7

Die erste Etappe konnte ich soeben mit Garmin BaseCamp erstellen (siehe my trail - stage 1). Das war nicht ganz einfach, weil die OSM Karte die Wanderwege - in diesem Fall den Nordkalottleden - trotz Angabe des Profils 'Wandern' nicht auf Anhieb erkennt. Ich musste die direkte Route jeweils auf alle Wegpunkte bzw. Hütten rüberziehen. 

Die Darstellung des ersten sowie des letzten Abschnitts erfolgt auf schwedischer und norwegischer Karte.

Das Höhenprofil folgt, sobald ich herausfinde, wie es geht.

6

Skierfe and Rapadalen - there are magic  places I'd like to see again in good weather.

Tjäktjajakka - near Kaitumjaurestugorna

Padjelanta at a far distance 

5

Es gibt eine alternative Route zum Kungsleden von Abisko über Unna Alaskas (evtl. auch bereits früher Richtung Katterat und Hunddalen) und dann weiter auf norwegischer Seite nach Ritsem, anschließend dem Padjelantaleden folgend nach Kvikkjokk. Hier müsste ich mich allerdings weitgehend selbst verpflegen. Auf dem Kungsleden könnte ich in den Hütten Lebensmittel kaufen.

One of the alternative routes - much less frequented - follows Nordkalottleden and later Padjelantaleden to Kvikkjokk. But it takes more time and no chance to buy food on the way except for Ritsem.

4

You'll never walk alone

Once I decided to go and started planning I began to feel the challenge, 

and I got an idea of the stamina and the courage I'd need. 

It is a challenge - physically and mentally. I checked the grönabandet website. 

This summer 12 hikers reached the final destination, 7 did not finish and three 

are still on their way. 

Many things can happen - on the way, at home, ... 

When you walk through a storm
hold your head up high

and don't be afraid of the dark.

At the end of the storm there's a golden sky
and the sweet silver song of a lark.

Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II

3

The trail - grönabandet - is not a fixed or defined trail like other European long distance trails, in many areas there are different options. It seems reasonable to follow Nordkalottleden and Kungsleden in the beginning, but later ... between Hemavan and Are?   ...I will have to study maps and blogs. Where did other hikers go? 

Ich geh meine eigenen Wege
ein Ende ist nicht abzusehen.
Eigene Wege sind schwer zu beschreiben, 
sie entstehen ja erst beim Gehen.

Heinz-Rudolf Kunze

2

What direction should I go? 

Somehow it seemed natural to me to start in the south and head north, going away, exploring ...but there are some odds. 

According to other obligations in the early summer I will start 20 July 2017. My hiking experience in Lapland tells me that - due to the path, weather and personal constitution - it is quite hard to go 20 kms every day - 1200 kms in 60 days - two months. You also need some zero days or nearos, days when you don't walk or only little distance. Well, I do.

Consequently I worked out a plan of 75 days - I know, of course, that other hikers managed in 60 or even less than 60 days. But I guess the whole trail will take me two and a half months, I won't reach the final destination before the beginning of October. Finishing the hike would be at risk in the north due to wind, cold or even snow at that time of the year. 

So I will start from Treriksröset heading down south hopefully keeping pace with the fall. ;) And - as an extra challenge - to make it in 68 days would be great - a day for each year of my life. 

Going south is a good idea ...the sun will shine into my face and the shadows will fall behind me. 

Being a keen photographer I know I will enjoy a favourable light showing spectacular views with the grazing rays of the sun ahead of me.

1

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...