ICELAND
Backcountry skiing
Guided Backcountry Skiing on the Tröllaskagi Peninsula of Iceland
Join the AMG team in Iceland to ski world-class backcountry terrain overlooking the Norwegian Sea. Our Iceland trips are based near the northern tip of the Tröllaskagi Peninsula. Here, in the land of the midnight sun, you will find endless opportunities to ski rarely skied lines that can even take you from summit to sea! The Troll Peninsula boasts a wide variety of terrain making it ideal for both strong intermediate and expert skiers who want to go off-piste. After a day of touring, you can relax in geothermally heated baths and our on-site hot tub.
- Who’s it for? Strong intermediate and expert skiers/riders who have ski touring experience and looking to explore one of the world’s hottest fringe ski destinations
- How we go? Participants may take this course on backcountry skis or split board
- Where do we go? We will explore the northern tip of Iceland’s Tröllaskagi Peninsula seeking some of the most fabulous open faces, expensive bowls, and tight couloirs
- Why go with AMG? Acadia Mountain Guides has been traveling to Iceland since before it became one of the most sought-after international ski destination
- Pre-requisites: Fitness, clothing, and equipment to ski or hike up to 8 miles round trip with a 10-pound pack on a daily basis for 7 day
- Two home cooked/family style meals daily (Breakfast & Dinner)
- Van transportation from Akureyri to lodging, during trip, & returning to Akureyri
- Ratio: maximum of 4 clients / guide
- Personal ski touring gear
- Airfare
- Transportation to / from Akureyri, Arrival and Departure
- Field lunches
- Evening beverages / pub visits
- Instructor / Guide Gratuities
This trip is a seven day trip travelling to the northern part of Iceland along the Tröllaskagi peninsula. Two of the seven days will be travel days.
Iceland backcountry skiing is designed as a guided backcountry skiing trip. All participants should be experienced backcountry skiers/split boarders.
Fitness, clothing, and equipment to ski or hike up to 8 miles round trip with a 10-pound pack. Particpants should be advanced enough to ski ungroomed intermediate terrain at major northeast ski resorts safely.
Comfortable skiing/riding around/above 35 degree snow slopes.
Trip Format & Schedule (7-Days, 6-Nights):
- Day 1 – Arrival Day: Clients should arrive at the Akureyri Airport no later than 4 PM local time. Dinner and appetizers will be served upon arrival to our lodging accommodations.
- Day 2 – 6: Wake up, breakfast served. Prepare appropriate gear for the day ahead. Drive to the trailhead of the day and begin a full day ski tour.
- Group energy management is a priority of our guides, we will make time for rest days/late starts/early end days. However, we do aim to ski as much as possible.
- Day 7 – Departure Day: Wake up, breakfast served. Pack personal items, assist with clean up, and pack up. Begin travels back to appropriate individual locations. All flights should be departing from Akureyri Airport.
Trip Dates:
| Dates | Arrival/Departure Location | Location |
April 5th – 11th, 2025 | Akureyri, Iceland | Tröllaskagi Peninsula |
Specific Info
General Info
Iceland backcountry skiing is designed as a guided backcountry skiing trip. All participants should be experienced backcountry skiers/split boarders.
Fitness, clothing, and equipment to ski or hike up to 8 miles round trip with a 10-pound pack. Particpants should be advanced enough to ski ungroomed intermediate terrain at major northeast ski resorts safely.
Comfortable skiing/riding around/above 35 degree snow slopes.
Our guides will lead you through beautiful terrain overlooking the fjords of northern iceland. Ski terrain will vary from large alpine faces, tight couliors, and expansive bowls.
Our ski tours will not only prioritize descents but also multi drainage traverses with multiple descents and ascents, along you to see multitudes of terrain and enjoy the beauty of the Tröllaskagi penisula mountains.
Tours vary and are dependent on the weather presented to us on the given day.
On days when the weather is not condusive to ski touring our guides are well versed in local attractions which allow you to see the beauty of the land when skiing is not ideal.
Acadia Mountain Guides has been traveling to Iceland since 2016. With expansive lodge of the terrain and connections with local guiding services we have honed the craft of providing an out of the park expierence for guest looking to expierence Iceland for the first time or the tenth.
Acadia Mountain Guides is led by IMFGA guide Jon Tierney all of our lead guides and tail guides have been trained under his tutelage. Lead guides for all trips have been trained to the AMGA Ski Guide standard and carry themselves as knowledge proffesionals and stewards of this beautiful land.
