LOFOTEN MOUNTAIN PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP

THE WILD WEST CAMPING TOUR

JUNE 28 – JULY 4, 2021

Come explore the mountains and beaches of Norway’s newest national park – Lofotodden national park – on this week long hiking and camping photography workshop. The scenic northern coast of Moskenesøy, known as the yttersia, is where Lofoten’s most wild and stunning terrain is located. Yet due to this isolation most locations require camping to get the best experience – which is the purpose of this workshop – to take you to my favorite beaches and (often trail-less) mountain peaks of Lofoten’s wild west.

Late June is the season of the midnight sun on Lofoten, so we will never have to rush to make camp before darkness – only to arrive at our destination before the best light of the midnight sunset/sunrise.

Weather cooperating, we will attempt to camp high on wild mountain peaks, far above any of the summer crowds. We will sleep at odd hours, often into the afternoon after a night of shooting. While the sun never sets, the weather will be our master, deciding if we stay high or low on any given day.

Being the arctic circle, no weather if fully predictable. If the weather forecast is extremely poor, then we will retreat to the comfort of campgrounds and shelter on Flakstadøy, to wait for the next opportunity to go out again.

This Photography workshop is more than just a tour of Lofoten, it will be a total outdoor experience of the Islands. This trip is a 7 day – 6 night hiking and camping tour in the wild northern coast of Moskenesøy, where we will take turns watching the sun hover over the sea from sandy beaches and mountain summits.

Tents, camping meal dinners, and cooking equipment will be provided. Each person is required to carry their tent and all necessary camping gear for several consecutive days. While each camp to camp distance will not be overly strenuous or longer than 4-5 hours in duration, you should be hiking on a regular basis to participate in this tour.

The workshop’s guiding and photography instruction will be provided by Cody Duncan.

WORKSHOP DETAILS AND ARRIVAL

Group size: 4 participants + guide

The workshop will officially begin in Leknes at 12:00 on Monday, June 28 and end in Leknes at 12:00 on Sunday, July 4. Please Schedule your arrival as close as possible to these times.

Pickup/drop-off will be available at Leknes airport and in the city center.

Accommodation: Tents will be provided to group participants – sharing 2 people per tent. Each participant will be required to carry part of the tent and other necessary camping supplies while hiking. The final night of the trip we will stay in a Shared Rorbu cabin.

Physical Ability: Moderate to good physical ability is required for this tour. Though none of the planned hikes are overly physically demanding, we will aim to reach several mountain peaks of up to 600 meters in addition to hiking about 20-30km in total.

Getting to Lofoten: From within Europe, SAS airlines offers travel to Lofoten from a multitude of destinations. From North America, Norwegian airlines offers good value flights to Norway from the west and east coasts, however flights to Lofoten will have to be booked via SAS/Widerøe airlines.

For more travel information, see: Getting to Lofoten

PRICING AND BOOKING

Workshop price: 19500 NOK (1950 Euros*)

Deposit: 5000 NOK

Payment will be made in Norwegian NOK, for the amount of 19,500 NOK.

The deposit is required to reserve your place on the workshop. Deposit is non refundable. Full payment is due 60 days before workshop.

Payments will be made by bank transfer.

Please note: Before booking any travel to Lofoten, make sure you have paid your deposit for the trip.

For booking or questions use the contact form below or write:

workshops@codyduncan.com

2020 Lofoten Mountain Photo Tour - Wild West

ITINERARY

This is a hiking trip that will require moderate to good level of physical fitness, previous hiking experience, and the ability to carry all your own camping/photography equipment – up to 15-18kg in weight. Each day will consist of some hiking, the longest planned hike being approximately 8km, including a mountain pass.

In order for the greatest flexibility, and to save on weight, we will utilise the local ferry from Reine to transport ourselves to the northern side of Moskenesøy, with planned visits to both Bunes and Horseid beaches – which make good base camps to explore the nearby mountain peaks with lighter packs. And thanks to the midnight sun, we never have to worry about getting down before dark – you can leave your headlamp at home for this trip.

In Ideal conditions, we will attempt to camp up high on lonely mountain summits. Depending on the group’s ability, some of these areas will be trail-less ascents in moderate to steep terrain. This will only be done in safe and try conditions however, if the landscape is wet, we will attempt easier to reach summits. Either way, Some of Lofoten’s most spectacular, and rarely visited, views are not overly difficult to reach – its just knowing where to go.

The nature of Lofoten requires a great deal of flexibility to the local weather conditions once on the Islands, which is why I have added a few ‘buffer’ days into the trip where it might be necessary to find safer shelter at a campground or cabin. If the weather is too severe for hiking, then we will do normal sightseeing as best as possible.

The final night of the workshop will be spent indoors in a Rorbu cabin, allowing everyone to shower and get cleaned up before the trip home.

As this workshop takes place in the height of summer, the northern lights will unfortunately not be visible.

Day 1: Arrival on Lofoten: Monday, June 28

You will be picked up in early afternoon in Leknes. You should plan to arrive in Leknes no later than 14:00. If the weather is looking good, we plan to catch the 20:25 ferry from Reine to either Vinstad or Kirkefjord and begin the moderate hike to one of the beaches.

Days 2 – 5: Hiking and Camping

Depending on the location(s) we have chosen, we will likely setup a base camp for 1-2 nights before going out exploring the surrounding mountains. Under some conditions, particularly if we have managed to camp high in the mountains, we might move camp from day to day.

After no more than 3 nights in the wilderness we will return to the van and have the possibility to change locations, find power for camera batteries if needed, re-supply on food, etc. From here, we can choose our next destination and decide if we take the ferry again, or go to another nearby area.

