Nestled in Iceland’s remote Northern regions, the Troll Peninsula may at first seem like an unexplored wilderness. However, those in the know are well familiar with its status as a first-class ski touring and ski mountaineering location! From steep couloirs to milder but still engaging open slopes, the Troll Peninsula can accommodate all levels of backcountry skiers. There’s an endless number of peaks and valleys here, with up to 5,000 feet of vertical descents. The snowpack here is stable, and the snow is abundant, and you can even ski straight from a peak to the ocean! And the fantastic views of the surrounding fjords and the magnificent glow of Iceland’s iconic northern lights are just the cherry on top of an already superb ski touring experience that gives other world-class ski destinations a run for their money.
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!
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.
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!
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.
Awesome company, great people, book with them! So much fun!
Awesome guide service with some of the best professionals around! Highly recommend it for any outdoor adventure you might be looking to have!
What you get in this adventure:
What’s not included:
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.
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.
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.
For technical backcountry ski touring gear, you will need to bring:
For personal items, we recommend bringing:
All mandatory gear can be rented if you don’t have your own. You can rent:
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.
Group sizes:
Ski touring in Iceland’s Troll Peninsula can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
If your group has skiers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
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.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance.
With medical insurance, if you have an accident or medical emergency on or off the mountain, you’ll avoid paying out of pocket for costly expenses. This covers everything from hospital treatments to emergency air transportation and more. Travel insurance covers canceled flights, natural disasters and other scenarios that may interrupt your travel plans.
If you need assistance selecting the right insurance for your group, let us know and we will be happy to help!
Iceland, the “Land of Fire and Ice”, has forever lived with volcanic activity. Minor and major eruptions have occurred every few years since the island was formed. Some of Iceland’s appeal, aside from sheer natural beauty, surely stems from this very fact.
However, every new eruption, such as the recent Reykjanes Peninsula fissure, will make some travelers, tourists, and adventurers uneasy, especially given the fact that sensationalist media is not immune to misinformation and speculation.
Since we work with a number of expert local guides in Iceland, we thought we’d share their input and fill you in on what’s actually going on.
First of all, air traffic has not been affected. Flights to and from Keflavík International Airport and Reykjavík Domestic Airport are operating as they always do.
Second, the effects of volcanic activity have been localized, with some roads closed, and all services in Iceland operating as usual. Reykjavik, the capital, is around 40 km (25 miles) away from the volcanic fissure, and life there is as normal as ever.
And third, trips offered by 57hours are taking place much further away, and are thereby even less likely to be affected by the volcanic activity, being perfectly safe for adventurers. Naturally, the authorities (and guides) are monitoring the situation and doing everything possible to keep both local residents and visitors safe and well informed.
In case you have any additional questions or dilemmas, feel free to get in touch with either your guide or 57hours. For more information, please visit:
https://safetravel.is/
https://www.visiticeland.com/article/volcano-info
Or watch the video with Dr. Matthew Roberts from the Icelandic Meteorological Office explaining the recent volcanic activities in Iceland:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA3-BXYuYrw
For regular dates, a non-refundable deposit of $200 per person secures your reservation. The balance of program fees will generally be due 90 days prior to the starting date of the program. It is your responsibility to adhere to the fee payment schedule. Late payment will result in cancellation of program reservations and forfeiture of all fees paid.
If you decide to cancel the trip, the following policy applies:
Early Bird booking
Want to be the first one to know when we publish new dates or secure your spot well in advance? Select a future month that suits you best and lock in your Early Bird spot in time with just a 10% deposit.
As soon as our guides publish new tour dates, you’ll be the first one to know. We’ll hold your spot for 2 weeks until you choose the date that suits you best.
More about how Early Bird bookings work below:
This is the crew you want with you on an adventure! Rock, ice, or backcountry they make the day out one for the memory bank!