Hippocrates, the ancient Greek philosopher and father of western medicine, proclaimed that “walking is man’s best medicine”. He prescribed a good walk to lift the mood, and in spite of all the advances in modern medicine, this simple non-pharmacological intervention for well-being is as effective today as it was 2,500 years ago. When you walk far and long, the bones and muscles are strengthened, the mind is calmed and cleared, the soul is soothed and both physical and mental stamina are forged. In short, a good walk seemed like the surest way to improve my quality of life. And so it came to pass that Maurice and I found ourselves planning the most regal of walks; Sweden’s King of Trails … The Kungsleden!
In its entirety, the trail covers almost 300 miles of the Swedish Lapland between Abisko in the north and Hemavan in the south. passing through some of the most dramatic and diverse scenery on earth; from alpine birch forests and high peaks to bleak mountain fells, lakes and wetlands. The area also has an abundance of wildlife, including the Swedish Big Four – lynx, wolverine, bear and wolf, as well as the more prosaic reindeer, moose and elk. Birdlife is prolific too, with roughly 200 species spotted along the trail. However, the real attraction for us is the trail’s remoteness, the promise of solitude and an opportunity to truly disconnect from the clown world that continues to unfold around us. On the trail life is simple, we follow the natural rhythm of the day and immerse ourselves in nature with only the essential tasks of eating, sleeping and moving forward to distract us. If all this doesn’t sound idyllic enough, the King’s Trail has one more tantalising prospect on offer … a chance to see the elusive Aurora Borealis. In fact, our journey north will finish in Abisko, widely regarded as the best place on the planet to see the Northern Lights!
Life and livelihood prevent us from hiking the whole trail and so we have decided to tackle the northern half of the trail, from Kvikkjokk to Abisko. At a little under 200km, we plan on completing our journey in 9 days but have allowed 10 for wiggle room and poor weather. The route includes 4 mandatory lake crossings which add a slightly unpredictable element to proceedings, but other than that, moving at a wholly humane pace, we should get this done in a manageable 6-7 hours of walking a day … but first we need to get there carrying the right kit and kaboodle to be radically self-sufficient on our autumnal Arctic adventure!
In the next post, logistics and kit lists …
ZENLIGHTENED VOYAGER 