February is usually my favourite winter month in the Arctic, the sun’s up more so the days feel longer and we can venture further afield without worrying about it getting dark, but it’s still a prime month for aurora viewing. February 2023 however turned out to be a little different with brutal winter storms and at times it felt like we had more of a chance spotting a camel outside our window than the sun.

We experienced an awful storm which brought 130kmh hurricane force winds and horizontal rain. The day before the storm was due we took a stroll around the island, the wind was already building up and the sea was full of white-caps from the choppy sea, but the sun was shining so we had fun blowing around. When we reached the northern beaches we were surprised to find it quite sheltered so we opted for a quick wild swim before the weather turned grim.

We woke the next day to the whole house shaking. We lived in a 3 story house and our bedroom was on the top floor so the wind really shook us and we could hear it howling through the eves. The storm brought warmer temperatures and rain so the snow melted and it looked miserable and dark outside. When the wind-gusts hit the sea a huge wall of white mist would glide across the water. We didn’t even leave the house but our friends attempted a walk and said when they changed their minds and tried to come back it was almost impossible to turn as the wind just wouldn’t allow their bodies to move. Apparently a rental cabin further south in Lofoten had some French tourists staying inside and the wind was so strong it blew the cabin off its foundations and went directly into the sea – while everyone was asleep in bed! What a terrifying way to wake up, in freezing cold water, wind howling, complete darkness and no idea how you got there or how to get out.

That was the worst storm we had on this trip but the weather in general was just pants. The temperature wasn’t quite cold enough for snow which is quite rare for February so even if it did snow it would quickly melt. We weren’t getting a chance to see the northern lights or the colourful sunsets so when the weather was good we made the most of every second.

There were a few standout days in February where the weather was delightful though. On the 1st of February we woke to pink skies and set off on a morning stroll along the coast. By the time we got back we realised we still had plenty of time to continue exploring so we decided to hike up the islands highest peak which is only about 250m. It’s quite a steep route though so it’s been been inaccessible lately due to a sheet of ice covering it but now we have some fresh snow to walk on. It was a lovely, crisp day, about -5° so tiny icicles covered the plants and the snow was totally dry and looked like sharp little shards of panko breadcrumbs.

There are a few routes up the mountain so we opted for the longer one which took us around the back and offered views across the sea with the low sun reflecting in the water. The final climb to the top was along a narrow ridge with some ropes to hold onto. We had the sea below us and dramatic mountains all around with the Lofoten Islands to our left and the mainland peaks to our right.

We were the only people on the mountain so it felt pretty magical up there and we found a nice spot to make a little fire on a boulder and soak in the incredible view. To top things off the aurora danced the night away. This is why we love Norway!

Good weather can be so rare in Norway that we have to make the most of it when the sun comes out so our days will be filled with hiking and the nights hunting the aurora…but it’s so worth it! During February it felt like we were only getting one day per week but sometimes the bad weather rolled in as quickly as the good weather so I was able to run out and take photos.

Most of the snow melted so we took that as an opportunity to walk around the entire island. It was funny because now we didn’t have snow or ice to walk along yet I managed to fall over twice thanks to slimy rocks. When we arrived at the beaches we spotted our little seal friend again. As soon as he heard us he darted underwater and reappeared just a few meters away. He was even more curious this time and swam towards the seaweed covered rocks, eventually wiggling his way onto land! We couldn’t believe it and apparently neither could he as he had a little look around and seemed to panic, quickly slipping back into the sea. Then he began leaping out the water like a breaching whale. It was so funny because he did about 10 jumps in a row and then came back towards us and repeated this whole process a couple of times which had us giggling and cheering.

We continued our walk around the beaches and the water was looking a fabulous aqua blue colour so we stopped for a little picnic and fire to enjoy the view with cloud drifting along the mountain tops.

Later that day we had the opportunity to use our friends sauna by the beach. We had to bring our own firewood so grabbed a big sack and lugged it through the woods with great difficulty. The sauna was a lovely little red shed, a traditional one with a rustic wood burning stove inside. Craig got the fire roaring and soon enough we were cooking in the human oven. To be fair it was only about 65° but it felt so much hotter from the fire as appose to an electric sauna at 90°. Once we were dripping with sweat we headed for the sea for a dunk, but this beach was a little more rugged and had lots of sharp rocks and shells on the floor which meant we couldn’t exactly run in and once we were in the water it didn’t seem to get deep enough so we were thoroughly chilled before we’d even got our knees wet. We spent the next few hours running from the sauna to the sea and trying to challenge ourselves to spend longer and longer in the water. I managed about a minute and a half but a pain began creeping into my chest so I took that as my sign to get warm again. We stayed until it was almost dark, the sun had set and the clouds which were still wrapped around the mountains turned pink.

