Day 30/30 of the 2017 Keto Hiker experiment

19:40 Abisko Tourist Station

Clean, warm and cozy – my feelings this evening comprised into three words.

Woke up in a soaked tent, had a lazy morning hanging out at the cabin in Abiskojaure and getting an interview done with one of the cabin hosts.

The 14km to Abisko are a really easy hike and the weather was hugely better than the last days, almost to the point where I regretted heading for the mountain station.
Yet the prospect of checking in a backpack containing wet equipment and dealing with the stuff back home was motivating enough to finish the tour today.

Arriving in Abisko I got the last available room in the hotel part and could get all my stuff dried out inside the facility. Ignoring the eminent restaurant I dined on my last portion of dehydrated ground beef for this tour, enjoying the comfort of doing my dishes in hot water from a faucet.

Looking back at the tour of 2017, it has definitely been one of the best ever, though the weather has been way worse than most years.
From a subjective point of view, the ketogenic way of fueling has been absolutely outstanding for comfort and performance and, regardless of test results, this is the way I fuel my hikes (and, frankly, most of my future life).
The abundance of energy, mental clarity and resilience combined with wonderful sleep and lack of hunger during the day makes it an ideal fit for me and I cannot recommend enough that You try it out.

Let me just end this with a huge shout out for my sponsors, Ketonix and Nourish Balance Thrive, I’m incredibly grateful for the support and there’re no words to endorse their products enough.
I definitely continue to use them!

That’s it for this tour, I hope You enjoyed tagging along just as much as I enjoyed completing it.
Stay tuned for a few shorter tour suggestions building on my hike, as I want to make the area accessible to more people.
And remember, Lapland is still here next year and I´ll be back!

Planning to lead a small group of people through some beautiful nature on week 1 so let me know if You’re interested. More on this later!

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Peace // Claes

Day 29/30 of the 2017 Keto Hiker experiment

21:00 Camp next to Abiskojaure cabin

Rain, rain, rain – was the name of the game today… I spent quite some time in Alesjaure waiting for the down pour to slow down, yet finally I had to start heading north towards Abiskojaure. Originally planning to camp just outside the National Park, I changed my plan about 90 minutes into the hike when my rain jacket turned out to fail miserably at keeping me dry.
Somehow I managed to get started when the rain took a short break, just 20 minutes later it started pouring again and literally continued for the entire stretch down to Abiskojaure. Except for shorter periods when the rain got mixed with snow…
Needless to say this was not my favorite weather to hike!

One of the beautiful aspects of hiking in a keto adapted state is that You just don’t need to bother about food. Normally a 19km hike would call for one or more stops to refuel and when the weather is hostile as on this day, it just doesn’t invite to have a pit stop for snacks… Such a blessing to just continue on without any sign of hunger, fatigue or loss of energy!

I´m also incredibly grateful for the mental clarity and focus the ketogenic state induces as there were quite a few very slippery and treacherous parts on the trail due to the snow and rain.

Once getting closer to the cabin in Abiskojaure it was a really easy decision to pitch the tent next to it and enjoy the sauna and other facilities. The cabin itself was over crowded with people sleeping on mattresses on the floor, while the service room for campers was almost empty, just me and a couple from the UK utilizing it in the evening. So grateful that my tent was pitched outside and I could retire to privacy and stillness i the midst of chaos within the cabins.

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Peace // Claes

Day 27&28/30 of the 2017 Keto Hiker experiment

06:15 Camp near Vistas cabin

I slept fantastic, such a wonderful feeling to go to bed really clean for the first time in almost a week. The temperature es really pleasant during the night, I had to close my sleeping bag and then I had perfect conditions inside. I almost slept through, only remember waking once during the night .
The morning is slightly moist with low clouds and I have some condensation on the inside of the tent.

 

It’ll just have to stay here waiting for some wind while I go over to the cabin for coffee.
Usually some wind comes up in the morning and that will dry the tent in no time, and if it I’ll just have to hang if inside for an hour or so!
Today is planned to be a slow day and I right now really hope that the weather forecast will support that plan. My legs are weary and I don’t feel like doing anything more exhausting today!

20:30 Camp at Vistas Cabin

After all I decided to grant myself the first real rest day of the trip, my body needed to recover some more, the people in the cabin were friendly, interesting and pleasant and the snow at higher altitude did not at all invite to do the exit over Mårma that I originally had planned.