The key element to the whole trip is flexibility and making the best decisions based upon current conditions.

Day 6:

We will tour some of the highlights of Vestvågøy and stay near Leknes.

Day 7: Departing Lofoten: Sunday, July 4

The tour will officially end at 12:00 in Leknes. However, all attempts will be made to best accommodate transport to your departing flights or ferry.

WORKSHOP PRICE INCLUDES

Accommodation and Tents – All accommodation on Lofoten as well as tents will be provided.

Camping Stove: Cooking equipment will be provided while on the hike.

Dinner: One instant Real Turmat meal will be probated for each participant/day.

All transportation on Lofoten, including Leknes airport pickup and drop-off in large passenger van, and local ferry transportation.

NOT INCLUDED

Air travel to and from Leknes.

Camping supplies: You will be required to have your own backpack and camping gear, including a sleeping bag and sleeping mat. (some sleeping pads available on request)

Food: Breakfasts, lunches, and other snacks while hiking.

Insurance: travel insurance in mandatory for this trip. Tour guides and trip organizers will use their best knowledge to keep all participants safe, but will not be held responsible for any personal or equipment injury which might occur. Insurance needs to cover any emergency medical treatment and transport, related to the tour or not, which may occur.

Alcoholic drinks.

Anything else not mentioned as included.

WHAT TO BRING

Photography Gear

You will need a camera bag which is suitable for mountain hiking. This means it should not be overly heavy, while having enough room to carry your camera gear, extra clothing and some food/water.

Camera – Any camera welcome, but a full frame DSLR or mirrorless camera with manual mode will give you the best performance.
Tripod – A strong tripod that can tolerate the frequently windy and stormy conditions of winter.
Lenses – A selection of lenses from 14 to 200mm is recommended. A fast wide angle f/2.8 or faster is beneficial for shooting northern lights, should they appear.
Filters – This is somewhat to shooting style, but I heavily recommend a set of neutral density filters, covering: 3, 6, and 10 stops.
Cable Release – Cable or remote camera release, preferably with ability to lock in bulb mode for long exposures.
Camera Cover – It is likely we will encounter some adverse weather on Lofoten, so you want to be able to cover your camera and keep shooting.
Lens cleaning – Some locations can be exposed to sea spray. I recommend a combination of pre-moistened disposable lens wipes (Zeiss and Nikon make some) and dry cleaning tissues. I find microfiber cloths don’t handle the maritime conditions and quickly become unusable.
Storage – Bring plenty of memory cards to last for multiple days of shooting.
Batteries – Bring enough batteries to last for several days of shooting.

Clothing

The focus of this workshop is the explore Lofoten’s scenic and wild mountains and valleys. While I will do my best to avoid as much bad weather as possible, we will likely end up with rain at some point.

This means you will need to be fully waterproof (upper and lower) as well as having enough insulation to handle potentially cool, damp conditions.

Proper hiking footwear prepared for muddy trails is also a requirement for this trip. In addition to good shoes, you will want to have extra socks on hand in case your feet do get wet. I would suggest having 2 pairs per day.

For a detailed clothing list, see my article: What to Wear

ABOUT CODY

Cody Duncan is one of the most experienced photographers living and working on Lofoten today. Since first visiting the Islands as a young backpacker in 2001, he traveled to Lofoten more than 20 times before deciding it was finally time to move there in the winter of 2016.

In 2010 he created the website 68 North to showcase his ever growing Lofoten portfolio which has now become one of the best photography and travel resources available today. In 2015 Cody began publishing photography guides focused on the unique seasonal nature of the Islands, drawing upon his years of experience exploring hidden corners and lonely mountain tops across Lofoten.

Cody was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California. Spending many of his early years surfing the cold waters of the Pacific, just down the road from his childhood home. His early 20’s saw him turn his focus to the mountains, soloing numerous 4000+ meter peaks in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. As his photography career developed, he soon found himself spending more time in the wild landscapes and turbulent weather of northern Europe. Cody’s images have been published by: Visit Norway, National Geographic, Men’s Journal, Sunset Magazine, Lonely Planet Magazine, GEO Saison, British Airways High Life, and numerous calendars, travel guides, and more.

Cody now lives on Flakstadøy, in the heart of Lofoten.

FINE PRINT

Tour amount due at time of final payment is 19,500 NOK – (5000 NOK deposit + 14500 remaining balance). Euro price of €1,950 based on estimate of € 1 = 10 NOK at time of publishing. This is subject to change and may affect your final price at time of payment.

Travel insurance is mandatory. Some providers are: World Nomads, ADAC, Allianz, Medjetassist

Travel insurance needs to cover any medical emergencies or accidents before, during and in transit to the workshop. Any situation which would require you to cancel the tour before or during the trip. Any loss or damage to your luggage or photography equipment.

Deposit is non-refundable. **

Any cancelations will be fully refunded (minus deposit) up to 60 days before tour. After that, no refunds available.

Tour itinerary is subject to change due to any potentially unforeseen circumstances, such as weather cancelations, etc.

Cody Duncan Photography is a member of the Norwegian Reisegarantifondet, mandatory insurance for all tour operators in Norway.

**If tour itself is cancelled by the operator or other mandatory outside circumstances such as COVID-19 outbreak of 2020, then full refunds (including deposit) for the price of the tour will be given to all participants. This does not cover any additional transportation costs to Lofoten/Norway, hotel bookings, or other arrangements outside of the workshop – this should all be covered by your travel insurance. Refunds will be paid in NOK for the same amount as received in NOK, and not adjusted for any potential currency exchange differences.