Day 7: Kebnekaise mountain station to Nikkaluokta

For the last 19km of the classic route, there’s a ferry you can take across a lake that takes care of 6 kms of hiking. Even if the trail was easy by now, our legs were still tender from the climb yesterday.

We made the 11:15 boat departure, having stopped briefly to admire a moose on a plain in the distance. In this last vestige of real wilderness in Europe there is wildlife in abundance, but you need binoculars to see the best of it.

“Is this the boat to Nikkaluokta?” I asked the young man wearing a hat that said Kapten

My own hat said “Stripclub Veteran”, so it wasn’t a given that he actually was a captain or in charge of the boat.

“No, this is going to Kebnekaise.” We were crestfallen.

“Just kidding! Throw your luggage on board.”

Ha. Ha. Ha.

Just my luck to find the last living troll in Sweden. But more hilarity was to come.

“Is there a discount for STF members?” I asked once on board. The STF card is widely used by hikers, giving members a 10% discount on most accommodation, some items from the store, and train travel.

“Only if you work here,” the Kapten replied.

“Ok, so give me the keys and I’ll drive.”

The boat ride was expensive, 350 kr, but the views it afforded of the mountains as we exited up the turquoise glacier lake were splendid indeed.

We disembarked at the other end to find a restaurant serving “Lapdanalds” reindeer burgers and cloudberry waffles. After a week of dehydrated food, even defrosted meat, old coleslaw and a stale bun was a taste sensation.