Lapplandsleden, Day 5

I decided to try to complete this second part in 4 days instead of 5. This will mean only one day of walking in the rain. There are two huts where I could stay. The first one is today, after 22.5 km. Then I’ll spend one night in a tent, and another hut is at the 69 km mark. So, I should average 23 km per day for the first three days. On day 4, I’ll have 26 km to cover, in the rain.

I start at 6 a.m. today. After a short road walk, there are a few kilometers of boggy forest. My socks and shoes are soon full of mud. Then, there’s a short stretch above the tree line. At 9:30 a.m., just before the trail descends into the forest again, I take my lunch break, enjoying the views while I eat. After that, it’s mostly forest. Most of today’s walk is through very boggy forest, about 5-6 hrs. I feel like I’m barely making any progress. It’s tiring, and I can’t take a break because down here in the forest, the moment I stop, I get swarmed by mosquitoes.

After almost 8 hours, I reach the hut. I set up my bed, kill mosquitoes, and wash the mud from my shoes and socks, hoping they’ll dry by tomorrow. There is a very clear pool of water nearby. A source. One can see the water coming out of the ground at the bottom of the pool.

No other hiker is showing up and I enjoy the silence.