Djevelporten hike is a beautiful hike starting in downtown Svolv忙r in Lofoten.
It is a well-marked and popular hike ending at the famous Devil’s gate (Djevelporten) – a wedged rock between Frosken and Fl酶ya.聽
It is quite a steep trek, and if it is muddy, it might not be the best for first-timers. According to different websites, it should take around 2 hours to reach the Devil’s Gate that sits at an elevation of 600 m. It took us a little bit more time as we had two novices with us, and it was raining – making everything muddy and slippery.
It is a loop route, so you get to enjoy new scenery the whole way, and you do not have to backtrack.
From the Devil’s Gate, you can hike along the mountain ridge of Fl酶ya, where you can see Svolv忙rgeita – The Svolv忙r Goat – Lofoten’s most famous rock formation. If you have the climbing gear and experience, you can climb to the very top of the Svolv忙rgeita 馃檪
Where to start?
The trailhead is located in very close proximity to the Svolv忙r town center. Therefore, if you’re based in the town, you can walk to the trailhead rather than drive.聽聽
If you are driving, you can find signs nearby the trailhead telling you where to park. You can’t park next to the kindergarten located nearby, so be careful not to get fined.
GPX track 漏 hiking-lofoten.net
Check out this website for a really nice map of the route.
Is the “Djevelporten Boulder” safe?
That depends. I wouldn’t say it is the safest, especially when it is wet and muddy. It requires a quite steep descent into the saddle before it is possible to climb it. It was quite slippery when we went down, and I was glad I had a hiking/climbing experience and a good pair of hiking shoes.
On the other hand, the boulder itself is not as scary as it seems in the pictures. It hangs only several meters over the ground and is relatively wide and flat. It is not wobbly, so once you’re standing on top, it’s rather safe unless you decide to do some stupid acrobatics, which never ends well.聽
Afterthought
I really enjoyed the hike, but as I wrote, it is not for beginners and people who never hiked before. The moment we were done with it, my boyfriend was ecstatic it was over. It was his first hike ever, and when he heard it was an easy hike of only 2 hours, he pictured it a little differently, with less mud and smaller stones 馃檪 He ended up being totally exhausted, drenched, and dirty. But that didn’t stop him from going on another hike two days later!聽
