Sailing Polarisvideo
#74 | Arctic Winter Aboard: Off-Trail Snow Adventures Through Norway’s Wilderness
June 13, 2025 · 26 min · 2K views
What this video covers
Daniel and Kathrin, owners of the boat Polaris, spend their winter in Finnsnes, Norway, engaging in local hiking and skiing while preparing for a summer voyage to Svalbard. The pair utilizes the Varden mountain, which rises 410 meters above sea level, for fitness training and winter recreation. They navigate the terrain using handheld GPS units and the Skispoor Mobile app to locate prepared cross-country tracks. To adapt to the Arctic environment, they purchase fjell skis—a hybrid between cross-country and randonnée equipment—and attempt to master the Telemark turn. Their excursions include hiking to the Vardenhut and skiing the 535-meter Steinfjell, where they encounter icy conditions and strong winds. The crew also explores historical sites, including a World War II-era bunker, and observes local wildlife tracks. Despite their experience as alpine skiers, they find the icy, steep terrain of local slopes challenging and occasionally retreat to the shelter of forested areas to escape wind chill.
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