Ryten
Ryten is one of the famous and popular hikes in Lofoten. Other that Reinebringen, it was the most crowded of the hikes we did. On the day we did this hike, the trail to Kvalvika Beach was closed and a team of Nepalese Sherpas were installing a stone staircase connecting the mountain to the beach. This was unfortunate, as the Ryten and Kvalvika can be easily coupled into a great day hike.
Nonetheless, we climbed Ryten, while watching a helicopter lift the stones for placement by the Sherpa team. Having active construction occurring during our hike detracted a bit from the experience. The viewpoint overlooking Kvalvika and Vestervika was beautiful. We could appreciate why this was such a highly regarded view. We waited our turn and got our photos before turning back to the trailhead.
On the way down, we stopped off at the Hatta summit, which had a hut and views over Innersand Beach. Unlike the rest of the hike, there were few people at the Hatta viewpoint, which was welcome. We enjoyed the solitude for a few moments before finishing the descent.
Overall, Ryten was a bit of a disappointment for us. Part related to the Kvalvika trail being closed, part related to the construction, part related to the crowds and part related to the main event view being, in our opinion, somewhat overrated. I think this would be a great Winter hike, and possibly for sunset in the Fall, but in the morning on an overcast August day, we felt like it missed the mark.
