Day 7 and 8: Final adventures and returning home

Location: Fredvang, Bodø

Mountain: Mulstostinden

There was one more morning remaining on the Lofoten Islands before taking the ferry and returning to mainland Norway. The hike began on Ytresand Plateau which we traversed before asending the path from the headland to the summit. This peak was significantly lower than the others and this coupled with the adaptation I'd built up to the rocky terrain meant I found it realtively easy going. I descended first, enjoying picking up the pace and hopping over the boulders, living up to my nickname of "the gazelle" that the group had referred to me as throughout the week. I rested on the flat patch of land at the base of the headland and watched out for any potential white-tailed sea eagle sightings. These predators live on the Lofoten islands all year round and a substantial population reside here. Even at this lattitude the sea never freezes up here due to the Gulf stream mellowing the winter temperatures, so this provides an abundance of fish to feed the eagles all year round. Unfortunetly, I didn't see any but was happy to see their habitat and imagined them powerfully diving down to the waters to catch fish.

After the morning hike we returned on a taxi to the ferry terminal that would return us to Bodø. We drove past the waters where I'd spotted whales a few days earlier and the taxi driver pointed unenthusiatically out the window and said, "Orcas", in a tone that made it sound as if he sees them everyday but felt obliged to tell us. I peered out the window and saw a really large fin which belonged to a male and three to four other smaller ones were further out at sea. It seems that they like this spot , I wished I didn't have a ferry to catch and I could just gaze out at them and watch them find their lunch. We had a little wait for the ferry so I wandered off to a cafe to get a tea and a coffee for Flo; he is a typical frenchman and needs a constant coffee supply. I felt sleepy on the ferry and swtiched between daydreaming as I looked out the window to drifting on the edge of sleep. In my sleepy state I convinced myself that every ripple on the water or wave was a whale, but it was just wishful thinking in my delirious state. Bodø was relatively busy when we arrived as a cruise had docked earlier in the afternoon. I went for a little explore of the town, it is one of the fastest growing urban areas of Norway as people seek the tranquility of the Arctic while still having the comfort of nearby ammenties. Following this, I met the others at a restaurant on the seafront for a final dinner and drinks before parting ways for our onward journeys.

It's easy to lose track of time in a land where the sun doesn't set. I had a great evening, reliving our adventures and discussing past and future endeavours before wandering back along the peaceful seafront, watching the water glisten in the midnight sun. Beyond here lies stories of endless queues, chaotic airport dashes to meet tight flight connections and heavy eyelids on a long coach journey home. The transition from the peaceful serenity of this remote patch of the Arctic Circle to the hectic queues at Heathrow passport control was a little unsettling. From the crystal clear water that whales call their home, jagged mountains that majestically guard the sides of the fjord and secluded beaches where the waves wash up driftwood onto the shore. To a dense population of weary travellers impatiently waiting for their luggage, the chorus of suitcase wheels accompanied by the hum of the baggage conveyor belt, the artificial lighting and stuffy air. The two settings couldn't have been more different and I always find after these trips it takes a little adjustment to manage this transition.

As I drifted asleep I thought back to what I had experienced and felt grateful to have visited this part of the world. The landscape of the Lofoten Islands felt remote. A sense of remoteness is becoming harder to find in the world. Most of our maps show a meshwork of roads with natural features of the land represented as vague, irrelevant background shadings. We have tunnelled through mountains, re-routed waterways and felled trees to create a complex network of mobile civilisations to connect our towns and cities. But travelling to the far North helped me see that between the sprawling urban settlements, the dense web of roads and thick polluted air - wildness still exists and I'll continue to find it.