Hiking and Fishing in Lofoten

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I remember the exact moment I first saw a photograph of Lofoten. Nothing I had seen before even came close and I found it hard to believe that it was a real place. Having seen it in hundreds of photographs throughout the years had not prepared me for the beauty that nature etched into this land. Green mountains rising from the depths of the Norwegian sea carry the stories of the last 2 billion years. Peaks bearing the black scars of ancient earthquakes, shores covered in wildflowers and turquoise clear waters are cradles of life where you can find elks, foxes, stoats, whales, seals, fish and numerous birds.
Minutes away from the rorbu that I was staying in lay the trail to Nonstinden, a mountain on the island of Vestvågøya, in Lofoten. Racks filled with dry fish and rocky trails led to white stairs that took me to Ballstadheia, a grassy heath at around 200 metres altitude, where wildflowers swayed in the wind. The way to the top was steep but, once I reached it, I was rewarded with incredible views of the archipelago. At 459 metres high, the peak overlooks the village of Ballstad, with its fishing boats glimmering in the midnight sun and its red, yellow and white houses adorning the harbours. The mountain cradled numerous lakes in the valley below and to my left I could see the ominous jagged peaks of Skottinden and Sengestokken, reaching towards the sun, while the Norwegian sea embraced the islands from all directions.
It was almost 3 am when we reached Volandstinden. The midnight sun was in full force, but a shroud of clouds was covering the whole mountain. My dad and I couldn’t even see where the trail was supposed to start so we decided to take a stroll and then we went for a drive. It was the first time when we were so far in the southwest of the Flakstadøy island. We crossed the Kubbholmleia bridge into Moskenesøya and I felt disappointed. For the first time I had given up on a hike. I knew that pursuing it would mean getting home at 6 in the morning and a sleepless night, but part of me was not content. We turned the car around. Upon our return we saw the peak rising from the clouds, like a fin breaking through the sea surface.
In the north of the Vestvägey island you can find Uttakleiv, a small community of 22 permanent residents. Their association has worked tirelessly over the last few years to develop the area and
accommodate visitors. People can now park their vans, pitch their tents and make use of the many fire pits scattered across the beach, while admiring the crashing waves from a bench or a stone table. They can hike up to Veggen or walk around it, all the way to Haukland Beach.
The uniquely shaped rocks of Ryten rise at 543 metres above the Norwegian Sea, a body of water which has been proven to affect the country’s mild winters more than the Gulf Stream. On my birthday we went to hike the peak, but as soon as we drove into Moskensøy, a deep dark blanket of clouds covered the sky. My father and I started hiking, worrying that the reduced visibility will persist all the way to the top. The cold winds and humidity seemed to shatter any hope of a unique view of the landscape at the end of the hike. However, our disappointment turned to excitement with the first hikers we encountered. They were beyond themselves with happiness at what they had witnessed on the peak. Everybody coming down the mountain was urging us to climb and experience it for ourselves. The scene unfolding in front of our eyes was incredible: turquoise waves breaking gently on the golden sands of Kvalvika beach, which joined three mountains at the base. To the right, Kjerringa had a crown of clouds streaming from its peak, Moltinden stood in the middle, right below the moon and Torsfjordtinden, to the left, was completely covered in the low clouds created by the temperature inversion. I could not have wished for a better present for my 30th birthday. We sat down, we ate lunch and we smiled at all that beauty.
We also went on a fishing trip, on Trio II, a traditional Norwegian fishing boat. It was a beautiful, warm summer day that yielded a good catch, which made for a great dinner. The captain also gives the fish that people don't take to restaurants, care homes, or families he knows.
On our last day we hiked the Munkebu trail, which leads to the beautiful cabin surrounded by high altitude lakes. It was definitely one of my favourite trails, with a lot of diverse landscape. The path winds around lakes at the bottom of Tindstinden, the impressive Støvla peak with its many waterfalls, overlooks Djupfjorden and crosses snow patches even in summer.
The photographs I took on this trip are part of my Lofoten: Arctic Flyway exhibition, between the 16th and the 18th of September at the Photobookcafe, in London. 25% of proceeds will be donated to BirdLife Norway to help with their conservation work in the archipelago.
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