Northern Finnmark, Norway
During the night, the Endeavour brought us from the port of Kirkenes, which is located close to the Russian border. Kirkenes is situated just about as far east as Istanbul and Cairo. As we reached the open sea, soporific swell swiftly pulled us into sleep. From the rather low and flat landscapes of Eastern Finnmark, with rocks dating back more than 3 billion years, we have been moving into the more dramatic rising relief of the Nordkyn peninsula, where mighty, tilted and folded rocks of younger age face the Arctic Ocean. The middle and western parts of the Finnmark coastline reveal quite a contrast to the low and smooth landforms at the Varanger peninsula and the areas adjacent to the Russian border.
The Endeavour dropped her anchors in the early morning at the mouth of Sandfjorden, which is partly framed by Kinnarodden, the northernmost point of mainland Europe at 71o8’1’’ N. North Cape is slightly further north (71o10’21’’ N), but is located on an island called Mageröya. Our skilled zodiac drivers safely got us through the swell that was rolling onto the sandy beach at the foot of Sandfjorden (see picture). As we ascended, sand dunes covered with a carpet of grasses, wildflowers and willows triggered the curiosity of our many plant lovers. A rather steep climb to the next plateau provided us with the main physical challenge of the day, offering a combination of walking and creeping. But what a reward as we got up there, a beautiful view of the fjord, including our wonderful vessel and the northernmost tip of mainland Europe in the background. What a contrast to the sparse vegetation and the barren landscape on most of the Svalbard archipelago! When the climbing was completed and everyone had gotten a chance to just sit down and enjoy the view, we walked onto a different vegetation cover, consisting of perfectly “ground-huging” dwarf birch, reindeer moss and blueberries. We also located tasty cloudberries. The rest of the hike went through a rolling landscape. Antlers of a reindeer buck and reindeer droppings gave proof to the fact that we were walking on grazing lands of reindeer herds belonging to the Sami. The lack of distracting sounds in this pristine, remarkable landscape at the northernmost edge of mainland Europe filled us all with awe. What a place to remember!
We shall also take with us memories from a visit this afternoon to Skarsvaag, the northernmost fishing village in the world, situated on Magerøya, just next to the North Cape plateau. Although the population has diminished over the last few years, due to both the decline in fish stocks, and to the lack current market situation for the export of Norwegian fish to the EU. There are still some 20-25 families living in the village. Most of these have one fishing boat each and manage to make a living up here. During the summer time 3 Sami families stay here with their reindeer herds. They arrive with in April and return by September to the winter herding areas near Karasjok, some 80 miles further south. There they stay in wooden houses during the whole winter and help each other watching their herds. At Skarsvaag we met one of these families who also offered some very valuable handicraft souvenirs made from hides, antlers and bone of reindeer. A few of our more vigorous hikers took the opportunity to walk up to the top of a high ridge just above the fishing village. They were well rewarded by a spectacular view of the landscape surrounding this most remote settlement. At 6 pm we passed the North Cape. The plateau was partly covered by fog, but we did get a close view of the impressive underlying cliffs. The spotting of seabirds like cormorants, guillemots and puffins under the cliffs added to this special experience.
This day was also the time for exchanging stories at our last recap and for saying goodbye at the Captains Dinner. - We have had the privilege to journey through Svalbard, this Arctic jewel, as well as the pristine homelands of the Sami.. According to the latest standards for sustainable wilderness management, it is recommended that such areas should be managed for a minimum of 200-years. Let us hope that our descendants 200 years from now shall still be able to inherit these Arctic treasures intact
During the night, the Endeavour brought us from the port of Kirkenes, which is located close to the Russian border. Kirkenes is situated just about as far east as Istanbul and Cairo. As we reached the open sea, soporific swell swiftly pulled us into sleep. From the rather low and flat landscapes of Eastern Finnmark, with rocks dating back more than 3 billion years, we have been moving into the more dramatic rising relief of the Nordkyn peninsula, where mighty, tilted and folded rocks of younger age face the Arctic Ocean. The middle and western parts of the Finnmark coastline reveal quite a contrast to the low and smooth landforms at the Varanger peninsula and the areas adjacent to the Russian border.
The Endeavour dropped her anchors in the early morning at the mouth of Sandfjorden, which is partly framed by Kinnarodden, the northernmost point of mainland Europe at 71o8’1’’ N. North Cape is slightly further north (71o10’21’’ N), but is located on an island called Mageröya. Our skilled zodiac drivers safely got us through the swell that was rolling onto the sandy beach at the foot of Sandfjorden (see picture). As we ascended, sand dunes covered with a carpet of grasses, wildflowers and willows triggered the curiosity of our many plant lovers. A rather steep climb to the next plateau provided us with the main physical challenge of the day, offering a combination of walking and creeping. But what a reward as we got up there, a beautiful view of the fjord, including our wonderful vessel and the northernmost tip of mainland Europe in the background. What a contrast to the sparse vegetation and the barren landscape on most of the Svalbard archipelago! When the climbing was completed and everyone had gotten a chance to just sit down and enjoy the view, we walked onto a different vegetation cover, consisting of perfectly “ground-huging” dwarf birch, reindeer moss and blueberries. We also located tasty cloudberries. The rest of the hike went through a rolling landscape. Antlers of a reindeer buck and reindeer droppings gave proof to the fact that we were walking on grazing lands of reindeer herds belonging to the Sami. The lack of distracting sounds in this pristine, remarkable landscape at the northernmost edge of mainland Europe filled us all with awe. What a place to remember!
We shall also take with us memories from a visit this afternoon to Skarsvaag, the northernmost fishing village in the world, situated on Magerøya, just next to the North Cape plateau. Although the population has diminished over the last few years, due to both the decline in fish stocks, and to the lack current market situation for the export of Norwegian fish to the EU. There are still some 20-25 families living in the village. Most of these have one fishing boat each and manage to make a living up here. During the summer time 3 Sami families stay here with their reindeer herds. They arrive with in April and return by September to the winter herding areas near Karasjok, some 80 miles further south. There they stay in wooden houses during the whole winter and help each other watching their herds. At Skarsvaag we met one of these families who also offered some very valuable handicraft souvenirs made from hides, antlers and bone of reindeer. A few of our more vigorous hikers took the opportunity to walk up to the top of a high ridge just above the fishing village. They were well rewarded by a spectacular view of the landscape surrounding this most remote settlement. At 6 pm we passed the North Cape. The plateau was partly covered by fog, but we did get a close view of the impressive underlying cliffs. The spotting of seabirds like cormorants, guillemots and puffins under the cliffs added to this special experience.
This day was also the time for exchanging stories at our last recap and for saying goodbye at the Captains Dinner. - We have had the privilege to journey through Svalbard, this Arctic jewel, as well as the pristine homelands of the Sami.. According to the latest standards for sustainable wilderness management, it is recommended that such areas should be managed for a minimum of 200-years. Let us hope that our descendants 200 years from now shall still be able to inherit these Arctic treasures intact
