Lofoten Islands Ski Touring Week

Transcription

1 Lofoten Islands Ski Touring Week Another amazing ski touring venue in Arctic Norway. The Lofoten Islands lie just south of Senja and are renowned for their jagged scenery and remote beauty. The ski touring possibilities on the islands are endless, with classic summit to sea descents and numerous options for ski mountaineering. The Skiing The Lofoten Islands are an extensive archipelago, well known for their outstanding natural beauty. We stay on the island of Austvågøy for the week. This is the most well known area of Lofoten for ski touring, the terrain being characterised by miles of steep mountains rising straight from the sea. The peaks in the area are typically m high, so ideal for day touring, with plenty of options for different snow and weather conditions. The other islands nearby are also connected to Austvågøy by bridges and tunnels, so exploring outlying areas is relatively easy. There is even a small ski lift on the island, which offers some interesting off piste terrain on days when the weather is unsuitable for touring. For snow conditions and photography, Feb-March is an ideal time to visit - offering plenty of daylight, low enough temperatures for powder and a chance of seeing the northern lights. Sample Itinerary Subject to weather and snow conditions, the plan for the week is as follows: Day 0 Fly from Uk via Oslo to Harstad in Northern Norway, pick up hire car and overnight at hotel in Harstad. Fri Evening Briefing - your guide will run through kit checks and safety routines, before going on to discuss the current weather and mountain conditions and how these affect our plans. We'll have maps and guidebooks of the area to show you, so if you've any further questions or last minute requests, then this is the ideal time to bring them up. Day 1 Sat Days 2-5 Sun- Wed AM Drive to the Lofoten Islands, taking in a day tour on the island of Hinnøya en route. Ski touring on Lofoten. Numerous different tours and venues are available, including summit to sea skiing amongst excellent scenery. Outings are selected to cater for group interest, ski ability and the current snow and weather conditions. Rundtinden - classic, skiable from all sides to find the best snow conditions. Geitgaljartinden - the finest ski peak on the island, excellent descents. Småtindan - easier touring terrain, good peaks for for uncertain weather. Stornappstind - excellent ski peak on the island of Flakstadøya. Trolldalen - great valley with numerous options available. Some summits involve boot tracking to reach the highest point. The scenery in the area is outstanding. Day 6 Thu Day 7 Fri AM Final day tour in the Lofoten Islands, before driving back to Harstad and overnight at hotel. Early morning flight back to the Uk.

2 Fitness and Experience You need previous ski touring experience in order to join this trip. The week includes 5-6 hour days with generally steady climbs, but also some steeper terrain involving kick turns and the odd short boot track to reach summits. Typically we'll be doing m of ascent a day (but this is at sea level, with day packs on) - so you can expect to be skinning for 3-4 hours a day. Please see our website levels as a further reference point: - you should be at level 3 to enjoy this tour - you should be at level 3 to enjoy this tour If you need to top up your fitness before the trip, and need some help, then please check out our ski fitness advice page: Guiding Team All our Alpine programmes are staffed by IFMGA Mountain Guides working at a maximum ratio of 1:6 on the Lofoten ski touring week. We work with a small team of guides who s profiles can be found on our website. Course Briefing The briefing will be in our accommodation on Friday night. Your guide will do equipment checks, run through current conditions and the weather forecast and the general plan for the week. Included in the Price Guides fees and all guides expenses 2 nights accommodation in Harstad, including breakfast. 5 nights accommodation on Lofoten (self catering, food included) Travel during the trip in shared hire vehicle Not included in the Price (see below for further info) Evening meals in Harstad Drinks and hill snacks Taxis and uplift Flights Insurance Equipment hire Meeting Point Our meeting point is Harstad Airport on Friday 26 th Feb at (or Oslo/Uk airport(s) depending on peoples flights). If you plan to fly to Oslo via another route than the UK, then please let us know so we can make suitable arrangements. Flights Norwegian fly London Gatwick, Manchester, Edinburgh - Oslo, with connecting flights up to Harstad: Suitable outward and return lights are listed below please let us know which flights work best for you, so we can co-ordinate between the group. Other flights with SAS may also work please check their website. OUTBOUND FLIGHT NORWEGIAN - London Gatwick to Harstad Friday 26 th Feb. Dep Gatwick Arr Harstad NORWEGIAN - Manchester to Harstad Friday 26 th Feb. Dep Manchester Arr Harstad NORWEGIAN - Edinburgh to Harstad Friday 26 th Feb. Dep Edinburgh Arr Harstad RETURN FLIGHT NORWEGIAN - Harstad to London Gatwick Friday 4 th March. Dep Harstad Arr Gatwick NORWEGIAN - Harstad to Manchester 4th March. Dep Harstad Arr Manchester NORWEGIAN - Harstad to Edinburgh travel via Manchester or London as above.

