I set off from the Delp trailhead on Sunday, 13th September 2026, at 5:50 a.m. I operated strictly under Self-Supported ethics, carrying all my own kit - https://lighterpack.com/r/z0u4nl - and food, and just collected water as I went.
The first day was brutal. I hit storm force 10 winds gusting at 60 mph on the Matmora ridge, followed by torrential, driving rain. My original plan was to push through to Kleppstad, but the exposure on the ridgeline was incredibly dangerous - I had to crawl on my hands and knees at one point just to stay on the mountain. To wait out the worst of the storm, I came off the trail at Svolvær and booked into the Express Hotel. The next day, once the weather had calmed, I rejoined the route at the exact coordinates I left it.
From there, the trail was in rough shape. Large sections were ankle-to-knee-deep bog, making for incredibly slow going, especially given the shorter daylight hours in mid-September.
I hiked all connecting bridge and road sections on foot (no hitchhiking). The only mechanized transport I used was the mandatory bus through the Nappstraum Tunnel (which is legally closed to pedestrians) and the scheduled ferry from Kjerkfjorden to Vindstad (as it no longer stops at the power station). Because I hiked the tarmac sections that most people bypass via bus, and because the ferry doesn't go to the power station anymore, this variation of the route is roughly 20 miles (32 km) longer than the "standard" track.
The only other point I came off trail was into Ramberg, on Wednesday 16th - again because of incredibly bad weather. I booked an Airbnb as I walked into town as crossing the 3 road bridges on foot in such high wind wasn't safe.
I had originally aimed to break the 5-day barrier, but the combination of the Day 1 & 4 storms, the severe mud, and the extra road miles made that impossible. Still, finishing in 6d 5h 10m establishes a time for people to go at.
It was far from an ideal weather window, but a massive adventure. I will 100% be back for a summer attempt to take this under 5 days