Kungsleden Section 1 Hemavan to Ammarnäs 78km 6 Days

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Up early feel like I have some sinus issues again hopefully it disappears fairly quickly. 

We are on a propeller plane which was supposed to have one stop but with only four people on the flight the pilot just announced we are going to skip the stop as all are going on to the final destination Hemavan 

Arrived in Hemavan which is just an airstrip with a toilet and some winter Olympic medals. Realized within 30 meters my breast lock on my rucksack keeps on falling off. Not good. Asked someone where the shop was and she said there was nothing open by the mountain station which seemed strange given the book said it did and pointed in the opposite direction 500m to the supermarket. There was a camp shop there and I got my fuel and a not very good map. Then tried to find the start of the hike which was a big hike in itself all uphill finally found it and asked where the shop was and they said there was none. The queue had been very long in the supermarket so I decided to go to the shop that did not exist. I had no snacks for the days journey. Not great. I messed about with my rucksack at the start and felt like I was going to forget everything. The start was all uphill not steep but a consistent track that was rooted and rocky. Pack felt heavy but after three hours I got used to it. I stopped for videos on the way but noticed I had my hip straps too tight and the extra fat this year was not working well with it and it was red. I taped it and when I finished one of the rangers came along and we walked the last hour together. I noticed the my view ranger app plus Strava had drained my battery but also at some stage had switched off.  I was thankful for my watch. Have decided not to run Strava and just viewranger. If that stops again I will just use my watch. The track is easy to find and well marked. The ground is not as wet as I thought it would be . I reached the hut and it is packed and my 8 man tiny cabin is stuffed with 7 people. I dare not cough.  The hut has a small shop. I am so glad I got stuff sent the food is not great at all. I could not figure out anything I could possibly eat for breakfast. I was already sick of the chicken tikka half way through. It does not bode well for food on the trip. The ranger laughed about food boredom I think this will be a big issue

Slept well but feel crap. Lying in I think I have a temperature and my stomach is in a bad way. Wow this is unlucky. I just have to soldier on and hope it disappears. Felt better as the day progressed. I was the last person to leave the hut this morning but was the first to arrive at the hut.  Spent early today trying to work out my pack think I have it now but realized I forgot to bring matches and I cannot find my hat that I just bought. There will be slippage I am sure things will be left behind. At least it’s bright in the rooms so I won’t forget stuff. Anyway start of the walk was along a river and then entered a really beautiful valley. There were reindeer along the mountain side and because it was quite cold they came down into the valley. They followed me along the valley. I reached a temp shelter and passed a number of people. It was then through a barren landscape where I had to walk through some snow and nearly fell though it. Then there was a long climb and a beautiful valley with lakes below. The hut has a lot nicer feel to it and I am in a 4 bed room with a father and daughter. They are going the other way and gave me some very useful tips. I did not sleep well and was outside  at 3:30 and it was bright  with a blanket of cloud over the walk tomorrow 

Appetite is not there had two biscuits for breakfast. Left an hour earlier and made good progress the whole day. Beautiful water valley below followed by crossing the lake via 6 bridges. Then a walk through the birch forest. The hut has a lot of mosquitos and I am in a room again with 7 people. Women in charge seems out of her depth and has a lost look on her face.  I decided to go for a swim which was a good idea. Very cold and naked. 

Early dinner of Chicken Korma which was very nice. Will hope to be out of here by 8am

 Two old guys were snoring like hell all night. Left early at 8. All up hill to start. Path was good. Very west Ireland like.  Stopped at Serve hut and went on again uphill. Beautiful waterfall on the way. Camped first time out beautiful view of a man lying down shaped mountain. Felt uncomfortable with the stream drinking water as there were a lot of reindeer around. Slept well. It was raining and breezy overnight.  

 Woke up early and got going by 7.  Took down the tent. Went 1km and had breakfast in the emergency shelter and had the toilet door blown away from me. There was a long uphill in a cold and breezy and bad weather. Went into to the next shelter English guy who was touched in there said my goodbyes and left. Then a walk through a lot of boulders and then down through a beautiful valley to the Aigert hut. A most fantastic place. I even got my own cabin. I jumped in the lake and then listened to music outside beside the lake. Ate Swedish meatball for dinner and there was a big windy storm overnight.  

 Left late at 9:40 because the weather was cold and windy.  Walk was all downhill and short and uneventful. Ammarnäs is a beautiful place had reindeer burger for lunch and reindeer steak for dinner. My knee hurts and I have the bandage on it. Happy to be in a bed tonight.  

