More island hopping, amazing views and a steep ascent

I like hills and mountains. The landscape in Northern Norway consists of little else but, as someone who gets a touch of vertigo on a thick carpet, I have always believed they are best viewed and admired from afar. However there are those who can't see a peak of any size without wondering what the view is like from the top. Thus it was that I found myself persuaded by the mountaineer in the family to attempt a climb above the fishing village of Sommarøy where we had just spent the night. Unusually for us we had decided to stop on a proper campsite simply because it was laundry time again and they offered a washing machine and a dryer. 

Mountains with tops like jagged teeth

It wouldn't be difficult she said. There was even a handrail. We would climb the steep way up and there was a much easier way down according to reviews she had found on the internet. It turned out that  the reviews were written by people who obviously found the North Face of the Eiger a bit of a stroll. The rocks we were supposed to ascend seemed to climb vertically from the base of the hill. The promised handrail turned out to be a long length of rope, attached to metal poles. Sometimes the rope was actually within reach of the path and some of the metal poles were still safely embedded in the rock. The spaniels took it in their stride, four paw drive is a great asset, but I confess my legs were shaking by the time I got to the top. 

This is my preferred view of the rock climb

Having risked life and limb it was somewhat ironic that, when we reached the summit, I discovered that not only was there a road to the top but a camper van had made itself comfortable alongside the defence installation that crowned the hill. The so called 'easy' path down was negotiable , although in parts I had to resort to an undignified sliding down on my rear. Never was anyone so pleased to finally get back to sea level again. 

We had previously spent two nights at the Knuten Trail Head, close to the village of Mefjord on the island of Senja. This large flat area of ground had stunning views and we decided to stay for two nights so we could do a little cleaning and allow me to carry on with some family history research for a client. Autumn has already arrived this far north of the Arctic Circle and the hot summer days we experienced in our first four weeks in Norway have turned to cooler, rainier weather. Already the leaves here are beginning to turn to red and gold and the short summer is coming to an end.

A Norwegian Puffin Dog

On a stroll through the village we met a local walking his two dogs who asked what breed Max and Elsa were. It turned out that his two were Norwegian Lundehund or Puffin dogs, bred to climb rocks and cliffs when puffins were a major part of the local diet. They have evolved to be able to climb the narrow cliff paths and are capable of bending their heads backwards along their spines and turning their forelegs at a 90 angle to their bodies. To enable them to scramble over rocks they have six toes per foot rather than the canine normal four. They can also fold up their ears to form a watertight seal. They were very friendly.

Having said farewell to Mefjord we drove down more winding roads and through narrow tunnels to the ferry at Botnhamn for the half hour journey to Brensholmen on our way to Sommarøy. This was likely to be our last ferry journey for a while, certainly until we get the boat from Helsinki to Tallinn in September. We have been grateful for our decision to take the bike rack off the van for this trip. Ferry prices in Norway are based on length of vehicle. We sail in at just under 6 metres which means we pay the same as a car. On this trip our fare was the equivalent of £31. Another few inches and it would have cost us more than £60. It pays to be short sometimes. 

The view from the top of the climb

Today we drove to Tromsø having decided to by-pass the city itself. However, a shopping centre next to the airport gave us the chance to get some more groceries and a drop more wine. We were also able to find somewhere to top up with LPG which we rely on for cooking and heating our water. We need to make sure we have plenty in the tank before we arrive in Finland. It's impossible to buy it there. Tonight finds us in a parking area on the side of the E8 road. Just for a while we have had to turn south. Tomorrow we join the E6 and change direction as we head for Nordkapp, the most northerly point in Europe accessible by motor vehicles. Time to break out the winter clothes. 

A panorama of Sommarøy