Travelling above the Arctic Circle

I spent a lot of time exploring travel options above the Arctic Circle and thought I would share them, especially given Alan Slomans desire to walk the Kungsleden in 2010.

Flying
There are 4 major airports in the region of the Kungsleden and Nordkalottleden Trail. These are Tromsø and Narvik in Norway, Kiruna in Sweden and Kittilä in Finland.

Train
The train systems in Sweden and Norway and very good, their routes are widespread and enable access to many hiking areas.

In Sweden it is Swedish Rail (SJ) they have an overnight service to Abisko the start of the Kungsleden, which is also a midway stop on the Nordkalottleden. The train also continues to Narvik which enables travellers to arrive or depart from an alternative airport.

In Norway it is Norwegian Rail (NSB) sadly their trains do not travel far enough north, but if your destination is Rondane or Jotunheimen along with many other walking destinations then NSB is the ideal service especially with the Gardermoen station located at the airport.



Buses

There are many bus services in Norway and Sweden, however, whilst planning my trip to Lapland the following services were part of my plans.

Tromsø to Oulo service may be useful.

Between Narvik and Tromsø there is a Nor-Way Bussekspress.

Buses services in the Rondane Jotunheimen area. Fjord1 offers a lot more than bus services.


Accomodation
I was intending to use Hostels provided by Hosteling International and there are many in Norway.

I have no doubt there are other links that may be of use, equally providers will change but after many hours of searching the web, it was these providers that appeared to meet my needs in regards to travel and accommodation, your experiences may be different.

Båstad to Båstad: Around the Bjärehalvön Peninsula

Båstad to Knösen

A return to familiar ground perhaps epitomises the start of the walk. This was my third visit to Båstad Railway Station. The station sits next to the slopes of Hallandssås and provides views to Laholm Bay. As is normal these days it is an unmanned railway station with electronic machines that will take your money and give you a ticket. There is also a very nice glass studio at the station, and if it is open it is worth a visit.
So I set off down the hill to meet up with the trail which would take me first to the coast and then along the coast past Båstad Hamn with the yachts and boats moored. After passing the harbour the trail follows the coastline for another three kilometres before climbing past Norrvikens Trädgårda and Apelrydsskolan. The walk along the foreshore was enjoyable but extremely windy, the sun was shining but the wind was around 12 metres per second and given that I was walking into the wind it made life a little challenging. As I walked along the foreshore I was once again reminded of the history of the area as I passed the gun emplacements, a feature that I was to see on a regular basis over the coming days.
After leaving the coast to climb past the school the trail entered a wonderful forested area, which was sheltered from the wind and provided a pleasant change from the hard surfaced paths. Soon however, I came across a sign that warned me of wild animals wandering in the paddocks and if I was worried I should turn back and take another route. The wild animals were Highland Cattle and to be honest I would be more worried about wandering some city streets than about Highland Cattle.
This was not the only time I came across such a sign, which made me wonder if there was some sort of requirement in Sweden for such a warning. I did see the cattle wandering but they were of little concern. having wandered through the paddocks and climbed to a view point overlooking Laholm Bay I then headed inland following foot trails and minor roads. The trail wanders through undulating farmland and provides glimpses of the sea to the North, ultimately it climbs to Knösen which has a delightful campsite and shelter placed about 100 metres below the top, it was here that I choose to stay the night.
After setting up camp and having dinner I wandered up to the top of Knösen to take a look around, not realising that in the morning I would share the top with 30 or so students from a local school.



