Kungsleden Reflections

Hi from Stockholm! I’m here between flights from Kiruna, to Reykjavik, and back home to Boston.

I finished hiking the incredible Kungsleden in Swedish Lapland just past noon on Tuesday, August 20th. Six days, seven hours, and fifty minutes after I’d started, establishing the first women’s self-supported fastest known time.

Over the last two days of the hike I felt like I was really starting to find my groove. I was enjoying myself. My body was adapting to the demands I was putting on it. I wanted the trail to keep going. I wasn’t ready to stop. Being finished so soon was jolting.

There were some specific aspects of this trail, the region, and the interactions that made this trek so special:

The people. The week was filled with all kinds of human interactions, from the brief “hej” when passing (not as much small talk as in the US!), to being huddled up in a warming hut with fellow hikers passing around tea and candy while waiting for the boat to arrive, to figuring out how to work together and row with complete strangers, to having excited conversations with other women trail runners, meeting locals in the small mountain villages and hikers from all over the world.

Being immersed in nature. The Swedish mountains have their own special character. I landed on calling them the Gentle Giants. The elevation changes were generally pretty gradual and not too hard on my body. It never took too long to get above treeline. The trail itself wound its way between the mountains and through passes, not over the mountaintops themselves. The forests had a magical/whimsical quality with plentiful moss and mushrooms, the alpine zones were plentiful (it seemed like the majority of the trail was above treeline), long open hilly stretches, sloping mountains and lake views as far as the eye could see. I had equally magical moments with the sun and the moon, including a brilliant sunrise to myself that I described in one of my daily journals in which I felt very seen; and again at night when I turned around to be startled and a bit spooked by the brightest, biggest full moon I’d ever seen. I’d been worried about my headlamp running out of battery and the imposing, shining moon made me feel somehow reassured that I would be okay.

The loneliness. While I met plenty of people along the way, the general hiking hours seemed to be around 10am-4pm, despite the long daylight hours being in the Arctic. For anyone complaining about the crowds on the northern and most popular section of the trail, just hike earlier and/or later in the day and you’ll have the trail all to yourself! I found a groove in hiking from about midnight to dinner time (~4-7pm depending) and even though I didn’t see as many humans, I was kept company by numerous reindeer herds all up the trail.

The colors. The golden fields above treeline, the bright red, green, orange, and yellow tinges of autumn in the low alpine plants, the birch leaves turning from green to yellow, the glacial blue lakes, the bright green moss. The colors left such an impression on me. I know my mom, an incredible fiber artist, would be so inspired. Mom, I may need to commission a Swedish Lapland in Autumn-inspired quilt!

Lastly, self-belief. I felt a renewed sense of confidence, trust, and self-reliance in this journey. I’ve gone on enough these self-supported treks now that I’m getting pretty good at utilizing my strengths, recognizing my limits, and trusting in my decision making. I’m not interested in putting myself down if I don’t reach my self-imposed goals, and I’m all about celebrating the things that do go well. In this (increasingly less) niche world of FKTs, it’s less common for things to go as planned than not. I think a big part of it is setting aside any ego involved because the trail will humble you. Every single step is earned, every single step is progress no matter how little. I feel self-assured in that I kept moving forward and gave an honest effort. My last 67 miles weren’t fast, but I chipped away at it for an entire day… and did it!

Along those lines, from the beginning to the end of this trip I felt very affirmed in my life path. I’m happy with where I am and feel excited about where I’m going. This whole hike felt like a reflection of that. It’s a very nice place to be.

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Thanks for reading. In case you missed them, you can read my daily Kungsleden Trail Dispatches and see more photos on my website.

I also filmed my trek and will share a vlog series shortly on my YouTube channel.

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Huge thank you to Mountain Hardwear for outfitting me and supporting me on this trek. I felt very prepared for the elements and got great use out of every single piece I brought with me, from my pack, to my tent, to my apparel. I’m happy to share that all readers can take 20% off their next Mountain Hardwear order with the code MHWPARTNER2024, plus they’re having a Labor Day sale this weekend with 25% off a bunch of new gear including my puffy and tent mentioned above!

It’s hard to pick a favorite piece but here are some of the winners of this trek:

Premonition UL Anorak (there is also a full-zip version, men’s anorak, and men’s full-zip) - this anorak saved me so many times! I kept it in an easy-to-grab pocket at the top of my pack and threw it on anytime it rained. Not once did it soak through. It’s a keeper!

Ghost Whisperer Hoody (and here’s the men’s version)- this puffy jacket is super warm, unimaginably lightweight, and packs down to practically nothing. There are zero downsides to throwing this in your pack as one added layer, just in case.

Nimbus UL 1 Tent - I loved this tent for its simplicity and easy setup. It has its own lightweight frame, so no second guessing on getting every angle just right. I like the added coverage of the rainfly so I can keep my shoes and pack dry without actually having to bring them into the tent. It also packs down nice and small. Most people didn’t believe me that I was carrying a tent in my pack!

‘Til next week! ~Liz

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