Description

Uløya is a popular skiing island in the area commonly referred to as Lyngen (although the peak is part of Skjervøy/Kåfjord). It is a lengthy traverse that will reward you with great views to the Lyngen Alps.

The traverse goes over the main peaks of Uløya - Blåtinden 1139 m, Uløytinden 1115 m and Kjelvågtinden 1104 m - on their gentle western flanks, with steep drops on the eastern side. The final point is Havnnes - Norway's northernmost preserved trading center still in operation - and an attraction by itself.

Unlike on the other islands, none of the houses there were destroyed during the 2nd World War, because the German troops themselves considered the beautiful houses too artful to burn down (source: Wikipedia, https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havnnes). The traverse begins in Uløybukta.

Cross a meadow to reach the bushes and trees, and find a way through, and then travel through easy, flat but undulating terrain.

The crux of the traverse is at around 550 m - there you need to navigate a short but steep pitch, which requires care and stable snow conditions.

Alternatively, you can try to work a flatter bench to the lookers left. After this section, you follow easier terrain along the western side of the peaks.

On each summit be VERY mindful about cornices over the steep eastern faces - they are a real hazard.

From pretty much any point along the traverse you can ski down to the road on the west side of Uløya.

From the south summit of Blåtinden (1115m) we recommend taking skins off and skiing to the col before Kjelvågtinden. Your final descent begins on the top of Kjelvåginden.

Nice skiing down the SW flank brings you to a trail through the forest, which is usually easy to find and tracked, due to the popularity of Kjelvågtinden as a ski summit. Logistically this traverse is not easy, as there are no public transport or taxis on the island.

Your best bet is to use the ferries running between Rotsund on the main land, Havnnes and Uløybukt.

Time table: http://ruteinfo.thn.no/no/default.aspx?rnr=104 For avalanche conditions check https://www.varsom.no/en/avalanche-bulletins/forecast/Nord-Troms/ (English) or https://www.varsom.no/snoskredvarsling/varsel/Nord-Troms/ (Norwegian). Lyngen Outdoor Center is a local guide company located on the island (http://en.lyngen-outdoor.com/).