One evening our friends hosted a fancy dress party at the local pub. We didn’t really want to go but alas, peer pressure. All of us raided the old fish factory next door for costume ideas and Craig opted for a white jumpsuit and matching welly’s which he covered in red tape. I obviously asked him “what are you supposed to be?” And he said “you don’t have to be anything in particular, I’m just in fancy dress”. I tried to explain that everyone would ask what he was but he laughed it off saying they wouldn’t. I opted to go as a bounty hunter as it was pretty simple, wearing Craig’s beige shirt and jeans. We cut a piece of chipboard wood into the shape of a gun and spray painted it silver and I managed to make a hilarious cowboy hat out of old cereal boxes in just 10 minutes. Then we came up with an idea to have a wanted poster and I drew a picture of Craig wearing his white and red outfit with ‘WANTED – dead of alive, The crazy Englishman, for stealin’ skrei (cod fish) and sinkin’ ships’. Just as I finished the poster Craig said, “I think I’ll just wear the white suit without any red stripes” which had us both in hysterics because then my wanted poster wouldn’t make any sense. Just as predicted everyone asked Craig what the fuck he was supposed to be while I smirked and said “told ya so”.

We felt a little trapped at times living on the island. The scenery was spectacular, there’s no denying that but we really enjoy variety and freedom so when the weather was wild and windy the ferry was at risk of being cancelled. It always made me feel a little uneasy leaving the island incase the ferry back would be cancelled. There was one day when we headed to the mainland and the ferry was rocking from side to side, the view out the window would change from the sky to the sea and my belly was churning. Luckily a perfect blue sky day was forecast and calm waters meant we had a smooth sailing so we set off on an adventure. After catching the ferry we planned to hitchhike south west to hike up a mountain and we were very lucky as a local fisherman we knew was driving that way so he gave us a ride. By 8:30am we were making our way up Kleppstadheia at 488m. I picked this mountain as it looked quite gentle and rounded compared to Lofoten’s razor sharp summits. Not only is there an avalanche danger right now but the snow makes it very difficult to hike around rocks and steep sections.

The sun was just beginning to hit the mountain tops as we began the climb up. Lofoten is made up of a series of islands and we were just on the edge of one so we had a great view of the huge bridge heading straight for the mountains on the next island. We passed a magical section of forest with snow weighing down the branches and then the route all opened up. Our footprints were the first ones in the fresh snow which made us feel like proper explorers as we made our way up the steepening slope. It was hard work though, snowdrifts caused us to sink a foot down while in other areas there was hardly any snow beneath our feet. There was no trail to follow so we just tried to navigate our way through the easiest area and avoid any ice-sheets. The odd jumble of rocks caused havoc as we kept sinking down hidden holes, loosing our leg a meter into a dark hole.

It took 3 hours to reach the plateau at the top and the view was absolutely spectacular. The mountain we were on was flat-topped but we had 360° views of Lofoten’s sawtooth peaks and snowy islands that looked like giant icebergs floating in the deep blue sea. Albeit the summit was flat it dropped down in a dramatic cliff face with a view of another little fjord. We tried to continue up to the next summit but the terrain became too steep and luckily we were every content with what we’d seen already. The detour meant we could take a slightly different route back but it had extremely icy sections and a slope that just continued 400 meters down to sea-level so we had to be really careful not to slip.

Our plan was to hitchhike back and after a few cars passed we noticed one turn around and come back. She said she thought there wouldn’t be room for us with her skis but in the end there was so we were very grateful for the ride. Amazingly she used to live in the same remote Norwegian village that we lived in a few years ago, what a small world ay. The population is so small in Norway that everyone seems to know everyone. She wasn’t going all the way to our end destination so we stuck our thumbs out again and a lovely chap soon picked us up. What a successful day!

We tried our luck the next day but it was quite a contrasting experience and we waited over 45 minutes in -10° for a ride and eventually became too cold and gave up. Instead we did a local walk up a ridiculously steep ski hill where we got a view of the frozen lakes below us. It was cold but calm weather so the mountains and cute red cabins were reflected in the sea.

With so much cloudy and stormy weather we didn’t get to see the northern lights as much as we’d of liked but whenever there was an opportunity we were outside looking up at the sky. One evening we spent almost 3 hours in a dark area of the island watching them dance above us. It was so cold that the snow was all frozen and glistening like glitter under my torch light.

As March is approaching now the cod season is upon us and fishing boats are out and about. Soon the wooden racks that are all over the Lofoten Islands will have cod hanging from them. The cold temperature is what cures the fish here, no salt or smoking required. The seagulls know what’s about to happen, more appear around the island each day and their squawking fills the air. After such bad weather it feels like things are about to change, the wind direction it’s starting to come from the east which means colder, more settled weather.

We ended up spending two months living on this little island but now it’s time to catch a ferry to one of our favourite places in Norway for our final month.