Day 3: Munkan ascent

Location: Sørvågen

Mountain: Munkan

Today's challenge was the peak of Munkan, a steep rocky ascent surrounded by mountain lakes. I ate a big breakfast to fuel myself for the day ahead and then we began the adventure.

An hour or so into the climb the route began to grow steeper and steeper. Following the heavy rain over the previous days, the rocks were slippy and the route was lined with chains bolted into the ground that can be used to hold onto and pull yourself up the steep incline. In parts it took all my strength to ascend this section, as I gripped onto the chain and hauled myself up. It was tiring but a really rewarding and satisfying to climb this challenging section.

As we ascended higher, patches of snow began to appear and I admired the panoramic views across the island as the clouds lifted. The trail weaved between pristine mountain lakes and patches of snow still clung persistently to the rock. It was lovely to see the snow still here even in the summer, it felt like a reminder that I was above the Arctic circle. I reached down to one of the small patches and made a little snowball that I rolled around in my hands as I rested.

We ate lunch on a small plateau and the team then decided whether to attempt the summit or not. The conditions were relatively clear at this point and Flo, our guide, said it would be safe to continue climbing onto the ridge to reach the summit. Most of the group opted to rest following the already tough ascent while a few of us pushed on further. Flo joked that this was "just a warm up" for me and if anyone was struggling I would carry them down. I was very eager to push for the summit and really in my element, enjoying my time on the mountain - but I wouldn't quite go this far. The views became even more stunning as we ascended higher and despite a few light cloud and fog patches, the neighbouring summits were visible. The push to the ridge was steep and large boulders needed climbing and hopping over. I enjoyed the challenge, each section felt like I was solving a puzzle of where it was safe to place my feet. I felt so present, my mind focused purely on the task at hand, in an almost meditative state. After an hour or so of climbing, we reached the ridge that led to the summit. By this time the cloud had descended and visibility grew poor, dashing my hopes of any view from the summit. I've been on many summits where the cloud doesn't allow for a view, but I have no control over this so can make peace with it. For me, the reward was standing on the summit smiling and feeling happy with my achievement.

Following a few snacks on the summit in the hope the the cloud would clear, we decided to retreat and follow the ridge back down. The return route followed a dried up river bed that descended steeply to a lake we'd passed in the morning. Often summits are ascended and descended without the use of official trails on Lofoten, giving the hiking a real wild feel. The river bed was tough terrain to descend the mountain at such a steep incline and the previous rain had made it quite unstable under foot. By the time we'd reached the lake and returned to the village, I was ready for a cup of tea and a warm shower. Over the previous days I have earned the reputation of being "the energetic one" of the group, so Flo asked me if I would help him out and do the food shopping while he showered. The local shop was at the base of a hill adjacent to the iconic red fishing huts along the harbour. I was happy to help and went off to source the food for dinner while everyone relaxed and recovered.

Today really gave me a taste of this place. The land here is wild. Self-willed and non-compliant to human’s pursuit of order. The streams chose their own path as they descend freely through the rocks and the animals chose where to roam - independent of human direction. Unconfined and unrestricted, with the only boundary being the horizon. Many wild areas in the world have been destroyed or manipulated to serve humans, converted into sprawling urban areas to accommodate our ever-expanding population. But this northerly outpost has not succumbed to this fate and remains wild. Wildness conjures up images of an undomesticated and inhospitable place - devoid of human life. Distant lands of arctic tundra, snow capped unnamed peaks, unbounded forests, alpine glaciers, muddy ground carpeted in a dense web of tree roots - imprinted with tracks of bears. Vast, elemental and isolated. Today has shown me that the back-country of the Lofoten islands encapsulates my vision of a wild place and I am happy to be exploring the mountains of this region.