There is something nice about skiing a perfect untouched groomer overlooking the sea at 3pm in the afternoon. And whether one skins up or uses the gondola depends on what the point of coming to Arctic Norway is all about.
We visited Narvik again in March 2024 following our first foray there in 2023. Using the ski hill to get some ski-touring fitness, we used the lifts sparingly, but skied the deserted pistes & beyond. The off-piste snow was a little cruddy on this visit compared to last time, but we love the diversity here. Trees, steeps, mellow backcountry bowls or bigger backcountry challenges. And all with those summit-to-sea views. Beyond the lifts, the summit ridge up to Tredjetoppen required crampons to negotiate safely, but such is life in Narvikfjellet. The wind has big say in what happens in this part of the world.
This time round we stayed at the new Basecamp Narvik. Just opened for the 2024 ski season it is far from a 'camp' and more like a ski-in ski-out deluxe ski apartment complex. Whilst they have plenty of potential and lovely views, the apartments are (strangely) poorly designed for a long stay, but fine for a couple of nights. Access to the slopes of Narvikfjellet is superb though, as it is positioned above the gondola station with a ski slope just across the road. With a lift pass (or skins), one can ski down to the ski-in Kiwi supermarket at the bottom of the ski slopes, then ride the lifts (or skin back up) before a final slide down to the apartments. Wonderful.
We also stayed in Narvik itself at the at the centrally located Breidablikk Guesthouse. We thought it was great value, in a prime location, and with stellar views over the city & fjord. The dining room/lounge has fabulous views, and the breakfast is excellent.
Our previous review of the ski area (below) covered a lot of detail in the ski area, so I won’t gasbag on too much about it. I’ll touch on some negatives though, the exorbitant paid parking one of them. If you need to drive here, avoid the fees by parking in nearby hotel car parks below and above the gondola station! Another negative is the lack of drive by the resort managers to get the top chairlift running. Seems such a waste to be paying a full lift pass price knowing full well they have no intention of running the top chairlift until …… April ……sometime….maybe! The general price of alcohol & restaurant food can be a hurdle for some as well. The cost of living in Norway is high.
Unless combined with ski-touring, we wouldn’t class Narvikfjellet as a ski holiday destination in and of itself. But it is an awesome starting point for Arctic ski-touring adventures (locally and in Lofoten or Swedish Lapland) and can be incredible on a sneaky powder day. Plus, with lifts during the week opening after lunch, you will always get perfect piste all to yourself for some afternoon delight.
See our thoughts on the pros & con of the ski resort on the Narvikfjellet overview page.
Narvikfjellet has always been on our ski bucket list. It was the trail map that got us in. Tall mountains rising out of a fjord with a city at the resort’s feet. Its appears simply amazing. And so it is in reality too. Gotta love that.
Arriving at Evenes airport in mid-March after an overnight stay near Oslo airport saw a seamless exit to a compact SUV rental car complete with studded winter tyres. The car was perfect for the often-glacial road conditions encountered over the next 2 weeks. The plan was to be flexible about skiing Narvikfjellet and combine it with ski-touring the Lofoten Islands, visiting the Swedish Lapland resorts of Riksgränsen, Björkliden & Abisko, and ski-touring further north in Lyngen Alps. The plan turned out well. Skied powder in all locations and did 4 days (non-consecutive) at Narvikfjellet (with 2 powder days in the ski resort).
Whilst not a week-long ‘destination’ ski resort in and of itself (simply due to its overall size), Narvikfjellet is the best place in the region for easy-access BIG mountain powder days in the alpine bowls & lower down in the (unexpectedly good) trees, or just for screaming down empty groomers when the lifts open at 1pm on weekdays. Yes 1pm. Takes a little bit of getting used to, but such is life above the Arctic Circle. In fact, one of the best powder afternoons here was a midweek in March with just us and three others in the ‘first gondola’ queue. When the powder on the groomers was tracked, we moved into the trees before finishing off with the obligatory waffles & brunost.
