After staying one luxurious night at
Maistua in Harstad, Taylor and I made our way back down to our rental car and drove west to Vesterålen - the archipelago of islands just north of Lofoten. While Lofoten has become a well known tourist destination, Vesterålen tends to fly more under the radar. It has a similar landscape, but not near the crowds. See below for a quick time-lapse video taken during our drive:
After about two and a half hours of scenic driving we arrived at the small town of Guvåg on the island of Langøya, where after a short hike we reached our destination,
Guvåghytta.
Guvåghytta
 |
| the primary lodging cabin is on the left, the two boat houses on the right |
In 2014 (the most recent year for which I could find such a list), Guvåghytta was voted the DNT's most beautiful coastal hytte. It's easy to see why. Guvåghytta is situated on a small rocky cove and looks out towards the Norwegian Sea. Silhouettes of mountains line the horizon in all directions.
 |
| Guvåghytta's boat house |
Guvåghytta actually consists of a collection of structures: the primary lodging cabin which includes thirteen beds, a canoe shelter that houses six canoes, a boat house with two row boat as well as six additional beds on the second floor, and a storage building that has bathrooms and a sauna. All of these amenities make Guvåghytta the perfect base for coastal adventures!
 |
| the canoe house |
Just like the hytte itself, use of the boats and associated equipment is governed solely by the honor system. Anyone staying at the hytte - or even just visiting for the day - is free to take a canoe or row boat out on the water. Additionally, within the boat houses are life jackets and some poor man's fishing reels (pictured below). There are no instructions or safety regulations - just the trust that people will respect both the equipment and the conditions of the surrounding environment. It's really quite amazing, and I think the existence of such a privilege says a lot about Norwegian culture. Many things in Norway are based on the honor system and have a very high standard of care. There is trust in the general populace to follow the rules and not mess things up. As a result, the level of public services isn't always based off of potential worst case scenarios, as is so often the case in America. I'd be interested to learn if for the most part there are no issues (i.e. no one ever steals a canoe, gets lost out at sea, etc.), or if things like that do occasionally happen, but it has been deemed tolerable...
Taking full advantage of this, as soon as Taylor and I arrived at the hytte we quickly claimed beds, stowed away our packs, and grabbed a couple of canoes! A rather simple, but effective boat ramp leads from the boat house down to the water. Within a few minutes, we had transformed from simple terrestrial hikers to explorers of the high seas! Well sort of... the ocean in that area is part of a large inlet so the water is relatively serene with only occasional gentle waves. We spent a good amount of time paddling to different little islands in the area, parking our canoes, and exploring. Taylor jokingly declared that we were on an expedition to find "Berry Island," and, almost ironically, the next island we disembarked on was covered with cloudberries! For more information about cloudberries, check out my previous
post. We spent the rest of afternoon picking / eating (my ratio was about 50/50) berries, and fishing unsuccessfully. Apparently fish don't like pork summer sausage...
 |
Taylor sliding his canoe down the boat ramp
|
 |
| paddling the high seas, in search of Berry Island |
 |
| poor man's fishing reel - no pole necessary |
With all of the aforementioned facilities - plus a large outdoor picnic area - and Guvåghytta's easily accessible location, it's clear that it functions more as a destination than a stop along a longer journey. This notion was supported by the other occupants we shared the hytte with, two families with small children. Both families - German expats - were staying for a few days to relax and take part in coastal activities. The main cabin is particularly well laid out for these types of groups. Guvåghytta has the traditional hytte layout - small bedrooms adjacent to a larger sitting/dining area and kitchen - but also has a lofted mezzanine with additional beds that is open to the communal space below. The children were quick to claim the lofted space as their own - building forts out of the extra mattresses, pillows, and blankets. Their parents and Taylor and I sat down below, drinking tea and having conversations late into the evening (the usual - American politics and Norwegian oil guilt). It was nice to be visually and auditorily connected to the children (enough for their parents to monitor them), but each have our own separate spaces. Our boring conversations went on largely uninterrupted, and the magical kingdom above thrived, unencumbered by the worries of adults.
 |
| main communal space in Guvåghytta; the open loft is visible at the top of the photo |
Guvåghytta, is rather new - it was built in 1999 - but it has already started to achieve the atmosphere of nostalgia that is present in so many older hytter. Quite different from the typical profit-motivated, intentionally impersonal type of lodging that is ubiquitous in America (you know the type - spotless and furnished with low-priced, but stylish IKEA furniture), Guvåghytta is full of little personal touches that imbue it with a homey feeling. It its 20 years of existence, it has been thoroughly lived in and loved.
 |
| Welcome to the hytta! |
 |
| coat racks made of twigs |
 |
| helpful knot demonstrations from the local scout group |
 |
| a colorful welcome posted on the front door : ) |
 |
| even custom pot holders! |
The two boat houses that are part of Guvåghytta showcase two different ways to efficiently utilize a volume (always important in hytter). Both structures are about the same size - roughly 12' x 18' and two stories tall. In the canoe house, the volume is filled with canoes - two stacks of canoes, each three high, are suspended vertically with ropes. The boat house has juuuust enough area to fit two large row boats on the ground floor side-by-side and utilizes its second story as an additional lodging space, complete with beds, kitchen, and sitting area. It was actually quite a surprise to see all of that packed into the triangular volume under the gabled roof. Both structures have big barn doors that open up towards the water for easy access.
