Ski touring in North Iceland

The Troll Peninsula, jutting into the Arctic between Skagafjörður and Eyjafjörður, is Iceland's ski-touring heartland: a range of steep, snowy peaks that rise straight from the fjords, so you can climb from the water's edge and ski all the way back down to it.

In spring, with snow to the shore and the sun barely setting, you can be skinning up a summit at midnight in broad daylight and carving a descent to the sea in the small hours.

It's remote, uncrowded and spectacular, often accessed by boat or from farm bases, with a ski-and-sail option that uses a yacht as a floating basecamp.

For those who can ski off-piste and travel in avalanche terrain, it delivers the Lofoten-style summit-to-sea dream with even fewer people — one of the great, little-known ski destinations on earth.

Human-powered spring ski touring in a remote Arctic range: skinning uphill with climbing skins, then descending on backcountry gear, often 1,000-plus metres from a summit down toward the sea.

This is avalanche terrain in a maritime snowpack, so a qualified guide and full avalanche kit (transceiver, shovel, probe) are essential, and you need to be a competent off-piste skier fit for long climbs. Access can involve boats, snowcats or long approaches, and the weather is Arctic and changeable.

The long April daylight — including midnight-sun touring — is a highlight, as is the emptiness: you'll rarely see another party. Conditions swing from powder to spring corn, and the guide reads the snow daily. The payoff is empty peaks, ocean-to-summit lines and some of the most atmospheric skiing anywhere.

Go in the tour season, roughly March to May, when there's snow to the coast and long daylight; late April/May adds midnight-sun skiing. Base around Dalvík or Ólafsfjörður, or take a guided ski-and-sail trip using a yacht as basecamp — these are popular and limited, so book ahead.

You must be a solid intermediate-to-advanced off-piste skier and reasonably fit for the climbs. Bring touring skis with skins plus a transceiver, shovel and probe, and know how to use them; guides can advise on rentals.

Always tour with a qualified mountain guide here — the maritime snowpack and remote terrain demand local judgement. Pack for cold, wet Arctic weather and stay flexible: the plan follows the snow and sky. It's a genuine bucket-list ski trip.