If it is your first time in Arctic Norway, you simply must have waffles with brunost (otherwise known as brown cheese). Brunost is a weird not-too-sweet cheese flavour thingy that defies proper description. Just try it. At Narvikfjellet you can get waffles and brunost at the upper mountain Fjellheis restaurant (with magnificent views from 656m altitude, located just down from the gondola top station), or from the charming Camp Lodge at the NARVIKFJELLET Camp 291 cabin accommodation just off piste #13 (location is referred to as Narvkihytta).
Anyway, back to the skiing. We loved it. The groomed pistes are fun for intermediate & advanced riders. The ungroomed pistes (9, 11, 12 & 14) through the trees get the muscles working hard. Lift lines are generally non-existent. Aside from the gondola that serves around 400m vertical, the other lifts are a three T-bars and an important double chair (Stolheis) that runs up about 350m vert. The double chair doesn’t start operating until usually mid to late March, so be prepared to skin up further if the snow is deep enough off piste. The big alpine bowls from the upper mountain ridge can be as good, if not better, than anywhere in the world. Views down to the sea overlooking the Hålogaland Bridge and over 800m of skiable vertical in the Mørkholla or Tredjeholla descents before traversing back into the ski resort. Utterly glorious.
Most of the tree areas accessible from the lifts are skiable. They were an unexpected joy. For some reason I just didn’t associate the area with tree skiing. They are mostly birches so lots of spacing in amongst the older ones, and quite ‘twiggy’ up higher.
During the week the lifts are open until well after full dark (close at 8pm). The main pistes from the gondola top to the lowest T-bar (530m ish vertical) are well lit for night skiing. If you can stand the cold, go for it. Whilst the resort opens for skiing in December, we can’t imagine skiing here during the full winter dark period.
Whilst the ski resort is within the ‘city limits’ of Narvik and hence has a wide range of accommodations within a 2km radius of the lift base, there are an increasing number and diversity of rooms available on and around the ski area. I checked out the ski-in NARVIKFJELLET Camp 291 cabins whilst having a snack at the Camp Lodge. Intriguing design, perfect for voyeurs, and no doubt splendid when the northern lights are dancing across the sky at night. The new Basecamp Narvik hotel-apartments, situated just above the gondola base, was under construction during the visit. It will doubtless increase the numbers of skiers accessing the slopes for first lifts. Or maybe it won’t. Who knows? Will find out in March 2024 when I return.
Booking last minute as is our want, an so we stayed at the bottom of the ski area in the Narvik Budget Rooms hotel. They are certainly basic, but with the magnificent breakfast buffet at the adjacent 4-star Thon Hotel including in the tariff, it is an absolute bargain. The hotels’ location is just across the road from the lowest lift base (a T-bar just near the convenient ‘ski-in’ Kiwi supermarket!), and it is an easy walk down the hill into the city centre if you want some entertainment. From our estimations, the best bar in town is the Narvikguten Pub. BYO black broad brim hat (it will make sense when you go there).
There are a few ‘first world’ annoyances here, but it is Norway, and once you have spent time in country you will understand why! Paying for parking by the hour at a ski resort just really & truly sucks (but to be fair it is probably about encouraging people to use the local bus). Not being able to recharge your lift pass from the machine next to the gondola until said gondola starts turning also really sucks. On a gorgeous mid-week powder morning, lifts not opening until 1pm really & truly sucks. Having purchased a beer from the ticket desk, one is not legally allowed to drink it just outside near the delightful fireplaces hanging from tripods, you must go out to a cold back veranda …. I drank it at one of the fireplaces, but it still sucks that you cannot actually do it legally!
We have heard a few stories of international visitors having mixed experiences skiing Narvikfjellet. The key to skiing here is to have your own transport and visit when the weather and snow are favourable. Mid-March to mid-April have the best snow, light, temperature and lift/terrain openings. If the double chair is not running, be prepared to skin up top to ski the wonderful descents below Linken (1,003m), or further up the ridge to Andretoppen (1,160m) & Tredjetoppen (1,272 m) to ski the Mørkholla or Tredjeholla routes. Otherwise head out to the Lofoten Islands or explore across into Swedish Lapland. It is a beautiful part of the world, and there are no excuses for having a bad time.