Knivskjellodden

Knivskjellodden reaches 71 degrees 11 minutes north, about fifteen hundred metres further north than the Nordkapp plateau where the visitor centre, the globe monument and the coach parties are, which makes it the northernmost point of the island of Mageroya and a matter of some satisfaction to those who walk out to it. The route is about nine kilometres each way from a car park on the E69, crossing open tundra, bog and rock, descending to the headland and then climbing back, five to seven hours in total. There is nothing at the end but a cairn with a visitors' book in a box and the Barents Sea. Neither point is on the mainland proper; that distinction belongs to Kinnarodden further east.

What's there

• The northern point - ground further north than the Nordkapp plateau.
• The cairn and book - a marker with a visitors' register at the end.
• The tundra crossing - nine kilometres of open bog, rock and moss.
• The Barents Sea - open Arctic water off the headland.

When to go

June to September, when the route is snow-free; the midnight sun runs from mid-May to late July. Weather can turn to fog or sleet at any time, and the tundra offers no shelter whatever.

Before you go

The walk is long and the return climb tiring, with wet bog throughout and no facilities of any kind. The path is marked but easy to lose in fog. There is nothing at the destination but a cairn, which some find anticlimactic.

Nearby

Nordkapp and its visitor centre are along the E69; Gjesvaer and the bird islands lie west.

Key facts