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 to Berlin at 6:00 in the morning and arrived in Kiruna about 4:30 in the afternoon. On the next day, I took the train to Abisko, the starting point of Kungsleden. From then, I had 8 days to reach the bus at 3 pm in Vakkotavare, 111 km, all by foot.
Arrival
The adventure begins with leaving home. Having everything in the backpack, entering the train ends all worries about what you might have forgotten or not thought about. It doesn't matter anymore, because you are on your way. All that matters is what lies before you. And that might as well be some Sushi at the airport and a new novel to read during the flight.
The flights were nice and short, with enough time in between to catch connections and at the end of the day I was above the polar circle. At the baggage claim, I saw others getting their backpacks. I saw them again at the train to Abisko at the next day.
Outside, everything was clear and sharp, the landscape was different and it was raining. Not hard, but constantly. Ignorant as I was, I had thought Kiruna a rather small town, where I would find my way around without a problem. That was not the case, finding the youth hostel was not that easy. Finally, I found a camp site which also rented out huts for stay. I would sleep in my tent from tomorrow for the next 8 days, but today, I preferred a dry place, where I also could sort through my things one last time.
At Camp Ripan, it was not cheap, but very nice, I had dinner at their restaurant. About half past 8 it was getting dark and time to go to sleep.
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