It has been three months since we traveled north in a second effort to reach the top of Sweden's highest mountain - Kebnekaise. This time we were successful, but the trip involved so much more than that.
Sunday, June 27: Gothenburg to Kiruna, 1600 kilometers
The alarm goes off at exactly 03:45 in the morning. Since my ride will be here at 04:20 I have prepared everything in advance, from packing my backpack to making sure the coffee brewer is ready to give me a proper dose of caffeine. Everything runs smoothly and we are able to board the flight in time, at 06:05. First there will be a stopover in Stockholm and by the time we arrive, we are pretty hungry, so we try to find that coffee shop that serves this delicious breakfast. Unfortunately, we discover that it is closed, or is located in a different terminal, I don't remember which. On our search we passed another place called "Pontus in the Air", so we decide to go there instead. And we are not disappointed. It feels good being able to take our time and watch people run to their flights. For us, there's no rush.
At 09:15 we board the plane to Kiruna. The only different thing about the flight is of course the mandatory face mask, but it's not so bad after all. We arrive at Kiruna before noon, and this airport is probably the tiniest one I have ever visited! Immediately, I change into my "mosquito safe" hiking pants, because I have great respect for the mosquitos in northern Sweden. In Gothenburg we hardly see them at all, at least not in my area.
Our accomodation is located at the very last bus stop from Kiruna Airport. The bus driver is very friendly and gives us thorough instructions on how to get there. Upon arrival, we notice that we have missed the check in by 20 minutes. We have to wait another three hours to check in. It would have been so nice with a quick nap, but we decide to play some board games in the lobby. After that we go to a hamburger bar that is supposed to be one of the oldest hamburger bars in Sweden. Finally, we can check in to our miniscule room and get some sleep!
Since the sun never sets here in the summer, we have all the time in the world to explore the surroundings. There's even a trail called "The Midnight Sun" - Midnattssolstigen - and we decide to check it out around eight in the evening. The sun was out all day, but now it's partly hiding in the clouds and we start to wonder if we will see it again tonight. On top of that the forest is buzzing with mosquitos. Then a tough climb up a mountain starts, which is exhausting but also good, because the birch forest is gone and the wind blows all the mosquitos away. Once at the top, we are rewarded with the bright midnight sun and we are able to take a few amazing pictures. There is also a spectacular view of the mountains.
The trail was supposed to be some 5 kilometers long, but feels much longer. Probably because we end up in the wrong place - on the highway! Fortunately, there is not much traffic so we are safe. And we got to see some beautiful flowerbeds on our way.
Monday, June 28: Kiruna
When the sun never sets it's easy to get confused because your eyes get so much light. Last night we came home half an hour past midnight and we didn't go to bed until 01:30 in the morning, so we are happy that we were able to sleep until 08:30. The breakfast buffet is served until 10, so we still have some time. Then we walk downtown (if you can call the tiny town center downtown) and check out some stores. I am thinking about getting my own walking sticks, because it helps keeping your balance, but I decide to rent a pair in Kebnekaise. At least that was my plan...
We go back to the hostel, have lunch and then take our daily nap. Honestly, how old have we become? Feeling like a couple of senior citizens, haha. Around half past six we wake up and we play Yatzy and drink some wine in the kitchen. Later that night, when we are back in our room, we hear terrible screaming in a foreign tongue, accompanied by an assorted mix of unspeakable sounds, coming from the kitchen. It turns out to be a bunch of Swiss guys watching a soccer game in the World Championships. Fortunately for us, their team won and we can go on sleeping through the night.
Tuesday, June 29: Kiruna to Nikkaluokta, 70 kilometers (by bus)
Nikkaluokta to Kebnekaise Mountain Station, 19 kilometers (by foot)
Still tired, we wake up at half past seven, have a nice breakfast and head off to the bus station. We check out the other travelers, who are all going on some sort of adventure, just as we are. The bus driver immediately starts entertaining a group of middle aged women who are very cheerful and excited. He confirms their prejudices about norrlänningar - people who live in northern Sweden - and makes some interesting embellishments to their stereotypes:
"Yes, we drink hembränt - illicit spirits - and get ourselves in trouble with the law."
"Don't believe everything you see about us in the movies - reality is even worse."
After a while I zone out and absorbe the amazing scenery that appears in the distance. Finally, I will meet the majestic mountains again. The wilderness, the vast space and the silence. Except for the fact that this beautiful place is full of people just as excited as me.
We get off the bus and decide to use the facilities in the building in Nikkaluokta before we start our hike. Others are totally carefree, or perhaps eager to start moving, stripping down to their underwear in public just to change into their hiking clothes.
It is 11:38 when we take our first steps. The air is crisp and cool and the sky is blue with white, fluffy clouds. Perfect hiking weather!