Interestingly enough my good friend Helge from Freiburg showed up unexpectedly during the afternoon and we got the opportunity to catch up over a cup of tea. Turned out his cell phone had stoppet working properly and none of us had received the messages from each other. Him turning up here in Vistas was just another of the inexplicable things that happen all the time in my life these days.

Anyway, later in the afternoon I pitched my tent right next to the cabin and enjoyed the sauna for the second day in a row before having dinner and planning the next day. Depending on the weather I might just go for camping next to cabins on my way out, I need my stuff to be reasonably dry when I come home or my cats will just have too much fun claw-climbing my tent in the apartment…

Day 28th – August 24th 2018

20:30 Camp next to Alesjaure cabin

Slow relaxed hiking day up Vistasvagge, I started mid morning together with Mikael, one of the guys I met at Vistas and we took it really easy hiking up the valley.
A day full of pleasant conversations, a couple of tea breaks and totally acceptable weather conditions.

We had a couple of showers hitting us yet nothing serious and, to be frank, I wouldn’t have had to camp here in close proximity to the cabin. It´s just that the next good camp site is found quite a few km farther down the trail and going there would have rendered tomorrows hike ridiculously short.

 

Hiking in Vistasvagge is always beautiful, the valley itself is stunning and the trail soft and friendly most of the time. And they really put in some work marking the trail when approaching Alesjaure, earlier years there has been some confusion as the Sami village right next to the cabin has produced an abundance of intertwining trails.

 

Arriving at the cabin mid afternoon I picked a spot and pitched my tent on semi dry ground, enjoying the warmth of the cabin reading and talking with other hikers.
One of the cabin hosts I had met a few years earlier in Unna Allakas and seeing him again was a really pleasant surprise.

 

As I managed to keep myself dry and warm most of the hike I didn’t feel any need for sauna but checked out for an early evening in the tent instead!

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Peace // Claes

Day 26/30 of the 2017 Keto Hiker experiment

06:55 Unna Reitas cabin


I woke up a little over an hour ago, pleasantly enough to the first beam of sunlight!
Fantastic feeling to get outside and greet the morning sun at the elevation, instead of wiping the tent dry from rain drops as I’ve become accustomed to.
So grateful for this beautiful morning!!!

Funny enough my old experience junkie personality immediately jumps up and tells me to use the good weather and do this and that ant those cool tours over there…
It’s so good to be able to just observe what’s going on in the mind and then ignore it, staying in the moment and just enjoying the gift of this day in peace and gratitude.


I’ll just stick to my original plan for the day, pass Nallo for an interview with the cabin host and then continue to Vistas and a long, slow afternoon just resting. I have to admit that I deeply look forward to sit in the sauna and soak in the heat for a long time later today. My muscles are pretty sore from the last days and I took a couple of lighter falls on the wet stones yesterday, rendering me some bruises to tend to.

Anyway, I look forward to start my hiking day sunshine and, knowing the route, anticipate a pleasant and rather relaxed hiking day!

22:00 Camp near Vistas cabin

So nice to be clean again, I spent quite a lot of time in the sauna again and really let myself get soaked in the heat. Feels amazing for my worn out ligaments and tired muscles!

The hike down to Vistas was really just as relaxed as I remembered it to be. The first 8km to Nallo took me two hours and fifteen minutes and I spent about an hour there at the cabin, chatting with the host and getting another video!
First part of the trail from Unna Reitas is rather stony and the snow fields were frozen and pretty slippery this morning.


Some water puddles were covered with ice, showing independent proof for the cold of last night.
The river crossing was a little tricky and needed some rock and balance skills to get over dry.

 

 


From Nallo on the trail was beautifully easy to follow, incredibly faster than finding ones own line in nature. After the recent rains it was considerably more wet and muddy than I’ve seen it before, yet nothing that presented a real issue. The 10km took only another two and a quarter hour, and upon arrival I raised the tent and left my sleeping gear in it before proceeding to the cabin.

Again I met some really nice people and enjoyed a pleasant afternoon and evening, it felt great to arrive early and I even got an extra meal in today to refuel a little extra before the last few days of my tour.

Weather forecast promised good weather tomorrow, after that it’s supposed to go back to ‘unstable’ – same forecast as most days this trip…
I’m waiting for in update tomorrow morning and if it’s still states the same message I might do Mårma already tomorrow to get over the pass in good conditions. Then I have ridiculously much time on the other side of the pass to relax or do some extra few km, depending on the weather.

