The weather forecast promised warm sunny days and asked my oldest if he would join me for a hike. We had canceled a planned hike due to rain earlier this summer. The idea this time was to hike from the southernmost tip of Botkyrka, the municipality in which we live, and home along Sörmlandsleden. 28 km drive, 40 km or so hike with a detour here and there to get to some scenic spots. Three days hiking, two nights in shelters. The two of us plus our dog, a Yorkshire terrier. He accepted (the dog didn't get a vote).
Sörmlandsleden is a hiking trail that criss crosses the area south and southwest of Stockholm all the way down to Norrköping. It is usually well marked and well maintained, but you may run into a few surprises like fallen trees and overgrown sections. The trail is maintained by volunteers and is free to use, including staying overnight in the shelters along the way.
You can find information about the trail online and in the app called Naturkartan. You will have cell phone coverage the entire trail and with a power bank you will not run out of battery. No need to buy a map, a guide book, or a membership. Donations are accepted though. It is both a climate friendly and budget friendly way to spend your vacation.
Plenty of drinking water is essential when hiking in hot weather like we did. Along the trail you will find clearly marked detours to natural springs where you can fill your water bottles. A little detour can also get you to a cafe or friendly locals where you can fill your bottles. While the trail takes you through mostly uninhabited wilderness, you are never far from a public road. We managed the entire trail carrying a little over three litres the two of us.
We encountered a single other hiker on the trail, visiting from Austria. Compared to hiking at Höga Kusten and Kebnekaise, you really have the trail for yourself, even in the middle of summer. We heard moose and crane and saw squirrel, woodpecker and deer.
Sörmlandsleden is divided into sections, a section can be 7-10 km. We followed sections 59, 60, 61, and 62. The last stretch home from Lida we followed other trails. The first day we took a detour to Getryggen to try the public beach there. As a Dane, I really like my swim in water that taste of salt or chlorine, I will never fully get used to swimming in lakes. Getryggen is at the outlet from Mälaren through Södertälje into the Baltic Sea. Very fresh water and not very salty. Sandviken is still the local beach that is most like I remember from my childhood in Denmark.
We returned home tired and happy. The dog made it home too. The afternoon heat was tough especially where the trail took us out from the forest, but he found plenty of places to cool down. As the night is still short -- six hours from sunset to sunrise -- we had plenty of time for breaks along the way and didn't worry about arriving late to our shelter.
As you return to civilisation it really makes an impression how much noise we humans impose on our surroundings. Freeways, highways, trains and planes are nice and comfortable ways to travel when you sit inside. But they sure make a lot of noise.
Let's see where and when we go hiking again. Next time maybe explore the trail over Mörkö to Trosa? Closing off with what has now become our favourite dish to prepare on the trail in good company. Enjoy -- and see you on the trail!
Hiker's Mac-and-cheese
Ingredients
100-150 gram macaroni per person. Get the small ones with a cooking time of 3 minutes.
1 tube bacon cheese
1 tube tomato puree
1 bouillon cube. Beef or as you prefer.
Instructions
Boil water. Add bouillon. Stir. Add Macaroni and boil for tree minutes. Pour into hiking cups, add bacon cheese and tomato puree on top to taste and stir. Enjoy!
