Kvikkjokk - Pårte
- Distance: 17km
- Duration: (with breaks): 7h 30min
- Elevation gain/loss: 260m/90m
Here I am, in the Arctic Circle! I don’t know if it’s due to my long trip to get 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: “Winter is coming”. It definitely feels like that here.
I woke up at 2:30 to a chilly feeling in my body even though I was wearing long pants, a sweater, a puffy jacket, and even a beanie while fully hiding in my sleeping bag. No wonder, it was -2 degrees… Welcome to the North, Simona!
I was so glad of my decision to have a warm breakfast on this trip and stock up with little packets of oatmeal and milk powder. Oh and instant coffee of course. While water is warming up, I hug my cooking mug and try to regain some warmth in my hands. Once the breakfast is ready, I savor every bite as it’s the best meal I’ve ever had. Warm breakfast does miracles.
Yesterday I met two Swedish hikers, Jonas and Aksel (sorry, guys, if I misspelled your names) who are also walking from Kvikkjokk to the north, and so they became my buddies with whom I was hanging out the most of the day. I wasn’t planning to tag along for the hiking part, but it was nice to have some company on my first night.
Anyway, after my royal oatmeal breakfast, I’m ready to hit the trail. I say bye to the guys, not knowing if I’ll meet them again, and head to the sign “Kungsleden”. Today the trail leads mostly through the forest, which might sound dull, but to me, it’s the perfect beginning. Very gradual elevation allows me to get used to a heavier backpack (12kg on my shoulders), while the forest itself leaves me in awe.
Those colors! Nature here is in full autumn swing with reds and yellows coloring the landscape. The day was also calm and mostly sunny, energizing me. Occasionally I met other hikers, most of them walking towards Kvikkjokk, with their huuuuuuuge backpacks, making my backpack look lightweight for once.
Halfway through the hike, I came to the first lake on the trail, Stuor Dáhtá. Omg, that’s where I’m taking a break! As it was super calm, the lake reflected perfectly the forest and the peaks in the distance with blue skies above. I was tempted to camp in this area, especially when I spotted quite a few fine wild camping places, but it was way too early to stop there. I wanted to use the good weather and stick to my hiking plan.
After the lake, I crossed my first reindeer fences, no reindeer though, and moved towards Pårte, which is a hut, in Swedish known as fjällstuga. My plan was to camp next to it for a small fee, but as I was having such a great feeling hiking here, I decided to try wild camping. While Pårte is situated next to a beautiful lake, I went ahead looking for a great camping spot.
I don’t know if wild camping places are maintained, but they are very easy to spot – a clearing with a few rocks and sometimes even a small fireplace. My mission was to find one of those places near a stream so that I have a water source for food. I was rather picky and passed quite a few places that were ok. Let me just walk for another 10min, maybe a better place will show up. At around 17:15 I started to worry a bit that I might have to come back as I was not hearing any water nearby. Luckily at around 17:30, I reached the Gállakjåhkå stream and a great camping spot right next to it.
With the tent set up and dinner boiling, I sat on a log and thought to myself: I’m so grateful to be here and I haven’t even reached the mountains.
Day 1 tips
- Phone reception disappears soon after Kvikkjokk, so if you're curious about weather conditions for the next day, the warden of Pårte hut can provide you this info.
- The store at Kvikkjokk station was one of the largest with a decent amount of supplies, especially considering that it was the end of the season. You might want to get food supplies there.
- If you're planning on wild camping around Pårte, I suggest going a bit ahead of the hut. There are a few camping spots before the hut, but they are far from water. A lot more opportunities lie in the direction of Aktse. If you camp in the peninsula of Pårte, you need to pay a fee.
Hej Sabina,
great blog and I am doing the same route as you next week. How did you navigate on the trail? Was it easy to follow the path, have you bought a map of Kungsleden or used an app like alltrails, for example?
Best to your future adventures,
Matej
Simona*, apologies (autocorrect) 😀