Heli-skiing in Iceland: Tröllaskagi in spring

If you want to ski in Iceland, the serious skiing is on Tröllaskagi, the mountain peninsula north of Akureyri, and it happens in April and May. A heli-skiing day costs from €1000 a person with a night at a lodge. The mountains run straight down to the sea, and in May you can ski in daylight until late evening. You need to be a strong off-piste skier, your dates need some slack, and the weather will cost you days.

Why Tröllaskagi, and why spring

Tröllaskagi has steep peaks of 1,000 to 1,500 metres right on the coast, with fjords between them. It holds snow when the south of Iceland has none. The ski runs end close to the shore, which is the picture everyone comes for.

Winter is dark and stormy here, so the season starts when the days get long. Our calendars show heli-skiing dates in April and May only. Daylight on the north coast goes from about thirteen hours at the start of April to seventeen by the end. By late May it barely gets dark at all.

The catch is the weather. Helicopters do not fly in low cloud or strong wind, and spring on the north coast has both. Book more days than you need, and expect to lose one or two.

The heli-skiing day

Sóti Summits’ Classic Heliskiing Day Tour is from €1000 per person. That buys about one hour of flying, around eight runs and 16,000 feet of skiing, a night at Sóti Lodge in Fljót, transport to the landing site and pickup from Akureyri airport. Skis and avalanche safety gear are included. Bring your own boots, helmet and goggles.

The helicopter takes four skiers, a guide and a pilot. Seats are sold one by one, so you may share with strangers. The guide picks the peaks each morning around Siglufjörður, Ólafsfjörður and Fljót, according to the snow.

The cancellation terms are hard. Cancel more than 150 days out and you pay nothing. Inside 150 days you pay 20%, and inside six days 50%. Check that your travel insurance covers heli-skiing. Many policies do not.

Learning to ski tour

If you ski well on piste but have never toured, start with a course. The backcountry skiing course is a weekend on Tröllaskagi with a guide, two nights at Sóti Lodge and all meals. The €160 you pay to book is a deposit only, and it is not refundable. You bring your own touring skis, skins and avalanche kit, and you need to be fit.

Longer trips

Two six-day trips suit people who already ski tour. The Backcountry Skiing Adventure in North Iceland is from €3211. The Sea to Summit ski touring trip in the Westfjords is from €4790. It goes to Hornstrandir, the empty nature reserve north of Ísafjörður, reached only by boat. Read our Hornstrandir guide to see what that means. Both have one or two departures a season, so book early.

What about ordinary ski resorts?

Iceland has small lift-served ski areas, Bláfjöll near Reykjavík and Hlíðarfjall above Akureyri, but we do not sell lift passes. They are fine for a local afternoon. They are not a reason to fly to Iceland. Open days depend on snow and wind, and some winters are poor.

Getting there

Fly from Reykjavík to Akureyri, about 45 minutes, or drive about five hours. From Akureyri it is about an hour and a half to Fljót through the tunnels via Ólafsfjörður and Siglufjörður. In spring the roads are usually clear, but snow can close them for a day.

Our honest take

If you are a strong off-piste skier and can give it four or five days, a heli-skiing day on Tröllaskagi is the best skiing Iceland has. Book it with spare days, and insure it properly.

If you have never skied off-piste, do not start here. Take the weekend course first, or come in summer and hike the same mountains. And if you just want a few runs during a holiday, Iceland is the wrong place. Go to the Alps.