Guided sea kayaking on the west coast of Moskenes island, Lofoten, Norway

Kajakk Nord, Ut i Lofoten and Hattvika Lodge is inviting you to a rarely paddled stretch of Lofoten, the wild west coast of Moskenes island.

"As ugly as the eastern coast of Lofoten is, it is yet surpassed in sheer rawness by the western coast”. District governor G.P. Blom in 1827

The west coast of Moskenes is remote, isolated and rarely paddled. With two experienced guides we are taking you to this amazing location in summer 2016. We will experience the raw and untouched nature the west coast has on offer, we will explore sea caves and dry caves. We will see eagles, seals, fish and a myriad of birds living in an environment rarely visited by man.

See link for the interesting history of Moskenes island: http://www.lofoten-info.no/history.htm

Dates: 23-29 July 2016

Price: 7900 NOK including a rental sea kayak (Scorpio P&H) 6390 NOK excluding a rental sea kayak (bring your own)

Maximum participants: 12

Plan: 23 July, arrival at Hattvika Lodge, BBQ dinner and briefing. Accommodation at Hattvika Lodge. 24 July, the paddling starts from Fredvang to Kvalvika. 25 July, Kvalvika to Bunes 26 July, Bunes to Lofotodden 27 July, Lofotodden to Reinefjord 28 July, drive from Reine to Hattvika Lodge, BBQ dinner, shower and a soft bed at Hattvika Lodge. 29 July, departure from Hattvika Lodge by 15:00.

Guides: Svein Nordli from Ut i Lofoten, 5 star guide and instructor (NPF). Svein is local and lives in the small village of Stamsund where he operates his business; Ut i Lofoten. Svein work out at sea or in the Lofoten mountains every day and know how to forecast the local weather conditions.

Kristoffer Vandbakk from Kajakk Nord, 4 star guide and instructor (NPF and BCU). Kristoffer has 3 years of experience as a sea kayak guide and instructor. He has done multiple trips to the west coast of Moskenes and has incident management and first aid in remote areas skills.

Experience required: Although 5 days in a sea kayak is not an expedition, the west coast of Moskenes island is remote and isolated, so our participants need to meet certain standards. There are no roads or populated areas and very limited phone/radio coverage. The weather will decide if we go for plan A or plan B. Safety comes first and in Lofoten the weather is always the deciding factor.

We require that you have passed a 3 star sea kayak course (teknikkurs from NPF, 3 star BCU or equivalent). Alternatively you must have sufficient experience to paddle in 3 star conditions. Furthermore you must know how to land a sea kayak in surf so some surfing experience will be essential. There may be surf conditions on our landing beaches and surf zones are relatively high risk areas. We also ask that you are a contributing member of the group. We need all the members of the group to contribute where they can, whether at sea or on land. We will be isolated and it’s therefore important that everyone assist each other whenever possible. If you think something can be done in a better way the whole group can benefit from your contribution.

Lastly, the conditions can be rough on the west coast. If we deem the conditions too demanding we will go for our plan B. You must however be prepared and able to paddle and camp under rough conditions; high winds and big waves.

Equipment required: Dry suit Paddle Spray deck Safety west Warm clothing, waterproof jacket Hiking shoes or boots Tow rope for sea kayaking Camping equipment (tent, sleeping mat, sleeping bag, a stove to cook food, gas or fuel can be bought in Lofoten) Food for 5 days of camping (4 dinners, 4 breakfast, 5 lunches, minimum) A map of Moskenes island ( http://www.kartbutikken.no/turkart/turkart-1-50-000/vest-lofoten ) First aid kit Sunscreen A hat to protect yourself from the sun or a helmet for sea kayaking Whatever else you require to be comfortable for 5 days in the wild

Recommended equipment: Helmet for kayaking Neoprene gloves or mittens Neoprene hood

The average temperature in Lofoten is 12 degrees celsius in July. Bring an appropriate sleeping bag and clothes.