After about five kilometers we hit Enok's, a hamburger bar that serves raindeer and other tasty things. Outrageously expensive, but there is no other option. Well, there is our freeze-dried food, but we might as well splurge. We still have another 14 k's to go, since we decide not to take the boat and thereby shorten the distance. The next 10 kilometers feel surprisingly easy and we really enjoy the nice weather and the wonderful surroundings. However, the last couple of kilometers, no matter the total distance, are always the most painful and this time is no exception. Every time we go around a corner we expect to see the mountain station, but no such thing. Honestly, the last four or five kilometers don't take that long, but the feeling is close to excruciating. Anyway, we reach our destination and check in to our little room. Unfortunately, the annex with the open fire, the old furniture and the library is being renovated, so we cannot go there and relax like we did last year. Here we will have two whole days, which should give us some options to reach the top of Kebnekaise. More bad news though, the weather forecast predicts zero visibility at the top the next day. Perhaps better to wait until Thursday...
Wednesday, June 30: Kebnekaise mountain station and surroundings, 5 kilometers
When we wake up we still haven't decided what to do, so we have our breakfast and try to come up with the best alternative. The weather forecast still predicts quite bad weather, so we finally opt for reaching the top the next day instead. Today will be a relaxed day to discover the surroundings. Supposedly, there are some potholes on the way to the top and we decide to check them out. It is a nice walk, in total five kilometers, and we enjoy the mountains, waterfall, a river, a bridge and much more. But no potholes. I guess sometimes you don't find what you are looking for. All in all, we consider it to be a successful outing.
Thursday, July 1: Reaching the summit of Kebnekaise (18 kilometers)
Let's start by backing up a little bit. After spending Wednesday afternoon in the area, we went back to our room and took a nap. Then we had dinner and a super crazy idea emerged. Since the weather forecast predicted even worse weather on Thursday, with strong winds and even stronger gusts, we decided to start climbing the mountain Wednesday evening. The weather on Wednesday had actually been exceptionally good; almost no wind, blue sky and sunshine. Unfortunately, we had to check out of our room before taking off, because we had done two separate bookings. Therefore, we left all our stuff in the lobby and hoped no-one would be curious enough to ransack it.
Accordingly, at 18:58 we start the long hike to the top. The conditions couldn't be better: beautiful weather, midnight sun and no snow. The only thing I fear is having to stay up all night, because I am definitely not a night person.
In the valley we see reindeer and try to take some photos without scaring them, which is easier said than done.
Halfway, at the bridge, we are still in good spirits. We have some of the difficult passages behind us and we pass some people on their way down. Everyone says that the conditions at the top have been ideal: no wind and great visibility. A part of me is somewhat annoyed that we didn't take the opportunity to hike during the day, but I am comforted by the fact that the weather is still great and we have a lot of energy.
After around five kilometers we enter the glacier area and of course there is snow on the mountain. It has probably been there a while, since there is some sort of track caused by the many footsteps of people going up and down. Having to walk up a very steep climb is really tough and scary without snow, and with the snow it is even worse. But we make it through. Fortunately, there is no snow on the mountain Vierramvarre, which we have to climb up and down before entering Kaffedalen. From there we can start the climb up to the summit of Kebnekaise.
When we have reached Kaffedalen, we take a short snack break. Behind us we see clouds and the wind has started to blow. Nice weather is never guaranteed in the mountains. Just as we are about to start the climb of Kebnekaise, we meet a mother and her daughter. They have just been at the top and are elated by what they have experienced. Before we part, they joyfully exclaim: "There's almost no wind and the visibility is great. Enjoy!" Well, that's all about to change. The clouds are chasing us up the mountain and soon the blue sky and the sun is covered by a grey mass. When we hit the snowy area, the hard wind starts whirling up the snow and creates the sensation of a snow storm. 300 meters away from the summit there is a safety cabin, and safety is all we can think about now. The visibility is so poor that we hardly see the red poles guiding the way up the mountain and the wind really wants to knock us down. Finally, we can make out the shape of the cabin. Inside, there is a German guy, who passed us a while ago. There is also a man who claims that he "lives" there, although that is not allowed by the authorities. He starts preaching to us the right way to live and it is apparent that he has been traumatized by something earlier in life, because some of his ideas are really strange. Although he is nice, the incessant talking makes us really tired. After all, it's two o'clock in the middle of the night and we have really pushed ourselves physically and mentally when climbing the mountain. At 3:40 we make a last effort to reach the "real" summit, but the strong wind and snow make it impossible to see what is in front of us. Rather than risk falling off the cliff we decide to start our descent. The weather is starting to get better and we get an awesome view of Kaffedalen and all the surrounding mountains. However, the wind is still strong and we have to balance every step we take in order not to fall. It is a long way down, and we meet many people who are quite surprised to hear that we decided to climb the mountain at night. As always, the last three kilometers are exhausting and it feels like we will never reach the mountain station.
