kvalvika beach

Our inaugural hiking adventure in Norway led us to the summit of Ryten, located in the beautiful Loften Islands, in Northern Norway. The journey commenced at the parking lot, where an unexpected encounter awaited us - a feral cat looking for an adventure. Accompanying us for the initial stretch of our trek, our new found friend must have realized we weren't the kind of travellers he wanted to spend the day with and he just as quickly vanished into the dense foliage, leaving us to continue our trek towards the summit.

As we continued up into the hills we were greeted by thick fog, and the air grew heavy with the scent of rain - which would eventually drench us to our core. Undeterred by the elements, we pressed on, and our spirits remained high since we were beyond stoked to be on our first adventure exploring the Lofoten Islands.

Upon reaching the summit of our ascent, a sense of anticipation swelled within us, eager to see the panoramic vista that we had spent the last two hours hiking to reach - and staring at Instagram photos in the months leading up to this journey. As the terrain flattened beneath our feet, the veil of mist began to lift and through the parting clouds Kvalvika Beach emerged, nestled in the rugged coastline below.

It was a surreal moment once the clouds fully lifted, as if we had been transported to a tropical paradise, complete with sun-kissed beaches, towering cliffs that plummeted into the ocean, and waves that crashed along the clear-blue shoreline. As if teasing us, after only a few moments, the clouds swallowed the view back into them and it was time for us to head back down to the car to embark on our next adventure of the day.

As an outdoor travel photographer, you know that you are always at the mercy of Mother Nature. It's fun to scroll through your Instagram feed and see all the amazing destinations that can transport you in a millisecond. You might spend weeks, or even months, like we did, anticipating what it will actually be like when you get there. Sometimes it's disappointment and other times you can't even begin to believe what you are seeing. I can say, my dad and I both couldn't believe what we saw this day!!