Singi from Sälka — The King's Trail

It goes leisurely with no significant meters of altitude from Sälka to Singi. You are still in the valley with sparse vegetation and breathtaking views. On the way to Singi it was super stormy and rainy. We were glad when we were in the cottage. Here we met Jonas with his family plus Balu 🐶 who were on their way to Sweden's highest mountain, the Kebnekaise. We also got to know Arne, who was supposed to cross the wilderness with us for the next 3 days :)

Gray on gray – that's how the sky looked this morning. At 6:30 a.m., everyone got up and had coffee in the hut. We took the opportunity to continue yesterday's conversations – apparently, we hadn't quite finished yet. So it turned into a long breakfast, especially since it started to rain. Nobody had a long hike planned today: Sarah wanted to go to the Kaitum Hut (12 kilometers), Gordon to the Kebnekaise Fjällstation (13 kilometers), and we to the Sälkastugorna (12 kilometers). So there was no rush or pressure. Around 10 a.m. – the rain had subsided in the meantime – we set off. The trail was very rocky at the beginning. While that hadn't bothered me too much yesterday, it was different today. The "motivation" to hike wasn't really there this morning. As we continued, we encountered mud, snowfields, and wooden boardwalks – all typical of the Kungsleden. The trail leads past the Sami settlement of Kårtjeouvolle, nestled on the left bank between the striking mountains of Unna Árvik and Madir. After about an hour, a path branches off to the east to Kebnekaise Fjällstation. And then – between two mountains – the ice- and snow-covered cap of Kebnekaise, at 2,104 meters, Sweden's highest mountain, becomes visible. (#6+7) It's just a shame the sky is still gray... Around 12 o'clock, I reach the Kuoperjåkka shelter, where we take a short break. I make myself a warm drink – which feels good, because the temperature feels like 0 degrees Celsius, even though the sun is slowly making its appearance more and more often. After the break, the weather gradually clears up – and with the first rays of sunshine, my motivation returns. The structure of the trail doesn't change much: it climbs steadily but moderately through the valley. Many small mountain streams now cross the trail – some are accessible via bridges, others require fording. But that doesn't bother me anymore – on the contrary: fording is actually fun, and amazingly, I stay dry. After about 8 kilometers, I come across a meditation spot that's part of the parallel Dag Hammarskjöldsleden pilgrimage trail. Two more large suspension bridges cross the Tjäktjåjåkka River, and a little later, the Sälkajaure-Stugorna trail comes into view – still two kilometers away. One last large snowfield lies ahead of me, and then I reach the hut. Peter, who had set off before me after the break, had already arranged two beds in the hut – perfect! Besides us, there was a group from England there, as well as Jason, a young man from Berlin. Everyone is on their way from Abisko to Nikkaluokta, following the Dag Hammarskjöldsleden pilgrimage trail. What's particularly useful in the hut is that you can contact the outside world via the Stugvärd's satellite phone – which I also use. We've had no cell phone reception for four days, and it will take until Friday in Abisko until we get signal again. The Spot transmitter works one-way, so it's nice to hear what's going on at home... The Sälka hut has a small shop, which is still well-stocked at the beginning of the season – even with canned goods. So today, there's no trekking adventure food, but canned chili con carne with mashed potatoes – which is easy to prepare in the hut kitchen, although I couldn't taste much of a difference. In the evening, we cooked and ate together with the English. Over dinner, the conversation turned to tomorrow's route: In unison, they talked about the massive snowfield before the Tjäktja Pass – three kilometers long in front of it, and another three kilometers behind it. It's supposed to take at least 2.5 hours to cross the snowfield. We'll see...

How much I loved this stage !!! 🙏❤️🙏 And that in spite of all adverse weather conditions! All the rain, snow and even small hailstones, some of which the wind blew painfully in my face, could not affect my enthusiasm. 😍 The contrast between the bright autumn colors in the fells and the snow-capped mountains has never been more stark than on this stage between Singi and Sälka. Yes, it is now getting more crowded on the Kungsleden, and I'm sure there are around 50 hikers coming towards me every day, but where, if not here, is there enough space for everyone? And who is surprised at this spectacular backdrop? Incidentally, most hikers, coming from the north (Abisko), turn off at Singi in the direction of Nikkaluokta in order to climb Kebnekaise (Sweden's highest mountain) or at least admire it from a distance. Therefore, of course, there is more activity on the trail from Singi onwards. The landscape, however, is so huge that every person just fades into it and becomes completely meaningless. Today is Reindeer Day for me too. They literally trip over my feet, pose for me, look after me curiously. By the way: don't be surprised that some of the reindeer wear collars. The herds are owned by the Sami who use the collars to track GPX data, among other things. So nothing unusual. When I recently posted one of the reindeer pictures on Instagram, I was immediately assumed that I had photoshopped the animal in the picture 😂. I tell you, in Lapland you need everything, but no Photoshop knowledge, to put reindeer in the limelight ... 😜. A little more about the way. The stage through the wide river valley is pretty easy to walk and can be mastered in half a day without great vertical meters. But in view of the landscape, this can easily take at least twice as long. With me at least! 😉 The Sälka huts are incredibly beautiful and idyllic. From the window in the kitchen you can watch the reindeer herds grazing by the river. Better than ANY blockbuster! I could sit here forever and just look ... 🤩.

Day 5 already and the last leg of the Kungsleden. Tomorrow we turn towards Kebnekaise and so we only follow the Dag Hammarskjöldsleden. Today was the shortest stage and also few altimeters. Rain is forecast in the afternoon and even storms with thunderstorms in the evening. Everyone leaves quite early and we are already on the walk at 8 o'clock. We don't keep it dry, but the rain isn't annoying yet. Once in the hut it explodes. It was a great walking day. Later in the evening, many extra people are taken care of because of the bad weather. In our cabin about 10 people who normally sleep in a tent. People slept in aisles, on and under dining tables and on the floor in the kitchen. Also had something

Stage 4, from Singi to Sälka, is a slightly shorter stage at just under 12km, and is meant to be enjoyed to the fullest. The landscape is incredibly beautiful. Seeing the first reindeer was a very special moment.

Fell asleep yesterday morning and slept quite well for my standards. Still moving slowly. The path is soooo rocky. Great area. I'm running in a kind of valley at 700/800 meters with huge mountains all around me. The colors! Amazing. The trail has changed since the Singin Hut. A lot more people come towards you. In brightly colored, perfect outdoor outfits, many look like they're starting an expedition to the North Pole. I feel like I'm from another world with my dirty trail running shoes and tops that I've worn for days 😅 I set up my tent at the Sälke Hut at 3:30 p.m. Then set off early tomorrow to get over the Tjäkta Pass (the highest point of the Kungsleden) before the announced storm comes.