Fjällräven Classic 2014

We woke up early, the alarm stood at 5 am, but I was ready at 04:50. Because I was afraid to oversleep myself I was awake a lot. Stood up, woke the children, dressed, cleaned up the tents and packed the backpacks.
Before 06:30 we were at the bus and around eight o’clock we were in Nikkaluokta at the start.
Here Andreas Karlsson interviewed our family on camera. There was also a journalist of “Trekking & Hiking”, Timo de Boer, who also made a picture from us.
Andreas cederlund gave a speech prior to the start.
The weather soon became warmer and at 9:00 we started.
In the beginning was basically one long string of people who fanned later.
At ‘Lap Dånalds’ we had two reindeer burgers which were very tasty. Ruben and Ezra had a quick swim in the lake here.
At 1812 we were at Kebnekaise Fjällstation, where Mikael Kalmenborg clocked us in.
After we had a short break we walked a couple of kilometres till Ruben found a nice spot to pitch the tents. Here we put up our tents and the tarp for our gear.
Later Eirik and Mona joined us as well. Before the children went to bed, we had a campfire going. After we put the kids to bed we had diner around the campfire and chatted.
Later Sebastian, a German guy, came to join us. His burner didn’t fit on the primus gas canisters. To cook food he borrowed our burner.

Saturday 9/8
We got up at 6:30.
It took too long to get packed and therefor we just started walking at 815.
After we clocked in at checkpoint Singli, we got a suovas sandwich. The children had received four reindeer antlers from a woman.
After we had walked 22.2 kilometers that day, we made camp.
Again the weather was really nice today and fortunately slightly cooler.
Alin got an infected mosquito bite on her thigh, she became feverish from it. She had a hard time and the last kilometre I carried her backpack. She went in together with the children. After we made the tip of a knife sterile, I made a small incision. In the hope that the pressure would be relieved, but it did not.
I was afraid Alin would get really ill and that made me worried about it.

Got up at 6 am and Alin felt much better. Now she had only a small sensitive spot on her thigh and there was nothing more to it.
We started walking at 07:15. We had a 7 km walk to checkpoint Salka. Here we got new meals and after we found some shelter from the wind, we ate our breakfast. Because the boys walked a little ahead they gathered their meals on their own. But of course way too many. Under parental supervision their meals were rearranged. They had only a dozen meals too much.
From here we walked to the Tjactapas. The climb was way more easy then we thought it would be. Significantly shorter and less steep than the Skuleberget at the Hoga Coasts Hike, which we hiked last summer.
At the ‘summit’ Alin had done a geocash. It was very windy up here, so we sat down in the hut we had lunch. The weather was good, but the wind was very cold.
At checkpoint Tjakta we got tea and cake. Afterwards we walked another 5 km. When we stopped at 21:15, we had walked 27.5 kilometers in total that day!
While pitching the tents, we treated the children chocolate mousse. Afterwards we had diner. Ruben and Job were looking for reindeer antlers.

Again up at 6 am and at 7:20 started walking.
After about 2 km, there were many more tents and ‘Candyman’ (Fredrik Byström) was there as well. He had already told us yesterday, but last night the boys could not go on. Therefor we decided to make camp prior to that spot.
Around ten o’clock we arrived at checkpoint Alesjaure. Here we had breakfast and gathered new food again. Here we met Sofia Jugård, one of the organizers we had met before.
Andreas Cederlund had a chat with me, just before he was picked up by helicopter.
Just after the checkpoint Ruben found the skull of a reindeer, which was put on a pole by someone. We had a quick dip in the lake as well.
The Candyman advised us to make camp half a kilometer prior to checkpoint Kieron. This was a really nice place to camp. It was situated just above the tree line with a very nice view. Because of the presence of the wind there would be little mosquitoes.
But because they serve pancakes at checkpoint Kieron the kids wanted to go to the checkpoint naturally.
Adults received four per person, for children it was unlimited. They have feasted on it, and the really deserved it!
Sofia was here and it was nice to meet her again. In the evening there was a campfire where we’ve been chatting. Cosy!

There had been some rain last night.
Got up at 6:30 and the kids were going to get pancakes for breakfast.
Meanwhile, we had broken down the tents and packed as much as possible. After we were done, we also ate our breakfast.
Around eight o’clock we left, on to the finish! It was only 17 kilometers, but knowing this, it changed our mind setting. The kilometers crawled passed.
About three kilometers in front of the finish, it began to drizzle. After one more kilometer we got into our raingear.
We walked hand in hand to the finish and we got a huge applause! Incredibly, the people who stood outside, but also the people who were in the Trekkers Inn were all clapping and whistling and got outside to see us. It was emotional. So proud, happy and relieved!
The group of South Koreans thronged around us to take pictures.
According to the GPS we had walked 115.9 km in 101 hours and 45 minutes. Of which we had been walking for 34.51 hours. We had an average walking speed of 3.3 km / h. The total average speed including breaks, but no evening / night sleep was 2.0 km / h.

Andreas Karlsson came to have a chat with us. And Andrew Cederlund invited us to his speech in the Trekkers Inn and to have some of the anniversary cake. We allso were invited for the night, for they would have a surprise for the children.
Ezra received, as the youngest hiker, the first piece of the anniversary cake.
While eating some cake we have a little chat with Johan Skullman. He gave the boys a high five and Ezra got a hug.
Then I had to pitch up the tents in the rain, again. But we were really lucky with the weather during the trek.
When ready I went back to the Trekkers Inn. David and I had a delicious sandwich Suovas there.

A Dutch boy in his early twenties sat in the launch of the hotel, tired and exhausted. When he saw Ezra run his mouth fell open in surprise actually. In disbelieve, he asked Ezra if he had walked the Classic as well. A full of proud and enthusiastic “yes” was Ezra’s reply.
We were allowed to take a shower in the hotel room of Eirik and Mona
While showering Job had to vomit.
I returned the Trekkers Inn Ruben also was not feeling well. They wanted to go to bed, cried Ruben fatigue. Job hung on Alin her lap and Ruben lay on a bench.

They also had to show. They featured the full Fjällräven Polar 2014 movie. Again a goose-bumps moment. Ezra liked it so much that he wanted to sit down on my shoulders so he could see it.
Struggling waiting until nine o’clock.
Finally Sofia Jugård spoke and finally ten children were called forward under a huge applause. For their performance they received a FR backpack. After that they could finally go to bed.
Around ten o’clock we went in as well. So we could grab a good night sleep. Tomorrow we had to start our journey back home.
In the middle of the night Ruben threw up inside the tent. Just like that, out of the blue.
Two hours I had been busy to clean it u. They were sick of exhaustion.

At 10:30 we took, together with Eirik and Mona, the bus back to Kiruna AirPort.
It took just a little while and Job and Ezra fell asleep.
After we said goodbye to Eirik and Mona at the airport we walked to our car. We made some rearrangements with the backpacks and then we could leave.
On to the Ica to buy. bread, milk and dinner The boys were allowed to buy candy from their spared ‘deposit cans. Well, among all the goodies is not easy to make a choise. Ready?
To home then, and so we left from Kiruna to start our journey back home.
After driving for an hour I got really tired. In Gällivare we stopped driving because it was not save to drive any futher. Early to bed and make a fresh start tomorrow.

We got up at around seven. The Naturkompaniet in Ovik is our goal, where we arrived around five o’clock.
When we were done, we are just drove to Docksta, where we were staying overnight.

Today we drove to Linköpping.

Got up early to go home. The last thousand kilometers. A little after eight o’clock we were back home.
Tired, but satisfied.