Trailtagebuch

Last day From: summer bridge behind Teusajaure To: Vakkotavare bus station Today I managed to start at 8:30, half an hour earlier than usual, but I had a bus to catch! I crossed the bridge and was on my way. I saw more reindeer, crossed colorful heathlands while the sun was shining.  Then came dark clouds and some rain and really weird light around noon. And then finally lake Akkajaure came into view, together with first signs of civilization: power poles. Shortly before I reached the bus station, I saw this family of snow grouse. How many do you see? I arrived at 1 pm, one hour before the bus would come. I used my last gas to cook my last packet soup. We were 9 hikers who took the bus, 2 of them I had seen on the trail nearly every day. But they had slept in the huts. The bus drive was very nice. The bus driver collected the post on the way aand at one tourist station, there was a 10 minute break where we could by some chocolate in th...

Lucky rower From: before Teusajaure To: after Teusajaure Breakfast with fresh blueberries, yummy! And ready to go at 9:00, as always. My GPS told me that I only have 18 km to Vakkotavare as the crow flies. But I have some ups and downs and a lake to cross on the way! There are less people on the trail since the Nikkaluokta exit, most hikers seem to take that exit.  The weather is fine, no rain nor wind and I reach Teusajaure hut at half past 1. It's a steep decline down to the lake. The trail continues on the opposite shore of the lake, so you have to cross it. There are two options on how to do that: by rowing or taking the motor boat. The motorboat you have to pay and look at the time table. Rowing is always possible, but there are 3 boats and you need to make sure, that there are 2 boats on one shore and one boat on the other. I kept my fingers crossed that I would find two boats on my side! And there they were. I took one and rowed to the other...

Solitude From: Singi To: between Kaitumjaure and Teusajaure Oatmeal for breakfast! I'm not as excited about that as I was on the first days, but nevertheless, this is what I get. I had a nice, warm night, despite the wind, but outside, it still looks uncomfortable. So even the weather is in favour of the route to Nikkaluotka. So I started. crossed streams, and reached lower ground with higher trees. And then, finally, reached Kaitumjaure hut! That settled it, then, since Kaitumjaure is on the way to Vakkotavare, way behind the Nikkalutoka exit. It was a wonderful way, I'm glad I took this path. And since it is just half past 3, I'll not stay here, but go on to find a nice place for the night somewhere on the way.  That happened to be harder than I thought. The ground was either too swampy or to uneven, but eventually, I found a place. It still was not really even, but doesn't fit my tent nicely in the scenery :) Day...

Headache From: Sälka To: Singi I had a wonderful view from my tent this morning, what else do you need for a perfect day! Again, I considered the choices of route: Nikkaluokta would be shorter, the bus drive back to Kiruna would be shorter, too and the path would be easier to go. But it would also be less spectacular, the fjellstation full of people. Vakkotavare in contrast would be much more beautiful! In the morning, everything seems so much easier than in the evening! And, to be honest, I knew deep in my heart that I would love Vakkotavare much more and only choose the easier way if I really had my doubts about my endurance. So I made a compromise: I would go to Singi hut, where I still could take an exit to Nikka if I wanted to but bought myself one more night before a final decision. The day was very windy and I had quite a headache after some km's. But nothing Aspirin couldn't help and when my mood was at the bottom, I reached this wonderful place: ...

Highest point of Kungsleden: Tjäktja Pass From: Valley before Tjäktja To: Sälka It was the coldest night on my tour, I used the silk liner for my sleeping bag, put on my warm underwear and it was ok, but this is the limit for my comfort zone! But the sun was shining on the next morning and I had a climb ahead, to Tjäktja hut. At the hut, I used the privy. This is very comfortable, you can use the facilities at the huts for free. And you can leave your garbage there, which is very convenient, too. I never slept in a hut on my tour, but I stopped at every one and sometimes, pitched my tent near them. Today I'll go to Sälka hut, which is 13 km from Tjäktja. So it's not a long day, but I'll traverse the Tjäktja Pass, the highest point of the trail with 1150 m.  The path was rocky, I crossed waterways and wooden stays.  I t was beautiful and then around noon I finally reached the pass. It was windy, so I got into the hut for my lunch break. I h...

Warm and Sunny From: Alisjärvi To: Valley before Tjäktja I woke up around 6:30 and was ready to get going at 9:00, like yesterday. I'm in no hurry, and these times are fine. I headed for the Alesjaure hut, the route being muddy, nothing I would have wanted to go through in the rain. I finally reached Alesjaure at 11:00, I took a break with coffee and cookies and enjoyed sitting on a table to write my diary. I also met two Germans, who passed my camping site the night before, pushing on through the rain. They made it to the hut, completely soaked and spend the night in a cabin, spreading their clothes in the room to dry.  I moved on when I glimpsed the sun outside. And what a beautiful day it was! Everything just got so well, I didn't even feel my shoulders or my legs! I had a lot of blueberries during the day, lunch break at the waterfall, reindeers, sun and great views. Again I stopped some time before the next hut to pitch my tent. This proofed to b...

Lakeside Camping From: Abiskojaure To: Alisjärvi I got up around 7 am, made myself a nice breakfast of tea and oatmeal and started packing. Two hours later, I was finally on my way. This took longer than I had anticipated! Most of the others had already left.  When I took a break on the river, getting fresh water, the keeper of the hut came along with his granddaughter. He was taking her on a walk to a nearby waterfall at the bridge. He told me that he takes her with him to the hut for the summer, carrying her on his shoulders most of the way from Abisko to Abiskojaure! Really good condition! We chatted on our way to the bridge, he had some nice tips for camp sites along the way. Then, finally, I reached the border of the national park, entering the area of "allemannsrätt". I had lunch at a "meditationsplats", when I had covered a quarter of the mileage planned for the day. I was walking slower than planned, around 6 pm, I was still more than...

Getting started From: Kiruna To: Abiskojaure After a good night's sleep, I got up at 7 am, my shoulders sore from carrying my backpack yesterday all the way from the airport to the camp. Hm. This was nothing, compared to what lies ahead of me. But I knew before, I would feel my body in different ways :) I had a delicious breakfast at the restaurant. The rain had stopped, but it was rather cool. I put on my T-Shirt, fleece and rain jacket before I took off, to buy a gas cartridge, which you cannot travel with on an airplane. Fortunately, to get the proper equipment is no problem at all in Kiruna. I have a small coleman stove, where Primus cartridges fit in. I bought a 100 gram cartridge, which did last half of the tour. Fortunately, I ran out of gas when I camped beside a hut, so I could go and buy another one. At the train station, I met my fellow hikers. The train ride was spectacular, about 100 km and took a little more than 1 hour. And then I finally arrived at...

Planning From: Magdeburg To: Kiruna I started hiking again in 2006, doing some trails through the Harz mountains with stays in hotels or pensions. But all the time I knew I would want to go on a real hike, backpacking. I did read a lot about possible trails and finally decided the northern part of Kungsleden would be my comeback to backpacking. It is an ideal goal for a new hiker: there are evenly spaced huts all over the trail, where you can buy supples or find shelter from bad weather, if needed. There are always other hikers around to help or go and tell someone in the next hut, should something happen to me on the way. It is rather easy terrain, no steep climbs nor dangerous wildlife and then, of course, the overwhelmingly beautiful nature of the fjell. I went in September, to see the autumn colors and also bypass the midges :) I didn't had too many days, so I booked a flight from Berlin to Stockholm and from Stockholm to Kiruna. I started with a train ride ...