I’m preparing for a trip to Kebnekaise this summer. Kebnekaise is Sweden’s highest mountain with two peaks. The glacier-covered southernmost top used to be the highest but due to changing climate, the northernmost top is now the highest at 2096.8 meter above sea level. Kebnekaise is located far north in Sweden, close to the border with Norway. It’s a 16 hour train ride from Stockholm to Kiruna and from there a one and a half hour bus ride to the start of the trail.
I’m going with my son who turns 13 this summer. When I told him about the long train ride, he said “that is 7 games of Gotlandia!”. I love him for that. He learned about Kebnekaise in school and got all excited to go. But starting a new job in February and with all the other things we want to do in the summer, even with Sweden’s generous holiday terms, I couldn’t fit it in. But then I got let go and a window of opportunity opened. I bought tickets for July just in time to experience the Midnight Sun, something I have never seen before.
Preparations
So now we are busy preparing. Researching the trip. Buying gear and trying it out. Digging deep in the garage to find the old gear I picked up over time. Some of it goes back to my first solo travels as a teenager. The Trangia I bought still serves us well though I supplement with a gas burner this time.
Gear is better and affordable. Guidebooks and online resources are readily available. I found out there is even wifi at the mountain station next to Kebnekaise. You can book a helicopter for the flight back to civilisation.
We plan to have three full days at the mountain station. Three days to attempt the 10-12 hours hike to the southern summit. Weather and our physical condition permitting. Getting there and experiencing the landscape and the mountain is the main objective. Reaching the summit is a bonus.
We prepare by climbing our local hill, Flottsbro. Peaking at just over 100 meters, each climb to the top is 1/20th Kebnekaise. This week we did the climb twice in a row with gear. So 10%. Over the next weeks, we will continue to build up our muscles and stamina. The key to endurance feats is to build a basic level of fitness. Then when you get on the trail, just keep going until you are done. Let’s see. It’s a long while since I did something like this last time.
From change comes opportunity
I’ve had 6 jobs since moving to Stockholm eight years ago.
None of them meant to be short term gigs. But for different reasons, they all turned out so. This last job lasted four months. I took the role as a change agent. Not just writing code within an organisational setup and an architecture created by someone else. But paving the way for creating software in a smarter way.
I made new friends. Learned about a new business domain. Helped deliver a feature to a customer. Showed what could be done. An incoming CEO ended the experiment with a reorganisation. The manager who hired me lost the game of chairs.
Culture eats change for breakfast. This time I was breakfast. It was a known risk. I have no regrets. Life is too short to stay in a job that doesn't work for both employer and employee. From change comes opportunity. In this case a father son trip to Kebnekaise.
Midsummer
Today is Midsummer in Sweden, a public holiday. A great time of year to visit Scandinavia.
Travelling is not about reaching a specific destination. The destination you pick at the outset of your journey is just an excuse to get out the door. What you find and bring back home as fond memories, in my experience, is the unexpected, the little details, the people you meet, the conversations you have that together lead to a greater understanding of the world and yourself. If you let it happen.
I have written about places I have enjoyed exploring on this blog. Like Gotland and Stockholm. I invite you to read on and be inspired to explore the world.
Glad Midsommar!
