Fastdaltinden is located on the Southeast side of the Northern Lyngen Alps of Norway. Being a few miles from Lyngsedit this area is quite popular with ski touring crowns. Sitting next to Store Kjostinden and with a summit elevation of 1,275 meters it offers great views of the surround mountains and the Lyngenfjord. While one of the easier slopes around there have been avalanches on the South slopes so it’s best to climb and ride with caution.
Searching for corn on Fastdaltinden
When I arrived in Lyngsedit I met up with Sean and Molly Busby. They were planning on hanging around the area for two weeks and asked if I wanted to join them. At that time I was by myself and was happy to have ski touring partners. The plan was to mix camping and climbing which wasn’t a problem as I had carried all the gear I needed with me to Norway.
We woke up to a beautiful sunrise on the Western side of the Lyngen Alps. A few days earlier I had found icy conditions in the mountains and our only hope for soft turns was to find a South facing slope
With the weather being clear we chatted about different areas to check out finally deciding to go up Fastdaltinden. I had been in the area before but had not actually summited it so I was looking forward to seeing what the view was like from the summit.
Arriving on the South slopes of Fastdaltinden it was a brutal icy traverse to gain elevation. Though the sun was out it was still cold so we were quickly loosing optimism of good corn turns.
Arriving on the summit of Fastdaltinden
After getting frustrated with my edges of the split board slipping out I switched to crampons for the final section. Going higher up the slopes the texture went from smooth to wind sculpted. While the views from the summit were great the riding would not be.
Yep.....the Riding is Terrible
Making turns down made my ears bleed as laying my edges into the snow made a loud scrape. Turn after turn I wasn’t able to make high speed turns until getting lower on the slopes. It was survival skiing in all its finest and not worth taking photos on the way down.
Fastdaltinden is a awesome peak for views and the south face. As for ski touring there are a few better options in the area but that doesn’t mean it isn’t enjoyable. While this was my first time on the summit it was far from the last.
Thank you for reading this Trip Report.
Below is the other trips in my 2015 Spring Season attempting to find good snow.