 |
| sketches / plans of the two boat houses |
 |
| the row boat house - stocked with all you would ever need for a fishing trip |
 |
| ... and if you go up the stairs in the previous photo - a complete living space for 6 people! |
At Guvåghytta, drinking water can be collected from a nearby well. The well enclosure was rather peculiar and deserves a brief mention. A strangely religious-looking pyramidal structure with a hatch for a door protects an aquifer of potable water. Inside the hatch a laminated paper sign suspended from the ceiling states in Norwegian (which I'm sure was more clear) and English: "The water has some colour in the well. This is because the rock ground makes some colour. We have sent supervised tests to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, and the water is safe to drink! It tastes good too." We indulged without second thoughts...
 |
| the well / water temple |
 |
| looking down into the aquifer |
It was obvious from the hyttebook that people really loved Guvåghytta; there was entry after entry of people thanking the Vesterålen Turlag (the volunteers that look after this particular hytte) for fun times spent in the cabin. The entries below admittedly made me a bit jealous:
After spending the night at Guvåghytta, we did the short walk to the car and set our course for Lofoten. In a couple days Taylor planned on taking the ferry from Moskenes (western end of the Lofoten Islands) to Bodø as the first leg of his journey back to Seattle, so we needed to start heading back that way. We stopped in Svolvær, Lofoten's largest "city" (population ~5,000), to get the key for the next hytte, Nøkksætra. The hike to Nøkksætra took about two hours - the first half was on an elevated wooden boardwalk that skirted a few lakes, and the second half consisted of a moderately steep uphill climb. It was a relatively easy hike with a big payoff; the beauty of the landscape around Nøkksætra, glistening lakes and dramatic peaks, was something I will remember for a long time.
 |
| Nøkksætra comes into view |
Nøkksætra
Taylor and I stayed at Nøkksætra for two nights, and for the entire duration of our stay we were the only occupants. With the hytte's spectacular setting I found that to be quite surprising - especially because a decent amount of people were camping close to the road near the trailhead. The unexpected solitude was a bit refreshing, especially in crowded Lofoten.
Nøkksætra was a lot like the other mountain hytte we stayed at in Lofoten,
Munkebu - similar construction, spatial organization, and overall feel. However, Nøkksætra's communal space was definitely unique; it was larger than Munkebu's and surrounded with windows that looked out onto the landscape. The space was more traditional than similar spaces in other hytter that featured panoramic vistas - no giant glass panes for uninterrupted visuals or carefully shaped geometries to highlight certain moments. Despite this, it all came together very well - a magical light-filled living room that you felt compelled to spend time in. The designer definitely had the advantage of the beautiful setting (it would have been difficult to "mess up" that view), but there was something nice about the decision to frame it in a more understated way.
 |
| Nøkksætra - front view |
 |
| the sitting / dining room with views out to the lake (so amazing!) |
 |
| view out the front door |
 |
| the kitchen / dining space |
Judging by the entries in the hyttebook, Nøkksætra is also a popular winter destination. It was easy for me to imagine a big group of people sitting on the big wrap-around deck (see previous photo) strapping on their skis and getting ready for some fun in the snow. Below is a picture from ut.no of Nokksætra in the winter after a heavy snow - quite different from when we visited!
 |
| Nøkksætra in the winter (photo courtesy of ut.no) |
Nøkksætra has a loft where extra bedding is stored and additional people can sleep when all of the other beds are full. In Norwegian, this space is referred to as the "hems," which means loft or attic. As mentioned previously, Guvåghytta was the first hytte I had seen that incorporated the hems into the larger communal space, but almost all hytter do have some sort of hems that has at minimum a few extra mattresses. In a previous hytte, a Norwegian woman explained to me that in the winter the hems is actually the most popular spot to sleep because the heat from the wood stove rises and accumulates there making it extra warm and cozy.
 |
the stair up to the "hems"
(notice the staggered shape of the steps) |
 |
| the "hems," or loft / attic space |
Multiple entries in the hyttebook mentioned a "row boat" on the other side of the lake, so Taylor and I decided to go on a trek (the lake is rather big) to try and find it. We walked the entire length of the lake, but never found the boat. However, we were rewarded with some amazing views:
 |
| breathtaking mountain scenery (can you spot Nøkksætra?) |
Below are a few more photos to provide a more complete picture of Nøkksætra:
 |
| large front porch with steps for seating |
 |
| the front door |
 |
| window, with some ornamental trim |
 |
| one of the two bedrooms (each sleeps 3) |
 |
| wood stove + drying racks |
 |
| warm, soothing glow (it comes with a nice crackling sound too) |
 |
| some sleek, almost retro-feeling blue cabinets |
...and also some particularly interesting hyttebook entries to inject some life into the hytte (hard to read, I apologize):
Lastly, a side-by-side comparison of Guvåghytta and Nøkksætra. The former, a gateway to the sea, the latter, hidden amongst the mountains, but all things considered, more similar than you may expect....
We’ve ranked and reviewed the highest free slot websites on the internet. Our high picks host thousands of unique, high-RTP, and entertaining slot machines to explore. Pokies can be played from the browser on the cell in case it helps HTML5 software program. Bringing you to thoughts that Flash-based video games not work as Flash player was 스포츠토토 disabled by Adobe completely. All of these pokies have 5 reels, free spins, scatter and wild symbols, and bonus rounds except Triple Diamond, which is a traditional one with 3.
ReplyDelete