 Slept so well. Just had a coffee for breakfast and a nice chat with the receptionist her sister lives in Arklow. 1 km to find the trail head and then it was a long trek uphill through a forest. Weather was fantastic. At the top beautiful 360 degree vista. Walked on a bit and came across a little rabbit. It was still uphill and then opened up into gorse with beautifully views it was incredibly straight with a great mountain off to my left. Still more uphill and I stopped at the highest point of the day for some nibbles at lunchtime. Continued on straight across the plateau until I started to head down and veer East which entailed crossing streams and forest vegetation finally arrived at raging river with a wonderful waterfall. There were cabins and I entered the main one where a mother and daughter had settled into. They told me if I wanted to stay I had to get the key in Ammarnäs. Anyway I went outside and put up my tent and then realised that I had put my tent in the wrong spot and I moved it to in front of the waterfall. Stomach started to feel sick despite this I eat dinner.  Went to bed happy after a great day.

 Up early and headed out on the trail after a walk along a path.. It was a vertical hike through dense vegetation took an age before I summited and then started walking across moorland with a wonderful view back down to Ammarnäs. Crossed a number of bridges and then came across many reindeer all the time climbing. At the top I watched the Reindeer below moving quickly together. Eat a quick lunch by a lake and continued on. It was very hot with the sun beating down. Crossed an administrative line and headed down towards a number of lakes was feeling worse and worse and was really tired. I hid behind a rock and struggled to walk over the final six kilometers with very little water available. Arrived at Sjnjultle  hut which was off the trail by about 500 meters. I pitched my tent overlooking the lake and fell into a deep sleep from around 6pm to 9pm. Then woke  up and went down to the lake to get some water. Fell back again into a deep sleep. A really tough day but felt if I could survive this I can tackle any problem ahead of me. The heat and feeling sick is a bad combination in the wild.

 Earliest start 6:40. Felt good after a good night sleep and feeling if I could survive yesterday I could survive anything. Rocky road to start, crossing a couple of rivers. Road improved and I could see the lake down to my destination Adolfström in the distance. Down into a Birch forest and after passing a shelter it was a lovely walk along a river. Arrived in Bäverholm to see everything closed. Met two Indian people who live in Holland who has had enough going the opposite direction. My freind arrived and tried calling a river taxi which finally arrived with a very old guy speeding us along the river. Gave a Swedish girl hiking the length of Sweden and her Swiss campanion a ride. We arrived in Adolfstrom and we had a lovely cabin there. Went into the old curiosity shop and sent things home. We got a beer and drank it on the porch and had a pasta dinner and slept well. 

Got out early enough and headed through forest out of Adolfstrom. The day consisted of birch forest on a good enough track with good chat. Then we skirted a few lakes and crossed some rivers before an ascent topping out to walk across moorland.

Hit a shelter and stopped for awhile. We then had a steep down through a forest before coming out into Jäkkvik. Difficult enough to find the church hostel about 500m away. We checked in with a very happy receptionist.  We hit the new supermarket and loaded up on food.  Cooking hamburgers and chips and beans and a blueberry tart. We gave the leftovers to all the young Germans. Another good night sleep.

Next day we waited for the shop to reopen but bought nothing. . 

We walked along a lake and after a number of Kilometers we hit our first river crossing. Thankfully there were 2 boats our side. It was a quick crossing.  We continued through a dense forest before a very long steep ascent topping out to walk across moorland. Beautiful mountain on our left side. We could see the lake below and we headed down waiting for the 6:15 pickup. We ate soup on a porch and then took the lovely boat journey over. We paid the boat keeper in a house on the other side and bought two beers. We then hiked 3 km to camp by a lake with a lot of mosquitoes around. We ate dinner and hit bed. Very tired.

 Long day hiking 27 km. The first 6 kilometers were super hard over stony ground and roots. The hardest for me yet. When we hit the plateau the rain started and we were soaked.  We then started to head down and searched in the distance for the reindeer hut where we eat a very early dinner. We stayed about an hour until an Australian and English pair arrived. We struggled on over boulders and with the lake in the distance we were staying in. The last 3 km along the lake to the campsite were boggy. We made it and with rain beating down I reclined to my tent. With a beautiful view over the lake I drank a duty free sample bottle of Cognac.

 We did not start early as it rained so heavily overnight and was raining until 10 am. This was wise as the rain stopped then. We hit the road with wet feet and it was uncomfortable. Initially through birch forest we stopped for a long lunch of salmon sandwiches and coffee. We continued on passing by people who had had enough of the rain. We headed towards a beautiful mountain and traveled high along a ridge before seeing reindeer and finally headed north down into a new valley that was a lot longer descent than we thought and it was very windy. We finally reached the shelter with people inside already. We pitched outside of it and it was very windy. We cooked on the porch and hit bed with the wind dying overnight.

