A bald eagle flew overhead as we climbed the last 200 feet of a steady three-hour climb. The summit of Maudekollen, the mountain we had seen earlier that morning, had remained shrouded in a slow-moving mist for most of the day, trapping a strange warmth beneath its blanket. But in that final, crucial section, the fog cleared, revealing the full majesty of the deep blue fjords all around us. The bald eagle arrived to take advantage of the sudden, technicolor panorama – and completed the scene.
The heat of that day was not welcome on the 900 meter high mountainside to the top. I was woefully unfit, but fortunately our climb was not steep and I made confident progress; mountain guide Sol Idland had specially chosen this one to accommodate my lack of preparation.
I also didn’t have to deal with the tiring effects of altitude – in Norway, ski touring often starts at sea level, with easily accessible peaks between 1,970 and 4,600 feet. The highest peak in the Sunnmøre Alps – the region I was exploring – Slogen, is at 1,500 metres, making the experience of strolling uphill much less intimidating than in most other Alpine countries, where daily treks typically start at about 5,000 feet in elevation and can climb as high as 10,000 feet.
Solli said she felt the heat too – a friendly comment typical of the friendly, relaxed mantra of the Norwegian mountains. Unlike the more competitive circuses of the Alps, such as the well-trodden Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt, Norway has a relaxed, quieter and calmer approach to ski touring – which has soared in popularity in recent winters – and it’s the perfect accessory to the country’s world-class landscape.
Earlier that day we had started at the water, put on our skins at the dock and walked past brightly painted houses to a forest path that slowly opened up into a moonscape. The silence was broken only by the sound of a stream winding its way through mountain birch trees.
At the start of our climb we met a local skier who stopped to chat in the sun while I adjusted my boots. “I’m going to the lake near the dam to eat my lunch,” he announced. “Then I’m not sure, after that just a nice day out.”
The Sunnmøre Alps are one of Norway’s most famous areas for ski touring, but apart from this local one, we didn’t see another soul all day. With over 100 different peaks, there is endless terrain suitable for all levels of skiers, even beginners, for whom there are now dedicated ski touring trails to help people get off the beaten track without needing avalanche training or knowing how to get outside have to ski the slopes.
“We get a lot of beginners,” Solli explains, “it’s a lot of fun to get people away from ski areas and lifts, to really show them the mountains here. They come back super happy and really get the feeling that they have mastered it.”
I had flown to Ålesund, an Art Nouveau port town at the entrance to the Geirangerfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Norway’s west coast, to take part in a ‘Ski the Fjords’ adventure with the family-owned company 62 Nord. Their mission is to provide luxurious accommodations and unique outdoor experiences for visitors to this region.
Despite not being the cheapest destination for skiing, Norway is not known for its luxury accommodations, especially in the Sunnmøre Alps. However, it is known for its sailing-ski adventures. Spending the night on a sailboat, spending your days skiing in the surrounding mountains and dealing with the associated drying of gear and showering with limited water, is not often a luxury.
But 62 Nord’s program offers guests the chance to stay at any of the three luxury hotels and travel to a new location each morning by motorboat – it’s an ideal package for skiers who don’t fancy rough terrain, and for the growing number looking for their first forays into ski touring.
We had stayed overnight at the Storfjord Hotel, a 45-minute drive from Ålesund airport, situated on the edge of an evergreen forest, with bedrooms clad in wood, stone, coarse-cut bed linen and wool throws and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the trees. The feeling of total immersion in nature was overwhelming. We had a hearty dinner the night before of locally caught crab, lobster and succulent deer, with a pre-dinner cocktail made with Norwegian birch syrup, tonic water, gin and lemon, before a soundless sleep.
The next morning, after an extensive breakfast, we were picked up at the jetty by a smart motorboat that was ready to take us across the water. 62 Nord would like guests to discover the concept of ‘friluftsliv’, a Norwegian philosophy of enjoying a simple life in nature without causing disruption. Fortunately, the region’s alpine terrain and more than 100 jagged mountain peaks are best reached from the water; small hamlets and lonely farms dotted around the fjords with wooden pontoons jutting out into the calm waters providing perfect landing spots.
We drove past the Hjørundfjorden, 900 meter high cliffs rising above the dark, clear water before heading to the roadless village of Trandal. The small hamlet – with about seven inhabitants – is known on social media as the location of the most beautiful swing in the world. I was surprised when reality beat Instagram for the first time ever; This remote rope and plank swing, hung from a tall pine tree, exceeded all expectations.
On to Maudekollen, and while, after three hours of slowly climbing up, the sea eagle provided the backdrop for our festive summit photo, the descent was tough. I’ve experienced incredible powder snow on previous trips to Norway, but thanks to the unusual warmth of this particular March day (temperatures mirrored last season across Europe), the snow weighed down my skis. It hardly mattered though, after the exhilarating experience of the day and my newly adopted ‘friluftsliv’ outlook.
Back on board and reunited with the rest of the group, who had tackled a beginner-friendly 600m climb on specially groomed slopes near the village of Leira, our skipper took us to the grand old Hotel Union Øye (each boat ride lasted about an hour). It is a property steeped in history and the ideal place to replenish your energy levels after a day in the mountains. Øye was renovated and sympathetically expanded in 2022, offering a carefully prepared menu of cocktails and food laced with locally grown herbs, mushrooms and fish to round off a dream day by the fjords.
The next morning, to soothe my aching legs, I indulged in the Scandinavian sauna tradition, followed by a jump in the fjord; The sun shone over the clear water with snow on the quay and offered magical clarity.
I always leave Norway wanting more, and this time I wondered: was this ski touring at its best – a way for skiers of different levels to holiday together and enjoy luxurious comfort on one of the most fantastic areas in the world? Having tried the trendiest activity of skiing in all its forms – hut-to-hut adventures, day trips from a resort and now a sail-ski adventure – this combination definitely gets my vote.
Essentials
Abigail was a guest at 62 Nord. 62 Nord’s ‘Ski the Fjords’ package (62.no) costs from NOK 112,000 (£8,312) per person, including accommodation, meals, all on-site transfers (road and water), ski touring equipment and guiding. The maximum group size is eight people. Excluding alcoholic drinks. Flights to Ålesund from Britain via Oslo start from NOK 1,400 (£105).