Anyway, no point speculating – tomorrow I’ll make the decision one way or another!

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Peace // Claes

Day 25/30 of the 2017 Keto Hiker experiment

07:00 Camp at Darfaljavri

I woke up about half an hour ago and lingered in the sleeping bag for a little while, the morning is cold enough that I felt some resistance leaving the cozy warmth and get out into the day.
The many days with rain and lacking the opportunity to really dry my stuff thoroughly has left about everything just slightly moist. Not bad enough to impact the functionality of the sleeping bag etc, yet still easily detectable.

I hope that I can get that sorted during my rest day in Vistas!
Yes, I’m gonna have a rest day – tomorrow I’ll get down to Vistas or close by and Wednesday I just hang out at that cabin before hitting the last part of the tour.
I figure that I could really use a slow day before hitting Mårma and starting my way out of the mountains for this time.
There are definitely some mixed feelings about ending the tour, on one hand I look forward to sleep in my bed, have my cats and friends around me again and get back to work. On the other hand I feel a slight anxiousness to go back to ‘the real world’, being out in nature just feels so much more real than dealing with ‘civilization’.
I’m contemplating some strategies to cope with everyday life and still keep the peace, serenity and contentment that comes from being disconnected from just that modern everyday life. I’ll let you know what works!

Anyway, it stopped raining sometimes during the night and I already wiped my tent so hopefully I can pack it up decently dry when I’m ready to get started on today’s tour.
Though the sky is overcast it looks like we’re gonna have a dry morning, the forest predicted better weather today than the last few days.
I’m planning to do all three passes today yet have never done any of them from this side before for some reason. So I really don’t know how hard they are and don’t want to be too cocky, this is a pretty tough day tour and, though I’m very confident I can do it, I’m not gonna feel bad if I have to stop and camp in Kaskasavagge.

20:30 Camp at Unna Reitas cabin

What a day – not only did I make all three passes, I did them in just under 7 hours with two breaks of 60 and 30 min.
I’m gonna be candid with you, though, it was hard – more mentally than physically. I’m just tired from being focused on slippery and unstable rocks and stones for hours at a time and my eyes and brain need a break…

To be frank I’m totally not sure I would have made it if it wasn’t for being in nutritional ketosis and having the PhatFibre to rely on for energy when needed. After a good three weeks out here the boast of energy supplied by the MCT powder has become absolutely invaluable for me. It´s such a superior substrate than hitting myself with simple sugars on a regular basis and the raise in energy levels is so much more sustainable.


I’m really convinced about this product and can highly recommend it for endurance purposes that require extraordinary stamina and resilience.

Anyway, I started at 08:35 this morning and soon had to stop and add an additional layer of clothing. The wind was just brutally cold, blowing down from the glaciers.
First part up towards Guobirvagge is a long, rather slow climb and I have to admit that my legs really disliked this start of the morning. Higher up it got steeper and I could use a snow field for quite a stretch. Reaching the highest point of the first pass my legs had become warmed up, yet my hands and feet were still freezing in the wind and low temperatures.


The decent into the valley was rather easy and I decided to take a break and have a PF coffee before continuing. During the break a group of five men from Switzerland caught up with me and we chatted for a while before they continued.
I took it easy and left after an hour long break, feeling rather energetic. Actually a lot better than when approaching the first climb of the morning.
Climb went well and the only issue were clouds gathering and wetting the rocks, making them slippery and slowing my progress. The decent offered ample opportunity to use snow fields and was swift and fun.


After the descent into Kaskasavagge I caught up with the Swiss group again and joined them for their break. Naturally we then continued together and I really enjoyed having company through the last climb, I started feeling mentally really tired and chatting with the nice people kept me focused.

After taking some pictures at the top we started the decent and it didn’t take long before all six of us were sliding down the large snow field using our boots as make shift skis – rather risky, of course, yet all went well and we had a blast. Needless to say it cut the time it took getting down considerably!

We all decided to camp at the cabin in Unna Reitas and spent a nice evening chatting, having dinner and drinking tea.

Tomorrow I’ll do the 18km down to Vistas via Nallo, were I’d like to stop and get another cabin host video. Once at Vistas it’s relaxing time, I plan to stay the night and most of the following day. Only aiming for the first lake on the way to Mårma sometime before evening – I need some time to unwind and regroup my focus and concentration before I hit the pass at Mårma!