Details of plan A: 23 July: Arrival at Hattvika Lodge before 18:00. We meet up and get to know each other. The briefing starts at 18:00. We then enjoy an evening BBQ and relax at Hattvika Lodge.

24 July: We go to Lofotsenteret in Leknes for shopping (fuel, food and whatever else you need). We then drive to Fredvang and begin the paddle to Kvalvika. There are sea caves to explore, in our kayaksk, just before Kvalvika. Distance to paddle: 10 km.

25 July: Kvalvika to Bunes. The wild West coast of Moskenes all day. Distance to paddle: 17 km. We arrive at Bunes beach and camp here. There is mobile telephone and radio coverage a 20 minutes hike from the beach.

26 July: Bunes to Lofotodden. We will paddle by several caves. If we can, we will explore a cave on foot, there are 2-3000 years old paintings in some of these. We arrive at Lofotodden where we will paddle in the Mosken tidal current. There is mobile and radio coverage at this campsite. Distance to paddle: 25 km.

27 July: We paddle near the Mosken tidal current and pass the most Southern point on the island towards Reine. Reinefjord is one of the most picturesque areas in Lofoten, we will find a suitable campsite there. There is mobile telephone and radio coverage on the whole East coast. Distance to paddle: 24 km.

28 July: A short paddle to Reine where we will be picked up and driven back to Hattvika Lodge for another great BBQ, a hot shower and comfortable bed.

29 July: Breakfast and departure from Hattvika Lodge by 15:00.

Details of plan B: If conditions on the West coast are too demanding we will go for plan B on the East coast.

23 July: Arrival at Hattvika Lodge before 18:00. We meet up and get to know each other. The briefing starts at 18:00. We then enjoy an evening BBQ and relax at Hattvika Lodge.

24 July: We go to Lofotsenteret in Leknes for shopping (fuel, food and whatever else you need). We then paddle from Ballstad to the Island of Kunna.

25 July: Kunna to Reinefjord.

26 July: Reinefjord to the old settlement of Ånstad

27 July: Ånstad to Lofotodden, the Southern tip of Lofoten with a view over the Mosken tidal current.

28 July: A paddle back to Å where we will be picked up and driven back to Hattvika Lodge for another great BBQ, a hot shower and comfortable bed.

29 July: Breakfast and departure from Hattvika Lodge by 15:00.

Safety procedures:

When planning a fairly challenging sea kayak trip such as this, we have to plan for the worst and hope for the best. Below we have described known risks and how to avoid and deal with them.

On the west coast there are several landing spots. This includes Kvalvika, Horseid, Bunes, Gjerdvika, Turtnbakkvika, Refsvika and Hell. These are all sand beaches (except Hell which is a sheltered bay) and therefore preferable to organising a rock landing. If we need to land wi will, if possible, attempt landing at one of these places.

It is possible to hike on foot to the populated east coast from Kvalvika, Horseid and Bunes. From Bunes it is possible to spend a day carrying all equipment from the beach to the sheltered Reinefjord on the east coast. From Hell it is possible to hike to Å, but this is a very long and steep hike. It is also possible to hike from Stokkvika to the east coast, however the landing in Stokkvika is rocky.

If emergency rescue is required, the group should contact emergency services. This can be done at any of the mobile/radio service points marked on the map. Other than the marked points, there is no mobile or radio contact on the west coast of Moskenes.The whole east coast has mobile and radio contact.

If there is a need to evacuate an injured person or the entire group we will use a RIB. Equipment will be secured on land for pickup at a later stage.

Each of the group must be prepared to tow another paddler. Everyone must have a tow rope and everyone must also know how to use it.

If you capsize you should be able to roll or self rescue. Partner rescues are the second line of defence.

If a paddler flips over in his or her kayak and exits the kayak, a recovery can be performed by a member of the group. Everyone must be able to perform a buddy rescue so that the person gets back into the kayak.

In the unlikely event of resuscitation being required, the casualty will be moved to land if possible or raft up to provide a suitable platform.

