Reinebringen

Reinebringen gives the definitive Lofoten view: a knife-edge ridge looking straight down onto the village of Reine, its red cabins scattered among a maze of blue fjords and sharp peaks. The climb is short but brutally steep, now made safer by a stone stairway of nearly two thousand steps built by Nepali sherpas.

What you actually see

• The summit view - the aerial look over Reine, its fjords and the ring of peaks.
• The sherpa stairway - the stone-step trail hauling you up the steep face.
• Reine village - the red cabins spread among the water far below.
• The Lofoten peaks - the jagged summits marching away along the islands.

When to go

The snow-free summer, when the steps are clear and the trail safe; even then it should be avoided in wet or icy conditions. Clear days deliver the view; low cloud hides it entirely.

Honest expectations

It is short but extremely steep and strenuous, a real climb up thousands of steps, not a gentle walk - fitness and care are essential. The summit ridge is exposed with big drops, so it is dangerous in wind, wet or crowds. In cloud there is no view at all, so pick your day.

Nearby

Reine and the villages of southern Lofoten are below; the whole archipelago stretches north.