The great inland walk of western Lofoten: from the fishing village of Sørvågen up through a staircase of lakes to a small red hut, then on, for the strong, to the 1,029-metre summit of Hermannsdalstinden, with the whole archipelago at your feet.
Most visitors see Moskenesøya from the road along its southern shore. This walk goes inside it, into a hidden world of cirques, granite slabs and dark lakes that you would never guess at from Reine.
The path leaves Sørvågen, just before the end of the E10 at Å, and climbs past a chain of lakes to a saddle with sudden views north to the outer coast. Beyond, over rougher ground and a few chained sections, stands Munkebu, a small Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) hut perched above the Munkan lakes, with Hermannsdalstinden towering behind.
Many people go to the hut and back in a long day. The summit of Hermannsdalstinden, the highest point on the island, adds several hours of steep, rough, occasionally exposed ground. Done in one push from Sørvågen it is a very long day; sleeping at Munkebu turns it into two sane ones, with the midnight sun over the lakes as a bonus.
You need to be fit, sure-footed, comfortable with some hands-on scrambling and chains, and able to navigate in cloud. In poor visibility the upper route is easy to lose. If in doubt, the walk to the first lakes and the saddle is a fine half day in itself.
Marked with red T's and cairns, but rough. Times are for steady walkers without long stops.
Approximate profile, one way. Teal: to the hut; orange dashed: summit extension.
The path starts at the top of the village above the road, by the small hydroelectric dam. It climbs over granite slabs beside a chain of lakes; on dry days the rock gives great grip, in rain it is slippery.
After the last of the lower lakes the path reaches a saddle with sudden views over the peaks and the outer coast. A good turning point for a half-day walk.
The route crosses rough ground, with chains on a couple of steep slabs, and traverses above the Munkan lakes to the hut. Munkebu is a small self-service hut; inside are bunks, a stove and a guestbook.
From the hut the route drops to a lake, then climbs steep boulder fields and a long ridge to the summit. The view takes in Moskenesøya's peaks, Reine's fjords and, on a clear day, Værøy and Røst floating in the sea. Return the same way, carefully.
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Sørvågen is on the E10 between Reine and Å, a few minutes from the Moskenes ferry. Buses run along the road; parking in the village is limited, so use the marked spaces.
Munkebu is run by the Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT). Check current booking and key arrangements with DNT before you go; bring a sleeping bag liner and your own food.
Check the forecast on yr.no and turn back early if cloud comes down. In June, snow may still lie on the upper slopes; July and August are the most reliable months.
Lofoten practical notes →
Nearly 2,000 Sherpa-built steps to the view over Reine.
A cliff ledge above the wildest beach in Lofoten.
Straight up from Henningsvær to the view over the island village.
Two short summits above Lofoten's white-sand beaches.
The old coastal path between two white beaches.
The summit of the emptiest main island, over the Maelstrom.
Photographs from Wikimedia Commons, used under their Creative Commons licences; Pexels photographs under the Pexels licence.
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