These countries appeal with a warm climate, incredible beaches and of course cheap alcohol. It appeared strange to me that the great wildernesses on our doorstep in Europe were completely neglected by many. Last June I was lucky enough to be invited by the Western Morning News to go on an adventure through Sweden and up into the Arctic Circle ending at the most northerly point in Europe at the appropriately named Nordkapp.

One of the greatest experiences on my expedition was spending four days hiking in the Lofoten Isles. These Islands situated north of the Arctic Circle are reminiscent of Middle Earth with snow-capped peaks descending steeply into bright deep blue glacial tarns and finally the sea.

In fact, one mountain that I passed appeared to be an exact replica of Tolkien’s Lonely Mountain set alone with deep cornices and nothing but cold stone. It was as if Smaug was waiting.

Other than potential dragons, hobbits and elves, the area is home to a large number of animal species and is famous for its marine life, notable due to the world’s largest deep water coral reef being located just off its shores.


Lofoten for me was about climbing mountains. Although the mountains on Lofoten are not huge in terms of height above sea level, these mountain rise straight up from the sea to just over a thousand metres and the climbs are steep, arduous and exciting. With nothing more than a fishing rod, lunch and a large bar of chocolate each day,I embarked upon my trip across the islands over the mountains.


What was so great about these mountains was that they appear almost untouched. There were no footpaths, the few paths found were merely where the moose and reindeer had trodden down the rough brown grasses. The snow on the peaks was pristine and hardly touched; only disturbed when snow white ptarmigan took flight. With nothing but the sound of sea eagles, distant moose and the ever growing roar of the ice melting, it was a surreal sense of discovery. This sense I feel is too often lost to a generation of Xbox, PlayStation and Computers. 

With time passing far too quickly, it was soon time to descend from the mountains and continue my journey north, to as it was referred to in my travel diary, the end of the world. Beyond only lies the cold Arctic Ocean with its steep cliff ending in rough cold seas jutting out into the Arctic and plagued by continuous thick sea fog; you could well be mistaken for believing that it was the end.


I never planned to go this far north and in fact my travel plans changed substantially over the course of the trip, but somewhere along the journey it was solidified into my brain that this was the end. The North Cape was to be my finishing point of 4500 miles and four weeks of travelling. 

Nordkapp, first glamourized by Richard Chancellor, an English explorer in search of a sea route through the Northeast Passage to the East Indies is primarily, as I was to discover, a tourist attraction. With it boasting the midnight sun during the summer and the Northern Lights during the winter, the place utilises its claim to be the northernmost point of mainland Europe to full advantage. It can be added to the list of a great number of wild places that have become prey to mass tourists and cruise ship passengers.