Blekktinden
Flakstadpollen is a beautiful mult-colored bay on the north side of the Flakstadoya. It is outlined by E10 in the stretch between Napp and Ramberg. The water is very shallow at the edge of the bay, creating a light turquoise border contrasting against the deep blue water in the center of the bay. It is beautiful from the shoreline, but is best viewed from the adjacent mountains.
There are two peaks which have a bird’s eye view of Flakstadpollen Bay: Kollfjellet and Blekktinden. We chose the latter hike, because it is a loop and it also has views of Nappstraumen Strait to the East from the ridgeline on the ascent.
This hike is best at low tide, during which the color contrast on the water is most pronounced. On the way to the hike, we stopped to walked out on the tidal beach, which was glittered with Loften seaweed and showed reflections of the adjacent mountains in the small tidal pools. It was a great vantage point for photography. The panorama at the top of this page is from that spot.
The hike was a counterclockwise loop, initially climbing to the ridge below Andopshesten, where we enjoyed panoramic views of the Nappstraumen Strait, then to the shoulder between Andopshesten and Blekktinden, and ultimately to the summit of the latter. The best views of the day were on the descent on the West side of Blekktinnden, which had picture perfect views of Flakstadpollen Bay.
The trail was muddy and had some route finding challenges. The most difficult part was the steep descent, but it was non-technical. We saw two other people on the trail, and spent most of the day enjoying this hike in solitude. I recommend doing either this hike, or Kollfjellet, to take in the beauty of Flakstadpollen Bay.
