Anarjohka National Park is one of Norway’s most remote wilderness areas! It’s inhabited by brown bears, moose, wolverines and grouse. The reindeer has its winter pastures here and sometimes wolves cross from Finland in search of fresh reindeer meat.
This skiing expedition goes roughly from Karasjok to Kautokeino – the Sami villages in the south of Finnmark – with a solid arc to the southernmost point of the national park and thus the very south of Finnmark. On occasions, we will ski on and over the Finnish border.
This expedition is designed for people familiar with the winter outdoor life and pulling an expedition sled.
- Each participant pulls an expedition sled with personal equipment (we share the communal gear)
- Approx. 200 km as the crow flies
- Expedition sled with sled bag is included
- Tent, primus stove, fuel and saucepans are included
- 10 days’ skiing
- Ski gear may be rented
- Max 8 participants
Start in Finland
We start in Angeli on the Norwegian/Finnish border and ski the first few kilometres in the Lemmenjoki National Park in Finland. In the afternoon, we cross the Anarjohka river, which marks the border, and continue to the legendary Andreas Nilsen Cabin on the boundary of the national park where we spend the first night.
We continue into the wilderness and visit the national park’s two highest mountains, the southernmost point in Finnmark and the sources of two of the main rivers in the Finnmark wilderness, the Anarjohka and the Karasjohka.
On the third skiing day, we pass the Ulvefossen waterfall, one of the main landmarks of the national park as the park has a “ladder” and the mountain plateau (and river) fall 8 metres.
As reindeer still graze in these areas during the winter, we will encounter herders and reindeer during the expedition.
Towards the end of the expedition, we cross into Finland before spending the second to last night at the Siccajavri Fjellstue (mountain lodge), known as one of the coldest places in Norway.
Distance per day
We ski an average of 20 km per day, while the longest day can be up to 28 km.
In the event of difficult skiing conditions, we will make adjustments to the route.
Meals
All meals are included. During the expedition, this means cereal and dried milk for breakfast and hot expedition food (like Real Turmat) for lunch with polar bread. Dinner is without doubt the culinary highlight of the day since our cook, Tor Even, has cooked many of the dinners in advance, and packed them to last. We heat the sous-vide bags in boiling water and presto a delicious gourmet dinner is ready to savour! Some dinners will also be expedition food, like the one for lunch.
All meals are included and will be packed at the planning meeting before we set off.
Accommodation
Apart from the last night, where we stay inside at the Siccajavri Fjellstue (mountain lodge), we work on the basis that we stay in tents every night. If the Andreas Nilsen Cabin is vacant when we arrive, we will spend the first night there. The same applies for the reindeer herders’ huts. If they are vacant when we arrive, we have the option of using them if we have the owners approval.
Final day
On the final day, we follow the snowmobile trail/Sami ski race route out to the main road (E45). We will be picked up here and return to Alta where a shower, hot sauna and delicious banquet dinner await us. Stay the last night in our slylish Aurora Canvas Dome.
Planning meeting and accommodation before the trip
A mandatory planning and packing meeting will be held at GLØD headquarters at 14:00 (2 p.m.) on the day before departure. If you need accommodation before the trip, we recommend our Aurora Canvas Dome! Cool and stylish!
This is the trip of your dreams!
Watch the film from the expedition in 2023 here
Day 1: Arrive in Alta in the late morning/early afternoon, planning and packing meeting, stay overnight in the Aurora Canvas Dome
Day 2: Transport to Angeli (Finland) south of Karasjok, short skiing day, stay overnight at the Andreas Nilsen Cabin
Days 3-10: Skiing days, stay overnight in tents, night 9 at Siccajavri Fjellstue (mountain lodge)
Day 10: Return to Alta, dinner and stay overnight
Day 11: Departure from Alta
2026
March
20 – 31
A mandatory planning and packing meeting will be held at 12:00 on 20 March .
Up to 7 participants
The tour price includes:
All meals from soup & bread during planning meeting on day 1 to breakfast on day 11
All transfers (including return airport transfers)
English-speaking guide
Expedition sled/board, harness
Tent, primus stove & saucepans
Map, satellite phone
First aid kit
Recommended packing list for expeditions like this: sleeping bag designed for temperatures of down to minus 25 ˚C, two sleeping mattresses (one inflatable, preferably down, and one foam pad), Arctic bedding, down jacket, windproof hooded jacket, windproof pants, warm pants, fleece jacket/woollen sweater, down vest, woollen and wool mesh underwear, two pairs of thin socks/two pairs of thick socks, thin and thick hat, two buffer, ski gloves and mountain mittens
Sun cream, sunglasses
Good mountain skis and poles, ski wax for various conditions based on the weather forecast (we will take some ski wax)
Toiletries, reading material
Snacks
We provide expedition sleds and bags, primus stoves, saucepans, tents, map, satellite phone, first aid kit and all meals from lunch on day 1 to breakfast on day 11.
If you want a pulk/expedition sled, you can rent one from us. We have carbon and fibreglass models.
We will send out the equipment list some time before departure.
Anárjohka National Park is in the municipalities of Karasjok and Kautokeino in Finnmark. It is situated in the south-eastern corner of Finnmarksvidda mountain plateau bordering the Finnish national park Lemmenjoki. The area was protected by royal decree on 19 December 1975. The national park initially covered 1,390 km² and was later expanded to 1,409 km². The highest mountain within the national park is Gurbbeš (589 m above sea level), while the lowest point is 215 m above sea level.
