Nordkalottleden | Summary

[@geezer8484]

Captivating. No need for a script when you speak from the heart. All credit to you for taking on these epic adventures on your own

[@alwaysforwardyt]

Thanks so much for the lovely comment, much appreciated! 🙏 Thanks for watching my videos 😊

[@natashakharitonova]

Wow I admire it when people who were not born in the North and are not familiar with the elements can still make it in spite of not being very well prepared. Great honest video with good lessons learned.

[@alwaysforwardyt]

Thank you! Well, l always say that when everything else fails, you need to add 'heart' to the mix. ATB!

[@nathanlillie5262]

Nordkalotten is a wonderful trail. I've done the northern two segments, though not the southern segment because dogs are not allowed in the Swedish national parks, except on the Kungsleden where there are two many people, and my dog always hikes with me. Instead, I'll do the Abisko-Kilpisjärvi stretch a second time this summer. The weather in Lappland can absolutely get really cold, and Nordkalotten is high and exposed, so you have to be ready for that. On the other hand, if the weather gets really cold and windy, it drives off the mosquitoes and midges, which can be really bad in certain places. Norwegian huts are wonderful. A way to start at the north end is to fly into Inari, in Finland, and take buses to Kautokeino. But don't even attempt the trail unless you are an experienced backpacker!

[@alwaysforwardyt]

I agree with everything you said. Abisko-Kilpisjärv is a wonderful hike, l want to do it again with my wife (we'd choose the last week of August to start). l've done the winter edition of Abisko-Kilpisjärv twice. Once with a Norwegian friend (3 Episodes here): kzbin.info/www/bejne/nWiXhKuXp9N3qsUfeature=shared and once alone (here): kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5LLi3Vmr9GCarMfeature=shared l hope you enjoy the videos!

[@jeremywilson8040]

Oh man, so so cold...all of the time, my worst nightmare, but you made it back, and stronger for the experience, so great and super excited for the full video now...

[@alwaysforwardyt]

😄 Luckily l often warmed up at night in a cosy cabin 😎 But yes, no doubt these experiences make you stronger 💪 l'll try to have the video ready soon 😊

[@andresroman9897]

Wow!, I have felt cold just seeing the images: -O I'm very glad you did it, congratulations! "We'are going strong", ... Nice !!! :-)

[@alwaysforwardyt]

😅 Yeah, it was cold 'AF' 🤣 It took a lot of effort but yes, we did it, thank you! 💪💪

[@JAaronMattox]

curious if you experienced a single night of clear skies that time of the year. Solar maximum coming in 2024 so a September hike in the arctic could be interesting if the clouds ever let up

[@alwaysforwardyt]

Sure I did. Crystal clear skies 😻 But nothing like the beauty of the Arctic nights with a clear sky (with or without the Aurora Borealis). At some point I'll upload my "Solo Arctic Trip" (from last March) where l think you'll see some of those beautiful nights. Check out my Instagram profile, l uploaded some pictures you may like: alwaysforwardyt

[@JAaronMattox]

@@alwaysforwardyt I was just about to say I went ahead and looked at some of your other videos including the Nordlandsruta and can see it's not ALWAYS cloudy. Nice work. I'm hoping to spend august - Sept next year backpacking in the arctic and hopefully getting footage of the northern lights when it gets dark enough. There are a quite a few "Arctic Trails" to choose from and the mountain weather above 60 degrees N as the seasons change is always hard to predict. I'm from the Southern US so I've never seen them in person before, but I'd rather see them by chance on a long distance backpacking trip in the wilderness than driving to an observatory. Anyways thanks for the response and I appreciate all the videos

[@alwaysforwardyt]

Trust me, you'll be up for a much better experience if you happen to see them when you go for a n1 before jumping into your sleeping bag. Just you and the Aurora 😻 Once, l had that very experience. The spectacle l saw was the most amazing thing I've seen in my life. All l can tell you is, "No wonder our ancestors thought it was the gods playing in the skies." Good luck with planning your trip and let me know if you need help!

