Espedalen Ski Treks 2023

(4-11 March, 2023)

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!

Saturday 4 March: 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 7 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 trips 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 11 March: 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: €1.325 euro pp, including ski-boots , skis & poles, food for the whole week, 3 nights at the 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.

Hardangervidda Trek

(18-25 February, 2023)

Hardangervidda, the largest plateau of its kind in Europe, is the ideal wilderness area for testing your arctic skills! This is the place where Roald Amundsen, the famous Norwegian explorer nearly died in 1896. But this failure taught him to train and plan better for a life of exploration that led eventually to his historic conquest of the South Pole in 1911. We will make this trek on skis, pulling sledges with all our camping equipment for a 5-day trek through the National Park. This challenging trek will be your training ground to learn and practice your arctic skills; to camp 4 nights in potentially very cold conditions and to deal with very low temperatures, chilling winds and long and hard days on ski.  Our group size will be relatively small (maximum 7 people) to provide maximum service and safety.

Day 1 (18 February 2023): we will meet in Geilo in the afternoon or evening and stay in a cabin. Geilo can be easily reached by train or bus from Oslo in about 3 to 4 hours.

Day 2: Test the equipment, practice with the skis and tent, pack our gear and buy and portion the food for the trek. We will have another night in the cabin

Day 3: early in the morning we will be ready with all our equipment to get going! Depending on the weather forecast, group size and capabilities, we will plan for a trek of about 90 kms in the northern part of Hardangervidda National Park. On the first day we will get used to the routines and rhythm of trekking and camping in winter, taking a relative short day before pitching the tent

Day 4, 5, 6: gradually we will get deeper into the mountains and be fascinated by the beauty of Hardangervidda. Days may be very long and hard, with the weather making it potentially very challenging to make progress. During trekking we may spot reindeer, snow birds and an occasional fox. In any case, we will be mesmerized by the mountains! Every evening, after making camp and melting snow, we will be enjoying the comfort of the tent while having our food together.

Day 7: on this last trekking day we descend back to Geilo where we will stay again in a cabin. The hot shower and the comfort of the cabin will be well-deserved, just like the beer and a fresh hot meal!

Day 8 (Saturday 25 February): End of the trip: we say farewell to each other after breakfast. There are several ways to get back to Oslo or to Gardermoen airport, and also fly out that same evening.

One or two guides will lead the group (depending on group size, maximum 7 or 8 pax in total)
Price: €1.375 euro pp, including rent for ski, poles & boots, use of tents, sledges, camping equipment, food for the whole week but excl your personal sleeping bag and personal clothes.

We will also take care of general (safety) equipment for the group like maps, snow shovels, GPS, bivac sacs etc. One or two guides will lead the group (depending on group size)

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

See also www.kulingtrekking.com/contact/

If you want to signup for this trek click here.

Finnmarksvidda Crossing

(26 March – 2 April 2023)

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 wild and exotic province of Norway.

This trek of about 100 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 but 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 (Sunday 26 March 2023): we will meet in Alta in a cabin at one of the campsites near Alta. Arrival should be at the end of day 1 or morning of day 2.

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 taxi to Stilla where our real adventure starts. We will be excited to fasten our belts 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 Fjelstue hut, about 12 km from our start. Some 2 to 4 kms beyond Jotka, 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 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 will enjoy the freshly baked waffles and the Sami hospitality. After this nice break we will descend further, foollowed 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 and we enjoy a wind-free evening. 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 14 km in total). We arrive at the campsite to enjoy the hot shower and the hot meal in the cabin

Day 8 (Sunday 2 April 2023): End of the trip: we say farewell to each other after 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 on Monday morning.

One or two guides will lead the group (depending on group size, maximum 7 or 8 pax in total).

Price: €1.375 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! We can arrange local rental but this is very expensive (about €400 p.p. for the trip). You should bring (or rent) your expedition-proof sleeping bag. Contact us for advice on rental options for your personal gear.

For more information on your fitness requirements and the personal gear that you need: pls contact Paul at paul@kulingtrekking.com or Christoffer at christofferstange@hotmail.com. See also www.kulingtrekking.com/contact/

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

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.