We’ve arrived in the Lofoten Islands! Or perhaps their other name is more fitting, the Magic Islands. What an amazing place – awesome granite islands seemingly straight out of the sea in the middle of nowhere…

We flew to Oslo initially and stayed a night in a cheap hotel. The hotel was cheap, but the beer was not! At £5 a bottle we made sure we savoured it!

Catching the bus in Oslo

At £5 a bottle - this had to be nice beer!

The really exciting bit started when we caught the 25 minute flight from Bodo to Svolvaer. No sooner than we had taken off and the Lofoten Islands appeared on the horizon as amazing jagged peaks straight out of the ocean!

Catching the small plane from Bodo to Svolvaer

Svolvaer airport is tiny. And to help us get used to the size, the hire car company gave us a ridiculously small car for four people and luggage!

Svolvaer airport

We are staying in Henningsvaer, a short drive south from Svolvaer and an incredibly pretty fishing village. I managed to catch the obligatory picture of cat. Terry and Anna should be pleased with that! I wonder if the cat lives off any of the thousands of cod that are hung up to dry? The main fishing season is in the winter – wow – it must cold here then!

Henningsvaer

Cod drying racks

Richard, keen to get some climbing in on our arrival day!

Our first day of climbing took us to Pianokrakken, a venue with two of RockFax’s “Top 50″ routes. Both modestly graded at 5+ (Norwegian) to allow us to get used to the Lofoten granite; super rough stuff! Also despite the reasonable sunny weather, there’s an arctic northerly wind! But then again, we are north of the Arctic Circle!!!

Laetitia on the 'Top 50' route, Lys og Skygge

A happy Lofoten Islands team!