The summer was back as we sailed SW along the impressive Lofoten mountains. They are among the oldest rocks on earth dating back some 3 billion years. The mountains have been shaped by several ice ages.

The wind was very varying as it came from NW, i.e. through the mountains. It blow strong out from the sounds and fjords giving us good speed but disappeared behind some of the mountains forcing us to motor past the calmer parts.

Our plan was to visit one of the oldest and best-preserved fishing hamlets; Nusfjord. As we discover on arrival, the pontoon was occupied by a working platform renovating the docks. Realising that this was what a German sailor had tried to tell us in Henningsvaer, we turn around and head for the next hamlet on our list.

Sailing with full genoa and main, as we had done through the day, we peaked nine knots on an open reach in winds up to 30 knots (15 m/s) towards Reine.

Reine is a nice old fishing hamlet, popular to many kinds of tourists, as it is home to one of Norways most popular and spectacular walks. We decided to stay for the day and make the walk up the 1 971 stairs to the top od Reinebringen.

The stairs stars quite gently but, as opposed to other similar walks we have done, this one does not have any ridges or flat parts. It is just a stairway up the mountain, and it is steep in some parts.

The walk is graded medium, and it was a tough one. Views from the top are among the most photographed and they are definitely worth the clime.

Going down was more scarry than going up for the old man with fear of heights.