There are a lot of pretty places in the world, but we’ve yet to find one more consistently beautiful than Norway’s Lofoten Islands. There are also a lot of mountains in the world, but few are as ripe for adventure as these. With endless possibilities in a range seldom explored in winter, it’s hard to believe Lofoten is real sometimes.

Imagine a storybook landscape of craggy peaks of rock, ice and snow coming right down to crystal blue fjords. If you can turn that image up to eleven, you’re starting to get at Lofoten. A paradise for skiers, this Arctic playground should also be on every ice and mixed climber’s radar, though we’re glad it isn’t because we’ve yet to see another climber out in the mountains in winter - ever.

Norway is famous for its ice, and while Lofoten does have plenty of waterfalls, what really makes it special is its alpine mixed climbing. Days out in Lofoten often follow a similar theme. Begin by driving in the dark to park somewhere near the water. Start hiking as the sun comes up over the water, pick your jaw up as the sky casts a glow on everything, then climb a mix of perfect ice, solid granite, and frozen “torf” or moss to a beautiful summit where you will again have a hard time believing the view. Most likely you’ll have climbed a new route (or made a rare repeat), but either way, you’ll have gone for an adventure and done some of the best climbing of your life. Then you’ll come home to your cozy Scandinavian chic cabin, have a sauna, maybe a dip in the fjord, and be ready for your delicious dinner at the lodge, then do it again tomorrow, or maybe ski or board some powder if you’re into that sort of thing. Sound good yet?