[@drmyProductions]

Hey Antonio! Exciting to hear you’ve hiked Nordkalottleden too after Kungsleden! It’s been my number one goal to do, trying to work my way there with gathering experience in the North (Laurenz, the young German from the first hut at Kungsleden ;-) Looking forward to see the full videos! Have you considered setting up a Patreon to gather funds? It seems to be a good and direct way to support… Best from (now) Denmark!

[@alwaysforwardyt]

Hello there! That's a great plan! Gathering experience (only) then walking the NKL... l did a similar thing, that's why l firstly walked the Kungsleden (to have an initial impression of the conditions in those latitudes...). I did set up a Patreon account (check the video description), but thanks for the suggestion! ATB!

[@JBereza]

Thanks for video... I am doing research where I could go next. This looks very interesting!

[@alwaysforwardyt]

Thank you! Then the Nordkalottleden is a great place to start. To this date, it is still the best (3 seasons) hike I've ever done 😊 Don't forget to take a look at the actual Nordkalottleden videos: m.kzbin.info/aero/PL2HjUb2OrkRUUWjptO-PpU3F-5TnRAump

[@espiral1]

Hola!!! Que locura de aventura! Espero poder hacerla el año que viene. Me gustaría que me dijeras que gastos tuviste durante el recorrido, en cuanto a alojamientos o lugares donde paraste. Porque no me quedó claro si son pagos o lugares durante el recorrido. Felicitaciones y espero que en un tiempo pueda contarte que lo hice. Abrazo desde Argentina

[@alwaysforwardyt]

Hola 😊 Si te digo, es lo mejor que he hecho en toda mi vida (y mira que he hecho cosas maravillosas, como conducir toda la costa oeste de USA de cabo a rabo...). Pienso en algo de ese viaje casi a diario, así que ten cuidado: el círculo polar ártico se te quedará grabado en el corazón y luego te hará sufrir si no regresas. ¡Dicho queda! Mira en la sección de mi canal "about". Ahí encontrarás un email. Escríbeme y te cuento sobre el alojamiento (coste y cómo funciona). Espero poder ir algún día a Argentina. ¡Que país más precioso!

[@espiral1]

@@alwaysforwardyt ya te escribo. Me estoy mirando todos los capítulos jejeje Con esto que me decís ahora quiero y ya jajjaa por más que sea invierno. Si vas a argentina también te vas a enamorar, y desde ya avisa en cualquier cosa que te pueda ayudar. La eh viajado y caminado mucho. Abrazo grande

[@alwaysforwardyt]

Un buen amigo vivió varios años en Buenos Aires, por eso tengo tantas ganas de ir, por lo bien que hablaba de la ciudad y de Argentina en general. ¡Gracias por la oferta! Como decía, espero ir por allí algún día (si voy pronto, te avisaré). Los inviernos son muy fríos en el norte de Escandinava (temperaturas de - 30°C son algo normal). La mejor fecha para ir pienso que es cuando fui yo 😉😎 Hasta pronto, ¡un abrazo!

[@qwqw9651]

That is exactly the video I was looking for to prepare myself for the trail. Thank you 🙏

[@alwaysforwardyt]

Thanks for the nice comment! 😊 I'm happy you found my video helpful 🙏 Check out the NKL chapters (only one is out so far). That should also be of help! And ask all the questions you want, I'll be happy to answer! You'll love the NKL! 😊

[@Argysh]

Unlike you I did it from Sulitjelma to the Three-Country Cairn. But in early spring 2013. Not nearly as cold, but some of the river crossings (no seasonal bridges yet + snow melt) were brutal. highly recommended 👍 I also generally enjoy the Norwegian cabins more than the Swedish. Troms-Turlag in particular does a great job maintaining them. That's why I largely stayed in Norway (Røysvatnhytta) and cirumvented Akkasjaure as there was no ferry yet anyway. they are always self-service with no stock to buy from. Much less commercial and homy. Also more remote and less crowded.

[@alwaysforwardyt]

No doubt you must have had a great adventure, too. l love hunters/fishermen huts (those for 2 people) and l mostly stay away from large cabins, unless they're empty. This summer (mid August) l'll walk by Sulitjelma while hiking (and filming 😎) the Nordlandsruta. l'll walk pass some of those '2 people' huts and l look forward to (hopefuly) staying in one of those. Otherwise, l'll just camp 🏕 Have you watched my Nordkalottleden - Chapters? Did you enjoy them?

