August is the time for the Fjällraven Classic. That’s the name of an organised long distance walk in the fjäll from Nikkaluokta to Abisko. People sign up and pay to take part, so there are hundreds of people walking the route over about five days. They all camp, and are provided withfood at set points, and then when they get to the end they get a medal.
Maisie likes the idea of being part of something whichsounds like a racing car (and she wouldn’t say no to a fancy medal) but she isn’t so sure she fancies camping out overnight. Or walking for five days. All those people striding up hills at the same time does not appeal, because she knows she’d be way behind. Furthermore, her idea of a good day’s walk is one that ends up back at home on the sofa with your feet up, admiring your photographs and enjoying a spaghetti bolognese.
She and Jack decide that instead they’ll drive out to Abisko and a bit beyond, and take a short walk there in the opposite direction to the walk, just to be sure they have the place to themselves.
They’ve been on this walk a couple of times before, and they call it ‘the bear poo walk’. This is because one spring they found some (bear poo, that is). The one time a bear might be in a bad mood is the spring, when you’ve just fallen over her winter hidey-hole and woken her up. On that occasion they walked quite fast back to the car. But it’s summer, so no sleepy bears now which is a lot more relaxing.
They park the car by the roadside and then it’s only about 15 minutes along a rocky path, strewn with summer flowers. A short detour from the walking path up the hill takes them away from the road into peace and quiet. They could have kept walking on the path – it continues on for an hour or so to a bridge over an inlet of the lake, and then beyond, if you’re really fit. But 30 mins is a long enough walk for Jack and Maisie, so they soon find somewhere to lie down on an inflatable mat with a view right over Lake Torneträsk with the famous ‘Lapporten’ mountain on the other side.
After lunch, Maisie stretches out and reads a book. Jack does a suduko. The blue water sparkles, the snow on the mountain tops beckons,the birds fly silently by. Not a person in sight, all afternoon. The only sound is the distant screeching of the iron ore trucks, trundling through the mountains on their way from Kiruna to Narvik.
Details
June – September, and possibly October
Car, then walk
Free
Directions from Lynne and Rolf
