Page 36 - 2018 AMA Winter

EXPEDITIONNEWS
MON 16 APR 18
Storhaugen (1142m). A great mountain in the Kåfjord area, with a straightfor- ward skin up, and superb views from the summit. As it is located on the opposite side of the Lyngen fjord, Storhaugen gave the group another opportunity for a short fjord-cruise across to Olderdalen. It was on Storhaugen that the group decided to start singing their “Lyngen theme tune” to get themselves amped for the day ahead. So some west-coast or indie rock track from a cool Teton Gravity Research ski film? Nope. Some chance. It was “Oi!” by the German techno band Scooter. Luckily, being 220 miles inside the Arctic Circle it meant no one heard the chorus of “Oi! Oi! Oi f*****g Oi!!!” as they started to skin-off. I bet Glenmore Lodge don’t have that problem...
“The Lyngen Alps – Norway. Glenmore Lodge will be skiing the beautiful Lyngen Alps in pristine arctic Norway in the 2019 season. The tour will be led by Alistair MacBeard UIAGM. Requirements - Clients must be able to enjoy skiing in a variety of terrain and be able to sing “Oi!
Oi! Oi f*****g Oi!!!” whilst skinning at 120 Beats Per Minute...”.
TUE 17 APR 18
Kjelvågtinden (1004m). An early start in order to carry out two car-ferry crossings to reach Uløya island. The aim for the day was a ski along the ridge on Uløya, taking in the peak of Kjelvågtinden. The group shared the early morning ferry from Lyngseidet to Olderdalen with the usual mix of ski-tourers and locals. Then, a drive up the coast to Rotsund for the ferry across to Gárgu. The tour started with an initial skin through woods on a local løype, followed by a long but reasonable skin up the mountain. After some quite breath-tak- ing views out to the Arctic Ocean and the Lyngen fjord, the party had a superb descent on excellent snow down a wide slope to the tree-line above Åsheim. The ski to the road through the tree-line probably couldn’t be described as quite as superb, but it certainly made for some technical, challenging and (admittedly) in places, fun skiing. A long day, but a real all-round Lyngen experience for everyone.
WED 18 APR 18
Steinfjellet (1121m). Another bluebird day for the ascent of Steinfjellet. 1121m from sea-level, the group enjoyed a great ski up through the trees, even having to use their ski-crampons to ascend the sometimes steep or icy ground. A very social summit with a group of Austrian and German ski- tourers, the exped then enjoyed the superb views of some of the most spectacular mountains in the Lyngen Alps.
So, in conclusion, the Lyngen Alps are an absolutely terrible place to go, and if everyone else apart from me could just stick to Val Thorens please, that would be very much appreciated.
But for the few, those lucky few, keep your skis waxed and your skins sticky, there will be an AMA exped to Lyngen, I promise... just watch this space.
“Don’t take life so seriously! No one gets out of here alive anyway...Oi!Oi!Oi f*****g Oi!” – Scooter “Oi!”
FACTS i ACTIVITY: SKI TOURING
LOCATION: LYNGEN ALPS, NORWAY
NUMBER OF DEPLOYED PAX: 11 BEST ROUTE TAKEN: ØLOYA
ISLAND
ACCOMMODATION: SELF CATERING APARTMENTS
FLIGHT TIME TO NORWAY: TWO FLIGHTS, APPROX 7HRS TOTAL
TRAVEL TIME
APPROX EXPED COST: £5242
PXR AVAILABLE? PXR ON ATSYS, OR CONTACT MARTIN. SOUTH588@MOD.GOV.UK
36 / ARMY MOUNTAINEER
The Lyngen Alps from Storhaugen
The team hating every minute of the terrible Lyngen Alps. So please don’t go. (Back - Loz Brown, Killian Hurley, Dan Ciborowski, Andy Sexton, Will Rouse, the Geordie Taylor, Dave Gomez. Front – Paul Tate, Richie Simpson, Martin South, Kit Calvert)