Route: Eggum
Area: Norway, Lofoten Islands
Date of walk: 28th July 2017
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 6.5 miles
Ascent: 700 feet
Weather: Sun and blue skies
Today’s walk was a ‘there and back’ coastal walk starting from near the little village of Eggum on the west coast of the island. Having parked our rented car at Borga, a circular World War II radar station, we set off along an easy path with the sea on our right and spectacular mountain scenery on our left
The area is a nature reserve and we had some good sightings, including a sea eagle soaring above our heads and an otter working the shoreline, but in both cases I was too slow to catch a decent photo
After passing by Heimredalsvatnet lake, set in a wonderful position below fearsome crags, we arrived at the iron and granite ‘head’ sculpture by Markus Raetz, which uncannily changes form as one walks around it. Beyond this point the going gradually became rockier and as we reached the headland progress became tortuously slow as we clambered up and down over large boulders
Eventually we arrived at the far point of our walk – the lighthouse on the headland. The path continues further along the coast, but we had insufficient time to extend the walk, as we were en route to our next destination on the islands, the village of Mortsund, where we’d be staying for the next 3 nights
It had been another memorable day on the Lofoten Islands
Click on the icon below for the route map
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We say our fond farewells to Svinøya Rorbuer in Svolvær and continue our Journey to Å in our hired car
On the way to our next destination in Mortsund we pause for a walk starting from Borga Eggum, a radar installation built by the Germans to watch the convoys of Murmansk
Navigation is easy - keep the sea to the right until the furthest point of the walk, and then to the left on the way back
We pass by a large lake called Heimredalsvatnet
Further along the track...
The 'Head' by Markus Raetz, which uncannily changes shape 16 times as you walk around it
Now it's upside down
The sculpture is crafted out of iron and granite
Cormorants on a rock which they obviously visit often - the area is a nature reserve and further along we saw an otter and a sea eagle, but I was too busy gawping to take a photo
Beyond the sculpture the track gradually narrows into a path
Looking inland as we pass by the smaller lake of Utdalsvatnet
The path continues to Unstad, although we will turn back earlier, on reaching the lighthouse
Oystercatcher on the shore
The path becomes rockier as we approach the headland
At one point the upper path has been washed away and we descend to the beach in order to make further progress
From here there is nothing northwards until the North Pole
Looking back...
The far point of the walk for us as we reach the lighthouse at Kleivheia
Looking along the coast before we retrace our steps
A few photos of the return journey...
Harebells
A final gaze out to sea as we reach the end of the walk
An hour or two later we arrive at the Rorbu in Mortsund, our base for the next couple of nights, and I treat myself to a cheeky malt
Although Mortsund is on the east of the island, there are wonderful sunset views looking west...
The sun goes down (briefly) on a wonderful day in the Lofotens
