When I publish this I will have been offline for a whole week. No reception whatsoever between Abisko and Vakkotavare . Only my satellite GPS communicator was able to let people know where I am if they have the link or if I used some of my very precious free messages per month that are included in my monthly plan. Which by the way is not cheap but worth it. You find an extra post about it here in a few days.
Did I miss it? No.
So what happened after I stepped onto the trail, besides my phone reception going dead?
Actually while I am writing this, we are currently at the end of day three. So far I have walked about 13-14 km every day, cheating 7 km of a 20 km hike by taking a boat, but it was worth it.
When you have hiked a few longer hikes, you have the tendency to compare. Difficulty, length, altitude, how steep it is etc. So far it has been the perfect start back to hiking after having been ill in February for an extended time, first catching Covid and then the flu or the other way round. Who really cares. The result is that I am still struggling with my energy levels.
The first day was nearly flat and when the map showed an ascent it was nothing compared to what I did last year on the South West Coast Path. The only thing that was really exhausting was he fact, that it was roughly 26 degrees and the sun burning down, which is extremely untypical for this part of the world. Normally the average temperature is 12 degrees Celsius. So I had an extra three liters of water which means an extra three kg of weight. Not being used to hike with a heavy pack anymore, I took my time and had a few breaks but arrived safely at my first stop Abiskojaure. I hadn’t booked a bed yet and decided to camp, also to safe some money, because everything on this trail is extra expensive. There are no roads to these huts and everything that is being transported there is being brought by snowmobiles during the winter.
The huts so far are really nice. Simple but clean, fresh water being supplied by a lake or stream nearby. When you arrive you are always greeted with a some lingonberry juice and a smile.
Here are the things that are important to know: Most huts have a sauna and that is the only place where you can wash yourself with warm water. Alternatively you can jump into an ice-cold lake or river. Refreshing but also breathtaking in the literal sense. If you use up water, you have to catch some new from which ever place it is. In today’s hut it is all the way down to massive stream, yesterday there were huge canisters with a tap, the first day from a specific place at the lake.
The water is so incredibly clean I really am upset that I still cannot taste but just the freshness is amazing.
What can you not expect in the huts:
Running water. You have to get water from which ever place has been indicated.
That also means that you have “Elk Toilets” as my best friend and I call it. Basically a good old outhouse or “Plumpsklo” in German. Right now the huts are being equipped with new ones and they are really nice. Though it also means if you need to get to the loo you have to go outside.
There are no, I repeat, no sockets to suck electricity from so if you ever plan hiking the trail, make sure you bring enough electricity with you in the form of one or two powerbanks. On the other side you do not really need a lot as you will use your phone much less than normally.
Also the rooms have no light. “Whaaaat?”, you might think? Well, the huts are only open during the time when it is not getting dark. Remember we are north the arctic circle and even now in late July you can read a book all night through, without any extra light. Though, it makes sense to bring a headlamp in case you are sharing with people that pull the curtains down.
And last but not least: No garbage cans. You bring your trash (aka packaging), and you take your trash with you until you reach civilization.
The people on the trail are kind and from all kinds of places as far as the US. And if you are hiking the same direction it is very likely you will catch up with each other in the kitchens in the evenings.
As I don’t want to bore you with an extra long blog entry I will split it in different parts and publish them bit by bit, reception permitting. So some might come a couple days in a row, some others might come in longer intervals.
Feel free to leave in the comments what you might be interested in reading about the trail. I am happy to try to answer your questions.
And don’t forget: Hike your own hike!
One Year - Five Continents 