Hiking in the night: A camping misadventure at Borđan

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When my last week on Nólsoy came around, I still hadn’t gone on the camping trip that I’d promised myself to do. I wanted to hike to the two lighthouses at the southernmost end of the island in the afternoon, pitch my tent for the night and head back home the next morning. I have hiked to the lighthouse at Borđan before, but it’s four years ago, so I desperately wanted to refresh my memory of the place!

I waited for a relatively good day to come along, cloudy but with some breaks in the sky, and set off at 5.30 PM, four hours before sunset. The 6 km hike to the first lighthouse is supposed to take 2,5 hours, so I was in good time!

Because I was living in a house on Nólsoy, I didn’t think to bring my big rucksack when I packed to come there, so I had to carry my tent on my arm for the whole hike… Not great prioritizing!

I hiked out of the village and halfway up Eggjarklettur mountain. I took my first break at a great spot on the side of the mountain, looking out on Tórshavn and the village of Nólsoy, and was joined by a hare that sat enjoying the same view a few meters from me. It was snowing lightly from a dark cloud above me, but at the same time, the sun was also shining on me from the west. Just goes to show how local the weather is on the Faroes!

The next leg of the hike was looooong, very long, but easy. It was pretty much just straight with limited ascends and descends. I didn’t stop much for the rest of the hike, only when taking photos, and 2,5 hours after I’d set off, I saw it. The lighthouse keeper’s house at Nólsoyarviti! I then walked down to the lighthouse, which my friend and I actually missed on our hike in 2015! The lighthouse is so so pretty! It looks newly renovated, and so does the keeper’s house! I was secretly wishing someone would be home and would invite me in for the night, but the keeper doesn’t live there anymore.

The lighthouse and keeper’s buildings were built during 1892-93 of carved rocks found in the local area. The houses were originally built for three families, and when the population at Nólsoyarviti was at its peak, there were ten children, so Nólsoyarviti alternated with the Nólsoy village in having the school. The lighthouse is known as “the lighthouse at the end of the world”, which fits it perfectly. The place really feels very isolated, and it’s hard to imagine what life was like back when it was inhabited.

I went to find a spot to pitch my tent, and choose a flat-ish area a few hundred meters from the buildings, the best I could find in such a hilly landscape. It was protected by a hill behind it and had the ocean in front – perfect!

But before going to bed, I decided to take a sunset stroll to the other lighthouse from 1900, located at Borðan at the southernmost end of Nólsoy. It was a nice 1,5 km hike, and I got there just after the sun had set. There was hardly any wind, so I did some exploring and climbed near the edges to peak down at the many birds.

I went another way back and stumbled upon the small harbour, Stallurin.  This place was used as a landing place when Nólsoyarviti was inhabited, and functioned both as a landing place for workers and for ships that brought goods to the families. A bit further along, I could see the lighthouse in front of the small islet Kapilin.

Once I approached the lighthouse, I saw that it was lit and some of the house buildings also. I don’t think anyone was there though, as the lights seemed to automatically turn on after sunset. It was fun seeing the lighthouse light up – something I would not have seen if I’d done it as a day hike!

When I was close by the lighthouse, a white hare came running out in front of me. That was the seventh hare that I saw that day! That’s quite a lot, especially considering that I usually only see one during a hike in the Faroes.

I got back to my tent at dusk and crept inside, ready for a good night’s sleep. OR SO I THOUGHT. Not bringing a big rucksack was not my only case of idiocy… I also hadn’t brought a sleeping bag as I didn’t have enough room for it in my suitcase, so instead I had brought a blanket on the hike. Oh, and I also didn’t have a sleeping pad. I figured it would be fine, so I laid down and started to read a book, but it didn’t even take five minutes before I started freezing.

I had a back up plan, which was to walk all the way back home in the dark. And of course, because of my own stupidity, I had to resort to my plan B. The path is not dangerous at all and I did have a torch on my phone (= I did think of something…), so it would’ve been fine if it hadn’t been for my legs. My stupid idiotic legs. Too many days spent on the sofa writing my thesis meant that my right leg was overstrained from the hike out to the lighthouses, so it was difficult to face walking another 6 km home on that. But I had to. I didn’t want to die from hypothermia, so my body was basically in survival mode. Halfway through my hike home, my left leg also gave way and I was now dragging myself along on two overstrained legs.

The hike home took forever. I started at midnight and took so many breaks along the way to rest my legs and gain some energy that it took me 4 hours and 15 minutes (instead of 2,5 hours!!!). Although, on the positive side, it was quite an adventure to hike in the middle of the night, and I was lucky with the weather. I only had a few drops of snow falling, but mostly the sky was clear and the stars were shining brightly. The best feeling in the world was when I finally saw the village of Nólsoy! I’d contemplated whether or not to give up and try to sleep in my tent maaany times during the hike, but when I saw that tiny beautiful village as I climbed over the mountain side, I gained enough strength and motivation to make it home before collapsing on my bed.

At 5.30 AM – after posting this ridiculous story on Instagram and telling my mum not to worry, I fell asleep, comfortable in my bed. I’m so glad that I didn’t have anything planned for the next day, as I was the most sorry sight in the world – I could barely move from the pain in my legs! But had it been worth it? OH YES! Seeing Nólsoyarviti again WAS worth it, despite it being the most physically painful hours of my life.

Immediately after returning back home, I was dreaming myself back to Nólsoyarviti. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something truly magical about the place, and about Nólsoy in general. I’ve considered the possibility of renting the keeper’s house for a week or so (if that’s even possible). I think I would love the solitude for a short period of time. Because I had to turn home early, I missed out on exploring the southeastern corner, which is the only place I haven’t been to on Nólsoy, so I have to go back regardless!

Hiking to the lighthouses in the south

Walk south out of the village. Just before approaching the white farm building on the gravel road, turn left onto a small path.

Follow the path. First it goes halfway up Eggjarklettur, which is the most challenging part, and then it’s flat for the rest of the hike. The trail is marked with cairns and blue poles all the way out to Nólsoyarviti. When you approach the keeper’s house, there’s a small descent. The lighthouse is located to the left of the other buildings.

Afterwards, walk down to the ocean and follow the path to the lighthouse at Borðan (about 3 km extra return) before returning back to the village along the same route or by following the steep West coast.

The return hike is 15 km long including both lighthouses, takes 4-6 hours and is easy but lengthy.

Interested in exploring Nólsoy by boat?

Enjoy a unique trip around Nólsoy by boat where you’ll get to see the many hidden caves of the islands. It’s the perfect way to spot the seals, puffins and other seabirds that thrive on and around Nólsoy. The two-hour tour is available from April to October. The price starts at 2,100 DKK for 1-3 people. Read more here!

Alternatively, you could take a summer trip on the historic scooner Norðlýsið, where the captain will sail you around the island before stopping in the village. The three-hour tour is available from May to August. The price is 850 DKK per person for adults and 425 DKK for children. Read more here.