Lofoten Return

Reine - a classic Lofoten view

I visited Lofoten last July with Mum and Dad - it is an amazing place in north Norway, and we decided that it was worth the expense for Al and Amber to see it too - I was certainly excited to go back there again. So Al, Amber and I took the plane up to Bodø from Trondheim on Sunday evening. The 10 hour drive takes a mere 60 minutes by plane. We were hoping for some exciting views from the plane but unfortunately it was pretty cloudy.

Chris had had to stay behind in Trondheim because this was his last week of preparation for the World Orienteering Championships (WOC) which would start in Trondheim the following week.

We arrived in Bodø at 8pm and trudged down to the same campground that Mum, Dad, Chris and I had stayed at last year. We had to muck around sorting out a hire car in the morning, but eventually got one sorted and drove up toward the ferry crossing from Tyssfjorden to Lødingen. It was cloudy, but we still enjoyed the craggy scenery and raw rock mountain sides.

Heading up to Lødingen in our wee hire car


Tunnel from a cliff

Colourful boats

On the car ferry to Lødingen. It takes about 1.5 hours to get there.

We found a little cabin to stay in just outside of Lødingen. In the morning clouds continued to hang low about the mountain tops, but we were not deterred from our adventure from Svolvær into the Trollfjord - a very spectacular and narrow fjord with no road access at all.

The Svolvær church with the goats horns in the background which you can jump between if you are a bit crazy.

We requested the boat driver to drop us at the end of the fjord - and surprised the other tourists on the boat by clambering onto the jetty and waving farewell. We just had to hope they would remember to pick us up the following day!

Heading into the Trollfjord

From Svolvær into Trollfjord by boat

In the Trollfjord

There is a little DNT hut called Trollfjordhytte about 1.5 hours rough walk from the end of the Trollfjord. We made our way along a big pipeline which Al and I tottered along (it was scary!) and Amber strolled along as if it was a massive footpath.

Making our way along the scary pipeline

Arctic scrubbiness

View from Trollfjordhytte window

Of course we had to have another chilly swim at the lake beside the hut, then we lazed about in the hut enjoying the company of 4 friendly Norwegian 'locals' who all came from Halvstad and were perhaps a little surprised by these three Kiwis who had somehow found out about this cozy little hut.

Trollfjordhytte

Wednesday dawned clear and sunny - finally we had our perfect Lofoten day. We descended back down to the fjord in 45 minutes, then got to watch to wonderful old sailing boats anchor at the little jetty. By the time our boat arrived to pick us up we had to clamber over two ships to get onto our one!

Two beautiful old ships in Trollfjord, we had to climb over both to get to our boat

Looking back at the anchored boats in Trollfjord

The 1.5 hour boat trip back to Svolvær was beautiful, and we even got swooped on by a huge sea eagle that knew this boat had a fish to throw out for it.

Our sea eagle siting

Once back to the car we continued along the amazing road past Henningsvær, and the colourful fishing village of Reine. Amber was stoked and took some great pictures. In the evening sun we climbed up to Munkebu near Å at the tip of the Lofoten and pitched our tents with a great view of the lakes and sea.

Golden sand and such clear water

Fish racks near Henningsvær

Evening light made in Reine

Enormous raspberries!

After a chilly night I awoke and discovered a strange cloud had descended on all the hills, but the tops of the peaks still poked through the clouds.

My tent is the wee orange blob

On our way up to the peak with low clouds hanging about the tops

Munkebu

On top of Hermanndalstinden

Eerie morning cloud

We set out for a climb of Hermanndalstinden, which rises quite steeply from the Krokvatnet. We climbed up through deep cloud to suddenly emerge above the sea of cloud. It was just like being in an airplane, other peaks could be seen poking out of the cloud in every direction.

After enjoying the summit for a while we dropped back in the cloud and back down the steep track to Munkebu. By the time we made it out back to Å it was 6pm, and we were all feeling a bit tired and smelly, so we found a little cabin by the sea and bought dinner from the supermarket.

Friday had arrived all too soon, we had to fly out from Bodø at 10pm that evening, so we cued quite early for the 3 hour ferry trip back to the mainland. It was sunny again, but still chilly in the cool breeze as we sat out on the deck to enjoy the trip. Sadly another great trip to the Lofoten was over - that is such an amazing place.

Leaving Lofoten - looking back to the town of Å, with the distant island of Værøy in the background

We had time for a quick visit to look at the Oceans of Rock peak which we climbed with Mum and Dad last time we were in Bodø. Interestingly about 10 days after this picture was taken Chris was back here with Ian and Anne and they climbed it again!