Hestmannen, the Horseman, is a 580-metre mountain on the island of Hestmannøya, straddling the border between Rødøy and Lurøy municipalities. The Arctic Circle runs straight through the island. From the sea, the mountain looks like a cloaked rider on horseback, leaning forward with his cape trailing behind him in the wind. For centuries, fishermen and sailors used the silhouette as a navigation marker along the coast.
In the Helgeland legend, Hestmannen was a troll prince, the son of Vågakallen in Lofoten, and an unruly horseman. He chased seven sisters fleeing south along the coast. When he could not catch them, he threw his hat at the maidens in rage. The troll king of Sømna shot an arrow to stop him, but the arrow pierced the hat instead. At that moment the sun rose and turned them all to stone. The seven sisters became De syv søstre. The hat with the hole became Torghatten. And the horseman himself became this mountain, frozen mid-chase, still riding south along the coast. You can see several of these characters from any one of them: from the summit of Hestmannen, the De syv søstre and Dønnamannen are visible to the south, Træna and Lovund to the west, the Svartisen glacier to the east, and Rødøy to the north.
The hike is 3.4 kilometres one way with about 515 metres of ascent, taking roughly three hours up. The trail follows an old cable car route for most of the climb, but the final section is steep and requires some scrambling. This is not a casual walk; it is a proper mountain hike for experienced people. But on a clear day, the summit view ties together nearly every landmark on the Helgeland coast.
In the Helgeland legend, Hestmannen was a troll prince, the son of Vågakallen in Lofoten, and an unruly horseman. He chased seven sisters fleeing south along the coast. When he could not catch them, he threw his hat at the maidens in rage. The troll king of Sømna shot an arrow to stop him, but the arrow pierced the hat instead. At that moment the sun rose and turned them all to stone. The seven sisters became De syv søstre. The hat with the hole became Torghatten. And the horseman himself became this mountain, frozen mid-chase, still riding south along the coast. You can see several of these characters from any one of them: from the summit of Hestmannen, the De syv søstre and Dønnamannen are visible to the south, Træna and Lovund to the west, the Svartisen glacier to the east, and Rødøy to the north.
The hike is 3.4 kilometres one way with about 515 metres of ascent, taking roughly three hours up. The trail follows an old cable car route for most of the climb, but the final section is steep and requires some scrambling. This is not a casual walk; it is a proper mountain hike for experienced people. But on a clear day, the summit view ties together nearly every landmark on the Helgeland coast.