What Are the Best Touring Skis for the Lyngen Alps?

One of the most common questions I get before a ski touring week in Norway is:

“Which skis should I bring to Lyngen?”

There is no single answer. A lot depends on your skiing style, your expectations for the descent and, of course, the overall weight of your setup.

For several years now, I have been supported by Völkl. Of course, there are many excellent touring skis on the market, but I have been skiing on Völkl for many years and have always been extremely happy with them. Through my work with the World Ski Test, I also get the chance to test almost all current touring and freeride models from the major brands every year. That makes me even more confident in working with a brand I genuinely believe in.

The Right Balance Between Ascent and Descent

When choosing touring skis, many people first think about the descent. That is understandable—everyone dreams of perfect powder turns.

But for me, overall performance matters just as much. A ski needs to perform well on the descent, but it also needs to move efficiently on the ascent. Most ski tours in the Lyngen Alps involve around 1,000 metres of ascent, and only rarely much more than 1,200. That may not sound extreme, but over the course of a ski touring week it quickly adds up to around 6,000 vertical metres. At that point, every extra gram on your feet makes a difference.

Many people assume that you need very wide freeride skis for Norway. My experience is slightly different. Of course, skis wider than 100 mm underfoot offer advantages in deep powder. However, the snow in the Lyngen Alps is often a little denser than classic champagne powder. Extra flotation is therefore not always the most important factor. Stability, smooth handling in variable snow and a good balance between weight and downhill performance are often more important.

Völkl Rise High 88 – Light and Efficient

My lightest touring ski is the Völkl Rise High 88. I originally bought it for Lyngen på langs, the multi-day ski traverse across the Lyngen Alps with long stages and many metres of ascent. This is exactly what the ski was designed for: light, efficient and comfortable on the climb.

Over time, however, I realised that the Rise High 88 can do much more. It skis surprisingly well and is also great fun on normal day tours. I now use it far more often than I originally expected.

Combined with the Dalbello Quantum Evolution, it creates an extremely light setup, especially suited to longer ascents and anyone who wants to save energy throughout the day.

Völkl Rise 96 – My All-Rounder

If I could take only one ski to Lyngen, it would without doubt be the Völkl Rise 96.

With its slightly wider waist, it offers more support in soft snow than the 88, while still remaining pleasantly light. This versatility makes it my standard choice for most conditions in the Lyngen Alps.

Depending on the tour, I combine it either with the lightweight Dalbello Quantum Evolution or, when I want to focus more on the descent, with my Dalbello Cabrio 120.

For most ski tours in Norway, this is my first-choice setup.

Völkl Blaze 104 – When the Powder Calls

On really good powder days, I choose the Völkl Blaze 104.

Its wider construction provides excellent stability and confidence, even when the snow becomes more demanding or when skiing at higher speeds. That is what I appreciate most about this ski. The extra flotation is nice, but for me the smooth and stable ride on the wide-open slopes of the Lyngen Alps is even more important.

Despite its 104 mm waist, the overall weight remains reasonable because I ski it with a Marker Alpinist binding. My boot of choice for this setup is the Dalbello Lupo 130—a combination clearly focused on maximum downhill performance. On the older Lupo models, the tongue could be removed for the ascent, which made a huge difference in uphill comfort. For the 2026/27 season, a new model with this feature is planned.

Which Touring Skis Are Best for Lyngen?

The Lyngen Alps offer a wide range of snow conditions throughout the season. From cold powder in February to mixed spring conditions and perfect corn snow in May, everything is possible.

In my opinion, the ideal ski width for most ski tourers is somewhere between 90 and 100 mm underfoot. This gives you an excellent balance between weight, uphill efficiency and downhill performance.

If you want to cover more vertical metres or prefer a more efficient ascent, you will quickly appreciate a lighter ski. If your main focus is the descent and you love fresh powder, a slightly wider model may be the better choice.

My Conclusion

All three skis have their place in my gear room and are used every year in the Lyngen Alps.

If I had to choose just one, it would be the Völkl Rise 96. It combines low weight, great versatility and excellent skiing performance in a way that makes it the best choice for most ski tours in Northern Norway.

In the end, however, there is no perfect ski for everyone. What matters is that your equipment matches your skiing style and the tours you are planning. A lighter ski that still leaves you with energy for the descent after six touring days will often bring more joy than a heavy freeride setup with maximum flotation.

If you think of your equipment as a complete system—skis, bindings and boots—you will have more fun in the Lyngen Alps in the long run. Because in the end, it is not only about the best descent, but about the performance of an entire ski touring week.

Here you can find more information about my guided ski touring weeks in the Lyngen Alps.