Acadia Mountain Guides prides itself on offering a well rounded guest expierence. Our stunning and cozy lodging allows for evenings around the fire with well prepared meals, a perfect atmosphere for meeting new friends or connect with old ones. The expierence offered by AMG is something like that of what you would find when visiting a world class heli skiing lodge, except we spend almost all of our time touring through the landscape.
Personal Equipment
Any gear you may need can be purchased ahead of the course from our gear store – Alpenglow Adventure Sports – where you get a 25% off purchases made prior to the course and up to a week later as well as 15% discount off MSRP for life!!! Purchases may be made in-store or online. Gear purchased in advance of course can often be brought to you on the course. Alpenglow will also price match any in stock inventory if you find a better deal on the web for the same item. Simply send a link when you are ready to order to shop@alpenglowgear.com.
Travel
- Passport
Ski Clothing (at a minimum)
- Soft shell
- Soft shell pants
- 1 R1 top or similar mid weight base layer
- 1 light top or similar baselayer
- Base layers
- 2 prs of ski socks
- Heavy gloves
- light gloves (soft shell, windstopper)
- Ski hat/helmet
- Down coat/puffy/insulation layer
- Goggles
- Sunglasses
- Balaclava
Lunch Food, Snacks and Drinks (as desired)
- Guests will be taken food shopping upon arrival.
In the lodge
- Shoes or slippers to hang out in the lodge/walk to hot pot
- 1-2 sets of town clothes
- 1 set of lounge clothes
- Personal Items – Toothbrush, toiletries etc.
In the field
- Skis, poles, boots or split-board
- Probe, transceiver, shovel (required)
- Ski crampons (required)
- Skin wax glob stopper
- Skins
- Ski pack (30 L or bigger)
- Thermos
- Compass with baseplate
- Sunscreen / lip balm
There is always the opportunity to learn while on a trip with Acadia Mountain Guides. While the primary focus of this trip is to ski or ride some of the best snow in the world there is plenty of skills to be learned depending on your interests such as:
- Developing backcountry tour plans both digitally or with tried and true map and compass
- Practicing effective companion rescue
- Skinning skills – kick turns, edging, etc
- Carrying it all – how to set up you ski pack
- Improving downhill ski technique
- Practicing travel skills in avalanche terrain
- Any number of winter travel skills
- Improving your avalanche awareness
Each day we will choose appropriate ski objectives based on weather, snow and avalanche conditions, and personal interest. Here is a sample from a prior year.
0700 – 0800: Breakfast & morning guides meeting
0800 – 0830: Guides present clients with a plan for the day and the final bags are packed. Van loaded by 0830 for departure.
0900 – 1700: Full day of ski touring with lunch and snack breaks multiple stunning ski descents and awe-inspiring views.
1800 – 1900: Appetizer hour, hot tub time, and dinner preparation
1930: Dinner is served and eaten family-style. Post-dinner is a great time to sit around the fire enjoy a beverage of your choosing and reflect on the day’s adventure.
Sunsets are commonly enjoyed in stunning fashion from the back patio of the lodge and are the perfect way to cap off an amazing day. Off to bed and we do it all over again the next day.
Our lodging is in a beautifully restored Icelandic farmhouse right along Iceland’s largest fjord. Clients will each have a private room for themselves, couples may share a room.
On-site at our lodge are two kitchens, a thermal-fed hot tub, a dining room, a lounge area with a fireplace, and ample outdoor space.
Lodging is a short walk from the town of Hauganes which also has communal hot pots and a small beach for those who would like to get away from the lodge and visit this location.
Meals are prepared by our guides on site, each night consists of an appetizer hour and then a full family-style meal. We serve locally sourced fish dishes, paired with roast vegetables, and salads.
Spend your season out skiing and riding, a good amount of uphill travel throughout your season will help you be prepared for this trip.
A generally good level of fitness is required for this trip. You can expect to spend the majority of your day out in the mountains ascending and descending.
If you are interested in talking to one of our guides about training for a trip to Iceland they would be more than happy to chat with you and go over any concerns.
Email us at climb@acadiamountainguides.com
Travel to Iceland from the east coast of the United States is incredibly simple, you will find ample flights departing from Boston at reasonable prices.
You should arrange your flights to depart from Boston the evening before your trip begins. You will land in Reykjavik and transfer to the regional airport, from here you take a short flight to the town of Akureyri where you will be greeted by our guide team and shuttled directly (and most importantly) to the cafe! From the cafe and airport pick up our team will take you to the lodge and help you settle in.
