Lofoten, land of cloud
Reine, Lofoten
Lofoten, the archipelago of islands arcing out into the Arctic waters are considered the best cruising ground of northern Norway. Remote anchorages and dramatic coastline with the most magnificent mountain scenery. This had always been our destination and the furthest north we intended to sail. A fine place to spend midsummer and enjoy the land of the midnight sun.
The reality was a little different. We arrived in thick fog and tied up to the pontoon in Sørvågen. The following day we walked to the end of the island where the road stops in the town simply named Å. Here we saw more of the cod drying racks, many now emptying of their load as the season was coming to an end. We visited the Tørrfisk museum, explaining the air dried cod industry, and learnt that much of the cod fished and dried was destined for the Portugese market. The heads, we saw later, were considered a speciality in Nigerian cuisine. The clouds hung low over the mountains as we made our way to the next town up the chain of islands, to Reine.
A couple of days later the clouds finally lifted and we could see the peak of Reinebringen towering over the town. The sun emerged and the raw beauty of this area was apparent. In the fine company of Peter (yes Supertramp Peter) we went for a climb.
Reinebringen is 615m (2000ft) and is a popular hike. The Nepalese craftsmen had been busy and the steps all the way to the top made it a manageable and safer climb than in the past. The sun stayed out and the clouds stayed away allowing us to enjoy magnificent views over the town and north east along the chain of Lofoten islands.
The following day we pulled up the anchor and sailed northeast, looking for a quiet spot where we could make water and do other housekeeping chores for a couple of days. We found the perfect spot in Strømøy, where Brian also managed to top up our fish supply in the freezer. The cloud returned and we moved on to another classic spot in Lofoten, Henningsvœr.
Henningsvœr looking toward Vågakollen.
Lake on the climb up Vågakollen.
The clouds descended again and the forecast indicated unsettled weather for the forseeable future. We realized we were unfortunately not likely to see the midnight sun under these conditions and in the time we had available, so we cut our losses and left the islands, heading back toward mainland. We would begin our journey south, retracing our steps but finding new places to explore.