Sunday 15 October 2017

Marking the passing of time.


In just six weeks I turn 60, can't say I'm all that happy about this, still the more birthdays you have the longer you live. 

I've been thinking how to mark this momentous occasion. So far my plans are concentrated around going back to Sweden and skiing the Kungsleden Trail. From Hemavan at the southern end all the way up to Abisko in the north, a distance of about 450km. In the north and at the southern end there are huts quite close together so it's possible to ski for hut to hut. However the bit in the middle doesn't have huts, this is quite a pain as to ski the whole route I'll have to carry a tent, stove, sleeping bag etc. all the way. In all I think I'll need to camp twice and spend a further two nights in Prism huts (small unheated wooden sheds). Quite a lot of weight for such little use. Of course having the tent gives me the freedom to stop when and where I like, as the huts are quite expensive. But, sleeping out when the temperatures go down to the -20º'sC and the snow could be several meters deep shouldn't be taken lightly. 
Getting there is another problem, there's an airport only 60km from Hemavan, but it's in Norway. For some reason there doesn't seem to be a bus service going across the border, or at least one online. November isn't a good to go ski touring so the plan is to take march off work and go for it then. 

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