Kvittinden East Face

Lofoten

Accessible and fun terrain, a great shorter mission for when the weather isn't perfect!

Ski Touring Moderate

Distance: 5.8 km
Ascent: 584 m
Descent: 584 m
Duration: 2-3 hrs

Low Point: 14 m
High Point: 477 m
Gradient: 39˚

A classic Lofoten outing with all the right ingredients that make for a fun tour, Kvittinden is not very long or committing to skin up and therefore is a good option when the weather is marginal. It is possible to stick to low angled terrain most of the way up, with only the final slopes under the summit of Kvittinden exceeding 35 degrees. There are fantastic views out across the Austnesfjorden and out towards Geitgallien and Higravtinden. Kvittenden itself is a fine peak, and what it lacks in height or grandeur it makes up for by having great ski terrain on virtually every aspect of the mountain. Besides the classic and popular east side as described here, it is possible to extend your tour by linking up other sides of the mountain too if conditions allow.

Climbing the east side of Kvittinden Photo: Johanna Stålnacke

Moody ambiance, Higravtinden in the background Photo: Johanna Stålnacke

Not atypical Lofoten weather! Photo: Johanna Stålnacke

Playing with the aspect of the descent, it's usually possible to find good snow here. Photo: Johanna Stålnacke

Description

The ease of access and mellow skinning make Kvittinden popular with beginner ski tourers, but strong skiers will also enjoy the steeper terrain just below the summit on the mountain’s east side. Starting from the roadside parking, head down the road back in the direction of Svolvaer for a couple hundred meters before beginning to skin up. Pick the best line through the lower shrubs and past the small lake. The terrain is very low angled until the slopes leading to the summit of Kvittinden. It is possible to skin up either climbers’ right or left sides depending on the conditions. Here the angle is 35 degrees, even touching 40 in places. However, normally it should be possible to skin the entire way with perhaps some easy bootpacking to reach the summit. The south flank of the mountain can also provide some interesting skiing to extend to the tour before returning to the east side.