Hesten - Narvik

Today is another very long and busy day. It is our last day on Senja and the weather is beautiful. We get up early, clean the Airbnb and set off on the 2-hour drive to the starting point for the hike to Hesten Mountain. Actually, the places would have been close to each other, but the direct road is closed due to avalanche protection structures, so we have to take a big diversion. We stop again at the Tungeneset viewpoint, as the reflection of the sunlit mountains in the water is perfect and looks beautiful.

We soon drive on to Fjordgård, from this small remote place the hike to Hesten (“the horse” in Norwegian) starts. The ascent starts harmlessly with increasingly beautiful views of the fjord and mountains. We chose this hike because of the impressive view of Mount Segla.

The hike becomes more and more demanding and the last 50 metres before the top we have to climb up a rather steep rocky wall. We are about to break off when we meet other hikers who tell us that it is not that far and that the view from the top is really worth it. So we summon up our courage, continue climbing and push past the steep rock face to the top. We are 556 metres above the sea and again have a breathtaking view on all sides no matter where you look. Especially the view of Mount Segla, which slopes steeply down to the sea, is very impressive. This motif is one of the most famous on Senja.

We sign the visitors’ book and take photos of the landscape. We don’t stay too long at the top, as we still have a long drive ahead of us and are a little worried about how we will climb down in one piece. But it all goes well, even if some parts take a bit of nerve, with a few loose stones and steeply sloping terrain. A little further down, on safer ground, we have a picnic. After a little more than four hours we are back at the car park. What a spectacular and beautiful hike on our last day here on Senja! Now we have a three and a half hour drive ahead of us to Narvik. But the drive drags on, as the landscape with the setting sun and mirror-smooth lakes covered in mist makes us stop again and again to take photos/drone videos.

We take good turns driving and enjoy the scenic drive. We arrive in Narvik in the evening, just before the hotel reception closes. We eat a ready-made meal and watch some TV before we go to bed.