We woke up in a bunk-bed room at Kebnekaise Fjällstation, all rested and ready for the last 19 km hike to Nikkaulokta. The day before, we had called to book accommodation in Nikkaulokta, a small cabin, and decided to stay there for two nights. There were two main reasons for our decision:
- We had a hotell-room waiting for us in Kiruna for the night before our flight back home. Until then, we had two nights with no accommodation or plan. Because the cabin in Nikkaluokta was cheaper than spending more nights in Kebnekaise or Kiruna, we found it was perfect to “wait” here.
- We wanted to stay and rest on a not so crowded place, but with the luxury of having a bed, shower and a restaurant.
The hike towards Nikkaulokta was pretty easy. Once again, beautiful colours of autumn everywhere and trees were to be seen again.
Autumn expressed in colors
After approximately 9km, we came to the lake Laddjujavri, from wich a boat transport is operating, thereby cutting the distance with 6 km. We decided not to take the boat, but to continue hiking to the other side of the lake, where a nice treat waited.
Lake Laddjujavri
The famous Lap-Dånalds, perhaps the most northern fast-food place, serve their special reindeer burgers, but also waffles with cloudberryjam (cloudberry, hjortron in swedish, a very endemic berry, also known as the gold of Lappland).
Lap-Dånalds
Interesting decoration in Lap-Dånalds
People waiting for the boat transfer
Reindeer burgers at Lap-Dånalds
Waffels with cloudberryjam and whipped cream
The burger was perhaps not the best we had ever eaten, but surly the most special one, and after all these kilometres, it really was a treat. It had a distinct but nice wild taste. The waffles with the cloudberryjam were lovely, like eating pure sunshine :)
Capture of the boat arriving
After the break, we knew there were not long left to Nikkaluokta. The road led through a birch forest. It resembled the way our hiking tour started in Abisko, also trough a birch forest.
Birch forest leading to Nikkaluokta
Finally! Nikkaluokta, the end of our hiking tour
More and more people were now around us and we could hear children’s laughter in a distance. Civilisation was again near. Somehow that was a relief, but on the other hand, very sad, because we had found ourselves loving the quietness of the wild nature.
One of the old cottages seen under the moonlight
This post is a part of the following article: Hiking Kungsleden in Autumn