3 (flights continued..) You will need to book 1x Hold Bag and 1x Ski equipment (NB ski equipment is booked on right at the end of the booking process, ie not at the same time as you book on the hold baggage). If you need more luggage you can book on an extra 20kg bag for an additional flat fee. Travel During the Trip We arrive in arctic Norway at the airport of Evenes near Harstad, which is approx. 2 hours drive from Lofoten in our hire vehicle. Once we re on Austvågøy, most of the best ski venues can be reached in 10 mins to 1 hour. Accommodation Our accommodation on Lofoten is a holiday house in Svolvær on the island of Austvågøy. There are 3 bedrooms available with total of 8 beds, a large living room, kitchen, 2 bathrooms and a terrace and balcony looking out to sea. Free Wifi is available. The beds have duvets and pillows, but not linen/covers so you need to take your own linen/covers or a light sleeping bag or liner. Catering We will do a big shop for most of the week when we arrive, including food for breakfast, lunch sandwiches and evening meals. The rough plan is for everyone to help with the cooking, so best to coordinate the menu and shopping list during the flight over there, but there are also supermarkets in Solvær to pick up any extra supplies, fresh fruit and veg, bread etc during the week. Please let us know if you have any special dietary requirements. Drinks and Hill Snacks It s difficult and expensive to get some things like energy bars, trail mix and cereal bars etc in Norway, so please bring enough of your favourite mountain snacks to last the week. Alcohol is also really expensive, so if you like a drink, its best to stock up on wine and spirits in duty free on the way out. Evening Meals in Harstad For the nights spent in Harstad, there is a restaurant down the road from our accommodation just pay for your evening meals and drinks directly. Budget around NOK 300* per night. Uplift If we choose to use the ski lift on Austvågøy for a day, then a pass costs NOK 210. *Based on this, the extra spending money you will need during the trip is approx. NOK 1000 (plus some contingency, depending on how much beer/wine you plan to drink). Spending Money There are ATMs in Svolvær, but we advise you to take out some Norwegian Krone at the airport in Oslo, or order it in the UK. There are cafes, pubs and shops in town where you can pick up maps, souvenirs and extra beer etc worth of Krone should cover any extras but most shops take credit cards as well. Insurance It is a condition of booking that you are insured for ski mountaineering on glaciers covering accident, rescue, repatriation and cancellation costs. You should also obtain a European Health Insurance Card from you local post office (this is the replacement for the old E111). **Once we have confirmed that your trip is running, we strongly advise that you arrange your insurance immediately, so that you re covered for loss of course fees and other travel related costs if you need to cancel your holiday due to personal circumstances. Once you are insured, please us the policy details, and carry a hard copy with you during the trip** More information, including advice for non-uk residents, can be found on the Insurance page of our website here:

4 Equipment A full kit list is enclosed. If you need to hire or purchase any equipment please check out this article on our site for info on the latest boots, skis, bindings, avalanche safety kit and everything else related to ski touring: If you need a shovel, probe, avalanche transceiver, harness, ice axe or crampons you can hire directly from Alpine Guides (at below shop rates) but you must let us know well in advance (ie before New Year, as most of our kit is in the Alps at this time of year, so we need to ensure that we have sufficient kit for you in the UK). Please us your requirements. You will also need a set of ski mountaineering skis with climbing skins and harscheisen, (these usually come as a package when hired). If you do need to hire skis then you ll need to do so in the UK and bring them with you. Ski Mountaineering boots are essential for skinning and walking in, and should be well bedded in before the tour as blisters can be a serious problem. If you do need to hire skis/boots/skins etc in the UK then please organise this well in advance - please get in touch for advice on suppliers. A good all round setup would be a lightweight all mountain ski with 85-95mm width underfoot, and a mid weight binding like the Fritschi Eagle or Vipec, but a slightly wider ski with a beefier freeride binding would also suit the trip well. Please make sure all of your equipment is in good working order before the trip, as it s a very remote spot! To purchase any items of backcountry ski kit, we recommend you speak to Backcountry UK on , who are a leading Uk retailer and always give expert and friendly advice Weather and Conditions The coastal climate in Arctic Norway can sometimes be unstable and a bit Scottish, but Lofoten has a reliable snowpack throughout the winter. The deep fjords protect the snow from the wind and sun until late in the season, so it s usually possible to tour right through until May most years. The maritime setting means it seldom gets really cold in Feb/March the temperature often hovers just below freezing at sea level, and it does occasionally rain from time to time, so be prepared with good waterproof outer layers and a selection of gloves. Settled periods of high pressure and blue skies are not uncommon too, so remember your sun cream! Maps and Guidebooks If you want to buy maps of the area, then suitable ones to get are: Turkart 1:50,000 Series: Lofoten Islands Vågan and Vesvågøy Checklist Please make sure you have all of the following before leaving home! Passport All Skiing Gear (Check kit list) Flight + Travel Tickets Personal Medications European Health Insurance Card Camera + Spare Batteries Insurance Certificate Compeed &/or tape to stop blisters Credit Card + Foreign Currency Full Driving Licence if hiring a car What Next? Bookings can be made online via our website. A deposit of 400 per person is required to secure your place, with the balance due 8 weeks before the course start date - we will you a balance reminder including your invoice and possible payment methods. Once we have the minimum required number of bookings we will you to confirm the course is running (confirmed trips will also be visible on our website). Once confirmed, you should arrange your travel insurance and travel to resort please let us know when you have done this*** We will you 2 weeks before the course start date with any final info including your guides contact details, hotel details/directions and any other final info. More Info Please contact us for more info regarding any aspect of the tour info@alpine-guides or (we might be out skiing or climbing if so please leave a message and we ll get back to you asap, thanks!).

5 Day Touring Kit List Just remember, every extra kilo on your back knocks 10% off your enjoyment on the descents so try and keep the weight down! Waterproof Jacket preferably lightweight + breathable. Overtrousers/ski pants preferably with side zips. Rucsac ~30-35l Try and avoid ones covered in too many features. Socks specialist ski socks or a warm loop lined pair or mountain socks. Wicking thermal top not cotton please... Fleece mid layer or equivalent. Thermal leggings or ski pants. Thin Inner Gloves. Warm Ski Gloves. Warm Hat. Spare Fleece or other warm layer. Water Container at least 1 litre. Personal medications + blister kit. Ski Goggles. Sun Glasses (CE rated 3 or 4). Sun + lip cream (factor 30+). Freeride or Ski Mountaineering Boots Skis with Touring Bindings freeride bindings are also suitable. Velcro ski strap to keep skis together on your rucksack if we need to carry them. Ski Poles with good size baskets (5cm at least). Telescopic poles are not needed. Climbing Skins Harscheisen (ski crampons) Metal Snow Shovel must be a full metal shovel (plastic blades don t work in real avalanche debris!) Avalanche Probe Avalanche Transceiver must be a modern digital model (older analogue models are now obsolete) Harness and locking karabiner Crampons lightweight preferable. Ice Axe lightweight preferable. Possible Extras USB stick for photos, DVD s of your favourite films... slippers/indoor footwear, euro mains power adapter for charging your stuff Your guide will have all other safety kit, first aid and survival equipment. For more advice on ski mountaineering equipment please get in touch, or visit: or