Landscape
The national park is exceptionally flat by Norwegian standards and consists of large marshlands alternating with elongated hills and moraine ridges. It is drained by three major watercourses, the Kárášjohka in the west and the Anarjohka and Skiehccanjohka in the east. The latter marks the border with Finland and, like the Anarjohka, flows just south of the national park’s north-eastern corner. Two of the rivers have a gentle fall, the exception being the Anarjohka, which forms the magnificent Ulvefossen waterfall with a fall of about 8 m, roughly 8 km above the confluence with the Skiehccanjohka. Apart the bare mountains in near the Finnish border in the southeast, the national park is wooded except for marshlands and lakes/rivers.
Climate
The climate is continental with dry and cold winters and correspondingly dry and warm summers. The annual precipitation is 350 mm.
Geology
The bedrock in the entire park is syenite but, as the deposits are covered, we rarely see solid mountains. The exception is the area around the Ulvefossen waterfall and the canyon below, apart from here and there along the Skiehccanjohka. No instances of glacial erratic have been detected in the national park, and the ice during the Iast Ice Age has probably been at rest because it was frozen to the ground and consequently has not created large terminal moraines.
The sands along the Skiehccanjohka are gold bearing, and remnants of gold panning in days gone by are visible in several places.
Vegetation
There are primeval pine forests in the river valley near the confluence between the Anarjohka and Skiehccanjohka rivers and a slightly further south, otherwise open mountain birch forest dominates. There are isolated examples of rowan, aspen and willow along the rivers. In certain places along small streams and by the marshlands, there are often large areas of willow thicket with black-leaved willow that can be over 3 m high. The largest natural spruce forest in Finnmark comprises of about 200 trees beside the Njuolajohka, a tributary of the Skiehccanjohka in the southernmost part of the national park.
Flora
The flora is rather poor in species, but numbers several species with distinct eastern distribution. Along the rivers we can find species such as boreal Jacob’s ladder, longleaf speedwell, prickly lettuce, Lapland buttercup, northern golden saxifrage, as well as several species of carex, a grass-like perennial.
The national park has large areas of Cladonia, a moss-like lichen, and is a winter pasture for reindeer. A common moss is the eye-catching yellow moose dung moss, which consists of small bright yellow parasol-like structures.
Animal life
Combined with the Lemmenjoki National Park on the Finnish side, the national park forms a large wilderness area with populations of all our carnivore species from brown bears and wolves to stoats and little weasels.
The moose migrated here, and the population is now so large that hunting is permitted to prevent grazing damage to pine trees, which is already visible over large areas. In the wintertime, the national park is grazing area for around 2,700 reindeer. Almost all our small rodent species are also registered within the national park.
Fish
Salmon and trout are rare but are fished in the Anarjohka river all the way to the Ulvefossen waterfall. Species such as pike, grayling, European whitefish, perch and burbot have come from the east.
Birdlife
In the summertime, there is a rich bird life in the area with many waders such as cranes, Temminck’s stint, bar-tailed godwit, spotted redshank and several more common species. There are also large stocks of whooper swans.
This year, with lots of small rodents, there are nesting populations of the northern hawk owl, great grey owl and other owl species. The golden eagle, merlin and gyrfalcon breed almost annually in the area, as do eastern species such as the pine grosbreak, Bohemian waxwing and Lapland longspur. The Siberian jay is one of the most common species in the national park’s pine forests.
The grouse population is usually large but fluctuates significantly depending on the population of small rodents. In years with an abundance of small rodents, there is also a large grouse population because carnivores and birds of prey can hunt these instead of grouse and grouse eggs.
Source: Store Norske Leksikon, written by Leif Ryvarden (UIO), Kåre Olerud, Trude Myhre and Ragnar Frislid
Over the years, an increasing number of companies have begun organising ski trips in Finnmark.
Why should you go on a skiing trip with Glød? (Other companies’ trips look very similar)
We don’t wish to say anything about what others do or how prices and the like can vary. However, we wish to focus on what we believe is important:
We have arranged skiing trips on the Finnmarksvidda mountain plateau since 2005, which means we know the history, the people and the terrain.
We are based in Alta on the edge of the Finnmarksvidda mountain plateau, so the travelling distance for our guides, equipment, polar dogs and food is minimal. Moreover, our trips have minimal impact on the environment.
We use polar dogs to pull the communal gear by expedition sled, which provides pleasant company and is a far more environmentally friendly option than, for instance, snowmobiles.
The food we serve – when we are not staying at the mountain lodges – is produced by our chef using locally sourced ingredients of the highest quality. The meals are packed in sous-vide bags and served as delicacies at our camp sites along the way.
You can rent pulks/expedition sleds, drags, sleeping bags, ground pads, skis, boots and poles from us.
Communal equipment such as GPS, satellite phone, map, compass, primus stoves, fuel, pots and food included on all our tours.
All the gear we use is well tested and of the highest quality.
Our guides are knowledgeable and have solid outdoor recreation qualifications and experience from many long trips, such as crossing Anarjohka, skiing the length of Norway and/or Spitsbergen, as well as countless tours criss-crossing all of Troms and Finnmark.
Our guides love their job and they – and everyone we collaborate with – have sustainable conditions.
I only have positive things to say about the whole trip, from when I read about it on glodexplorer.no until I was back home after the trip.
The reception and briefing about the trip at Glød in Alta was top notch, followed by a nice dinner and wine at Glød’s HQ.
The tour leader was very pleasant, confident in his tasks and guided us safely throughout the tour, as well as uniting the group into a good ski expedition team.
Glød’s chef had prepared gourmet dinners that were served every evening in the tour leader’s tent. This delicious food served in the tour leader’s tent was the highlight of the evening after long days of skiing.
Back at Glød’s HQ in Alta after the trip, we were again served a good dinner and spent the night in a beautiful “Aurora canvas dome”.
All in all, a wonderful trip.
I recommend Glød as a tour operator and I would consider doing another trip with them in the future.
Kindest regards
Tor-Arne Kongsgård