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Types of Skiing Explained: Alpine, Nordic, Touring & SkateBring in 2027 with us
What to expect
Some groups see in the new year watching fireworks over the Norwegian mountains. Others celebrate in a wood-fired wilderness cabin with no electricity, no signal and nobody else for miles. Either way, you’ll have had a full day of activities outdoors first – we don’t do down days, even at New Years.
Ready to join us?
Small Group Adventures for NYE
Every trip we run is active, but some are a lot more active than others.
Most of our New Year trips are for complete beginners: from learning to cross-country or downhill ski, to trying our snowshoeing or possibly even horse riding. Add in yoga and sauna sessions, as well as incredible new years festivities, and you’ve got the ingredients for a very different way to see in the New Year.
At the harder end, the Finland snowshoe trip means five to six hours a day moving through deep snow, with two nights in off-grid cabins. The Arctic hut-to-hut expedition is also a challenge, as you pull your own pulka 9-15km a day through Finnish wilderness, all whilst wearing skis – definitely Type 2 fun.
Go remote
Learn to cross-country or downhill ski near Jotunheimen, home to Norway’s highest mountains, with a chance to winter kayak on the fjords on your “rest” day too. You could also pair cross-country skiing with yoga and sauna sessions, a horse-sleigh ride and dog-sledding instead at a family-run mountain hotel. For something more remote, head above the Arctic Circle to the Lofoten Islands for a packed itinerary beside the Arctic Ocean.
Learn to cross-country ski on 300km of groomed trails in the Swedish mountains, at a hotel that knows how to do New Year’s Eve. If you’d rather try downhill skiing, we have that too, with small group sessions, night skiing and a twilight sledge ride.
Snowshoe through forests and frozen lakes in a Finnish national park, with saunas, ice swimming and fire-cooked meals. If you want a real challenge to see in the new year, why not try our hut-to-hut backcountry ski expedition across Finnish Lapland, through the Arctic wilderness where Finland, Sweden and Norway meet.
Spend New Year in North Iceland, with Icelandic horses, snowshoeing, whale watching and thermal pools at your own private lodge.
What's the difference?
Our New Year trips cover a wider range of adventures, from a four-night beginner weekend in a cozy hotel, to the toughest winter expedition we run. Each trip will feature plenty of local traditions and New Year festivities, but these may be scaled back when you’re in a remote off-grid cabin in the heart of the Finnish wilderness, rather than celebrating in a busy family-run hotel!
Christmas trips are just as active, but are built more around festive dinners, local traditions and a few surprises too. If you want both, why not check out our Christmas trips and see what works for you.
New Years Eve Trips
Local guides and instructors coach you from your first day and keep everyone safe out in the snow. Your Gutsy Girls host travels with the group, sorts every bit of logistics and makes sure midnight doesn’t pass unnoticed, wherever you are.
We've got you covered
Yes. Most of our guests book solo, and Gutsy Girls was set up for exactly that. You’ll join a small group of women, with a host who makes sure nobody is left out. Friends can book together too, although we limit it to no more than three per trip so that the group stays balanced.
It depends on the trip. In Norway you might be watching fireworks over the mountains, whereas on the Finland snowshoe trip you could be in an off-grid cabin with a wood stove and a sky full of stars. What doesn’t change is that you’ll spend the day outside being active, and see in midnight with the group.
If you want a short trip to try something new, our four-night cross-country ski and yoga weekend in Norway is the adventure for you. For a full week of learning a new sport, try our beginners cross-country ski or learn to downhill ski trips in Norway or Sweden. If you’d like a bit of everything, go for Iceland or Lofoten, or if you want something challenging but also for beginners, check out our Finland snowshoeing trip.
The Arctic Circle Hut-to-Hut Ski Expedition is the most challenging trip we run. You’ll back-country ski, pulling your own pulka (sledge) 9-15km a day through the Arctic wilderness of Finnish Lapland and sleeping each night in basic huts with no electricity or running water. You need previous cross-country skiing experience and a high level of fitness for this one.
Only for the hut-to-hut expedition. Every other New Year trip is suitable for complete beginners, with instruction from day one.
For most of our New Year trips, you need a moderate level of fitness. For these we recommend medium-intensity cardio, like running, cycling or swimming, at least three times a week. The Finland snowshoe trip means five to six hours a day moving through deep snow, whilst the hut-to-hut expedition is our toughest trip, so train for it. The fitter you are, the more you’ll get out of your adventure.
Late December and early January have long, dark nights, and Finland, Lofoten, Iceland and the Arctic wilderness are all good spots to potentially see the Northern Lights. However, nature doesn’t stick to a schedule so it all depends on clear skies and solar activity. Scanning the skies each night is part of the fun though.
In Finland and the Arctic, expect -5°C to -20°C, with the odd drop to -30°C. The Norwegian and Swedish mountains sit at the milder end of that, as do Iceland and Lofoten, but when the wind blows off the Arctic Ocean you’ll definitely feel it. It’s a dry cold though, and the right layers make all the difference. We send a kit list before you travel.
If your trip isn’t guaranteed to run then please hold off booking flights, or book something flexible, until your date is confirmed. If your date has got the green light though you can book whenever you like. Make sure to choose flights that align with your group transfer from the airport too – these will be in your booking portal.
Yes. Our cross-country ski and yoga trip in Sweden runs 20-27 December and 27 December-3 January, so you can stay for both weeks. Otherwise check our Christmas trips to see which adventures align for you!