Upon departure you simply repeat the process, our team will bring you to the Akureyri airport where you will fly to Reykjavik, transfer to the international airport, and fly home to the United States.
We advise that flights be booked through Iceland Air and encourage all clients to contact us after booking their trip for any help with booking airline accommodations.
Enjoying the outdoors necessitates a certain degree of risk-taking. You are participating in this trip and entering the winter backcountry environment at your own risk. You are choosing to engage in an activity in which participants have been injured and killed. While such accidents are rare, they may occur at any time and be out of our control. Our guides draw upon solid guide education coupled with extensive experience to manage significant hazards inherent to mountain travel. Some of the hazards that can lead to injury or death associated with this trip include but are not limited to extreme weather, demanding physical travel, avalanche, vehicle transportation and falls or collisions while skiing or snowboarding. Please be sure that you are fully aware of such risks. It is our goal to interpret the environmental, situational and group variables and to make educated decisions to minimize dangers to you while at the same time providing an enjoyable and memorable experience.
Ultimately, it is your responsibility to minimize various hazards through the application of good judgment gained from a foundation of education and experience. On this course we ask that you ski or ride with good control at all time.
Self-reliance in the face of adversity is expected on the part of the wilderness traveler entering the wilderness. Rescue is not automatic. For all practical purposes, our party is alone and must depend upon our own resources for self-rescue and be equipped for an extended emergency. Cellular phones and radios should not be relied upon in an emergency.
Finally, this is a group trip and good expedition behavior is critical. Participants are asked to stay with the group until everyone has safely exited the backcountry.
Full Payment is required upon registration.
See cancellation policy below in regards to cancellations.
Cancellation:
When you book a course with Acadia Mountain Guides you are agreeing to our cancellation policy. Please realize that if your travel does not go according to plan in any way and for any reason, we are unable to provide credits or refunds outside of what is described below. We strongly recommend that you purchase trip insurance to protect your activity purchase against unforeseeable circumstances which include but are not limited to:
- Anticipation of Inclement Weather
- Flight and Travel Delays and Conditions
- Personal or work schedule changes
- Injury or illness of self or family member
Inclement weather is to be expected at this time of year. Snow is what we want. Please adjust your travel plans to accommodate weather and travel conditions.
We aim to ski for five days but do not promise five days of skiing, the weather in Iceland can be such that visibility or avalanche conditions do not allow for safe skiing. On those days we aim to provide you with other experiences in Iceland exploring the land and the culture.
Tipping is never expected but always greatly appreciated. Like many in service industries, instructors and guides supplement their income with tips generated from satisfied clients.
There are several potential summits we can reach and areas we could potentially travel in. We will make every reasonable effort to reach desired summits and provide great lines of descent, however, extreme weather, avalanche conditions, inadequate personal fitness, difficult terrain, or park weather / travel closures may make it impossible to achieve our desired summit or descent objectives.
A minimum of four (4) participants are needed to run this program and there is a maximum of seven (7). The decision to run the program will be made at three weeks prior to the start date. In the case of low registration, you will have the options of joining another trip, receiving a refund or possibly paying an additional amount to allow the trip to run with low numbers.
Are you part of a college organization, ski club, etc.? We are happy to schedule a customized course for organizations, small groups, and individuals through New England and Eastern Canada. Of course, if you would like to schedule a course or trip in Iceland, Colorado, or Japan, etc. we would be very pleased to work with you.
Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School is certified through the American Mountain Guide Association and the Professional Climbing Instructor Association. Acadia Mountain Guides actively supports furthering their guide’s development throughout their career. That means our guides are constantly taking steps to progress their skills and will provide you with an exceptional experience. AMG is also a proponent of helping clients reach their goals, whether its having an epic day in the mountains or gaining skills to get into other terrain, Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School can get you there.
A History of
Leading the way…
Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School is the preeminent frontrunner in climbing instruction and guiding in Acadia and across Maine. Since 1994 we have specialized in designing customized experiences or training for you, your family, your group or company.
AMGA ACCREDITED
• Since 1994 •
AMGCS is one of 32 AMGA accredited programs in the US and was one of the earliest to pursue and achieve accreditation. AMGCS is the only climbing school in Maine to remain continuously AMGA accredited. We have had one or more full time AMGA rock guides on staff each year since 1994.
PCIA Accredited
• Since 2007 •
AMGCS has the distinction of also being accredited to the highest standards of the Professional Climbing Instructors Association. The PCIA requires all staff to be individually trained and certified.
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