Rando Lofoten

The unofficial long-distance trail of Lofoten travels 200 km from Delp to Å i Lofoten and passes Svolvær and Leknes. The main source of information is the website https://www.rando-lofoten.net/de/ that provides the gps tracks, further details as well as suggestions on how to reach Lofoten.

Get in
The trail begins at the bus stop “Delp”, which is however rarely approached by buses. Instead, it is possible to first stop at the bus stop “Jordnes kryss” starting from Svolvær and then to either hitch hike or to walk to the remaining 20 km to Delp. Alternatively, it is also possible to skip the first two stages and start the journey in Svolvær.

Navigation
The trail has no official marks and as such it is recommended to navigate with the help of a gps device. Rather as a general rule of thumb, the existence of mud is the best indicator to be on a path. Due to the ambiguity of the correct trail, the trail splits and rejoins frequently, while none of the trail options matches the official gps track. Hence, when being off the main roads, there is a constant subtle feeling of being off the path. By experience, the highest hiking pace is realized when generally staying on the main paths while having a constant look on the gps device to ensure that the chosen path is not totally diverging from the track.

Track difficulty and type of ground
The trail is prone to significant amounts of rain that obviously shape the appearance of the trail. There is a large amount of mud that increase the likelihood of falling and numerous swamps are likely to make your shoes wet. Slippery stones and technically difficult declines affect the hiking pace. 2 km/h are a useful estimate for the planning of the daily stage length.

Stage 3
The third stage is mentioned explicitly here as all remaining stages are well documented in the official website. The third stage is one of the most challenging stages in terms of track difficulty and navigation in particular when the ground is wet. The climb uphill is on a slippery path that is only possible when using the provided ropes. The most challenging part however begins once the top of the mountain has been reached. From here onwards, there is not an obvious track anymore. The descent is easiest when staying precisely on the gps track and you will continuously find again the part that is supposed to be the trail. The stage ends at the E10 on which there is a bus every 3 hours.

Ferry
The ninth stage contains a transport by ferry from Kjerkforden to Vindstad. Optionally, it is also possible to save 3 km by bypassing Vindstad and aiming for Forsfjorden. The ferry departs once a day at around 3 pm. The official travel notes provide a dead link to the time table; instead, it is possible to check the correct departure time by starting here and then to navigate yourself to "Northern Nordland" and then to click on the link starting with "Reinefjord". This link contains a pdf with the current departure times. Traveling from Vindstad to Forsfjorden costs 250 NOK/person. The ticket can be bought on the ferry in cash or online in advance.

Kjerkforden is always visited by ferry, Vindstad has to be demanded when entering the ferry. If hiking in opposite direction than suggested, it is necessary to call 004794820809 at least 2 h in advance to demand that Vindstad is visited.

Huts
There is a total of three huts that are positioned along the track. This is emphasized here, because the huts are only small side notes in the official documentation while there are totally worth spending some time here. Each hut contains 4 beds to sleep in, so there is the possibility to spend the night if there is still some space left. The huts also provide fire wood for heating. For staying at the hut, a donation of 100 NOK/person is asked that can be paid either in cash or by bank transfer.

Buy
All buses, camp grounds and supermarket accept credit card. Hence, it is possible to do the full track without any cash with the only exception of the ferry (for which you can by the ticket online in advance) or the huts (that can be paid by bank transfer).

Sleep
Camping is allowed in Norway which does not mean that is easily possible everywhere. It is worth mentioning that flat area at the end of the stages is often wet. If your tent is not 100% water proof, it might be worth carrying a footprint or to have an extra layer to keep the content inside your tent dry.

Connect
There is a good network coverage along the full track.