Kilpisjarvi to Cievccascahca
Distance: 35km
Fog is engulfing the campsite, when I leave it, continuing along the road direction north. After a few 100 meters, I'm back on the hiking track, which climbs steeply, taking me out of the fog quickly. The views are gorgeous and I taking photos is an acceptable excuse to take it slowly. I definitely feel my heavy backpack.
Soon the trail descends back into the valley. A typical "Holzhackerweg" (the closest word I can think of in English is "lumberjack track"), how I call these kind of tracks. Slow going, rough, no flow. Every step needs to be placed carefully.
Eventually, I reach the 3-country-border (Sweden, Finland and Norway), with great views of the mountains, where I am about to head into.
Luckily every Holzhackerweg eventually ends. Otherwise, I would have given up on hiking a long time ago. This one ends right at the Finnish-Norwegian border. Coincidence? I don't think so...
From there hiking is pure pleasure. A nice trail, with boardwalks across swamps, climbing higher and higher, sometimes descending steeply into a gully. On the way I meet two women from Switzerland. The elderly ladies hiking from Kilpisjarvi to Abisko as well. They take it a bit slower than I though.
The trail is climbing further and further. While briefly crossing through Sweden, dark clouds ahead of me are building up quickly. Together with my now tired legs it's time to find a suitable camp spot. Not too easy at 900 meters above sea level, where rocks are dominant. I find something acceptable to pitch my tent right in time before the first rain drops knock on my tent.
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