Knösen to Gyteskär

Today was intended to be a short day so I was in no rush to get moving, the sky was blue and whilst not warm the weather was pleasant with less wind than yesterday. Finally I decided to set off just as a large number of voices could be heard further down the hill. Yes a school group was heading up to Knösen a place where I had decided to spend some time enjoying the view. The students around the age of 10 arrived at the top just after me and while some admired the view and took photographs, others chatted away whilst 3 boys happily played football, I am not even sure they knew where they were. Meanwhile I took some photos and enjoyed the location while recognising that these students had been given a chance to spend the day experiencing the outdoors. After they left I took a few more photos and wandered down the hill towards the coast. As I walked I admired the coastline, the variations in the forest as well as listening to the many different bird calls a truly enjoyable experience. After passing more gun emplacements I arrived at Hovs Haller with its accompanying restaurant and wonderful views along the coast to the north and west. The students were also here sheltering from the wind or visiting the shop and playing football. I was quickly on my way to find a spot overlooking the coast for morning tea. Having spent a pleasant half hour out of the wind in sunshine looking out to see I decided it was time to head towards Torekov, my intended destination for the day. The trail descended from the cliff tops to the coast line and provided wonderful views particularly west and Southwest. It was easy walking and I soon passed the swimming and boat harbour near Ripagården. As it was approaching lunchtime I choose another gun emplacement as shelter from the wind and took the time to enjoy the surroundings. After lunch the trail passed a a number of Iron Age Burial mounds as it followed the coast line, the sun continued to shine but the wind ensured that even with my Montane Litespeeed windshirt on I was never warm. Ultimately I arrived at Torekov shelter, my intended home for the night. It looked a nice spot set in between the caravan park and the swimming pool, but as it was very early I decided that walking another 17 km to the next campsite was a good idea. So off of I set firstly into Torekov, with its harbour and numerous boats. From here you can take the ferry to Hallands Väderö an island and nature reserve approximately 3 km from the Torekov. After passing through the village of Torekov with its nautical attractions I headed south along the coast to my new planned campsite. As I was leaving the centre of Torekov I noticed the sign (and the rock) describing the fate of three Danish Royal Children Thora, Arilid and Gille the legend states that the “young maiden (after being drowned by her wicked stepmother) floated ashore beside this stone which is now called St Thoras stone”. There are also similar legends for Thora’s brothers Arild and Gille. So I headed south along the coast looking across the water to Kullen a planned future destination. The trail along the coast is an easy walk and whilst there is no obvious geographical features there are many indications of the use of the coast by man as well as birds. The evidence of mans inhabitation of this area is evident including Dagshög, a burial mound for the Viking King Dag and his warriors who were defeated by the men from Halland and Blekinge fighting on behalf on the King of Uppsala. However, according to the information given, the mound itself was probably constructed during the Bronze Age. Further south is the remains of a quarry originally established in the late 19 th century. Wandering along the coastal fringe with sheep and cattle grazing made for a pleasant afternoons walk. Ultimately I reached the small coastal village of Rammsjöstrand which was quiet at the moment but gave all indication of being a thriving holiday destination with its out door barbeque area and large ice cream kiosk. Leaving Rammsjöstrand the trail enters a more populated area with small seaside villages consisting of summer houses, before passing through Ängelsbäcksstrand. Beyond Ängelsbäcksstrand the trail heads to Gryteskär Shelter, home for the night which was also to be my last night on the Kust till Kustleden. Gryteskär Shelter has a wonderful camping area and overlooks the bird sanctuaries located on islets out to sea. Along with the sounds of waves hitting the shore there is the calls of many birds spending their evening on the rock formations out to sea. Having pitched my Laser Comp I quickly settled down to make a late dinner whilst looking out on the windswept sea. The sunset was glorious and the evening despite the wind was enjoyable but the on coming change was evident and it was not long that it started to rain and I retreated to my tent for the evening.






Gyteskär to Båstad

After some rain in the evening the wind had died down but the sky was grey. After packing up I headed back to Ängelsbäcksstrand to the section of the trail which would take me across the Peninsula to Båstad. Initially the trail followed a number of country lanes as it headed inland before reaching the Grevie Nature Reserve which it then passed through for approximately 2 kms. The nature reserve was fascinating, it incorporates the Grevie hills which are part of a system of eskers which were created in the final stages of the last ice age. According to Skåneleden website “the Eskers or ridges are like giant snakes which wind their way through the landscape". On the hills there are graves from the Bronze and Iron Ages, abandoned strips of cultivated land, sunken roads and painstakingly laid stone walls. “ Certainly the hills were interesting, with their short sharp climbs and the panoramas at the top, before a steep descent and climb to the next top. After the Grevie hills and a walk along route 105, the trail swings north towards Böskestorp and onward to Axelstorp. The trail follows the road, however, I found it a pleasant walk though farm land, past Böskestorp Stugby a place we can recommend, and then forest which which continued to the outskirts of Båstad.

Soon I was back on familiar ground passing Körrod shelter on my way to Båstad Railway station. Then it was home to Copenhagen with a feeling of accomplishment, having completed the Kust to Kustleden. On the train I spent some time reflecting on my walk along the trail and its many variations.’

Skåneleden Information

I will update this page as I become aware of changes or sources of information which may be useful to those intending to wander the trails of the Skåneleden.

Kyst to Kyst Shelters a photographic Essay.

The latest news (in swedish) about the trails can be found at Ledstatus click on Ledstatus and a table will open up. For those whose Swedish is not very good (like me) try Google Translate, it will at least give you a sense of the advice provided.

Travelling in Skåne, visit the Skånetrafiken web site (there is an English section) using the Timetables link will allow you to access the travel planner and determine how to get to, or from a trail head

Food and resupplying, ICA supermarkets are in most towns and have an excellent range of products.

Fuel for stoves, wood stoves would be the ideal stove in Skåne however, bottled Gas is readily available in hardware stores whilst fuel for Alcohol stoves is sold as: tenol / rödsprit / T-röd in Sweden and is normally available at ICA.

