I spent my Live It day in the Arctic Norwegian archipelago of Lofoten. My husband had dreamed of visiting Lofoten, and I had dreamed of going to the Arctic and seeing the Northern Lights, so this was a very exciting trip for both of us. We spent most of our days hiking around the area and quickly learned that many trails gave off a “hike at your own risk” vibe. There was always a sign at the start of the trail, but that was about the extent of it. On this particular day, our goal was to hike a trail along the ridge of these mountains.
We set off confidently along the sea, knowing that eventually the trail should trend upwards. The trail seemed pretty straight-forward, so we didn’t feel the need to download the AllTrails route. We did eventually get to the top of the ridge, but it was not by a route I would ever advise. When we didn’t see the trail trend upward, we concluded that we had missed it, and decided to scale the chute of the mountain instead, using the tall grasses to grab and propel ourselves up. It was an exhausting and frustrating experience, and probably not the wisest on our part. I learned the importance of being prepared, but also the importance of a trail to be suitable for the user. Trail identity though confidence markers is essential to the safety and accessibility of the trail user, and I am glad DbD is committed to this important work!
