Overwhelmed by Nature – and suspension bridges. – One Year

I have been told, that nature above the arctic circle is breathtaking but I had no idea how much so.

The first couple of kilometers it felt just nice, a hike like nearly any other in a more wooded area. But the further I came the more breathtaking were the views. What I am going to say might sound contradictory but it is the simplicity of the Fjäll, that really struck me. The mountains between the hikers find themselves, are looking like dormant giants, taking a well deserved rest while the snow that hasn’t melted paints pictures on their backs. An upside down ghost here, a bird there, a hand raised for a greeting. All while the masses of melted water are running and falling down to the streams and the lakes, creating the most wonderful pastell torquise. No filter needed, neither for the water nor for the camera.

It is nearly impossible to get enough of the views, but there is a hut to be reached and obstacles to be concquererd. One of them the constantly reoccurring suspension bridges or “swinging bridges” as I call them for a reason, across the streams and rivers, some of which I would even call gorges with wild gurgling water, not to be stopped finding its way downwhill.

And by the by, crossing a bridge by foot that has barely any protection for me to fall off doesn’t only give me the shivers, it immediately puts me in panic mode. Looking at my heartrate afterwards, it has a spike that does not look healthy. In general it takes me about two minutes until I can assemble all my courage, in order to not fall to the floor of the bridge and crawl, but walk with my eyes focused on the other end, not looking down through the metal. The lengths vary and so does the time I need to get out of survival mode.

Eventually it might get better, as there are many more bridges to come. Nevertheless, this really is the harder part of my journey, besides the hiking itself.

But that is a story for another blog entry.

Feel free to comment on your personal “Endgegner” when you are outdoors. And make sure you hike your own hike because it is beautiful no matter what.