Lyngen Lodge - Luxury resort in northern Norway - Winter and Summer season activities

Graham Austick:

My vision was to create a lodge, which blended into the natural environment of the Arctic Lyngen Alps and give the opportunity to travellers to experience this remarkable region on an annual basis. In our increasingly busy and stressful life style it’s necessary to escape, relax and connect with nature and the lodge concept comprising of adventure, ultimate relaxing and de stressing in a relaxed environment addresses exactly these issues.

In actual fact I felt the lodge’s location chose me rather than me choosing it.  I had travelled through the region skiing for several years on a chartered sail boat with skiers I was guiding. On one particular trip I visited the Kåfjord region on the eastern side of the Lyngen Fjord to ski a mountain called Store Haugen above the small village of Djupvik. Climbing through the forest I noticed a wonderful clearing in the forest above the fjord. An instant vision flashed through my mind “Graham you’re to build a lodge and provide a permanent base for skiers to come and ski” From that exact moment onwards my life took a deviation down a road I never imagined.

I took out my camera and snapped a photo of the location. On this day I carried two cameras, one large SLR and one small happy snappy point and shoot camera. After taking the photo of the location with the large camera I packed it away only to accidently loose the small one that was attached to my belt, oblivious to this incident I continued climbing upwards and was excited by the new and powerful vision I experienced and immediately began constructing a visual plan in my mind as I headed up the track after my group.

I was now at the back of my group and it took some time before I caught the tail member who had stopped for a rest above the trees. I spoke to him about my idea and he was surprised by my sudden overwhelming enthusiastic development since my 20minute absence!

The day continued and we skied from the summit in wonderful snow under a cloudless sky to return to the boat in the harbour by late afternoon where we cast off and sailed north to our next mountain to ski the following day.

It was not until the following morning that I realised my small camera was missing. Having covered 30 nautical miles in a sailing boat the lost camera was definitely to remain where it lay somewhere in the forest from yesterday’s ski tour.

Three days later I returned home to Austria with plenty of photographs but still one missing camera that I began to forget about. A week later I was reminded of the event when an email arrived in my inbox from the boat skipper in Norway relaying that someone had found the camera and was wanting to return it to the rightful owner. I was provided with the email address and immediately took contact. I soon had a reply with the message subject “Skiers Care” I was astounded by this correspondence and sure enough it was the camera and it was found in the forest where I had taken the photo of the land.

John Johanssen was a local living in the village and had found the camera while out for a family ski tour with his family. The camera was taken home, dissembled, dried, reassembled and the photos looked at. There was a photo of the boat on the camera that created a chain of events that would change my life forever. That very same day the boat reappeared in the harbour and John hurried down to inquire if anyone had lost a camera from his boat. The reply from the skipper was yes and the connection between John and myself was made.

Upon returning home the vision of the lodge concept only grew stronger and the plans took virtual shape in my mind  with each passing day. I booked a plane ticket to return in four weeks along with Elisabeth and my mother Pat to search for the land I saw and inquire about who was the owner and inquire about the possibilities for purchasing it.

Armed with two bottles of wine, I knocked upon the door of John Johanssen to repay him for his honesty and perseverance in returning the ownership of the camera to me. He welcomed us warmly into his home where almost instantly a friendship connection was soon established.

It was not until later that afternoon some four hours into our meeting that I told him about the purpose of my visit. I explained I was here to find this plot of land that had captured me during my previous visit. There was a moment of silence and seconds seemed to pass as minutes as I waited for a reaction. John got up and left the room only to return a moment later with a large white roll of paper.

Unrolling the paper revealed numbered plots of land throughout the area. John was in fact employed by the local Kommune (council) as property development officer and was the man who knew who owned what and what could be built where. Shear excitement took over but I was just able to contain the excitement produced over this latest development, I felt like hugging this complete stranger but uncharacteristically I calmly expressed gratitude that he was providing some essential information that could really assist me further on my quest. 

I had a photograph of the plot of land I had to find which I knew was located south of my position of John’s house. He urged me to go off on a reconnaissance tour and find areas I was potentially interested in. I was to return to him and he would then join and provide information of ownership.

We left the house with the photograph in hand and headed south where we soon found the farm track that led up a bank onto a flat plateau 30 meters above the fjord with wonderful views over a grass bank down to the waters edge. This was without doubt the location and I immediately connected with the ground beneath my feet as I gazed out across the fjord to the spectacular mountains beyond.

Before returning to John we wandered further around the region and located another two pleasant possibilities that could also be considered to build a property but clearly my heart was channelled to one possible location only.