Across the Hardangervidda Plateau

You’ve already done a multi-day ski touring trip and feel ready to take it up a notch? Our Level 2 is five days of winter camping in unknown terrain. Researched, of course, but unknown. As new to our guides as it is to you. We do just one every year – a new location each time. A true expedition in every sense of the word!

This is a stepping stone to independent expeditions in the snow! We’re heading into proper wilderness – no trails, no huts, nothing man-made at all. You’ll participate in the planning, learn to navigate completely new terrain and make decisions along the way. You and your tent buddy are a team within the team. Each duo gets the chance to "lead" the expedition for one day, with helpful advice, of course.

We’re heading into the heart of Norway this time – onto the vast expanse of the Hardangervidda mountain plateau. It’s often described as a miniature Antarctica. It was right here that explorers like Amundsen and Shackleton trained for expeditions further south. Stepping off the train, it’s easy to see why. The landscape opens instantly into wide, rolling terrain shaped by wind and winter. The glacier dome of Hardangerjøkulen remains visible in the early days, a constant presence on the horizon, before it gradually disappears behind us as we move further out onto the plateau.

We spend the first and last nights at our cabin in Haugastøl, right at the edge of the plateau. From here, a short train ride takes us up to Finse – a remote mountain station with no road access. Starting high on the plateau, we set out completely off-trail, navigating our own line through the terrain. Over five days, we gradually work our way back toward Haugastøl, following a natural, gentle descent across the landscape.

January is wild and atmospheric on the plateau. The sun stays low, casting long shadows. Blue twilight lingers long into the day. Some days are calm and clear, but we'll run into wind and snow as well. Tackling whatever comes our way is part of the experience – reading conditions, adjusting course, and working with the landscape rather than against it. Daily distances are kept fairly conservative, so we can push a bit further on good days, or shorten the route if the weather turns. We set up camp in open terrain, usually with uninterrupted views in every direction. And you know what that's good for: northern lights – or at the very least, an endless starry sky.