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The idea of doing a long distance hike has haunted me for quite a while, rather years than months. The first time this idea came to my mind was in the mid 90s, my son and I were on a winter tour with friends heading north from Grövelsjön. 

Watching the film recently and then reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed, the story of a young woman going the Paciific Crest Trail was fascinating and inspiring. 

With little but some hiking experience with a full backpack, Mallorca - hiking along the Serra de Tramuntana, Menorca - Cami de Cavalls, several winter and a summer tour in Lapland, it then took only little - like meeting other hikers like Juste,  Karin or Svante on their way - to get me going. I only talked to them for a short while. How old are you? How long will you wait? Ok. I will turn 68 during the hike. Time to go.

This blog will accompany me planning and going the grönabandet (not in winter though, the vitabandet). I will write in English and / or German. The green ribbon is a trail of more than 1300 kms along the mountainous areas of Sweden between Grövelsjön in the south and Treriksröset in the north, the border triangle of Norway, Finland and Sweden. Go simple. Go solo. Go now. is a quotation from Paddling North by Audrey Sutherland. So let's get started...