Safe Return Doubtful

In the summer, the Alpine landscape of the Lyngen range attracts mountaineers and hikers from all over the world. In the winter, the Alps are known as Norway’s finest destination for summit skiing trips, notably Jiehkkevárri (at 1,834 m). The area has protected status in order to preserve the environment, which has more than 140 glaciers. The area has a special geology, as well as cultural relics that tell the story of Sámi, Norwegian and Kven history.

After watching and reviewing the film Time and Water earlier this week, it is relevant to note that some of Norway’s glaciers have retreated by as much as 2.5 kilometres since the beginning of the last century; less this far north, though the Steindals glacier here in Lyngen has retreated 638 metres since 1998. 

I’ve spent much longer in the area than I did on previous visits. On Sunday after hiking out to the tip of the first of the three slim peninsulas on the north coast, I drove around to the second and found a place to stay at the winter sports track above the village of Styrmannstøa. I met nobody except an old American guy out for his evening walk. We chatted briefly, he was originally from Montana, and had been living here with his Norwegian wife for the last ten years. There are some really nice properties on this peninsula in particular. 

The following morning we walked out to the furthest point, the easiest walk of the three, and then drove around the fjord to the third peninsula. It was raining, and locals were saying that summer was over, as the day’s maximum was just 9C; these peninsulas are quite exposed to the weather though. 

Using the Park4Night site, options to stopover at Russelv are a private residence, offering a  mucky grass verge on the roadside for 10 euros, or the official parking place, which operates through the EasyPark app, and costs 5 euros per hour. However, a rough trail, just about passable with a vehicle such as mine, leads on towards the peninsula. There was a French old style VW there already. It was a great place, about a kilometre further on, and away from any houses, so fine by Norwegian law. Indeed, the following evening with the weather slightly improved, there were several vans there. 

The walk out to the Lyngstuva lighthouse on this peninsula is further than the other two peninsulas, and in its last section much more difficult, as it involves gaining some height over some awkward rock. Rua seems to relish this sort of terrain and looks at me as if to ask why I am going so slowly. 

We had been away from a fresh water fill up and supermarket for six days now, so on Wednesday morning moved on, again the long way around the fjord, with a ferry to cross a stretch of it, and then onto the island of Uløya. This is one of the islands I haven’t yet visited, though it is only a ten minute ferry crossing from the E6, which I had rejoined at Olderdalen after the ferry. 

I didn’t know what to expect on Uløya, expect that I knew that on its west coast it would have a view of Lyngen. In its only village, Hamnes, it was obvious campervans were not welcome as there were several signs up saying ‘no camping’; reasonable really, as they would be clearly visible from the E6 and attract very many. I asked a young guy, who it turned out worked at the smart lodge which was just up the hill. He said to head out on the rough road along the west of the island and there were a few places there. In the end I settled for the very end of the road, where there is an incredible view of the Lyngen mountains. It was deserted, though the two ladies from the house nearby arrived back during the evening, but they just waved. 

It was a cold evening for August, at 8C with showery rain, but Rua and I walked further along the coast to a magnificent hut, the sort of thing that rural Norwegians really take pride in. 

This morning the rain has cleared, in fact there has barely been a cloud on the sky all day. The tide was out at 10:30 am also, which enabled us to walk along the sandy beach for a couple of kilometres back south, and then sit outside for the afternoon to get on with some work.. it’s been a while since the weather has been decent enough to do this comfortably.