Destination: Troll Peninsula, Iceland
Iceland's Tröllaskagi Peninsula juts into the Greenland Sea towards the Arctic Circle and the east coast of Greenland. The “Peninsula of the Trolls” is a truly authentic adventure ski destination. It is easy to imagine what this area would have been like when Norsemen landed on the island in 870 CE.
Touring above Eyjafjörður Fjord, north of Akureyri. Brent Doscher photo.
Backcountry skiing in the Troll Peninsula lasts from the end of February until well into June. Powder skiing early in the season transitions into endless sunlight and sublime corn skiing under the Arctic Sun.
Dawn patrol on the Troll Peninsula. Brent Doscher photo.
The local terrain has something to offer every level of skier - from wide open, cruisy summit to sea runs to steep, technical couloirs.
Booting up a couloir in North Iceland. Bianca Germain photo.
The summit spire of Hraundrangi watches over the fall line. Bianca Germain photo.
Trips to Iceland are incomplete without soaking in the local hot springs (and the excellent public pools). Local food - especially seafood - is also a highlight of ski trips to Iceland. I won’t give away my favourite ski valleys but I will tell everyone to visit the little town of Dalvik for the best fish soup in the world. The cafe Gísli, Eiríkur, Helgi - Kaffihús is a perfect apres ski lunch stop.
Fresh lunch of salad and world-class fish soup at the Gísli, Eiríkur, Helgi - Kaffihús.
There is a thriving local backcountry skiing scene alongside the international visitors every winter. In addition to ski touring, several heli ski companies operate on the Troll Peninsula - the best of which is Arctic Heli Skiing. However, if you’re visiting Iceland and still want to (mostly) earn your turns, Arctic Heli Skiing also offers heli-assisted ski touring as well as guided ski touring through Bergmenn Mountain Guides.
Skiing summit to sea on the Troll Peninsula, Iceland. Cait Borgault photo.
A visit to Iceland is worthwhile in any season, but if you want to get close to the spirit of the original Norse settlers, leave the tourist crowds of summer and the south behind and journey north on a a backcountry ski trip to the Troll Peninsula next winter. And don't forget the fish soup!
Jerry Isaak is an Associate Teaching Professor and the program lead for ski touring in the Adventure Studies Department at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia. He is an AMGA certified Ski Guide and has guided backcountry ski adventures in Iceland, Kyrgyzstan, Japan, and throughout the United States and western Canada.