Waiting for the boat to Kilpisjärvi in Finland, together with 3 Swedish people and a Finnish family. Lighting the stove to dry all our cloths during lunch.
Every time I woke up, I heard the splashing on the roof of the Pältsahytta. Today fortunately only 15 km.to go. Or shall I stay one day longer in the Pältsa cabin? According to the guardian there is a depression above all of Scandinavia, so waiting one day for better weather does not make sense. What should I do at these three x three meters? Well, some of my 7 student rooms were not much bigger, but I don’t feel like eating one day out of my nose. The last bit to Kilpisjärvi today is by boat at half past four. And because I do not know how the trail will be, I have to get up in time. I was mistaken one hour and was ready before 6 o’clock, but left at 7.30am., after having breakfast, packing my backpack, washing dishes, making the bed, cleaning the cottage. It was clouded and without enthusiasm I went on my way. Way? Rather a stream of water. The path of about 20-40 cm. wide is worn out everywhere and is like a riverbed. Next to it is swamp, or low, tough, but anyway wet, scrub. Everywhere water, water and water again. Between mud or stones. And I’m still in the mountains, up and down. Tosca, enthusiastic like always, jumps from left to right, almost pulling me over and hunting for lemmings, and with occasional success. Around 12 degrees C, rather windy and, although less than before, still enough mosquitoes to be annoying. Same song as before. This will be my last walking day before I want to take a rest for a few days.
I was wondering what was the most pleasant and what was the hardest part of my trip. Everything was equally heavy in its own way. I’ve been going for my maximum during 10 months each day. First of all, because of the heat in Andalucia, the great uncertainty about how to get food for my horse and shelter in winter Europe. The long distances, sometimes more than 30 km. Crossing roads with dangerous roadside traffic and cities that were very difficult to cross with a horse etc. etc. Now in the Lapponia mountains I have to carry food for dog and man for one week, which amounts to a 25 kilo backpack. Every day I went until my limit. And that will last another 4 weeks. Of those stones often only a top or a strong sloping side protrudes above the water, with the next step to reach the other side or next stone. That side should not be slippery and you have to land on that rocking point exactly in balance, otherwise the weight of the backpack pulls you into the water. Downhill goes much slower than in the booklet, because of Tosca pulling over those smooth stones. The writer of my guide, like I already wrote yesterday, of course does not go on its way when it rains, or when all the rivers overflow, or if there is still a lot of snow, and preferably not with a food store for more than a week. Thus, the indicated walking times are not reliable.
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