ULTIMATE SCANDINAVIAN EXPERIENCES

25 - THE PULL OF THE WILD IS NEVER STRONGER THAN IN DENMARK, NORWAY AND SWEDEN. ON THE PERIPHERY OF EUROPE, SCANDINAVIA IS WHERE NATURE THROWS OUT THE RULEBOOK. SHAPED BY THE ELEMENTS AND RULED BY THE SEASONS, THIS IS A REGION NOT ONLY BOUND B CULTURAL TIES, BUT BY A LOVE FOR EPIC OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

- ELLEN HIMELFARB

1. NORWAY

LIVING ON THE EDGE

Clouds wobble and mountain peaks quiver as I glide silently along the fjord, my paddle slicing through their reflections with butter-soft ease. With every stroke I slip further into a sleepy rhythm, conscious I'm the only moving part in a scene that's remarkably still.

Daily paddles are a form of meditation for kayak instructor Hege Dekkerhus, who escaped to the island of Senja several years ago, leaving a stressful life in the city behind. In an environment dominated by steep mountains and deep fjords, navigating the overpowering topography leaves no option but to slow down.

Weaving through islets strewn with polished boulders and strands of glossy seaweed, we explore the cinematic landscape once occupied by Viking communities. On the small, satellite isle of Tranoya, evidence of an ancient boathouse can be found beneath grassy mounds, along with bones, silver buttons and arrowheads frequently dug up by sheep - the only permanent residents who remain.