Club expedition to Lofoten – Summer 2019
During August 2019 the LCC will be returning to the Lofoten archipelago, in arctic Norway, which we visited in 2015.
Where?
The Lofoten archipelago is a group of 6 islands close to the coast of northern Norway. They lie approximately 150km north of the Arctic Circle.
Why?
Lofoten is a breathtakingly stunning sea kayaking destination. Granite mountains, sandy coves and narrow fjords combine to make it, well, simply gobsmacking.
Although above the Arctic Circle, the warm Gulf Stream makes Lofoten much milder than other northern areas in the world that are at the same latitude, like Alaska and Greenland. Temperatures in August range from about 5 to 20o C, while water temperatures are around 9-12o C.
When?
Proposed dates are 8th to 19th August 2019. The outline itinerary is:
Fly from Manchester to Svolvær in Lofoten (via Oslo and Bodø) on the 8th August. Spend the night in a cabin on the coast.
Paddle between 9th and 17th August (no firm route as yet, but there are lots of options, including a circumnavigation of 1 or more of the islands)
Spend the 18th August chilling and doing ‘dry land’ things (accommodation in cabins on nights of 17th and 18th)
Fly back on the 19th August
The dates are based on the current availability/cost of flights and the availability of boats at the kayak hire company.
What will it cost?
Kayak hire will be around £430 per person for 9 days, and at the moment the cost of return flights is £400 per person (but see below). There will also be the cost of ‘trip food’ from a supermarket in Lofoten, plus budget accommodation on the night we arrive and for 2 nights before we depart (about £125 pp for the 3 nights combined). We will wild camp from our kayaks the rest of the time. All prices are approximate and based on current exchange rates.
Who’s it for?
Numbers are limited to a maximum of 8 people. You should be experienced in camping out of your boat and paddling up to about 30-40 km per day (although most days will be shorter). All participants must be able to withstand my awful jokes. Please give me a summary of your sea kayaking experience if I’ve not paddled with you before.
Important stuff
We will be using the same kayak hire company as in 2015 (Lofoten Aktiv). I have contacted them, and they have boats available for the intended dates. However, they will not reserve a booking until a deposit is received. Therefore, I will need 50% of the kayak hire from every person within a few days of them committing to attend the trip. It is likely that there will also be a deposit needed for the accommodation.
The best flights seem to be with SAS Airways. At the moment, the outward and return legs can be done in 1 day, albeit with a few hours wait in Oslo and Bodo and a late arrival at Svolvær. However, from previous experience the ’best’ (i.e. shortest) connections all become fully booked very quickly, and there may be risk of having to take a 2 day circuitous route each way if we leave it too late (and there is risk that prices will go up). It would be a good idea for each person to book flights early (i.e. Jan/Feb).
Let me know by email (not ‘reply to all) if you would like to come along. Names will be ‘picked from a hat’ if demand exceeds available places.
Andy Garland