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Peace // Claes

Day 22/30 of the 2017 Keto Hiker experiment

08:00 Camp in center of Kaskasavagge

The night here in Kaskasavagge was cold and comfortable, what a difference when not having to make an effort to just keep the equipment dry.
Frankly I can’t remember when I woke up with a dry tent last time, I’d have to go back and look through my journals.
Today is overcast yet it looks like it will stay dry for now at least, the clouds give this valley a more sinister atmosphere and a feeling of ancient times. It would not be surprising to see a woolly mammoth turn up behind a huge rock.

I’m setting out to start the day going over the pass to Goubirvaggi, then follow that valley westwards back to Tjäktjavaggi and enter Sinnivagge. A few km up that valley I know a really good camp site that I intend to use the coming night.
Then the weather will determine how I continue towards Kebnekaise.

As the afternoon snack yesterday really bumped both my Ketonix readings and my energy levels I chose to complement my fat coffees this morning with some nuts, jerky and ghee. We’ll see how that turns out during the day!

17:05 Camp in Sinnivagge

First let me break the news that I hiked in my normal hiking pants all day, can’t even remember the last day I had no need to change into rain pants!
I’m so incredibly grateful for this beautiful weather, it’s been a little on and off all day yet dry all day through and now I have the sunshine hitting the tent from the east and a beautiful view over the Ruskkas mountains I past on their eastern side just days ago.

The hike today was marvelous, first the ascent to the summit – beautiful views and quite a lot of snow to walk on. I prefer the snow though it’s more physically demanding than rock as one has to kick hole into the snow for each step. It’s just so much easier on joints and ligaments!
It took me about an hour to climb the pass and I made a little video at the summit.

The way down was a lot of fun yet very demanding – I could utilize a few huge snow fields to avoid descending on rocks and it takes an enormous amount of concentration to stay in control on the snow.
Once down at the bottom I hiked a few more km before my eyes and brain needed a little rest and refueling so I took a snack break right down at the lake.


Continuing 45 min later I was perfectly ok with having to go all the way down to Kungsleden and use the bridge to cross Guobirjohka. Fortunately that wasn’t necessary, I kept pretty much south and soon after clearing ‘Drakryggen’ (the mountain is called ‘dragons back’ due to its shape) I saw not only Rabots glacier and a grassing herd of reindeers, but also a wide area of the river where it looked passable. It was indeed and I didn’t even have to get my feet wet!

After the crossing I went down quite some in elevation to round Guobircohkka and turn back east into Sinnivaggi. Nice soft grass to walk on and very easy to find reindeer tracks to follow.

 

 

The actual trail along Sinnjijohka is on the south side of the stream, yet that’s a well worn out trail and I prefer to hike on the north side instead. The first ascent into the valley is physically much more demanding as one needs to climb up to avoid a steep field of rocks. After that it levels out and follows the stream up to the grass field in Sinnivagge.
Once arrived here I just set up camp and got myself some hot tea so now it’s time for an early dinner and probably an early night as well. I’m a little weary after the last two days, more mentally than physically.
Most guide books recommend doing one of these passes per day only and there’s been quite some additional hiking these days.
I guess I just need some rest and recovery and we’re all good again!

Time to relax and enjoy the beautiful spot here in Sinnivagge!

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Peace // Claes

Day 20/30 of the 2017 Keto Hiker experiment

06:10 Camp at Hukejaure cabin

Sitting in my tent after waking up early and just enjoying the sun shining down on me and slowly warming the air inside here.
I have to admit that, even though I don’t complain and commiserate about the weather anymore, having the sun shine down on me definitely makes the day look better from the start than the sound of raindrops.

So, anyway, I made the decision yesterday to go the closest route towards Unna Reitas,  though this takes me by a stretch of Kungsleden already today. The Fjällräven classic should have passed there by now and the valley I’ll hike through is really beautiful and well worth a revisit.

It’s also easy to navigate and follow if anyone of you would like.

