IMAGES:
ROGER
BORGE
LID;
GUN
NVEIG
SCH
ØNHEYDER;
KIAN
BOU
RKE-STEE
R/UNST
AD
ARCT
IC
SURF
SURF AN ARCTIC
WAVE IN THE
LOFOTEN ISLANDS
To surf in the mind-numbingly cold waters of the
Lofoten Islands in the Norwegian Arctic demands
an extra level of daring and the thickest hooded
wetsuit you can find. But Unstad, on the island of
Vestvågøya, makes up for any initial discomfort by
being utterly beautiful, with its great arc of creamy
sand fizzing into the North Atlantic. The waves
are tamest — ideal for beginners — in summer. In
winter, it’s wild out there, with rollers bashing ice-
frosted mountains that rise like an amphitheatre
around the bay.
Come between November and March for the best
swells, pastel skies, the crunch of snow and sand
under your neoprene boots and regular appearances
from the Northern Lights. Unstad Arctic Surf offers
instruction, a range of packages, rental gear and
cosy cabin digs. unstadarcticsurf.com KW
GO ON A MUSK
OX SAFARI
Of all Norway’s wildlife, the musk ox is the oddball.
Not as cute as a reindeer or as iconic as a polar
bear, it relies on muscle and might for its place in
the hall of fame. Native to the Arctic, these shaggy
beasts — more closely related to sheep than cattle
— get their name from the strong, musky smell
they give off during mating season. Seeing one is
an astonishing experience, not least because the
camouflage is so meticulous you’ll probably think
it’s a massive rock until it begins to move. The
remote, savagely beautiful Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella
National Park is their last Norwegian refuge. Join
a summer musk ox safari (June to September) in
Oppdal and let the experts reveal their hiding
places. Bring binoculars and you might also glimpse
wild reindeer and willow grouse. moskussafari.no
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22
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NORWAY
NORWAY
HIKE DENMARK’S
RÅBJERG MILE
Tiptoeing softly across the largest migrating
coastal dune in Northern Europe, you can’t help
but be touched by its beauty. The light is painterly,
grasses bend in the stiff breezes that whip across
the North Sea and blonde sands ripple into the
distance. Here, at Denmark’s northernmost tip, all
is sea and sky. Reaching 13 0ft high, the dune has
been on the move since the 16th century and, over
time, has buried farms and houses, as well as the
church in Skagen. Reforestation has slightly slowed
the dune’s advance, but it still moves about 50ft
northeast every year.
Come in the hush of morning when the only
sound is the trill of migratory birds overhead
and the wind whistling across the sand. At this
early hour, you can hike in silent wonder, while
taking good care not to step in quicksand.
opdagdanmark.dk
DENMARK
The secluded bay of Unstad,
in the Lofoten Islands,
attracts international surfers
Below: A musk ox safari,
Oppdal; a surfer enjoys
Lofoten’s Arctic waves
JUNE 2022 81
SCANDINAVIA