We reach the mountain station around 10 in the morning and then we have to wait another two hours to have access to our room. We both fall asleep in the couch at the reception area before someone announces that our room is ready. Then we sleep until six in the evening. That night we celebrate our accomplishment with a nice dinner and dessert. But we are still tired, so it is no problem getting back to sleep after the meal.
Friday, July 2: Kebnekaise Mountain Station - Tarfala (8 kilometers)
Obviosly, we treat ourselves to a nice breakfast buffet this morning. And what would a breakfast buffet be without annoying people? This time it's a grandmother and her grandchild screaming loudly about all the plans they will make for the grandson's birthdays in the future... because it's not enough being here and now. Their t-shirts say "Grandma's Brothel" in Swedish. I guess it's supposed to be funny, but I don't think so. However, it makes a good story, and I am always on the hunt for those.
After breakfast we hit the track again, this time to the glacier area Tarfala. I'm excited, because it will be my first encounter with a real glacier area. We follow the stream that will lead us all the way up to Tarfala. There are a lot of trees and bushes the first kilometers, but then we enter the alpine area. The climb is heavy and scarily steep sometimes. We rest at a beautiful waterfall and have our lunch. Apparently, many people take day tours from Kebnekaise to Tarfala, a 16 kilometer round trip. Many people pass us but we are in no hurry.
We pass a mountain that bears the same surname as Emelie, so to celebrate the occasion we stop and have a photo shoot with her hand made flag. As always, every kilometer feels endless and that is especially true when we hit the first sign telling us that we have "only" 1 kilometer left. First of all, we can see the mountain cabin, and it looks super far away, Secondly, we have to walk on pointy rocks the very last part, so we probably walk in some sort of zig zag pattern, making this last part from the sign to the cabin 1,67 km. At least that's what my fit watch said.
The cabin host and her cute dog welcome us and we get a room all to ourselves, which is nice. Right when we are about to take a nap, enter a loud bunch making all kinds of noise in the kitchen, which is a bit irritating. Finally, they calm down and we can have our well-deserved rest. The we take a brief tour of the area. There's a big glacier lake right nearby, and huge, towering mountains on one side. It's quite warm too, 16 degrees Celsius. And it's about to get hotter. All of a sudden I hear a seagull, and of course I think I must be hallucinating, but the host tells us that there are three seagulls in this area. Hilarious.
Saturday, July 3: Tarfala
We take it slow in the morning.
No need to rush. It kind of feels like we are stuck and there's nowhere to go,
but of course this isn't true. Em gets the brilliant idea to try and walk
around the glacier lake. However, I realize that this is a very risky adventure
and that it will probably take the whole day. We didn't bring any food or water, so I
pass. Naturally, Em starts walking and it's funny how the distance tricks you.
Everything looks so close, but all of a sudden she is a tiny dot in the
snow. I sit and wait by the lake not sure what to do. Go back to the cabin
and leave her out there? That doesn’t feel right. On the other hand, if
something were to happen, I would not be able to do anything else than to call for help. I decide to stay and try to keep an eye on her, which is easier said than
done. Momentarily, she is out of sight, but then I see a miniscule
dot in the snow opposite the lake. Fortunately, the dot starts walking back the
same way it came from, so now I know that she will be back soon.
A couple of hours later we have lunch and then we rest. My only problem is that I am not that tired. Finally, a plan takes shape. We will go to one of the smaller glacier lakes that are behind some hills. In order to get there you have to wade through the river. Naturally, we are too eager and try to get over where the river is too deep, so Em’s boots are drenched and she no longer wants to continue. She returns to dry but I am determined to get over without getting wet. Finally, I find the right place and get over without any problems. When I get over the second hill, I see a couple that we have been talking to by one of the smaller lakes. I go there and ask if they can stay until I have jumped in the lake. Since it's freezing cold (around 4 degrees Celsius) I am not sure what my reaction will be when I get into the water. "Sure" they say. I can even borrow a pair of slippers so that I won't hurt my feet on the rocks in the water. Very nice of them. When I am safely out of the water - a short but very refreshing experience - they get back to the cabin. This is probably the best moment during the whole hike, because I got such a rush of adrenaline from the cold water but the air is around 20 degrees and the sun is so warm and benevolent. Ever since we came to Tarfala I have felt overwhelmed by the landscape, which is extremely beautiful but also very different and kind of harsh. Somehow it feels like I don't belong here and nature just wants to kick me out. But now it's welcoming me, almost as if to say "look, there's no need to feel alienated, everything you need is here". Later we talk about this and come to the conclusion that we feel this way because we are not in harmony with nature the way we live our lives now.
Sunday, July 4: Tarfala - Nikkaluokta (24 kilometers, minus 6 kilometers by boat)
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| Finally, sweaty and gross, we have arrived to Nikkaluokta. |
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| Fixing the holes with band aid! |
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| The flight from Kiruna to Stockholm |
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| Food, glorious food! |
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