Backcountry skiing is growing in popularity, and for very good reason – it’s simply an amazing way to experience the beauty and silence of a Nordic winter, allowing you to explore very much “off the beaten track”. The adventure and challenge of moving through a remote wilderness area entirely under your own power is exhilarating, and depending on the tour you choose, there are many more dimensions to the experience, from wild winter camping to Northern Lights to the chance to hug a husky round the fire at night!
While backcountry tours can certainly be demanding, the good news is that, provided you enjoy the outdoors and have a suitable level of fitness for your chosen tour, a backcountry ski adventure is perfectly accessible to you, even if you are a complete ski beginner. Read on for our guide for going from “Zero to Hero” in your journey towards backcountry greatness!
But first, let’s define our terms:
The phrase “backcountry skiing” may be used to refer to any type of “off-piste” skiing, that is skiing away from prepared tracks or pistes. Here we are referring to ski touring – that is, trekking on skis, often bringing everything needed for your expedition in “pulks”, or sleds, which you will pull behind you, in the same way that you may do a multi-day hike with a rucksack in summertime. This type of skiing is not alpine peak touring, or randonnée skiing, which involves steep ascents with skins on the bottom of your skis, which you then remove and lock the heels of your boots for a speedy descent.*
*We do offer those types of tours as well, though! See here for details of our Alpine Ski Touring experiences.
The skis used for these tours are similar to cross country skis, but have steel edges and are a little wider and more stable, with boots that are more similar to hiking boots. The heel of your boot is always loose – you cannot lock the heel for skiing downhill as for randonnée skiing. Skins on the bottom of the skins offer extra traction for pulling loads and especially for going uphill. The skis may have partial integrated skins or removable skins that you put on or take off as appropriate depending on the terrain.
Step One – Zero:
If you’ve never been on skis before, have only limited ski experience or want to ease yourself gently into the wonderful world of backcountry skiing, start here! These tours, both located in the beautiful Rondane National Park region of central Norway, will give you an ideal introduction to backcountry skiing and prepare you for more challenging adventures to come:
- Learn to Backcountry Ski in Rondane (Norway, 5 days/4 nights): This is a guided experience and always offered as a private tour, even if just one person, so can be tailored very much to your requirements. The first two nights are based at a small, family-owned Lodge, with a guided day of skiing up on the plateau. You’ll practise skiing both on prepared “classic” cross country tracks, and away from the trail. For Days 3 and 4, you have a guided overnight expedition to a mountain cabin, upping the sense of adventure and giving you a chance to further develop your technique, fitness and confidence, before returning to the Lodge for your final night.
- Discover Cross Country Skiing in Rondane (Norway, 7 days/6 nights): Over on the other side of the Rondane fells, this is a self-guided experience using two different mountain lodge accommodations during the course of the week, offering a tour which includes both point-to-point elements and day tours from fixed location. Although self-guided, it is still suitable for beginners, as the minimum distances to cover are short and clearly marked (but with an extensive network of trails, there is also plenty of scope for more experienced skiers to challenge themselves). Instruction is available to get you started if needed. Those interested in developing their backcountry skiing skills can choose backcountry skis (suitable for use both on and off the trails) or alternatively, “classic” touring skis are available for guests who wish to focus on cross country skiing on the prepared trails.
Step Two – Moving On Up:
Once you’ve gained your confidence and experienced the beauty of a Nordic winter on one of the above, you’re ready for the next step! Alternatively, if you are physically fit and already have a good amount of general outdoor experience including multi-day hiking and summer camping, even if you don’t have previous ski experience, you could also choose one of these tours as your first backcountry ski trip. Although they are both winter camping expeditions in very remote areas, the skiing itself is not technical and, while previous ski experience will be advantage, it is not required.
- Ski and Wild Camp in South Lapland (Sweden, 4 days/3 nights): The perfect introduction to winter camping, being a fully fledged adventure with 4 days of skiing and wild winter camping, but with no previous ski or winter camping experience required and manageable daily distances of 10-12km. The tour takes place in the remote and beautiful Blaikfjället Nature Reserve in north-central Sweden and uses shorter, thicker backcountry skis ideal for trekking in mixed terrain. The skis are stable and easy to use, leaving you free to concentrate on enjoying the surrounding wilderness.
- Ski Touring and Winter Camping on the Finnmark Plateau (Norway, 8 days/7 nights): A great option for an extended arctic expedition but accessible to anyone with suitable fitness and some previous outdoor experience who is looking for a challenge. You’ll spend 6 days/5 nights traversing the wilderness of Finnmark in the far north of Norway, typically covering 10-20km per day, camping wild along the way and bringing everything with you in “pulks”. There will even be 1-2 huskies along for the trip for warming husky hugs around the campfire at night and perhaps a bit of help with pulk pulling! This tour takes place in the “spring winter” period in late April and early May, when the sun barely dips below the horizon, making it the ideal time for winter camping in this remote and exposed terrain.
Step Three – Hero:
So, you’re comfortable on your skis and being out on an extended trip in wintertime, and you’ve built up your fitness and strength and are looking for the next challenge. Which tour will you choose?
- Backcountry Skiing with Tipi Camping in Eastern Lapland (Finland, 7 days/6 nights): Urho Kekkonen National Park and Kemihaara Wilderness Area in the north of Finland are the settings for this wonderful winter adventure. The tour is physically demanding and the group will be bringing everything needed for the expedition with them in “pulks” as you explore a remote world of forest and frozen wetlands . Each night you’ll be wild camping in the wilderness, but with a little touch of comfort – the tour uses heated tipi tents with wood-burning stoves.
- Backcountry Skiing and Northern Lights in Finnish Lapland (Finland, 8 days/7 nights): With a choice of Lemmenjoki and Halti itineraries (both being demanding, but with Halti tours typically the more challenging of the two due to the more exposed terrain), and dates between New Year and April, this tour offers a number of options for your “next step” backcountry adventure. Conditions permitting, Halti tours include skiing to the summit of Finland’s highest mountain at 1324m. The majority of tours are based on staying in wilderness cabins along the way, but special “wild camping” Halti tours are also offered during the “spring winter” period in April.
Read a trip report by Bob from the Nature Travels team describing his Halti tour experience.
- Ski Touring and Winter Camping in Abisko (Sweden, 8 days/7 nights): The “big one” – the most demanding of all our backcountry ski touring experiences. If you’re confident on skis, including controlling your skis and pulk on descents, have a high level of fitness and both physical and mental endurance, then you’re ready to take on the wilderness of Abisko National Park in the far north of Sweden. This tour is a step up from the other itineraries listed here and should only be considered if you are confident you meet the requirements for the tour. As well as being a bucket-list experience in its own right, this tour is also ideal if you are preparing for even greater challenges such as a ski crossing of the Greenland ice cap.
Congratulations! You’re now a backcountry ski touring hero!*
*Psst: You’ll still be a hero, even if you start and end with one of the less demanding tours – backcountry skiing is about the love of nature and the joy of being outdoors. It offers fantastic opportunities to challenge yourself if that’s what you’re looking for, but is equally enjoyable when taken at any level. Everyone’s a winner!
