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Story | Kayaking through Helgeland

Glaciers, fjords, sandy beaches in Norway

by Rcci Helfricht • 06/05/2016
On the way to Hestmonna

On the way to Hestmonna

Ricci Helfricht
For those who enjoy untamed nature in the form of freeriding and ski tours in winter, kayaking is an obvious summer activity. After all, it's all about the water and there is a "free" version on white water, as well as the touring version on rivers, lakes or the sea. Our authors Ricci and Kay were out and about with a tent, kayak and fishing rod in Helgeland, Norway in the summer of 2015.

Touring paddling combines the experience of freedom and the untouched nature of various coastal regions with the power and seriousness of the water. Depending on the climatic and topographical conditions, there is already a large playing field in Europe between the warm waters of the Mediterranean and the coastal stretches and fjords in the relatively cool waters of Scandinavia. The far north scores with its solitude and unique rocky landscapes in the light of the midnight sun.

A particularly attractive region for sea kayaking in Norway is Helgeland. Located at the height of the Arctic Circle, this region boasts countless islands off the steep mountain coast. The variety is great: from small skerries to mountain ridges that rise up to over 900 meters from the sea. At their feet you will often find Caribbean-style beaches of white sand. Picturesque fjords cut into the partly glaciated coastal mountains. The ice cap of Svartisen always towers on the horizon.

We started our tour with a quick Google search: "Kayak Norway". With just a few clicks, we landed at Magne Johan Steiro (Hav & Fritid) in Nesna. A stroke of luck - extensive and first-class equipment at fair prices. In addition to introductory courses and guided tours, you can also explore the region by kayak on your own, provided you have sufficient experience.

We arrive in Oslo by plane and continue by train. The train route winds picturesquely through the fell and river landscape of central Norway. After a short stopover in Trondheim, we take the Nordland Railway through the bright polar night to Mo i Rana. From here there is a bus connection to Nesna. If you arrive in Mo early after a long journey, we recommend the extensive breakfast buffet in the stylishly furnished Scandic Hotel. The bus journey reaches its climax shortly before Nesna. From the road 300 meters above the fjord, the view opens up over the steep coast and numerous island mountains.

Nina gives us a warm welcome at Havblikk Camping. In addition to the clean campsite with its sea view, the small restaurant "Ninas Lavvo" is her pride and joy. The only thing you can't ask her about is the very rainy summer so far. Woken by the Hurtigrouten, we meet up with Magne the next morning. After receiving all the equipment needed in these waters, we load up the 2-person kayak and start sweating on the way to the harbor not far away. From here, the fast ferry (Hurtigbåt) runs once a day to the south (Sandnessjøen) and north (Bodø) and the connecting ferries to the nearby islands run several times a day.

Tongue of the Engabreen

Tongue of the Engabreen

Ricci Helfricht

Tongue of the Engabreen

Ricci Helfricht

Our first destination is Tomma. We choose the ferry for the crossing because it is getting late. As we kayak around the island on the southern shore, it becomes increasingly sunny. At first we pass picturesquely between small skerries, before the view opens out to the sea with the characteristic backdrop of the islands of Træna and Lovund. But Tomma also has truly magical rock formations on its western side - as well as an offshore island with a sandy beach. We set up our tent here, grill the cod we caught on the way and enjoy the panoramic view at sunset.

Following the weather forecast, we head back to "base camp" Havblikk in Nesna the next day. Heavy rain showers hit the region in the afternoon. However, the self-catering hut at the campsite offers enough space for dry cooking, cozy dining and interesting acquaintances. We use the following windy and rainy day to do some last-minute shopping at the supermarket and look around for materials for the coming days.

