Hellsegga (15.05.2015)

We all teamed up in Leknes, got some supplies and left around 7 pm towards Å where the road ends. We met a father and son from Czech republic curious to where we are going. We showed them on the map and I asked if they wanted to come along but they said they didn't have enough time so I told them about Kvalvika, the cabin and the story behind. Then we left for Ågdalen shortly after 9 pm. It was raining a little and some wind as well but it takes no more than 1,5 hours to walk in.

After 9 hours hike with heavy backpacks we arrived at our destination. Refsvika is an exciting place on the rugged and deserted outer coast of the island of Moskenesøy. With remnants of old settlement and a lovely beach - all set in a majestic mountain environment.

''Today there are no residents on the west side of Moskenesøya but until about 1950 there were several small villages and farms in the bays and coves on the far side of the island. Refsvika was the second most southerly of these villages, and in 1900 had 22 inhabitants. The population grew to 38 in 1939.

Refsvika and Helle were the only places at Moskenes island where it was possible to fish from - villages farther north on the seaward side had poor harbor conditions and strong surge. First, from the late 1920s there was winter fishing from Refsvika and Helle. In 1939-1940, research was conducted considering getting a better built harbor on one of the two places, but no plans for this were realized. When Helle got radiotelephone connection with Sørvågen in 1928, they built a regular phone line to Refsvika. In the late 1940s Refsvika and Helle got power generators that gave them electric light, but it was never built any permanent electricity supply to these villages.

In October 1949, there was sent a joint application from Refsvika and Helle for financial support to move. Parliament thus treated the issue of providing depopulation contribution to Helle and Refsvika and the Parliament allocated money for emigration.
At the end of 1950 there was only one family left in Refsvika and they moved in spring 1951. Of the 15 families who got loans to move from Refsvika and Helle 11 moved to Sørvågen. When people moved from Refsvika and the other places on the seaward side houses and boathouses were demolished and taken to be rebuilt where people looked to settle, and thus stood only dwellings and landing places left. ''