Where the earth ends, and the sky begins

Silence. Nothingness. Loneliness. And yet so fulfilling! A land that captivates the soul and gives your heart a peaceful beat. Where Sweden soon ends and Norway begins. Where the earth ends and the sky begins.

Never in my life has it ever been quieter. As if everything is holding its breath. And yet this barren place is full of life. If you look closely, you can see it. The traces of a world before our time, polished by the power of the glaciers, the force of ice and weather.

My hiking boots are filthy and my feet are throbbing. Every day I am covering at least 15 km. From Nikkaluokta in northern Sweden to Katterat in Norway. A place that many maps don't acknowledge, totally off-grid. The first part of my route: a classic of the long-distance trail Kungsleden.

My last place to stay in Sweden was the Alesjaure Hut, it was the last day this place was still open. The season ends here in September because soon the harsh winter will be here.

From this blissful place on which I stand, it is still about four hours on foot, the sun is so flat that I have to check the clock: But it is only just after 14:00. Up here, a few hundred kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, winter announces itself early and the sun displays a gentle arc. Everything around me disappears in golden light, small dust particles dance over waving grass. Red, yellow, pink, emerald green. Colors that shine, as if nature had to present itself just once more before winter arrives. 

I am almost sad when I reach the huts of Hunddalen. I am the only one here, all the cabins are empty and I choose the smallest one.

It is an ingenious system that the DNT, the Norwegian Hiking Association, has set up here: Every member gets a key and can use almost all huts in Norway. The only condition is that you should register in good time, at least in the high season, in order to get a place to sleep. There is nothing like this in Sweden. 

Although my feet are burning and my back is tired from carrying the luggage, the task now is to fetch water from the river, chop firewood and stoke the stove. But these are tasks that ground us. That show us what is really important.

Eat, sleep, keep walking.

There are still four days until I reach my final destination, the station of Katterat in Norway. Along a route that is particularly popular for snowshoe walking in winter. But actually, I almost don't want to follow it! Because it has been the solitude, the silence of nature and almost tangible loneliness that has gripped me. This variant of the Kungsleden has taught me one thing: how little I need to be happy. Nothing. Norwegian nothing.

About Nina:

I grew up between mountains and horse stables, at home in the camper as well as on my mountain bike and hiking: I prefer to be where no one else is. Traveling, for me is the most beautiful way to spend money and get richer still. Because adventures fill your soul!