurances, beverages
Why Choose Us
Insurance
Travel insurance is not included in our adventures.
We strongly recommend that you purchase insurance to cover cancellation, medical expenses, personal accident, personal baggage, money and public liability.
Accident or injury. Unexpected medical expenses. Unplanned incidents are rare but can crop up when you travel.
Gift vouchers
Give the gift of adventure with a Patagoniatiptop GmbH Certificate! Perfect for a mountaineering gift for your son’s birthday, a ski weekend for your best friend or a skitouring trip for your wife. Or … why not invite yourself?
How it works
Contact us and let us know how much you would like to spend. Let us know who is the lucky person to receive the voucher. We will then send the voucher to you or to the address you tell us.
