Skiing
In Akureyri and surroundings there are great conditions for skiing. Season from end November till June depending on the sort of skiing preferred and areas chosen. The main downhill skiing area and one of the best in Iceland is in Mt. Hlíðarfjall which is just above the town Akureyri.
Other ski areas close to Akureyri are in Dalvík, Siglufjörður and Sauðárkrókur.
For Cross country skiing there are mainly two areas one belonging to the Mt. Hliðarfjall ski area and another in Kjarnaskogur forest just south of Akureyri town. During peak of winter the trail between Akureyri and village Hrafnagil which is about 8 km is also groomed for cross country skiing.
The mountains and valleys close to town offer great possibilities for mountain skiing.
For more details regarding each ski area look further down the page.
Hlíðarfjall
Phone: (+354) 462 2280
Email: hlidarfjall@hlidarfjall.is
Webpage: hlidarfjall.is
Updated information regarding opening hours, weather etc..
Mt Hlíðarfjall ski centre is the main downhill skiing area, just 5 km above the town. The area is normally open from around beginning of December till end of April. The area offers good conditions for downhill and snowboards. The ski lifts can transport about 4,920 persons an hour. The elevation in the ski slopes ranges from 500 m to 1000 m above sea level, and there is therefore plenty of snow during the winter. In total there are 24 ski slopes and 7 lifts in Mt. Hlíðafjall ski centre.
Note that for tickets must be bought prior to arrival on the ski areas web page to do so you need to have a ski pass and those can be bought at N1 gas stations both in Akureyri and in Reykjavík.
The main service building in the ski centre is called Skíðastaðir or Skíðahótelið (the ski hotel even though it is not a hotel), it stands in 506 meters hight above sea level. In the building are ticket office, restaurant, restrooms and in the nearby building is ski rental and pick-nick cottage available for all skiers to use free of charge. Another building, smaller and with more limited service/catering and restrooms is higher up in the mountain (700 meters above sea level) is in the ski hut „Strýtuskáli“, only accessible with the chairlift „Fjarkinn“.
A large parking area is found by the main service building Skíðastaðir, at the ski areas lowest point.
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Cross Country Skiing in Mt. Hlíðarfjall
The cross-country skiing area of Mt. Hlíðarfjall contains 5 trails, 1.2 km to 10 km of length. Ski equipment can be rented by the Akureyri ski club (Skíðafélag Akureyrar) in the club house by the trails. The area is open until 10pm and the trails are luminated. Restrooms for skiers are in the club house. To use the area, one must buy either a season pass, or day passes, information about buying a pass for the crosscountry trails. If the ticket is bought on the net a receipt in an email will do if asked to show proof of payment.
Parking for the Cross Country trails is just below the club house, which is just north of the main service building „Skíðastaðir“at Mt. Hlíðarfjall.
Cross Country Skiing in Kjarnaskógur woods
The biggest organized cross country skiing area (in woodland) containing up to 20 km of groomed trails, of which 6 km are illuminated. For information regarding the trails and when they were groomed , the colours on the map indicate the hours since the trails were last groomed. Green, orange and pink are from few hours up to 48 hours, while light blue, dark blue and grey are from 2 days up to more than 14 days.
The area consist of several woodlands and recreational areas connected by tails, those areas are Kjarnaskógur, Hamrar (camping) and Naustaborgir
There are parking’s in several places. By Naustaborgir at the end of the street Ljómatún, by the service building at the camping site Hamrar and in 5 different places in the Kjarnaskógur woods.
Restrooms are located by two of the parking sites in Kjarnaskógur woods.
Mountainskiing
and skiing outside of groomed pists
A sport getting more and more popular is to go mountain skiing or croos country skiing. The area surrounding Akureyri offers multiple possibilities within that field.
Below we list some suggestions, but we would like to emphasis that all skiing outside groomed trails are ones own risk. Danger can be hidden under the snow such as obstacles or even danger of avalances.
It is important that those who skii outside groomed tails or areas do it in a responsible way e.g. by joining a group and have neccessary emergency equipment as a snow shovel, avalanche transceiver and avalanceh probe and know how to use it. To have undertaken a course in avalances is a must.
For information regarding safe travel visit SAFE TRAVEL
It is reccomended to go with experienced and outhorised mountainguides or companies.
Below we have made a list of some of those providing courses and tours in Akureyri and neigbouring areas.
*Akureyri ski club: Skíðafélag Akureyrar - fjallaskíðadeild
*Mountainiers: Bergmenn Fjallaleiðsögumenn
*Mountainskiing: Fjallaskíðun
*Akureyri Touring Club: Ferðafélag Akureyrar
Popular places close to Akureyri are:
*Hlíðarfjall – Please follow the attached safety guidlines - look here,
A map of where mountainskiiers are reccomennded to aproach the mountain - backcountry track
*Þingmannahnjúkur
*Kaldbakur
*Glerárdalur
*Vaðlaheiði
*Súlumýrar
Stores with outdoor and skiing equpment
*Stor in Mt Hlíðarfjall
Phone: 462 2280
Smaller items as helmets, sunscreen, mittens, gloves and socks.
*Skíðaþjónustan
Fjölnisgötu 4b
603 Akureyri
Phone: 4621713
Skis, snowboards, helmets, goggles, shoos ect. Also reparations and maintenance of ski gear.
*Sportver ehf
Glerártorgi
600 Akureyri
Phone: 461 1445
Outdoor clothing, ski-goggles and helmets.
*Hornið, veiði- og sportvöruverslun
Kaupvangsstræti 4
600 Akureyri
Phone: 461 1516 & 461 1537
Netfang: utivistogveidi@simnet.is
Outdoor clothing, ski equipment, helmets and goggles
*Ellingsen
Óseyri 4
600 Akureyri
Phone: 580 8500
Outdoor clothing and accessories.
*Útisport
Dalsbraut 1
600 Akureyri
Phone: 461 1488
Outdoor clothing and cross country ski equipment.
*Púkinn/Mohawks
Hafnarstræti 22
600 Akureyri
Sími: 571 3188
Netfang: pukinnak@gmail.com
Útivistarfatnaður, snjóbretti ofl.
*IceWare
Hafnarstræti 106
600 Akureyri
Sími: 4607450
Útivistarfatnaður
* 66°North
Hafnarstræti 94
Heimasíða: 66north.com
Útivistarfatnaður
*Ullarkistan
Glerártorgi
Heimasíða: ullarkistan.is
Ullarfatnaður