Left just before 9am as we wanted to make the boat crossing around lunchtime. Through open forest before a long steep desent. We rang the boat and it arrived at the jetty soon after we arrived. A nice boat ride even though we got wet. We had beer and Vegan  chili in the mountain hut in Kvikkjokk before doing our laundry and showering. Dinner was reindeer steak and wine that went to our heads. I am back alone now

 Late start as the boat leaves at 9:50. I have breakfast and talk to two guys going the other way.  I give them some tips but they are not bothered. I take the boat which is a big ferry and then walk a bit and get on a big coach which goes about 5km and then stops and we wait 45 minutes and get on another bus which is smaller. At 11:50 I finally arrive at the hut to start the last leg. It starts with a really really steep start and then an open plateau which really looks like Connemara. There is a slight bit of rain . I have to catch a boat at 4 and its 14km so I am going really fast. It’s my last boat crossing. It’s nice but not special. I have seen a lot. After coming down through the forest I arrive out to where the boat is and there is a German girl and an Irish guy from Clare.  I offer food and the boat comes and it’s a quick crossing. I check in and my hut is with really nice people and we have good chat all night with whiskey and beer. There are a retired Swedish couple from Gothenburg and a German guy from Aachen and an Austrian guy suffering with bad knees from Vienna. 

Up early as I know it’s a long day but even though I had been thinking about it how bad it would be it was not that bad. It was a steep uphill by a waterfall and then it was a very Stony 9km until the next hut where I stocked up for the evening on food.  After a short break the track went along a river with high mountains and the track was really easy. I made it in good time meeting the Irish guy again and checked into my hut. Weather looks like it will hold until Saturday. Let’s see 

Game of two halves. Started out late and thought about leaving it a lot later as the weather looked bad but in the end I was gone by 9:30. It was a continuous gentle climb straight up the valley. It was Connemara on steroids. Reindeer around and very nice. There was a hard north wind which was unusual. I enjoyed the first 5 km. I stopped at the shelter and eat some salami and crisps which was not a good combination and I felt poor the second part of my walk which was along the river. Staying in Sälke which means the meeting of two valleys which was very packed and different from where I have been. The guy said people who start at the weekend reach here by Tuesday. Staying in a room of 6 people whch does not feel great The day turned on a dime. I was lying in bed saying to myself at 3:30pm. I am not leaving until the morning. I got up and cooked some space food and with a beer I ate it outside. I then realised how beautiful it was here and for the next three hours sat and played music outside watching reindeer come close as the sun faded. Have kind of decided to do a big day tomorrow and skip a hut so that I have a night in Abisko before I leave. I will see how I feel half way tomorrow. Lying in bed happy playing the Doors  

 Did not want to stay in the packed hut for long. Got up in the middle of the night looking for northern lights but there was a full moon which had blocked everything out.  Got up at 5:30 and made coffee and was gone by 6. It was so early that I was waking up groups of Reindeer as I went. There was a steady climb out to the end of the valley and then when I got there it was a very steep climb up to a shelter. The valley looked nice looking back down. Got over the other side and it was quite lunar and it was really nice feeling. Put some rocks for the family on one of those stone mounds.  Made it down to the Tjäktja hut. A very nice elderly pair sorted out my accommodation for the coming nights which made me feel great. I then started the trek towards the final hut for the day. It was a very easy path down the valley which took just over three hours. When I arrived I begged for my own room and got it.  I ate  a different type of vegetarian Indian and some ramen noodles and my stomach feels better. I am just sitting in front of the fire and drinking beers very satisfying. I ate ramen for dinner and headed off to bed. A very good day

 So up early this morning was very organised and so it was easy to get going. Out the door just after 7 and it was an easy walk around a beautiful lake. Met some young people where a girl was contemplating doing the whole thing. Do feel you need to be committed to doing this well in advance and not decide as you are out there..  Continued on going down towards the Abisko National Park met a lot of people trudging their way up. Got a great view of Abiskojaure on the way down. Then got it into my head maybe I could go the whole way today. When I saw the sign for 12km to the finish and it was 12:30 and I had done 20.3kms for the day. I got a big boost and went for it and put the afterburners on. The track home was pretty boring so it was a good idea to do this. I met that Swedish girl who walked the length of Sweden as I finished and it took me only until 3:15pm to reach the finish line. I frantically organised my flight from Kiruna and under time pressure got it done plus made the train to Kiruna. What a result. Booked into a nice hotel and eat a good dinner of burger and fries. A great ending.