Today is all about getting to Akureyri in the north of Iceland. The majority of the flights to Reykjavik arrive in Iceland around 5 AM the next day. So please plan to arrive in Iceland either the day before or very early on the first day of your itinerary in order to make the 5 hour drive to Akureyri. Or you can also fly directly to Akureyri. Upon arrival, settle into your accommodation, meet your guide and your team, and go through an equipment check.
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Did you ever feel drawn to the land of fire and ice? This week-long ski touring trip in Iceland’s stunning Troll Peninsula with a seasoned local guide is just what you need. The Troll Peninsula is a world-class backcountry skiing destination, with outstanding terrain variety and amazing summit-to-sea descents. Stay at a comfy lodge, soak in Iceland’s legendary hot springs and bask in the northern lights!
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Enjoy six days of ski touring the Troll Peninsula! Explore the many different valleys with a wide range of conditions and slope angles—there’s something for everyone here! Your guides will emphasize putting in as much time on the slopes as possible, and you will be part of the team and the decision-making process. You won’t only ski a ton—you’ll also learn about group dynamics, safe travel in avalanche terrain, and outdoor leadership. And if you happen to get overwhelmed, feel free to take a rest day or two!
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After breakfast, get ready to head back for Reykjavík, where you will arrive in the early afternoon. If you’re in a rush, you can book and make an evening flight on this day. You can also spend your afternoon and evening exploring Iceland’s wonderful capital and depart the following day.
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What you get in this adventure:
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- An experienced, certified ski guide with extensive knowledge of the area
- 8-day backcountry skiing trip in Troll Peninsula (6 days of ski touring)
- An evening tour of Akureyri, Iceland
- Accommodation for the duration of the tour
- All group and emergency gear
What’s not included:
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- Technical backcountry ski touring equipment
- Accommodation in Reykjavík
- Transportation
- Food and snacks
- Gear rental
- Trip Insurance and Global Rescue Insurance — highly recommended
Iceland is quite expensive, and the meals there are often $30-$40/person. Please factor this into your budget. If you wish to save some money, it’s possible to cook at the lodge.
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In order to enjoy this backcountry adventure, you have to be a skilled skier or splitboarder, and you need to have a decent level of fitness. You will be on your feet for 6 full days. While there is terrain for all skill levels in the Troll Peninsula, you will need to manage controlled descents in variable conditions. All participants should feel comfortable on challenging blue or black-level resort runs and be able to carry a loaded daypack while skinning up variable degrees of terrain.
Participants must have prior backcountry experience and be comfortable skiing 35-degree terrain in variable conditions. Participants should also be comfortable ascending at least 3,000 ft of elevation in a day.
This is an objective-based adventure that often leaves little time for education along the way. You can expect the guides to make many decisions without explanation. Their primary focus is providing an experience that is fun, memorable, objective-based and most importantly, safe. Objectives match the guests ability and outcome desires.
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All participants in this backcountry ski touring tour must be skilled skiers or split borders. If you wish to take part in this tour, you must have prior backcountry experience and be comfortable skiing 35-degree terrain in variable conditions. Skiing in the backcountry has little resemblance to resort skiing.
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For technical backcountry ski touring gear, you will need to bring:
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- Alpine touring skis, telemark skis, or splitboard with skins (can be rented)
- Touring boots and poles (can be rented)
- Avalanche safety equipment (can be rented):
- Digital, 3-antenna avalanche transceiver or beacon
- Lightweight snow shovel
- Avalanche probe
For personal items, we recommend bringing:
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- Helmet
- Sunglasses or ski goggles
- Gloves and hat
- Wind and waterproof shell jacket with hood (Gore-Tex recommended)
- Ski pants (Gore-Tex recommended)
- Down jacket or vest
- Synthetic or wool base layers, underwear and socks
- Swimsuit
- One triple-action locking carabiner or two conventional locking carabiners
- Repair kit and Leatherman for your equipment (can be shared between several people)
- Water bottle and 1L of water
- Thermos with a warm beverage — optional
- Food you can eat on-the-go
- First aid kit
- Sunscreen
- Daypack large enough to carry all items listed (around a 30-40L backpack)
- Camera — optional
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All mandatory gear can be rented if you don’t have your own. You can rent:
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- Avalanche safety pack, including backpack, beacon, shovel, and probe
- Alpine touring or telemark skis, touring boots and poles can be rented from the Hlíðarfjall ski resort in Akureyri
- Splitboards can be rented from the Hlíðarfjall ski resort in Akureyri
Keep in mind that backcountry ski gear is hard to come by in Iceland. We recommend you bring replacement parts as well as a small tool kit in order to fix common issues with your setup. We do have a location we can get to rent skis or fix minor issues should the need arise.
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Group sizes:
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- For this adventure, the max client-to-guide ratio is 4:1.
- The maximum group size is set at 10 participants.
Ski touring in Iceland’s Troll Peninsula can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
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- If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
- Minors may be permitted to join private tours on a case-by-case basis. If you plan to ski with anyone under the age of 18, please contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
If your group has skiers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
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To get to Akureyri, the starting point of your tour, most people fly into Keflavík Airport. Your guide recommends flying with IcelandAir. Their rates are around $500 – $650. From there, you can take a bus, shuttle, or taxi to Reykjavík. You should then rent a car and take a 5-hour drive to Akureyri. After booking, your guide will send you the emails of the other participants so you can coordinate rental cars and split the cost of the rental and gas.
Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will suggest the best place to meet in Akureyri. From there, you’ll head to your tour. The guide will choose the appropriate terrain dependent on conditions and the ski ability of the group.
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We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with insurance. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, you’ll be offered to simply insure your trip with Redpoint at checkout.
Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner—tailors protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations! Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.
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