Among Reindeer

Mile 285 / KM 460 (+ 47 km for the Kebnekaise detour)

Emergency hut between Syter and Viterskals - Hemavan

Audiobook of the week: 'Road to Jonestown' by Jeff Guin

Song stuck in my head: 'Superstitions' by The Creeps

I miss: a pair of fresh socks. Mine are rock solid from all the mud we've been walking through

Laura and I sat at Nanna's Kök in Hemavan eating pesto pasta while going over ideas on what to do next. We had finished the Kungsleden! There was no way we'd split now after having just hiked 17 days and 485 km together while remaining friends, so we knew we were doing something right. After going over about 6 different plans we settled on Norway and the Jotunheim trail. Norway's version of the Kungsleden. "Ok cool. So how do we get there? There are no busses, no trains nor flights heading in that direction from Hemavan” Laura asked. "We'll hitch!" I responded. A direct highway links Hermavan to Mo I Rana in Norway. Easy! "Let's have a shot of Jameson before we head out" Laura added. So I went to the bar and ordered two. The young bar tender didn't quite know what to make of my request, so I pointed to the bottle behind her to explain what I was after. Finally, she nodded and grabbed the bottle. She spun around, did her thing, and turned around again to hand me two martini glasses filled with Jameson. Fanciest shot ever.

The Kungsleden is a fairly easy trail. It's beautiful, never steep and there are resupply opportunities and huts along the trail. Time just flew by mainly because I had company the whole time. Our last night at the emergency hut right before Hemavan was so much fun and the last 14km stretch was too. After we had made it out of the wind corridor valley we ran into a small herd of reindeer. They were curious and came close. They walked along side us for a kilometer and then dissapeared in the distance. What a perfect send-off into our next adventure.

Finishing a trail is always hard for me. I never want it to end. I get used to that routine of sleep, eat, walk, and sleep again so quickly and I always have a hard time being thrown back into society and its shops and cars and noises. So finishing a trail just means looking for the next one. Nothing in this world makes me happier than being outside thru-hiking. It's the best. The simplicity, the challenges, the people and nature I've come to know through this sport are incredible.

Up next: Norway (if we make it there).