At the beginning of June 2018, I was accompanied by a couple of photography friends on a week-long hiking and camping trip in the Lofoten Islands. The plan was to tent in some of the more remote corners of the island and explore those areas.

The weather gods wanted it differently. Temperatures dropped to below freezing and all day, every day, we had either snow or rain.

It was miserable. It was freezing. Getting out of the sleeping bag was a battle every morning.

Halfway through the week, we decided to change our plan and focus on day hikes instead. That meant we could check into an accommodation and attempt to dry our soaked clothes. We had already got some good photos but none of us were properly equipped to be spending the nights outside in this weather.

Going for day-hikes is just as rewarding as multi-day hikes when in the Lofoten Islands. There are a lot of unexplored places within reach. This image is from one of those. It’s taken at a remote corner of the archipelago that’s only reachable by boat. The hike itself isn’t more than an hour or so in pretty decent terrain but it’s rare that you meet many people around here.

The weather was similar to the other days but we had moments of sun. For me, that meant constantly switching between wearing a t-shirt, or layering up with a fleece and rain jacket. But it’s the perfect hiking conditions and perfect conditions to explore. The weather is constantly changing, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. It wasn’t long after I took this shot until the mountain was ‘invisible’ in the fog and the ground was covered in a thin dusting of snow. 15 minutes later it was sunshine again.

This will forever remain one of my most memorable weeks in the Lofoten Islands.

Photographer: Christian Hoiberg

Collection: 68 North - A Visual Journey of the Lofoten Islands

Edition: 1/1

Size: 4000x2670