2 great steep-ish couloirs in one of Northern Norway's most scenic mountain valleys (and that's saying something!)

Statistics

5 - 6

hrs

1,465

m

1,465

m

53

max°

Difficulty

FATMAP difficulty grade

Severe

Description

A true classic of the region and visible from Lakselvbukt village centre, this is a must-do for serious ski mountaineers visiting Lyngen. The tour starts with a pleasant mellow ascent through widely spaced trees and then up a steepening slope beneath a small cliff band.

Just before you reach the cliff, a ramp leads out left into a large bowl beneath the impressive west face of Store Lakselvtinden.

The view from the bowl is fantastic, with the Lakselvdalen and the fjords below you. Climb the bowl and then head right into the Tomas Couloir itself.

Skin as far as possible up this until it gets too steep and then you'll have to resort to bootpacking.

If you can time it so that someone else has put the bootpack track in, it will make life considerably easier! The couloir ends at a col with an excellent view of some remote and wild peaks to the south.

From the col, turn left skin briefly and then climb (on foot) the obvious south-facing couloir on Store Lakselvtinden.

Halfway up the couloir is a boulder which you'll have to scramble around (and possibly abseil over on the way down) but otherwise the ascent is simple bootpacking. At the top of the couloir there's a 20 metre scramble north-west to the summit of Store Lakselvtinden.

The summit is a great place from which to pick out the various peaks surrounding you, and to plan for future adventures nearby. Ski back down the same way, enjoying the exciting and varied skiing that leads back to the road.