What would be considered a “bucket list” item for me has been the desire to backpack the Lofoten Islands Norway. I saw a photo such as this which caused me to find out where this place was. Somewhere in Norway, OK, referred to as an archipelago, interesting. Then it must have been a video such as this  that gave me the full perspective of the Lofoten Islands.

I became a member of the Rando-Lofoten website. Then in late 2018 I received an invitation to join a guided group of up to 20 people for “The Great Crossing of the Lofoten Islands” from north to south. It did not take me long to determine that I could do this. This opportunity dealt with my concern about logistics associated with such a backpacking trek in a land I did not know. There were some administrative details relating to backpacking acumen and liability waivers taken care of in early January. Everything looked good, however, in late January the leader had to back out due to health concerns and the trip fell apart.

The disappointing news was beyond changing my commitment to backpack the Lofoten Islands. The trip organizer allowed all interested participants to communicate with each other to explore possibilities for further collaboration. It turned out that my dream matched up well with a backpacker of similar age from Switzerland. So we plan to meet on July 1st in Svolvaer and will head up to the start of the first segment at the hamlet of Delp. Needless to say I am really looking forward to stepping out of my Western US comfort zone to backpack in one of the most beautiful places on earth. This is above the arctic circle which will mean 24 hours of sunlight. Travel will include 4 flights and a ferry ride each way. But I have given myself up to 16 days in the islands with a few days reserved for Oslo. The Adventure Continues

Checkout these 360 panoramic photos from throughout the Islands.