Then we set off early... but it doesn't matter - it's been light for a long time. The speedboat sets off for Bodø at 7:30 am. The well-loaded kayak is hoisted onto the upper deck using a crane. We prefer to sit below deck in the still unsettled weather. A 2-hour journey takes us across the Arctic Circle to Grønøy, where we leave the ferry and go into the water on the nearby beach. First we head south, always protected by islands, before we have to cross the open sea at Bjærangfjord. However, this is no problem with the moderate swell and a small passage at Halsa saves us having to paddle around the (half) island of Esøya. After a short refreshment, we paddle into the Holandsfjorden straight towards the Engabreen, a wild outlet glacier of Norway's second largest inland glacier - the Svartisen. South of the mouth of the river, there are promising spots on the edge of a birch forest dotted with mushrooms. The festive evening meal is again rounded off with the fish we have caught ourselves.

The following day, we swap our neoprene for trekking boots and set off for Tåkeheimen, 1073 m above sea level. On the way to the hut and from the hut itself, there are magnificent views of the blue glacier tongue of Engabreen, Lake Engabrevatnet and Holandsfjorden. If you go a little further beyond the hut, you can see the large plateau of Svartisen. An ascent of Helgelandsbukken (1454m) is also conceivable. However, we didn't do this due to the snow conditions.

The next day, a tailwind accompanies us out of the fjord and along the southern shore of Skarsfjorden to the westernmost point of the headland. Here, the freshening south-easterly wind is already making the waves foam, so we use the evening speedboat from Vågaholmen for the 5 km crossing to the island of Rødøya. In the pale evening light, we look for a fish and a sheltered place to camp - the former is found more quickly, the latter soon on one of the countless skerries to the west of the island.

The next morning, we cross over briefly to the sandy bays beneath the vertical cliffs of the 443-metre-high Rødøyløva. After setting up our tent again, we enjoy the sunshine until late afternoon and venture into the turquoise water at temperatures well above 20 degrees. In the evening, we climb to the highest point on the island, from where we can admire an incredible panorama of the Helgeland islands to the south and west, Svartisen to the east and Lofoten to the north. There is even a refreshing shower opportunity on Storsanden beach.

Svartisen

Svartisen

Kay Helfricht

The next day takes us to the island of Hestmonna with a few longer passages over open water. Halfway along the route, just before Gyerøy, we discover an open-air bathing installation on a narrow skerry, which is probably intended to cheer up the Hurtigrouten guests. At the north-west corner of Hestmonna there are again green meadows with a sandy beach, inviting us to spend the night. We continue along the western shore of the island under Hestmonkallen. We find the passage between the islands of Ytterkvarøya and Innkvarøya and follow the trench between the islands of Lurøya and Stigen. With bright sunshine, temperatures of 25 degrees and turquoise water lapping the sparsely vegetated granite rocks, it already feels quite Mediterranean here.

We paddle as far as the port of Onøya. From here, it's easy to continue the tour south or to the islands off the coast to the west. But we jump on the fast ferry and head back to Nesna.

The bottom line is that we are left with strong upper arms, a toned stomach and memories of a region with still gentle tourism, a unique landscape of mountainous coastline, green islands, turquoise sea and beautiful sandy beaches, memories of nice people and lots of fresh fish. Good luck!

General information:

General information about Helgeland
Campsite: Havblikk Camping, Nesna
Kayak rental: Hav & Fritid, Magne Johan Steiro, Nesna
Maps: https://www.norgeskart.no/
Bus timetable
Hurtigbåt ferry

Fishing:

Fishing is generally permitted in Norway at sea away from fresh waters. The only exception is in the immediate vicinity of large river mouths. Mackerel and codfish are more common. We had a simple travel rod with a spare spool, a landing net and a small hand scoop for the final. Mounting a float, with which you can regulate the maximum dive of the bait depending on the depth of the water, has proved its worth. The size of the lure naturally determines the size of the fish, but also the number of potential candidates. We used a 7 cm long stainless steel sardine quite successfully. Lay the bait out in a slight forward motion and drag it behind the boat at a good distance, check from time to time to see if anything is hanging on, bring the fish to the boat and... Gutting the fresh fish and filleting it - which is not absolutely necessary - takes some practice and works better the sharper the knife is.

Photo gallery

This article has been automatically translated by DeepL with subsequent editing. If you notice any spelling or grammatical errors or if the translation has lost its meaning, please write an e-mail to the editors.

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