Lofoten Ski Trip - Day 5
Torskmannen 2492 ft.
Route: southeast face
Distance: 4.3 miles
Vertical: 2,550 feet
Date: Mar 26, 2026
Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Partners: Alex Platt, Chris Haaland, Quinn Macleod, Matt Kelley, Andy Jensen,
Evan Miller, Eva The Finn
Last night there were only thin clouds so I went hunting for the aurora. I couldn't
see anything with my naked eyes but my iphone picked up a fain strip of greenish light.
Very weak aurora from the ski lodge.
The weather today was the exact inverse from yesterday - manageable in the morning, but then deteriorating during the early afternoon. The breakfast schedule prevented us from getting an early start so we went out with low expectations. As you will see, visibility was low the entire day and we had a mixture of light rain and some snow showers. We just did a single lap but we were able to summit the Torskmannen peak.
Setting out through the bog/birch forest. Torskmannen is obscured in clouds left of center.
Finally skinning.
Starting up the main line with Torskmannen barely visible to the left of center.
Getting closer. There were several other parties on the route - one is visible above us and a second is already on the ridge.
The ridge was crowded as the weather worsened. We were really motivated to summit the peak so we put on crampons, grabbed ice axes and went up. Conditions were not good on the summit ridge. High winds, blowing snow, and very low visibility. It was a short climb, however, and we did not spend much time on the summit. The next several photos are from the climb, summit, and descent.
Evan nearing the summit.
The rest of the crew arriving at the summit.
Summit shots.
Eva, a Finnish guide in training, joined us for the tour. As you can see, she really enjoyed the experience.
Downclimbing
Skiing from the ridge was quite tricky due to poor visibility and flat light. This was a real shame since the snow was quite nice. Thankfully the visibility improved near the end of the ski route.
Looking back up the ski line.
Back to the birches.