I am going to take this tour and break it down into pieces to post in the tour-area on offthegridhiker.com – there are several weeklong hikes in here and some slightly shorter if one likes that. I just recommend to stay out a week or more as the first few days (2-3) are an adjustment period and never really comfortable when carrying a pack. So,  a week or slightly more just gives one more days to enjoy after got through that adjustment period.
If you hike a lot through the rest of the year and carry a pack similar in weight as here, it’s going to be less of an issue and a 4-6 day hike might be ideal for your time budget.
Next on my agenda here is packing everything up and then get into the cabin for some coffee and maybe breakfast. It’s still a little early to risk disturbing people, though the rules say 06:00. Taking care of my equipment will take just enough time to make me feel comfortable going in!
Actually my tent had some drops of water on the outer tarp so I just left it there to dry in the wind while binging the other stuff inside with me!
23:00 Camp at Sälka cabin
Nice morning at Hukejaure, I always like to linger a little extra when I visit this cabin and this time I had a lazy morning inside until about 10. Several cups of coffee with coconut oil, some jerky and a few nuts made up a slow breakfast followed by a few cups of tea.
I also got another video done for the cabin host series!


Started my hike in nice weather and a strong, yet much warmer, wind from the east and motored on really well on the trail towards Sälka through Cuhcavaggi.

About half way through the valley there is a river crossing and this time I found a place quite a bit upstream of the place marked on the map where I could cross without getting my feet wet. Really a relief as the wind had become increasingly colder and the clouds in front of me got darker and promising rain today again.

I made it a little farther, just beyond Gakamus Cuhcajavri, before I had to change into my rain trousers. I already wore the jacket as protection against the wind. So, the rain started about half past one and still continues – naturally there have been variations in intensity, yet needless to say I was pretty wet and cold after a couple of hours.


I decided to do 4km on the Kungsleden and take a break at Sälka to warm up and dry a little. Soon after I arrived the rain got worse again and I just waited for it to slow down a little before I went out and raised the tent near the cabin.

It was just not worth going anywhere else when there was a dry warm place to hang out so I called it a day after 21km, pretty much non stop hiking.

As a bonus I had sauna for two days in a row and met some really nice people I’ll keep in contact with in the future.
In the sauna I took a thorough look at my calf and it now looks just about back to normal. Sure wonder what that swelling was all about, sadly I didn’t think of making a photo when it was at its worst yet I have one from day 2. Gonna talk to some colleagues when back in Stockholm and hear what they think!
Forecast says there is a change for the better coming tomorrow and I sure hope they’re right. This is by far the worst weather conditions I’ve ever had on a tour here, the percentage of days with rain goes far beyond my experience.
Something today really kicked me out of ketosis, don’t know if it was the 6 hour hike without food, the weather inducing stress on my system, some combination of both or something completely different. My readings have been incredibly low since I finished the hike today, I’m curious about tomorrow morning!

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Peace // Claes

Day 19/30 of the 2017 Keto Hiker experiment

07:15 Camp at the most northern small lake in the valley west of Unna Ruskkas

It’s been a cold night, I’ve been wrapped up in my sleeping bag wearing t-shirt and socks and still never got really warm. The wind and rain stopped at some point during the second part of the night and it all went quite up here. This got me some deeper sleep which feels amazingly good this morning!
Right now there’s some wind, no rain and a few specks of blue sky are visible through the clouds. I even caught a tiny little ray of sunshine right of the bat when going out first thing in the morning.

Hopefully these are signs that the weather is changing preferably, yet still I made the decision to spend the next night by the cabin in Hukejaure. I had this weird dream of entering the changing room of a gym I trained at years ago, still wearing all my hiking gear. After undressing I went to the sauna and the moment I opened that door, I woke up here in my tent…

Not really being into dream works at all, I still interpret this one as a clear message from my subconscious to go somewhere and get warmed up!

Actually I’m gonna make this day as easy on myself as I can. I’ve been hiking every day for 18 days without a rest day, averaging almost 20km/d over mostly rather rough ground. The last few nights I haven’t slept my best due to the rough weather, having to get out in the middle of the night to secure the tent with rocks against the wind didn’t help at all, and I feel more tired than I would like.
I know that the next few days after tomorrow are gonna be physically tougher than anything I’ve done so far this tour and so I just want to be as well prepared as I can.

21:00 Camp at Hukejaure cabin

Today in the afternoon we had a shift in weather and right now the sky’s blue, the sun just went behind the mountains and the temperature is still at +9C. Last night down here it was +4, which means two or more degrees less at the additional elevation I camped at.

No wonder that, with the impact of the wind, I had a hard time getting warm.

