Learn more about hiking as photographer please read below post

Sweden - Lappland

Intro

In September, the vibrant autumn colors are in full bloom in the northern regions, showcasing a breathtaking tapestry of hues that attract photographers from all around. However, this time of year also marks the onset of more unpredictable weather patterns, where one moment may be filled with bright, welcoming sunshine and the next might bring dark, foreboding skies accompanied by strong, gusty winds.

On Garmin Explore you can watch my tracks of my journey, you can also watch the video further down in the blog.

How to get here and how to get around can be read in my blog post from my last trip here, you will find the post here.

Looking for more information about hiking as a photographer please look here.

My video from the hike in the Swedish mountains.

Day 1 - Nikkaluokta

I arrived at Nikkaluokta in the beautiful afternoon, around 3:30 pm, after taking the bus from Kiruna Airport. Knowing that I only had a limited window of a few precious hours before the sun would dip below the horizon, I felt a sense of urgency. My main goal for the day was to ascend as high as possible on the stunning peak of Cievrracohkka. Specifically, I aimed to climb at least above the tree line so I could find the perfect spot to pitch my tent for the night. After a bit of exploration, I was fortunate enough to discover a truly beautiful location that offered a breathtaking view over Nikkaluokta. I reached this spot just in time, as the light began to fade and darkness started to envelop the landscape. Exhausted from the long journey, I decided to go to bed early, hoping that a good night's rest would leave me refreshed and ready for the adventures of tomorrow.

Day 2 - Kaskavagge

The following day the weather where still very good besides some darker clouds hovering further into the mountains. It was still going upwards for the first 30-45min and the path was getting harder and harder to spot since the ground turns more rocky for every step. But I just followed the side of the mountain to my left, I knew at the end of it there should be an old reindeer keeping cabin used by the Sami people. It took another few hours to get there but eventually I reached the cabin and took a well deserved rest and had lucnh. Its very flat and there grows no tress or bushes what so ever, it makes it very easy to aim for mountain peaks, from this point on I was aiming for the small peak called Vardu close to todays goal of Kaskavagge. The rocky ground is just getting worse and worse and after crossing some melt water from the glacier Darfalcohkka I stood in front of a huge pile of rocks, it must have been about 50-75m tall. I decided to climb it but a further notice to my self is to go around it ! After passing Vardu there is a steep decent down to the cabin of Kaskavagge and i could feel my legs failing me being tired from jumping around on rocks all day.

Normally this is an emergency shelter but after 20km in rocky terrain I just had to sleep in the cabin, my energy was so low and I really underestimated the energy needed to cross Cievrracohkka.

Cievrracohkka - Its a vast an empty place, not a place to be if the weather turns for the worse.
There is still a small cabin used by the native people when taking care of their reindeers.

Day 3 - Vistasvagge

The following day pointed me toward Vistas cabin, nestled comfortably in, you guessed it right, the breathtaking Vistas Valley. The journey takes about 45 minutes to climb to the summit of Njunni, and the trek is not too arduous, as the path is very easy to follow and well-marked. Once you reach Njunni, you're rewarded with an amazing panoramic view overlooking Vistas Valley, a sight that simply takes your breath away. But the adventure doesn't stop there; you’ll need to head downwards for a good 2 hours to reach the bridge that gracefully crosses the river at the bottom of the valley. The entire descent offers a stunning display of autumn colors, as Vistas is beautifully filled with an array of trees and vibrant bushes that create a picturesque landscape. After crossing the bridge, it's only a short 5 km stroll to the cabin, which is an easy walk—provided that the forest isn’t flooded; otherwise, it can turn very wet and quite muddy. I would confidently say that Vistas cabin is the best cabin in the entire Arctic Circle, featuring a small, charming structure surrounded by wildflowers in the summer, situated close to the river, and boasting a beautiful view towards Nallo. As it happens to be the last day that Vistas cabin is open for the season, I simply could not resist the temptation to stay there for the night, soaking in the serene beauty of the landscape surrounding me.

Day 4 - Sälka via Nallo

The winds really picked up during the night and when heading for Nallo the wind was just pounding my face for hours. Too bad since this walk is very beautiful but its hard to really enjoy it when you have to stair into the ground every step you take. Besides that the walk to Nallo is short (9km) and easy. My goal was actually to stay one night at Unna Räita but the latest weather forecast said the winds could be even worse if the low pressure would arrive as predicted. I decided to not get stuck in really bad weather up here alone so I took the decision to head further down again towards Sälka (Kings trail).

Said and done, it’s a pleasant 10km trek to Sälka from Nallo, and the walk is quite easy overall. The only notable obstacles you encounter along the way are a few streams of water that you must carefully pass, one of which is particularly knee-deep. You have to be especially cautious here since you are quite far away from “normal routes,” and being alone in such remote areas can have its risks. I was fortunate enough to meet a fellow hiker who was just about to cross the water in the opposite direction. We quickly made a plan, deciding to take turns crossing while the other acted as a safety backup, ensuring that we both made it across safely.

Hiking Mountains Autumn Sweden — Looking down towards Vistas Valley on my way to Nallo

Day 5 - Kebnekaise station

At this point in my journey, I started to feel quite fatigued, having been hiking approximately 20 kilometers every day while carrying 20 kilograms on my back. The physical demands of tackling both uphill and downhill trails, along with facing strong winds, really began to take their toll on me. Despite these challenges, I made the decision to continue walking as long as I could that day in an effort to reach Kebnekaise. If the weather conditions remained favorable, my plan was to take a day trip into the picturesque Tarfala Valley before ultimately returning to Nikkaluokta.

The section of the trail from Sälka to Singi is relatively easy, as the path is straightforward and well-marked, being part of the famous Kings Trail. As I inched closer to Singi, I was presented with choices: I could either head directly towards Singi and then Kebnekaise or opt for a shortcut that led more directly towards my destination. Considering the weather forecast, which promised rain, I reluctantly chose the shortcut, although I knew it would involve some uphill trekking. The final stretch before reaching Kebnekaise was undeniably beautiful but unfortunately quite wet. I nearly managed to make it the entire way before the rain began to pour down, forcing me to pitch my tent in the rain and mud—definitely not the most uplifting experience for my spirit!

Day 6 & 7 - Nikkaluokta

After a rainy night I had breakfast in Kebnekaise station, well worth the 15 Euro I can say, I was looking at the weather forecast to decide if I should do my day trip to Tarfala or not. it was still raining and the forecast was not clear which way it was heading. So I decided to pack up my gear and start walking to Nikkaluokta, its about 20km but normally the weather is better in Nikkaloukta.Just when I was about to start my hike the helicopter trafficking Nikkaluokta / Kebnekaise landed, its about 95 Euro for a one way ticket and I jumped that helicopter, taking it as a sign I should walk no more =)

It feels like sheeting to be honest but I had a bad night of sleep due to wind and rain so please forgive my decision !

At Nikkaluokta i had a small cabin waiting for me and the idea of a hot shower and warm dry bed was all I had in my mind at this point. Luckily I was right about the weather, I had two amazing days in Nikkaloukta with clear skies, frosty and foggy mornings. A landscape photographers dream ! On top of that I had amazing northern lights for two nights in a row, no matter how many times you see them they still amazes you, kind of hypnotizing you to just stare into the skin for hours. After all this was a great trip with many lessons learned such as:

Keep the backpack as light as possible
Eat and rest, when the energy level drops it can do so very fast, and that can be dangerous in this inviroment
The Nikon Z6ii is extremely good in this conditions and will look at more lenses to buy, hopefully some from their S line