Group control: Line of sight between the group members is to be maintained. If you leave the group on purpose you are no longer considered a part of the arranged guided trip, until you return to the group.

If conditions are too rough the group may be forced to remain in camp until conditions improve.

If an emergency occurs and the group or part of the group has to cancel the guided trip, no refund will be given.

By joining this guided tour you accept the risks described in this document; the risks involved in sea kayaking and the risks of being on an isolated coastline over several days.

Incident: Risk: Preventive measures / response:

Waves Collision, capsizing, Keep distance in big waves, avoid paddling in too big waves, perform buddy rescue if capsizing occurs.

Wind Capsizing, slow progress. Avoid paddling in too strong wind, consider landing earlier than planned.

Temperature Hypothermia. In kayak: Wear enough and appropriate clothes under drysuit (wool), wear neoprene mittens and hood if necessary. On land: Wear enough and appropriate clothes to protect from cold and rain. Use appropriate sleeping bag. Share tent with other person if necessary to keep warm.

Collision Personal injury, damage to Keep distance from others. Wear helmet. equipment.

Surf Collision with others, rocks, Organised landings in surf. Guide will land first and shore, beach, sea bottom. assist paddlers when landing. Keep enough space Personal injury. Damage to between kayakers, keep distance from dangers. Wear equipment. helmet. If surf is too big, exit kayak, swim ashore on your back feet towards land, head up. Kayak to be landed on beach without person inside, if possible with a tow from behind by guide to prevent kayak from tumbling sideways.

Emergency Injury, medical emergency, Contact emergency services. Land if possible or equipment failure. organise towing to nearest landing. Organise evacuation by foot, boat or other emergency services.

Rockfall Personal injury, damage to Avoid paddling too close to steep cliffs. Wear helmet. equipment.

Thirst, hunger Low energy, low morale. Have enough water available when paddling. Have enough snacks or chocolate ready when paddling. Share water, snacks, chocolate if necessary.

Damage to Damaged kayak or equipment Repair kit will be brought by guides and kept ready to equipment use on the water. On water repairs will be attempted. Further repairs attempted on land.

Environmental considerations: We like the term “leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photographs”. We will bring out all garbage with us. Campfires will be made on a bed of rocks to leave no trace. We will bring a small shovel to to dig small holes and cover any human waste.

Insurance: Travel insurance is always recommended. We recommend booking a return flight from Lofoten which includes cancellation insurance.

Getting there: There are several ways to arrive at Ballstad. The easiest way is airtravel via Bodø (www.sas.com or www.norwegian.com) and connect with www.wideroe.no to Leknes airport. Leknes have several arrivals with good connections from Bodø airport. If sea travel is more convenient, Hurtigruten (www.hurtigruten.com/no/norskekysten/) is a good alternative as it arrives the local village Stamsund at 1900 and departures in south direction at 2230 If you travel by car, the ferry (http://www.torghatten-nord.no/english/) from Bodø to Moskenes (Å) is a good alternative. Several departures a day.

If you travel by airplane or by Hurtigruten, transportation from airport (Leknes) or shipdock (Stamsund) is included. Pickup/ return service is included.

Hattvika Lodge – private restaurant – activities year round!

Hattvika Lodge offers the ultimate facilities for small private groups or corporate business events in authentic surroundings in Ballstad, Lofoten. We offer activities at sea or in the mountains year around and the location is private and only for you!

Ballstad has been fishing for several centuries. The harbour is a safe haven surrounded by wonderful mountain that invites active activities and gives a fantastic overview of Lofoten. Right on our doorstep in Hattvika is some of the best fishing grounds in Lofoten, We say; Welcome Ski & Fishing!

For sea kayaking, Hattvika is close to perfect as you have the sea on your doorstep. Right outside Ballstad you find thousands of islets and reefs on the inner shore of Lofoten. We truly welcome you together with Kayak Nord and Ut i Lofoten to this event. For additional information see:http://www.hattvikalodge.no/#!home/cotz