Swedish online maps and aerial photos

Changes

I am sure that many of you have been interested in my planned trip to Lapland, well the trip is no longer on the agenda. Why, you ask? Putting it simply we have been looking for a home which provides us with an outdoor experience whilst also meeting our needs as parents, working professionals and lovers of the outdoors. And yep you guessed it, we found a place and the transfer of ownership was to occur whilst I was out of contact in Lapland, so Lapland ceased to be an option for this summer.

However, I do have a window of opportunity, and as a consequence after much looking at maps (in between looking at legal contracts) Jotunheimen in Norway seems to be an option. But more about that later.

Kust to Kustleden: Shelter reflection

Shelters I used on the trip along the Coast to Coast in Sweden are; the Golite Shangri La 3, Terra Nova Laser Competition, Integral Designs Crysallis Bivy and the Backpackinglight (USA) Vapor Bivy. The Vapour bivy and the Crysallis Bivy were used in shelters whilst the other two were pitched near shelters.
My preference? The answer is it depends. If I know I am using shelters all the time I would take the BPL Vapor as it is light (285 gms) , will keep the bugs away and protect against moisture and wind. The Crysallis is an ideal bivy for those who want to sleep in the outdoors without a tarp, as it is a very roomy bivy with lots of space to store gear. Camping then it would be the Laser Competition, which weighs a little more the the Shangri La 3 but provides better all round weather protection. A further advantage of the Competition is that it takes up less ground space than the Shangri La 3.

Kust to Kustleden Completed: Footwear reflection

Yesterday I finished the final section of the Kust to Kustleden, the section from Båstad to Båstad, a circular route taking in Knösen, Torekov and Gryteskär (a report will follow).

I started on this journey on November 6, 2008 and after 6 sections spread over 8 months I have completed the 300 km walk. The walk started in late autumn with some colour in the trees, finishing with the bright green foliage and landscapes of early summer. I hiked through knee deep snow, experienced 25 C heat as well as cool days where temperatures did not get above 0 C.

It is interesting to reflect on the gear I started with and finished with, the changes made along the way and the reasons for these changes. The first of these reflections is footwear.

Approximately 2 years ago I developed Plantar fasciitis in part caused by my belief that I could walk long distances in short times without taking precautionary measures such as stretching. This took a while to recover from but with exercising, appropriate footwear I gradually recovered. For this reason I started off the first trip on the Kust to Kustleden with New Balance 760's I did two trips with these and was happy with the comfort and support (especially the arch support) over time though I began to feel that they were not quite right for my needs, so I moved on to Salomon 3D Ultras which I have been very happy with, so much so I wear them to work as well as hiking. However, for the last trip I wore a pair of Salmon Fastpacker, my reason being was related to my upcoming trip to Lapland and a concern that a slightly thicker sole may be more appropriate whilst retaining the 3D Ultras design features.

One of the realities of the Kust to Kustleden is that there is a reasonable amount of road walking which can be hard on the feet, but the Fastpackers are as comfortable on roads as they were scrambling around the cliffs of Knösen and walking along the sandy beaches of Bjärehalvön Peninsula. They are Goretex lined, which is not my preferred style of boot but combined with my Injinji liner socks and Darn Tough socks there was no feeling of hot feet. The tread design on the Fastpackers is similar to that of the 3D Ultras, however, the tread is deeper which is an advantage of these boots over the Ultras. All in all a great boot and while I will still use my 3D Ultras for shorter trips the Fastpackers will form part of my long distance off road hiking kit.

Return to Møns Klint

Møns Klint is one of my favourite places in Denmark, and whilst it is a major tourist attraction there are also many places where you can get away from it all. For a couple of days I was able to wander along the cliff tops as well as the forests to experience the variety Møns Klint. As I have said before Møns Klint is about two hours from Copenhagen and is accessible by public transport.

One of my reasons for visiting Møns was to sort out some of my gear issues for my upcoming trip to the Nordkalottleden Trail above the Arctic Circle in Sweden, Norway and Finland which will be the subject of a later post. So I set off from near Camping Møns Klint and headed toward the coastline. There are two options; to descend to the shore line or remain on the cliff tops, the cliffs were my preferred choice. For a while I had the tops to myself but as I approached The Møns Klint Geocentre so the number of walkers increased. But the beauty of the white cliffs remained no matter how many persons were around. As the day progressed and the sun's intensity increased I found a pleasant grassy covered knoll overlooking the Baltic, it was there I sat and watched the ferries head north and south as well as dozing off to sleep, yes it was a very relaxing stop. Having spent an hour or so there I decided that it was time to find a spot to stay for the night, there are a number of primitive campsites available on Møns none of which provide a view. However, I found a spot that enabled me to set up my bivy and tarp (the wind was ferocious by morning) and relax for the evening.


The return trip the following morning took me past the Geocentre then along forestry trails where a number of deer were surprised to see me. The culmination of the walk was the climb to Aborrebingbjerg which provide panoramic views to the north, west and east including Stevens Klint.

All in all a great trip in an area which I will revisit.