looking back

Here, in the north, the earth smelled of melting snow, warm stones, damp moss and globe flowers.

A long trail is a constant cycle of leaving and arriving. The last glance at a valley, a mountain, a campsite, a hut. Ahead lies the next mountain, the next hut, the next valley. Even though the scenery keeps changing, you can rarely pinpoint the exact spot where one type of landscape ends and another begins. Nature isn’t discrete; it flows seamlessly, except where humans interrupt it.

The Nordkalottleden trail passes through Sámi land, unbothered by the borders drawn by colonizers. You could see hikers as modern-day nomads, roaming freely, unconcerned with settlers’ notions of land ownership. Alternatively, you could think of hikers as alien intruders, trudging back and forth across the reindeer migration routes without truly understanding the land beneath their feet. It didn’t occur to me to ask the Sámi I met how they see us — though I wish I had.

What does it say about our culture, about our way of living that to feel truly good we need to push our bodies to exhaustion and go somewhere where human presence is minimal? Returning to civilization, we value its comforts, yes — but less because we missed the mental stimulation, and more because of the physical effort.

Of all the places on the trail, Badjelánnda left the deepest impression, despite Norway’s mountains. Perhaps the Padjelantaleden is worth hiking one day, hut to hut, taking extra days, maybe with autumn colors. Another place I’d like to return to is the area around Meekonjärvi, staying longer next time.

I can’t decide what was more breathtaking — nearly getting struck by lightning or seeing the wolverines.

Numbers

Total duration: 30 days, including one unplanned rest day. I mistakenly thought I had a spare buffer day, but in the end, there wasn’t one. It would have been nice to have.

Total distance walked 762.7 km. Shortest day 12.8 km (first day). Longest day 37 km (Gappohytta → Daertahytta).

I deviated from the traditional Nordkalottleden twice. First from Kouhkimajärvi to Rosta via the E1 route through Gappo instead of Pältsa. And after Røysvatn I detoured to Gränsleden for a day, mostly for safety reasons.

I also shortened the hike twice: skipped 7 km before Alesjaure by taking a boat and skipped another 4 km near Vaisaluokta by helicopter. Additionally, there was 22.7 km of boat travel to get from Gränsleden to Ritsem.

I fell five times: three times in streams, once slipping on wet grass, one time tripping while scrambling over rocks. Aside from a few bruises and a small scrape, nothing serious.

The scale in Kvikkjokk claimed I lost five kilos. I immediately started stuffing myself with food.

Accommodation

9 nights in a tent, 21 nights indoors, including hotels in Kilpisjärvi, Abisko and Kvikkjokk, 12 Norwegian huts, 6 Swedish huts. I never managed to stay in a Finnish hut, mostly because the Finnish stretch was so short.

Swedish huts varied widely in character, but they all shared what Nikodemus aptly described as the “missing armrests”: pure function over comfort. That said, being able to flop onto a sofa in a Norwegian hut in the evening was absolute bliss.

Weather

It rained on nine days total. Only two days were fully soaked from morning till evening but even then the sun came out in the evening. I had completely dry feet on exactly one day. If there’s an unofficial mascot for this trail, it’s wet socks, thanks to bogs, rivers and dew-soaked vegetation.

Odd observations

This trail isn’t particularly popular, especially not among Estonians, apparently very few come here. Most people hike it in sections and in either direction. And yet somehow, two Estonians walked here just days apart, almost on each other’s heels, in the same direction, from start to finish.

Near Kautokeino, in the same spot where I passed this summer, there was a patch of snow shaped exactly the same way five years ago after heavy rains. Some things stay constant.

On the rare occasions when I had mobile coverage, it never even occurred to me to check the news.

Food

Tactical Foodpack and Real Turmat taste good even when you’re not hungry. Adventure Foods tastes fine if you’ve been outside all day and are starving. Blå Band, on the other hand, doesn’t taste good even after a full day of hiking and an empty stomach.

After checking out in Kvikkjokk, we head to a lakeside cabin near Rovaniemi, where an old caravan has been converted into a cozy, luxurious tiny house.

We try stand-up paddleboarding for the first time, go swimming, and watch the sunset. Tomorrow, we plan to do nothing but read books all day.

The re-entry into society begins quietly and gently.

Kvikkjokk is still by the river. Hikers wander around the guesthouse in their boots. Detaching from the trail is slow.

A day in a small cabin by the lake — blueberry picking, reading, breathing. Before that, a stop at the grocery store in Jokkmokk. Food helps with acclimatization.

The next day, Rovaniemi: a visit to Parttioaitta (outdoor gear store) and a bookstore, then a café, then the station restaurant. Hiking gear, books, food. Civilization feels surprisingly pleasant.

Saturday in Helsinki isn’t overly crowded. The Tallink ferry already is, but burying my head deep in a book helps.

Home. Outside, construction noise echoes from the street and my head spins slightly when I walk on solid pavement again. I suppose I’ll get used to it.