Week 31 - Sweden and Finland

My week started in Stora Sjöfallet National Park with a hike to a plateau. I was surprised by some remaining snow fields that I had to cross. I have no idea why they still exist, because it was about 15 degrees Celsius there. The view from the top was simply amazing. I could see the Sarek National Park across the lake, all the way along its length, and I could also see a waterfall that is usually only visible from the road below. However, I was standing at the same height but at some distance from the waterfall.

Now I had to figure out the rest of my route. It was clear that I was going to Finland. Only the length of my stay in Finland and the associated big or small route were not yet determined. I decided to take the longer route and arrived in Finland on Thursday.

Finland welcomed me with 8 degrees and cold wind. Since I was in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, I couldn't skip a hike despite the weather. I put on 2 long pants, 3 layers on top, a llama wool cap, gloves, and a scarf, and set off to climb the nearby hill. Despite the clouds, I had a great panoramic view of Finland from up there.

Afterwards, I went to another parking lot in the national park. From there, I took a hike to the highest mountain in the national park. The mountain is a whole 809 meters high ;-) But since everything else is flat, I still had to cover some altitude.

Useless knowledge: The air here in the national park is considered the cleanest air in the world.

Today, I visited an information center about the Sami people. They are a nomadic people who live in the far north. Mainly, the Sami people keep reindeer. In summer, they stay further north than in winter. Today, they often still live in tents that are open at the top so that the smoke from the fire can escape. The reindeer are confined at certain times and at other times they live freely.

In contrast to northern Sweden, Finland is much more barren. The tree line here is relatively low, and above it, there is simply nothing. Just rocks and maybe some grass. There is also very little civilization here. Shopping and refuelling have to be planned. Speaking of refuelling: In Finland, the diesel price is about 2.40 euros here in the north. In contrast to Sweden, that's almost cheap ;-) I have heard that Norway is supposed to be cheaper than Sweden and Finland. Refueling is currently the biggest expense. If you have to refuel for 120 to 140 euros every few days, it adds up quickly.

I also find the road signs here interesting. There are some that we don't have in our country. For example: Free for snowmobile, Attention reindeer/moose, Attention dog sled, or Attention cross-country skier.

I will stay in Finland for the next few days and then enter Norway sometime next week. Norway will be the final country of my journey. Although I still have a few weeks ahead of me, I know that the trip will come to an end. It's a strange feeling after so many weeks on the road...