Not knowing anything about it, I immediately said yes... I had never been to Sweden after all.
Once I briefly read what the Classic involved, I was very glad I had signed up to it! Trekking 110km through the Swedish back country with everything you need on your back seemed like the perfect getaway to me.
I also thought about what a generous offer this was from Fjallraven, a brand we had only recently started to stock in store.
So the day came to head to Sweden... a 3am taxi to Heathrow, a flight to Stockholm and then an internal flight up to Kiruna in the Arctic Circle.I was worried I wasn't going to be in the best state to start the 110km trek first thing on the Friday morning, but as we started to descend towards an airstrip surrounded by the most beautiful Swedish Forests, there was great sense of excitement on the plane full of participants - and I was buzzing.
Upon arriving at the "basecamp" that evening, we signed in and collected our map, food and gas. We then checked in to our accommodation before heading off to an introductory talk welcoming us to the Classic...
This was the first point at which I truly understood what the Classic was really all about. Karl Hard, the event organiser, took us through the history of Fjallraven - explaining that from it's foundation, Fjallraven had been a company that is committed to making nature more accessible. He also described the Classic as not only a trek, but also a celebration of the outdoors! Inspired and raring to go, we headed back to our hut to pack our bags and get our heads down. It would be an early start the next day, so we needed to be well-rested and prepared.
After a quick shower, we jumped on the coach for an hour long journey to the starting point at Nakkaluokta. I was already very impressed by how well-organised this trip was - with 2000 people participating from countries all around the world. I was also moved by how friendly the Swedish people were, many of them volunteers who were here purely because of their love for the outdoors.
I set off in a group of four, with three other guys from
around the UK and Ireland who I had only met briefly on the flight into Kiruna.
It was quite refreshing to be in that situation again, and one that I hadn’t
been in for a while…getting to know new people whilst taking in what the
beautiful surroundings had to offer. We made our way through birch forests with
rounded peaks rising to meet the sky in the distance. We started at quite a pace, making our way
along lakes as we approached the first check point at the base of Kebnekaise –
Sweden’s highest mountain. 
Here, we were welcomed into a large Tipi and offered cake
and coffee from a lovely lady who was raising money to help re-build the lives
of those affected by the Nepalese earthquake in April 2015. As we were chowing
down our Turmat freeze dried lunch, they battened down the hatches and zipped
us into the tipi. I asked one of the organisers what was going on, and he
signalled that there was a helicopter approaching to deliver as container of
food and essentials to the opposite hut. It was nice reminder of how remote our
trekking location was, and it was also quite cool to see the piloting skills
needed to hover so low.
Even though we were only half a day into our five-day trek,
we already had a great rapport between the four of us. It was a great reminder
of how being out in nature, away from all the distractions in day-to-day life,
is such a great way to connect with others. It gave us space to contemplate
things and forget about the unnecessary stresses back home. We pushed on through
the valley, following the river in gorgeous sunshine. At this point the
starting group of several hundred had spread right out, so we felt like we had
the land to ourselves. In this setting, I really started to appreciate how
beautiful this part of the world really is!
All things considered, this trip was a fantastic opportunity
– and one that I will personally never forget. Trekking by vast lakes in the wake
of breath-taking mountains and sprawling forests was a truly humbling
experience, and certainly a celebration of the outdoors.
0 comments