Lisa on Dyhaugstinden, famed Skagastølstind rising in background. Click images to enlarge.
Various individuals of the Norwegian persuasion told me a perfect ski tour leaves essentially from the Turtagro Hotel front desk. We arrive early afternoon while High Camp is in full swing. With the nearly constant daylight you get during springtime at this latitude, standing on skis is an easy choice. I’m still in good shape from the Jotunheimen and lots of Colorado days, and Lisa is fit as well.
So, once we’ve got our things moved into the hotel, we get going on Dyhaugstinden, a good sized hump south of the lodge with a broad ridge system that’s perfect for moderate backcountry skiing. Don’t forget, this is the time of High Camp, so a few hundred other skiers were on the route as well. But the terrain is big and we never felt crowded. Check out a few photos of the journey.
Classic ski touring terrain, red dots are approximate route up Dyhaugstinden. Return is via any number of lines you can vary according to snow conditions and visibility.
Yours truly on the first lower angled approach section.
We skied to the right, lots of options in the valley directly ahead.
On our way up we caught a photo of High Camp skiers, 5 out of 600, lots of room around here.
Check out the vast terrain, the lack of people and development reminds one of other wilderness mountains such as the Canadian coast ranges.
More sampler, in my opinion this area would be a must for a Norwegian road trip.
Final part of run looking at area you can access from Sognefjellsvegen road.
As I’ve had on much of this Norway trip, the weather here at Turtagro was a mix of sunshine and flat light. The next day we did do a short tour at higher elevation off the Sognefjellsvegen Mountain Road, but got turned around by desperately flat light and headed down to our next hotel, where we’d meet Erlend and eventually return to Oslo, our Norwegian ski dreams somewhat fulfilled, but easily wanting for more. Next spring perhaps?
View from Turtagro doorway.
Check out all our Norway ski touring blog posts.
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.