Norway’s Lofoten Islands – hike Helvetestind (Hell’s peak) & Bunes beach

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles.

My first hike in stunning Lofoten above the Arctic Circle was a great one — Bunes beach.

The weather atypically gorgeous in Reine.

From here you catch a ferry to the end of the Bunesfjorden.

A Norwegian hiker told me he had this beach to himself on a sunny July day 9-years-ago. No more. It’s super popular in 2018. Our boat was packed.

Half the passengers were stuck like sardines in a can below deck. The other half sat up top. Yep … I was front and centre savouring the scenery.

The ferry was at least as good as the hike itself.

I’ve seen some amazing mountains. Dolomites. Yukon. Patagonia. But I can’t recall seeing so many astonishing peaks anywhere else. They were carved by huge, powerful glaciers.

Of two or three potential trailheads, most hikers alight at Vinstad.

Most dashed straight up the old carriage road to the beach to set up their tents.

I stopped, instead, at the pass for lunch.

Stashed the pack …

… then headed up Hell’s peak.

Actually it was easier than it looks.

This is Helvetestind (Hell’s peak) 602MASL (metres above sea level). That’s the beach below.

You can see Reine looking back down the fjord.

I took my time coming down.

Lofoten is gorgeous in so many ways.

Bunes beach is huge. I dropped my pack and went exploring while I still had sunlight.

Everyone sets-up under this huge wall.

Next morning I was first up and gone. I sat up on the pass enjoying my coffee in the sun while it was still shady down on the beach.

As a result I got back to Vinstad early.

People live here. I went exploring.

Homes are literally cabled to the ground to keep them from flying away during strong winter storms.

While waiting on the ferry a packraft stopped by. The German adventurer was going to try an off-trail climb for the second day in a row.

Less crowded, everyone got to stay up top on the return.

Reine is beautiful. A good kayaking fjord.

Reine is the best base town on the Lofoten Islands for me. You can do 3-4 great hikes like this from here.