So let's continue with the second part of my week…
Beyond The Arctic Circle – Day 3 + 4
What an adventure is trip already is! I am still processing the last few days and the incredible happy feelings I felt and the rush of excitement. I fell in love with this tiny little place here in the North! That said, the day started rainy. Not sprinkling rain, no. I’m talking about pouring rain that soaks you as soon as you step out of the front door. I need to admit, I didn’t mind it. Crawling up the mountain yesterday was so exhausting, it was great to have some time to recharge and relax a little bit. I was very torn between “I need to see EVERYTHING” and “I should rest a little”, since my entire body just hurt whenever I moved. So I decided to take it slow today. The mountains will still be there tomorrow, the river will still flow tomorrow, the sun will still not set tomorrow. Being in the North and experiencing the Midnight sun must have been one of my favorite experiences!
I’m still surprised how hidden this waterfall is, even though it’s right next to the main road going from Sweden to Norway. I can’t even remember a sign. But maybe that is what makes those places so special. You don’t always know how beautiful it is right around the corner. This is also the places where I took another image for my portfolio. Check it out here! I promise it’s worth it!
Speaking of a new adventure, this was the only place I have been to on this day. And it felt good to take it slow. The waterfall was so powerful, I can still feel the vibrations in the air, and feel the small water drops on my skin. I took a small hike down to the lake where I had a fantastic view over the incoming rain.
Off to the next day! I was well rested and ready for a new hiking adventure. I drove back to Abisko Village and while driving, I thought about what and where I wanted to go on this day. Either I was about to hike up another mountain for about 4 hours or I was hiking through a forest along the canyon to rapids for about 2.5 hours. I talked to a tourist guide that I met at the reception of the nearby hostel and he recommended the second option since it was still rainy and the view from the mountain would have been blocked by clouds.
Some parts of the trail were interesting and different from what I expected. At some point, the wooden planks led over a tiny waterfall. But the planks were completely under water. This is how I figured out that my right winter hiking shoe is no longer water proof. Good to know for the future.
I even made friends on the tail! How funny to meet people in the middle of nowhere. It was even funnier to me when we noticed, all three of us live in Stockholm. We decided to exchange social media contacts and stay in touch (Hi to both of you, if you’re reading this). I met them along the trail to the rapids, but they continued their hike to one of the cabins located a few more kilometers into the National Park.
How impressive those rapids were! The water was so loud and I could feel their power in the air by simply just being there. I love this feeling of being alone in a place like this. It’s like a calm and yet exciting rush going through my body, as if I can fall in love with this place all over again. And this is how I want to remember this trip!