The most famous trekking route of Sweden, Kungsleden is a trail, featured on many “to hike” lists. It stands out from other European trails because of its location – most of the trail is within the Arctic Circle, ensuring unique and remote landscapes.
A few openings next to a river allowed me to glimpse back at the mountains, looming majestically in the far distance. I felt both sad and excited.
While I was leaving behind some magnificent views, what waited for me ahead was far from disappointing.
Today I’m crossing the highest point on Kungsleden – Tjäkta pass (1150m). While elevation is not necessarily a challenge on this trip, this was by far the coldest pass I crossed in the whole year.
I was curious how different it’ll be on the trail as some Kungsleden hikers compared it to a hiking highway. I could not imagine a highway in a place where I met only a couple of people per day.
The original plan of today was to reach Singi, which was 21km from Sitojaure. However, plans are meant to be broken and I ended up staying in Kaitumjaure Fjällstuga, hiking a mere 9km.
during breakfast, I met another solo hiker, a girl from France. She came from Teusajaure and said that she actually hitchhiked the bus section and that way was able to finish the section in one day. Hitchhiking? Alone? Hmmm, I don’t know. I never hitchhiked before…
It was a windy night in a tent, to which I was grateful for the sturdiness in such bad weather. Since it’s damn cold, I have extra motivation to put out the tent as fast as possible and run to the hut for a warm breakfast.
As the weather was supposed to be good, everyone in the hut was planning to summit Skierffe, which promised epic views from the top. I was no exception.
Once the mountain is passed, the other side of the trail opens up to a beautiful valley with lakes dotting the bottom of it. What a place. I didn’t know where to take pictures, everywhere it was amazing.
Here I am, in the Arctic Circle! I don’t know if it’s due to my long trip here or due to the weather, but I can actually feel it. The air is cool and fresh, making me think about this famous Game of Thrones phrase: “The winter is coming”.
I love trains. If I could travel everywhere by train, I would. This year I wanted to experiment. What if I didn’t fly this summer? What if I travelled to my hikes by public transport only? Even if it’s in the Arctic Circle?