Ski the magic Lyngen Alps, learn the secrets of the Sail & Ski trips and enjoy the magnificent mountains around the arctic capital Tromsø.
The book ‘Ski Touring in Troms’ aims to inspire people to visit the marvelous mountains of Troms County. The author claims he can promise adventures for all, no matter how experienced you are at ski touring. The book includes 82 summits, from Kvaløya island in the west to the Kåfjord Alps in the east.
This, however, is just a small selection of all the mountains in the area. There are many others that could have been included, or other routes described. This is a persona guide based on the author’s experiences in the area. For him ski touring is all about finding new trips and thrills. This book should therefore inspire people to visit some of the less well-known summits in Troms.
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The original version of this book, “Toppturer I Tromsø”, was released in 2010. The author says he is truly humbled by how well the Norwegian edition of the book was received. It is of course good to know that the book sold well, but the best part for him, he says, is all the positive feedback.
Some have been inspired to buy equipment and go ski touring for the very first time. Others have discovered new mountains or been inspired in a more general sense. By reading this book in English, Nordahl believes more people get out and enjoy the beautiful scenery of Troms County.
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Mountaineers have been coming back to the Lyngen Alps for years. For ski touring purposes it was ‘discovered’ in the mid-1990s by the Italian mountain guide Luca Gasparini. Moreover, he saw the potential in travelling by boat in the area, and the Ski & Sail concept was conceived. Since then, the popularity of Troms as a ski touring destination has skyrocketed, with a number of foreign visitors coming every year.
Many of them are from areas where guide books are taken for granted. This has led to an increasing demand for a similar guide to Troms – in English. It is, however, important to acknowledge that mountain in winter are associated with specific dangers. Several fatal avalanche accidents in Troms in recent years testify to this, and the importance of experience and knowledge cannot be overestimated. Avalanche safety is therefore emphasized in the book.
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In 1998 the author almost lost one of his best friends in an avalanche accident on the island of Kvaløya. Due to knowledge and a portion of luck his friend survived.
Espen Nordahl therefore want to spread the message that ski touring requires good planning and en route assessment. We must all work to raise our awareness of the risk associated with travelling in steep mountain areas, and learn to act accordingly. No trip is worth the loss of human life! The mountains will still be there tomorrow.
However, the main issue is getting out into the mountains. Enjoy sweating your way up to the summit cairn, where you can take in the magnificent view and eat lunch with your ski touring friends. Then comes the thrill of skiing down the snow-covered mountain side. Yes, ski touring is all about enjoyment.
Nordahl moved to the city of Tromsø in 1982, largely because of the mountains in the area. Since first experiencing the Lyngen Alps one sunny day in the early 80s he has had uncountable good times in the mountains of Troms. His love for the mountains and the company he has been so privileged to share have been his main driving force. This book is dedicated to all those people.
“Ski toirers cannot fail to be inspored by Espen Nordahl’s guidebook!” Stepen Jones, mountain guide Leysin, Switzerland.
Ski Touring in Northern Norway is based on the introduction to Espen Nordahl’s book Ski Touring in Troms, published by fri flyt.