Espedalen Ski Trek 2025

(1 March – 8 March, 2025)
(8 March -15 March, 2025)

This is your opportunity to taste a real outdoor adventure, in a sportive and challenging way! Step outside the well-trodden paths and explore Espedalen and Langsua National Park on ski, in a fantastic mountainous area, west of Lillehammer. Get your digital and mental detox in the most natural scenery, by rewarding physical and group efforts. This is your beginner’s back-country trek that you will never forget!

The provisional program is as follows (depending on weather, snow conditions, fitness etc.)

Saturday: we will meet at Lillehammer train station around 2 pm to travel jointly to our cabin in Espedalen in the afternoon
Sunday: a practice day to get acquainted with the back-country ski’s, get our freeze-dried food sorted out, sort out the equipment for the 5-day trek and fill our back-packs
Monday-Friday : guided back-country trek through the mountains of Espedalen and Langsua, skiing from hut to hut. Day trips will take about 4 to 8 hours. In the huts we will all help in melting snow to prepare our hot drinks and meals, in heating up the wood-fired stove and prepare our beds for the night. By the light of candles, we will eat our meal and spend a cosy night with the group.

During the day, we will add a mix of detox and outdoor elements: enjoy the natural sound of silence, learn to navigate with map and compass and take responsibility for the comfort and safety of the group. We end again in the valley at our cabin on Friday afternoon where a cold drink and a fresh meal are awaiting us!

Saturday: end of trek, transport back to Lillehammer train station

One or two guides will lead the group (depending on group size, maximum 8 pax in total).

Price: €1.485 euro pp (1-8 March, hotel) or €1.385 euro pp (8-15 March, cabin), including ski-boots, skis & poles, food for the whole week, 3 nights at the hotel or cabin in the valley and 4 nights in DNT huts. We will also provide the general (safety) equipment for the group like maps, snow shovels, bivac sacs etc.

For more information on your fitness requirements and the personal gear that you need: please contact Paul at paul@kulingtrekking.com.

See also www.kulingtrekking.com/contact/

If you want to signup for this trek click here.

Finnmarksvidda Crossing

(22 – 30 March 2025)

Chase the Northern Light and get a taste of the Sami culture in one of the most remote and adventurous areas of Norway! Forbes magazine ranked this crossing in the top 5 ski treks in the whole world! This is the wildest, most remote and exotic province of Norway.

This trek of about 90 kms brings you from Alta to Karasjok, the capital of Sami country. This mini expedition will also be your training ground to train and practice your arctic skills; to be able to deal with (potentially very) low temperatures, chilling winds and long and hard days. This trip is demanding for both your body and mind. Yet, the rewards will be huge: we expect to see the northern light (Aurora Borealis), have a good chance to spot reindeer and will have interesting visits to the Sami huts along this trek.

Day 1 (Saturday 22 March 2025): we will meet in Alta in a cabin at one of the campsites near Alta. Arrival should be in the afternoon or early evening of day 1.

Day 2: We use the time together for acquaintance, refresh our skiing skills, go through the expedition plan, practice tenting in snow, learn some safety measures and pack our gear and food for the trek on the pulks!

Day 3: We take a bus or taxi to Stilla where our real adventure starts. We will be excited to fasten our belts and start pulling! Fortunately, the first part will be on a frozen lake which gives us time to get used to this new routine…. We will pass the Jotka Fjellstue hut and after another few kilometers, we will seek a nice campsite for the 1^st night.

Day 4: After a hearty breakfast we will quickly be on skis. We will cross Lake Iesjavri -an impressive ice plane- and will camp just before the plateau rises. Distance today will be around 20-25 km, a pretty tough and long day.

Day 5: This day will start with the climb to the plateau; as a reward we will have a warm coffee in the Mollesjohka hut. On the plateau we will experience the arctic environment! It may be very windy and cold, yet the sunset views are gorgeous here. After a full day on the plateau, we will camp just before the sun sets, about 20 kms from the previous camp. Hopefully, the Northern Light will offer us the evening bonus.

Day 6: After breakfast we descend to Ravnastua Hut where we hope to experience the freshly baked waffles and the Sami hospitality. After this nice break we will descend further, following by some ‘nasty’ and windy passes: a true test for our mental endurance! Campsite will be made on the lower levels of the river valley. We will make about 20 km on this day.

Day 7: After an easy descent to the river, we continue our trek over the traffic-rich frozen river towards Karasjok (about 12-14 km in total). We arrive at the campsite to enjoy the hot shower and a fresh meal in the cabin.

Day 8 (Saturday 24 March): End of the trip: we say farewell to each other after the breakfast. One may extend the stay in Karasjok, the capital of Sami country, and visit the different highlights here. Or you can take the bus in the afternoon, back to Alta for your connecting flight out on Monday.

One or two guides will lead the group (depending on group size, maximum 7 pax in total).

Price: €1.395 euro pp, including accommodation and food for 7 nights, use of tents and pulks (sledges & harness) assuming 4 nights in the tent and 3 nights in a cabin. We will also provide some general (safety) equipment for the group like maps, snow shovels, GPS, bivac sacs etc.

NOTE: this price is exclusive the rental of ski and boots: you should bring these yourself! It is possible to arrange local rental in Alta. You should also take (or rent) your expedition-proof sleeping bag. Ask us for more information and prices: we have partners that offer equipment with discounted prices for Kuling Trekking clients.

For more information on your fitness requirements and the personal gear that you need to bring: please contact Paul at paul@kulingtrekking.com. See also www.kulingtrekking.com/contact/

If you want to sign up for this trek click here.

Tailor-made Ski Trek

(15 – 22 February 2025)

Make your dreams come true! We have reserved this week to accommodate your special adventure in the snow! Create your own group and let us know your ideas and personal plans for a personalized trek. We can tailor to your needs and specific wishes, building on our long experience in many different Norwegian trekking areas. Since 2008 we have been trekking in most of the well-known national parks and mountainous areas in Norway, both by using DNT huts, hotels or using tents and pulks. For inspiration: have a look at the Inspiration page!

We can accommodate individual cross-country treks or back-country trekking trips for larger groups (up to 6 persons in one group): just let us know your wishes. We can also advise about fitting opportunities and explore possibilities with you and your family or friends. Chat with us to match your trekking wishes and the adventure level that you seek with the technical skills and physical fitness that you and your group can bring for this week.

Price: depending on the design of this week and the group size, we can organize or help to rent ski-boots, skis & poles and other necessary equipment. Generally, we arrange accommodation, all food and the safety equipment for the group (like tents, stoves, maps, snow shovels, bivac sacs etc.) for the whole week. Usually, one needs to bring only a suitable backpack, appropriate trekking clothes and a well-insulated sleeping bag, we will take care of the rest. Of course, we will provide a detailed packing-list and other preparatory information once the trip is clear!

For exploring your ideas and plans: please contact Paul van Koppen at paul@kulingtrekking.com. See also www.kulingtrekking.com/contact/

Or do you have other dreams?

We can organize for you customized treks all over Norway including Spitsbergen. This may be a beginner’s trek of 3 days around Lillehammer or a crossing of Finnmarksvida with sledge and tent (Norway’s northernmost plateau) to see the Aurora Borealis.

Please let us know your wishes by filling in the contact form.