 

I got started just after 10 this morning, for the first time with a rather moist tent in my backpack. The 10km down to Hukejaure were as easy and smooth as anything can be up here, wind still rough and cold and a few pretty decent rain showers hitting me on the way.
In just two and a half short hours I’d made the trip and went inside for a coffee before putting the tent up to dry in my favorite camp site here.

After coffee and a chat with the cabin host I started taking care of my equipment, wet rain gear got hung up to dry, socks and underwear washed and shoes cleaned and dried. Then some wood chopping and water hauling for the sauna before I fired it up and spent well over an hour just relaxing in the heat. Wow, was that good after literally being cold for two days and nights!
My left calf is still slightly swollen yet much better than the days before.

Olle, the cabin host had gone fishing and was successful, bringing home a huge trout. Having half of it himself left the other half to be shared between myself and two other guests at the cabin. Around 100g of super fresh trout file fried in ghee became an awesome starter for my dinner!
The extra protein seams to have kicked me slightly out of ketosis, though, which was perfectly worth it. I’m pretty sure I’ll be right back there when I wake up tomorrow.

Not much more to report from this day, it’s a tired and very content hiker sitting here in his tent ready for a good night’s sleep. Air is pretty warm and it is quite, no wind shaking the tent and no splashing from raindrops falling. There’s been a few nights since I had an equally peaceful evening!

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Peace // Claes

Day 16/30 of the 2017 Keto Hiker experiment

21:40 Camp 1km northeast Teusajaure cabin
I woke before 6AM and packed my stuff, thankfully the forecast had been wrong and there was no rain during the night. For the first time this tour I was able to get everything, included tent and abside, to fit inside the backpack. Great sign that I’ve eaten away some weight and volume!
After taking care of my boots and some other equipment I went over to the main building where they serve breakfast between 7 and 9. Staying there for the entire time and eating small portions continuously, I managed to get approximately 1200-1500 kcal in, mostly from fat – cheese, butter, eggs, meat, seeds and nuts – and probably a little too much protein. Yet very limited carbs and apparently the insulin spike never got high enough to impact keton production as my Ketonix readings were still showing nutritional ketosis hours after the meal.
The boat taking me over to the other side of the lake left at 10:40, leaving me more than enough time to gather my stuff and say ‘bye’ to people I talked to. Many showed interest in the project and are curious about ketosis, which is very encouraging for the health development in the future. I actually thought that most people hiking would be more stuck in the old carb paradigm and this is a good point to be wrong!
Bus ride took a while and I was arriving Vakkotavare just before 13:00 – as it was raining at the time I went into the cabin for a cup of tea and spent a couple of hours chatting with the hosts and their family and a couple I met last year when they were hosts in Vistas cabin.
Besides having a great social time I also got a video for the ‘Cabin host series’ on offthegridhiker.com!
Leaving the cabin at ten to 3 in
 the afternoon I was still energized from the breakfast and felt no need for any additional intake
of food. I hiked the 15km in 3 hours and 15 min, arriving at the lake more than an hour before the motor boat ride I aimed for.

Thankfully I found two rowing boats on my side of the lake, which meant I could just take one and get over. So I rowed the 1km over the lake and knocked at the cabin hosts door looking for video nr 2 this day.

Not only did I get my interview but stayed for two hours total, taking part in the preparation for smoking trouts and even got treated to one he’d smoked some days earlier. It was delicious!
I totally would have stayed there and camped, the place is just beautiful, yet having spent the night before in Saltoluokta’s birch forest I longed to get up above the tree line again for some wind and a view.
Just half an hour of additional hiking brought me just that and after finishing my dinner and get ready for bed, I’ll spend the night here in this wonderful spot.
Observation: when undressing I noticed that my left calf was weirdly swollen from just below the knee down to where the top of the boot shaft ends. No pain involved at all, just this swelling of the subcutaneous tissue… Gotta keep an eye on this.