6 Alpine Guides Ltd Booking Conditions Alpine Guides Ltd l 14 Wrenbeck Close 1. All bookings are made with Alpine Guides Ltd, company number , whose registered office is at 14 Wrenbeck Close, Otley, West Yorkshire, LS21 2BU and whose directors are Alun Powell and Richard Cross. 2. We only accept bookings from persons over the age of 18 at the time of booking. Bookings by or on behalf of persons under the age of 18 may be accepted on certain courses, when accompanied on the course by another person over the age of 18 and subject to written parental consent. 3. Unless stated otherwise, your booking must be accompanied with a deposit of 400 per person per course booked, or if booked within 56 days (8 weeks) of the course start date by the full payment. When we have received payment and checked all information contained within your booking form, we will accept your booking. You will then be sent a booking confirmation receipt by , together with further course information. 4. and PDF attachments are our primary contact method, so you must provide us with a valid address. You must also ensure that our address: is added to your safe senders list and that you have a copy of Adobe Reader installed on your computer (freely down loadable online) as we cannot be held liable for communication problems caused by personal firewalls, spam filtering systems, or your inability to open attached documents. 5. Balance of payment is due 56 days (8 weeks) prior to the course start date. We prefer you to pay full balance by a direct bank transfer, cheque or debit card. All credit card transactions incur a 1.5% transaction fee. If full payment is not received by this date we reserve the right to cancel your booking without refund. 6. For courses taking place outside the United Kingdom you must purchase specialist mountaineering insurance covering helicopter rescue, medical treatment and repatriation (plus on and off piste skiing for ski courses). You must bring all insurance documentation with you on the course. We reserve the right to cancel your booking at any time if we are not satisfied you have adequate insurance in place. 7. If you wish to cancel you must notify us in writing, where upon the following charges will be applied from the date we receive your notice of cancellation: More than 8 weeks (56 days) before start date - loss of deposit. Between 4 and 8 weeks (28-56 days) before start date - 50% of course fee or loss of deposit, whichever amount is greater. Less than 4 weeks (28 days) before start date - full course fee. 8. Requests for course transfers must be made more than 56 days prior to original start date and are subject to availability and a 25 administration fee. Clients also have the right to transfer their booking to another person who satisfies all conditions for the course (including health, fitness and experience requirements), subject to the same conditions above. 9. We reserve the right to cancel any course due to insufficient numbers, or transfer bookings between courses to make numbers viable. In either event clients will be informed of our decision as soon as possible and not less than 21 days before start date. You will be offered either a free transfer, a full refund, or a mutually agreed alternative program. You must inform us as soon as possible which you choose to accept. 10. At the discretion of the course director, guiding ratios may be varied from the stated course ratio to cover eventualities such as staff absence or change of itinerary, so long as this does not breach accepted local guiding ratios or other professional guidelines laid out by the British Association of Mountain Guides. 11. We do not accept bookings from groups or individuals participating in sponsored climbs or 'challenge events' of any kind. If we discover that you are seeking sponsorship or participating in such an event in connection with one of our courses, we reserve the right to cancel your booking without refund, or exclude you from further mountain activities whilst on the course with immediate effect. 12. Whilst we maintain high professional standards of client care and safety, you must realise and accept that climbing, mountaineering and skiing are activities, which carry a danger of personal injury or even death, as they take place in remote and hazardous mountain terrain. All clients must be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions and involvement in such activities. 13. When booking on expeditions to remote areas lacking formal rescue and healthcare facilities, you may be asked to agree to a mutual medical consent form. This means that you agree to providing and receiving medical treatment from the guide or other team members in case of accident or illness, whilst evacuation plans are put into effect. Although you do not have to give consent to such an arrangement, if we believe that in doing so your own safety or that of others may be compromised during the expedition, we reserve the right to cancel your booking with a full refund. 14. All information contained within our website, brochure and other publicity is for guidance only. Whilst making every effort to ensure accuracy, we cannot be responsible for any inaccuracies or alterations beyond our control. Should any changes occur, clients will be notified before a booking is accepted. 15. Although we adhere to planned itineraries wherever possible, changes may occur to both travel and guiding itineraries due to external factors beyond our control. In particular, the guide has total discretion to alter programs at any time in the interests of client safety, mountain or weather conditions. 16. By booking you agree to abide by instructions and decisions made by the guide regarding individuals and the group as a whole. Our guides reserve the right to exclude individuals from a planned activity on the grounds of health, safety or the success and enjoyment of the rest of the party. Any individuals so excluded are not entitled to a refund. Any individual contravening the decisions or advice of their guide, or undertaking independent mountain activities during the course shall forfeit all protection and duty of care from the guide. 17. We accept no liability for the consequences of strikes, riots, acts of war or terrorism, disease outbreaks, government intervention, natural disasters or adverse weather conditions. If such occurrences cause us to have to cancel a course or trip we will offer an alternative holiday if possible, but accept no liability for return of fees paid prior to cancellation or curtailment. 18. If you have a complaint about the guiding service you receive at any point during the course, you must notify ourselves or the guide involved as soon as possible to give us the opportunity to put things right. Non of our guides have authority to promise refunds or compensation on behalf of Alpine Guides Ltd. Only the company directors are authorised to make such decisions. 19. On courses that include accommodation in the course fee: all client funds paid to Alpine Guides Ltd are protected by Financial Failure Insurance provided by International Passenger Protection (IPP). 20. All terms and conditions between clients and Alpine Guides Ltd are to be governed by and held under the exclusive jurisdiction of English Law. 21. Making your booking implies that you understand and accept the booking conditions and agree to abide by them.