The Lofoten Islands in Norway have become a huge attraction for travelers and outdoor enthusiasts in the last decade. In wintertime, they’re covered with beautiful blankets of snow, the northern lights fill the sky, and there are opportunities for backcountry skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing galore.
In the summertime, the days are long, and there’s fishing, sea kayaking, and, of course, lots of hiking to be done — which is what brought Harmen Hoak out there. The YouTuber makes melancholy and visually hypnotizing videos of “silent hiking” that have made him something of an internet celebrity.
In June 2023, he ventured north to the Lofoten Islands in Norway.
Hoak spent 10 days hiking the beautiful archipelago in northern Norway. The islands feature dramatic mountains like the Svolværgeita Pinnacle and Himmeltindan Mountain. The peaks jut up toward the sky as if they’d grown out of the ocean itself.
Hoak traversed them, with a backpack full of ultralight gear and camera equipment. He hiked the Matmora Ridge, Ryten Peak, Kvalvika Beach, and Horseidvika Beach, and he also climbed Hermannsdalstinden. He camped on top of mountains, watched the midnight sun moving above the clouds, and saw how the weather rolls over the unique Lofoten Island landscape.
Hoak filmed his silent adventure and, like his other videos, the end result is captivating. “Silent Hiking the Lofoten Islands for 10 Days” will tickle your wanderlust.