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Peace // Claes

Day 15/30 of the 2017 Keto Hiker experiment

08:00 Camp at Liehtjitjavrre

What a beautiful morning! I’m sitting in my tent with the abside open on the leeward side, facing the sun. The rather chilly wind from behind drives away most mosquitoes except for the very bravest, and the sun gives a nice warmth to the morning hours!
As much as I spent time out here, it never stops to amaze me how swiftly and completely the weather can change within a day or even hours.
It really felt nice to have the sunlight hit the tent this morning and not raindrops – even if I nowadays, thankfully, accept and adapt to whatever weather without huge emotional engagement, I frankly admit the I haven’t preferences!
Anyway, Ketonix readings are still higher than before, actually a lot higher, and I feel amazing. I experiences as slight GI discomfort yesterday afternoon, probably due to the rapid increase in coconut oil, and that resolved quickly.
So I just continue going at this with an increased amount of nutritional fat and enjoy the experience!
Plan for today is to go all the way to Saltoluokta as the weather could hardly be better and I’ll get an early start.
I like to call this part of the trip:
‘A five day hike, to be planned for six days’
Meaning that one should do it in five, yet have one day in reserve. Now it looks as that reserve is not necessary and this gives me an extra day for all the other stuff I want to do when back a little farther up north again!
22:30 Camp at Staloluokta
So, day 15 is in the books and I reached the halfway mark of this years hike. Backpack is still feeling so much better than just a few days ago and moving through the mountains has become more or less effortless compared to the first 10 days or so. What a difference a few kg can make!

Carl, Fredrik and I started today’s tour together at 10:30 and began following the trail northwardtowards Suorva. About level with the reindeer keeper cabin I spotted a potentially easier line and went scouting, finding a long stretch of boulders and rocks taking us all the way to dry ground free from bushes. Up until that point we had some struggles with scrubs, bushes and wetland. Good reminder to not blindly follow a trail at any cost!
After about 2.5h they wanted to stop for lunch and I did indulge in another cup of coffee with PF. 45 min later we’re moving on for another half hour before splitting up, they going north to the western end of Bietsavvre to camp and take a boat across the lake in the morning. I heading east up the valley to hike the distance of the lake and continue to Saltoluokta.

I have to admit that the first hour or so was a struggle… Lots of vegetation, wetlands and pools of standing water to be avoided and really no straight line to follow despite my efforts of aiming at the high point. In these situations it always feels like the forward progress is frustratingly slow and it becomes a mental game besides the physical struggle with the uneven ground and getting hooked up in the vegetation all the time.
Getting through and up onto higher grounds and the soft grass of that elevation was a relief and my steps became instantly lighter!
The rest of the hike to the eastern end of Bietsavvre was pure joy, mixing grassland with rocks and some occasional bushes that I’ve got increasingly better at avoiding!
Descending in the shadow of Rasek I found a very well defined trail which I could follow all the way to the beach at Bietsavvre’s eastern shore.
Crossing the mouth of Avtsusjjåhkå, emptying into the lake, has been made easy by a small boat running on a rope across the river.
Unfortunately the cafe in the Sami village was closed and so I continued almost immediately along the trail down to Saltoluokta. The six km trail was super easy to follow and after a slight uphill slope merely downhill, after just under an hour I reached the fjällstation and checked in for a camp site. Sara at the reception was kind enough to help with recharging my Ketonix battery and the power bank over night, turns out she’s been following LCHF earlier and got of it during guide training.
She told me she was eager to start the fat fueled lifestyle again, though, and never felt better than when she ate this way. In general people are almost surprisingly curious and positively interested when they hear about this project and it’s fun to help out with some tips, tricks and information.
Now, I hiked around 25km total, of which all but the last six were off trails, and so far only had three coffee with fat (one with coconut oil and two with PF) for energy, so dinner came high on my list of priorities after check in. I just grabbed a camp site, raised my tent and then headed for the kitchen.
Here I just want to point out that at no time during the day I felt anything but energized and sufficiently sustained, or I would have stopped and had something to eat. Even being used to the ketogenic lifestyle I’m still amazed by the amount of physical and mental work that can be completed without refueling.
While waiting for my dinner to cool down to eating temperature I emptied my pack and brought next weeks food up to the top when repacking. Realizing the real amount of provisions I already used was reassuring and totally explained the new and lighter feeling of my backpack!
The only real miscalculation is with the beef jerky, I used less than half of what I’d planned to have. Thankfully it’s not a lot of extra weight to carry!
After dinner I managed a quick sauna before it closed for the night and finished of with shower and a shave.
Good feeling to be thoroughly clean again!
As it’s now well passed 22:00 and people are sleeping in their tents, today’s closing video just has to wait until tomorrow morning.
Followed by my first planned over eating breakfast for this tour!

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Peace // Claes