[@Argysh]

​@@alwaysforwardyt ​ That sounds like a more pleasant season. Regarding the route I'd probably, prefer to stay longer above the mosquito line when it's not freezing. But you'll shrug that off I'm sure. All the best for this journey! 🙂 I feel the same about the cabins, the smaller and less crowded the better but have no personal experience how crowded any of this area is in summer though. If you ever get the chance to visit Røysvatnhytta, I'd recommend to do it. according to a sign in it it's the least visited DNT cabin of all.. and... there's also a sauna. I have only just discovered your channel, but I'll be back for more, in particular the rest of this series!

[@alwaysforwardyt]

Thank you! // My wife we'll be joinning me for the first 2 weeks. Going with her makes things different, especially when it comes to safety, that's why l prefer to start earlier this year. We'll have some (many?) mosquitoes, but we won't get very cold weather. We'll surely visit "Røysvatnhytta," l can't wait! 😻 l created a "Nordkalottleden Playlist" in case that makes watching easier (if you enjoy the videos, of course!). Thanks for checking out my channel! 🤩😊

[@bartkramer1611]

What kind of shoes are you wearing? Trail runners? Waterproof or not?

[@alwaysforwardyt]

Saucony Xodus 10, non waterproof.

[@edwardstroud8245]

Hey Antonio, did you order that expedition man zip neck direct from Devold or in the UK? Ed

[@alwaysforwardyt]

25:00 Hey Ed! l ordered in the UK, not from Devold. l found it on offer (l don't remember where l bought it from, and l can't find the order/email, sorry). l do remember l paid about £‎60-65 including shipping. I also remember I did not buy it from one of the bigger retailers (not from Ultralightoutdoors, for example, or Cotswolds). Good luck!

[@edwardstroud8245]

@@alwaysforwardyt ok, thanks. That was a good price! Most places I’ve looked at online don’t have Large. Looks like I’ll have to shop around a bit then. Best wishes.

[@mezmerya5130]

nothing worse than postholing when you totally dont expect it to be like that. drops speed to like 1k\hour or less. thing of nightmares. great video. i always pack baselayer grid fleece, 200 weight, for things like this(i dont do arctic but eastern alps and balkan mountains can be quite extreme early may), 400g penalty is bad, but it's comfortable to change into dry thing at camp, and when it drops below -5c suddenly i just wear this, it's basically fabric like a patagonia r1, but athletic fit, so very baselayer-ish.

[@alwaysforwardyt]

It was horrible! Lots of work, no advance 🤦🏻‍♂️ I also have my dry 200g base layer, it's important to be able to change into dry clothes yes 😊

[@Robutube1]

Beautifully filmed and edited 'mini-series' as always, and congratulations on the well deserved support from OMM. Rab's lack of engagement in such a quality channel is disappointing, but I guess that they get flooded with requests. I enjoy the visual feast you serve up but (and this is a very personal thing) I would welcome more context. By that I mean a map of the route at the start, more about the planning and the occasional on screen map as a reminder of where you've reached at that point. I'd also enjoy more (separate video?) about the trip planning logistics - just how do you go about planning these adventures? I appreciate that it is easy for me to sit here and invent more work for you so feel free to ignore these ideas😁. I'll continue to follow you whatever you decide. Anyway, continued success to you Antonio - and Always Forward!!

[@alwaysforwardyt]

