The rediscovery of slowness and the useless

There's still plenty of time before the bus departs. My neighbor Sören was kind enough to drive me to the bus station in Arvidsjaur. True to form, we left a bit early. But I much prefer waiting and thinking things over to showing up just before departure or missing the bus altogether.

Where am I going and what do I actually intend to do?

I'm taking the bus to Hemavan and will begin a hike there, following the Kungsleden and Nordkalottleden trails. These two well-known hiking trails run along the Swedish-Norwegian border. The Kungsleden actually consists of two parts, a northern and a southern section. Unfortunately, there's no official connection between these two sections. Why this is the case is beyond me. The northern section is the classic route and runs between Hemavan in the south and Abisko in the north. The southern section, called Southern Kungsleden, can be found between Stöten near Sälen in the south and Storlien in the north. The Kungsleden is consistently well-marked.

The Nordkalottleden trail has two alternative starting and ending points: Sulitjelma or Kvikkjokk in the south, and Kautokeino at the northern end. It crosses the border between Sweden and Norway several times and includes a shorter section in Finland that runs through the northernmost part of the country. After nearly 16 years of preparation, this hiking trail was officially opened in 1993. It is a joint project of the tourism boards of Norway, Sweden, and Finland.

My last major or longer hike was several years ago. Work demands left no time for it. On the other hand, I spent all my free time with my huskies. I worked with sled dogs for almost 30 years. And in winter, we went on tours, mainly in Scandinavia.

So, this is a new beginning for me. I get to rediscover the slowness of hiking. And this kind of being on the move is so beautifully useless for society. It can't derive any added value from it at all.

From Hemavan, the Kungsleden trail leads me over Norra Storfjället and Ammarfjället to Ammarnäs. Most of the descent from Aigertstugan to Ammarnäs is in terrible condition, very muddy and trampled. It would be advisable to take an alternative route along Stor-Tjulträsket.

The next settlement is Adolfström. There's a nice little shop there that also doubles as a coffee shop. I treat myself to a coffee and an ice cream. All along the way up to here, there's still plenty of old snow at higher elevations. Early June is probably still too early to be doing this route, at least this year. Things are already starting to turn green in the valleys, but there's still too much snow in the high mountains. This can be quite arduous, as the snowpack usually doesn't support much weight anymore, and you sink in with every step. Especially during the day when it's warm. And all the streams and rivers are running high due to the snowmelt. It's a good thing there haven't been any fords to cross so far.

In Jäkkvik there's a large ICA supermarket where you can stock up. The next resupply option is in Kvikkjokk. There, however, is only a small shop at the mountain station. The selection is limited and the prices are high. There's no supermarket. You could, however, take the bus from Kvikkjokk to Jokkmokk and shop there. That's about 100km.

But I don't even get to Kvikkjokk. After Tsielekjåkkstugan, I turn off the Kungsleden trail and take an old path northwest through the middle of nowhere. This unmarked path is still shown on my map. However, after a short time, it disappears from view. Now I'm relying on the map and my intuition. By the way, I'm navigating with the Topo-GPS app. I download the maps and map sections I need to my mobile phone at home. Then I can use everything offline. This saves battery life, and there's no internet reception in the mountains anyway.

Right at the start, I come across a relatively fresh pile of bear scat. There are masses of cloudberries here at the moment. So it's not just me who thinks they taste so good. What's also in abundance: mosquitoes. I'm even forced to use the mosquito net over my head, they're so annoying today.

The now-missing path leads me, as planned, to Nunjesstugan on the Padjelantaleden trail. The Padjelantaleden and Nordkalottleden trails are identical from Kvikkjokk onwards.

Those who still wish to hike to Kvikkjokk, which is recommended, will need a boat transfer to the village on the opposite shore of the lake. There is a shelter on this side of the lake, and you should book your transfer by phone with the ferryman. You will also need this transfer to reach the Padjelanta Trail from Kvikkjokk. There is no way to hike overland.

A little way behind Tarrekaisestugan I leave the Padjelantaleden again and follow the Nordkalottleden to Pieskehaurestugan at the lake of the same name.

As I approach Staloluokta, I'm treated to a breathtaking view of Virihaure, framed by snow-capped mountains. The sun is shining, and the lake's water is as blue as the sky.

In Stalo, the Nordkalottleden meets the Padjelantaleden again and from here they run together for a while.

A small kiosk sells the most essential groceries. I was also lucky enough to find freshly smoked salmon trout (Röding) for sale at a local stall. The fish smelled so good! On my way back to the tent, I had to sit down and eat a good portion of it. Pure bliss.

In Vajsaluokta on Lake Akkajaure, I now leave the Nordkalottleden trail, which now leads into Norway for a stretch. Why? Well, in 2020, for very specific reasons, it was strongly advised against crossing the green borders between Sweden, Norway, and Finland on hiking trails.

So, I decided to continue my hike from Ritsem. However, Ritsem is on the other side of Akkajaure, and to get there you have to take a boat or a helicopter. Since I absolutely love flying in helicopters and don't often get the chance, it was obvious what I would choose. I enjoyed every single minute of the 10-minute flight. And the weather was perfect, too.

After Hukejaurstugan, I rejoin the Nordkalottleden trail, which comes back from Norway. I follow the Cuhcavaggi valley to the Tjäktjavagge valley and there, north of Singistugorna, I meet the Kungsleden trail. In the area around Hukejaurstugan and in Cuhcavaggi, I'm once again trudging through plenty of old snow. American hiker slang calls this "postholing," when you constantly break through the snowpack and can only proceed with great difficulty. Progress is being made. Further down in the valley, I often have to walk long stretches through water. The meltwater has flooded everything over a wide area.

Since starting my hike, I've met very few people, and even fewer other hikers. Clearly, I'm hiking too early in the season. That will probably change now on the Kungsleden trail.

The Tjäktja Pass is the highest point on the Kungsleden trail and a true highlight. The views from the summit in both directions are breathtaking. What enormous valleys lie below, where the rivers meander like giant snakes.

A few days later I reach Abisko. After a few really beautiful sunny days, the weather has turned rainy and cool again since yesterday. I'm staying at the mountain station for the night. Their prices always make me gasp slightly. But I need to do laundry, dry clothes (including my tent and sleeping bag), take a shower, and charge my batteries. And I also want to figure out what to do next. Actually, Abisko is... That's it. I could take the train or bus to Kiruna and then continue on to Arvidsjaur. But somehow, I'm not quite ready for that yet. Finally, I make a decision: I'll hike back along the Kungsleden trail. As far as Kvikkjokk. From there, I'll take the bus via Jokkmokk to Arvidsjaur. That feels good.