TS Day 88

TS Day 88

Via Öskebohyttan, Nora

Tuesday 5 October 2021

Today I posted this post on Instagram/Facebook that I wrote yesterday:

"Sometimes it's okay to fail.

Let me preface this by saying this is ONLY about "Orange Bandet". Nothing else. I'm still out hiking and I'm still trying to reach Smygehuk.

As some of you know, I took a detour from Via Suecia in Ludvika to walk to Kloten - the start of Bergslagsleden and in my case the "Orange Bandet"-challenge. Due to the really bad weather that has been the last few days, and that will probably continue the upcoming days as well (20 mm rain two days ago and 10 mm rain tomorrow, as well as some more rain in between), I have decided to not go for the Orange Bandet this time. The past two days I have fought through the trail, slipping and sliding on literally everything - footbridges, rocks, mud, roots.... I've even been falling. This is no fun, and it's terribly unnecessary. I don't want to increase the chance of hurting myself. It's not what I thought I signed up for.

I know Bergslagsleden is good, everyone says so, and from my little experience last year, it seemed so. But with all the recent rain, I'm not expecting any trail to be in a good condition. The terrain is tough as it is, with altitudes as if I'm back in the Swedish mountains - I don't need the extra toughness that comes from a flooded trail.

I talked to Lukas earlier today, and he said: "Kim, you don't NEED to do it, you're already doing a lot by trying to get to Smygehuk. How long is this trail? 280 km? That's less than two weeks. We could hike it any other time, when the conditions are better. Don't be silly now." (Not exact phrasing but it's the gist of it.)

He is right, so I'm considering myself defeated. For now! - I'll come back for you Bergslagsleden. And I mean, I'll still walk parts of it on my way south!

/Kim"

Today, I just walked for 2 km before falling. This time on a dirt road so I couldn't exactly blame the trail. Fell quite hard, and it hurt a bit. I started crying, but more so out of frustration than pain. Then, as I collected myself and decided to try and get up, I was like a turtoise lying on its shell, unable to get up. I let out a quick hysterical laugh, tried again, then decided to crawl out of my backpack and get up that way. For a moment I just felt so tired of myself. My left arm was still hurting from the fall from two days ago, and now I fell on my other arm. Luckily, this pain faded quickly though.

As the fog faded, the day got increasingly better. I walked on a dirt road for most of today, and took some short stops, and a longer break between Usken and Fåsjön. For more than an hour. My right foot and left knee were hurting a bit, and I was hoping it would help with a break - also, I could actually take a break here without getting attacked by deer flies.

After this, I followed a forest road east of Fåsjön that was actually very nice and cozy, and arrived in Born. Here I started to follow Via Suecia again, and walked through the cozy forests west of Nora. In Nora I decided to pass by the store. I hadn't meant to at first because I had a lot of food, but I got a sudden urge to buy some more "fresh" food and fruit, and since I was basically going to pass by anyway, I thought, why not?

Benny Borgh, the creator of Via Suecia, had contacted me a few days prior and offered to pick me up and for me to stay at his place. We decided he was going to pick me up at Pershyttan that evening, so after going to the store, I walked to Pershyttan while eating banana, and then got picked up. He drove me over to his house, and explained that I was going to be there on my own tonight. I was shown around the place and there was already a room in there for me, with a made bed and a towel on top - like at a hotel!

Benny was going to visit his mum for the night, so he quickly left again. I had bought 2 Billys at the store that I had for dinner (wow, they are so much nicer when microwaved!), showered and just had a chill evening because my feet hurt.

Today's:

Favourite: Getting to stay at Benny's place

Distance: 33.9 km

Start time: 09:59

End time: 19:15

Ascent: 451 m

Descent: 530 m

Totals (from Grövelsjön)

Distance: 548.6 km

Ascent: 8,051 m

Descent: 8,757 m

Tent nights: 8