Thanks Rob! And thanks for the continuous support! Together with others, it covered a new lens hood for my camera (Nikon HB-88)... Much appreciated! I just wanted RAB to repair or replace 2 of my jackets. l managed to make a small hole in both of them and l'm a bit of a maniac about those things. l field repaired both jackets (just adding a repair sticker, like those that come with your inflatable sleeping pad). No big deal, but l would've preferred them repairing the jackets for free. Oh well 🤷 The guys at OMM are different, they want to support me, my project, my videos, my vision... it's a different approach, not so 'business oriented.' I think you already mentioned you'd like to see more 'context' in my videos. I did include those maps you mention in my Kungsleden videos (see one here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i52zfHiGbtmel8k The problem is the Kunsleden maps costed me £50 (in Fiverr). l'm going to try to learn how to do them myself... Otherwise, l hope you're fine with just a picture or a series of map pictures... l'm aware of it and l'll try to provide that in the Nordkalottleden Chapeters! About logistics and planning... Truth is l'm not a 'natural planner.' l think the more you plan, the less the adventure... BUT. But, depending on where you go, l have learnt it's much better to do your homework and have a solid plan: You will still have plenty of adventure, maybe too much 😅 Your comment helped me realize of one thing l may do that may improve my videos (the non-cinematic ones): Up until now, whenever l reached a resupplying place, l would go on 'resting, no filming' mode (so to call it). However, l can totally see how much value it can add to the movie to also show that part of the journey: Where am I resting (hotel, contruction workers cabin, etc.)? Where do l resupply? Did l send a resupplying box, how? I only have very limited material on this front for the Nordkalottleden videos (again, when reaching any resupplying place l'd go onto 'resting mode') but l'll try to include some with what l have 😊 Long reply, no doubt, but you seem to be the type of person who'd be happy to read it 🤓 Again, thanks for the support! 🤩

[@cbj8494]

Nie one ever get how secluded it is here and what this means for food, clothes and so one 😅 A walked the green ribbon 2021, was out for 2 months and walked 1284km, as you say, it’s epic but you need to be prepared to be alone and face som rough weather and terrain. I don’t know anyone who is supported when out on those trips, and yes it is expensive to do it and need a lot of planning. A lifetime adventure 😬

[@alwaysforwardyt]

I agree. l find it difficult to have people here in the UK understanding the difference between being 'away' (like here in the UK) and being 'remote' (like over there). You really have to do a good planning when hiking in some Scandinavian locations. Here, you ask your wife to send you your sunglasses if you forgot them at home 😅 It's just SO different! // Congratulations on walking the 'Green Ribbon'! l met a person who was walking it, too, while l was walking the NKL. Have a great 2022!

[@edwardgonzalez4406]

Why is it so cold?.. what season it was?

[@alwaysforwardyt]

So cold because it's the Arctic Circle. I walked the Nordkalottleden from 24th August to 20th September 😊💪🏻

[@edwardgonzalez4406]

@@alwaysforwardyt How about the summer temps?

[@alwaysforwardyt]

In the mountains it can still be quite cold. This video is in early August: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5yylmt5qcmbhq8

[@daninavarro8275]

Te estoy viendo desde una cabaña de camino a halti, en finlandia! He visto tu nota en el cuaderno. Enhorabuena maquina

[@alwaysforwardyt]

¡Gracias! Me ha hecho mucha ilusión que leas mi nota en el cuaderno. No hace tanto que la escribí y claro, ha sido fácil recordar el momento. Ojalá tengas un feliz ascenso a Halti y el tiempo esté de parte de todos los que estéis allí. ¡Un abrazo!

[@davidashton9749]

Love your vids , keep it up .Totally entertaining !

[@alwaysforwardyt]

That's great to hear! Thank you! 😊

[@rolflundin6204]

Cannot wait for the vídeo. Greetings Rolf

[@alwaysforwardyt]

Thanks for the encouragement Rolf! I hope to have it ready soon! Regards! 😊

[@helja9022]

I'm looking forward to the 1st video. 🙂 Could you please tell me on what date you started and ended your hike?

[@alwaysforwardyt]

Awesome! lt motivates me (for editing the video) to know that there is someone looking forward to watching it 😊 l think l started 24th August and finished 20th September. l hope that helps.

[@helja9022]

@@alwaysforwardyt Thank you! 🙂 I've hiked part of the Nordkalottleden myself, so it was great to see snippets of what's to come later in your videos. And yeah, the storms up there are no joke at all, esp high in the mountains! I also had to save the wildest (and best?!) section for another trip.. Good excuse to go back! 😍

[@alwaysforwardyt]

I guess you're new to my channel, so welcome and just to say l mostly do two types of videos: cinematic (like my Kungsleden chapters, for example) and with vlogging. The NKL will be a mix of the two. I had to put the mileage so l couldn't film as much as l wanted! Hope to see you around!