Country: Sweden (might pass by Finland and Norway)
Length, official: 1500 km
Length,true: ca 1800km
Duration: ca 180 days/ 26 weeks, could be more or less.
Start 1: Started 00:01 14th November 2017
Finnish 1: January 2018 ( a severe health setback forced me to postpone the journey to following winter)
Start 2: December 2018
Finnish 2: end of Spring 2019
Preparation time, total: 3 years (first 2 years for physiotherapy, research and then, some trial and error)
Charity: yes, fundraising for Hjärnfonden
Impact: According to my research, there has not been any woman (with disability) that has done this route during winter in Scandinavian History (counted past 200 years).
Prior experience: For this long distance in one go, none. Have to begin somewhere right? But I do have experience of both winter-hiking, being outdoors for weeks and mid-distance hiking.
There is no return date nor route as I aim to continue to Northcap in Norway, after this journey, which was the actual original plan of the journey 3 years ago.
Whether I continue to Northcap will heavily depend on factors such as weather, time, resources and health.
How and when I return home, will depend on the same.
Getting there, step-by-step
- 2015-2016: Do research on who (women with/without disabilities, all types) has done same journey and path during the same climate/time of year. Find alternative ways to get to Kiruna and Northcap. DONE
- Bump up physiotherapy a notch and work on weight loss (a work in progress). DONE
- 2015-2016: To see how it affects my health (mental and physical ): Travel more, be more social, hike more often (with 25+kg), test equipment and check what needs to be fixed or get more of, participate in more photography competitions, visit fairs.DONE
- 2017: January: Get an official permission from Försäkringskassan (Social Insurance). DONE
- 2016/2017: Apply to and request for volunteers (planning advice and route-planning), scholarships and sponsors. Done
- 2017-2018: Rent out my apartment and store personal things, make sure all bills are set to be paid virtually and temp move in with a close someone till the end of the journey.DONE
- 2017, before September: Do medical checkup, get blood tests (DONE), prepare
medically for the journey. Done - 2017, Mars-October: Fix maps (on paper and GPS). (mostly )DONE
Divide the journey route into sections with re-supply checkpoints. DONE - 2017, Mars-October: Physical and mental, more intensive practice with tires, yoga, physiotherapy, mindfulness. Also same practice as in #3. Done
- 2017,
July: A last longer hike. Cancelled, change of plans due to surgery. - February-October, recording of media material. DONE
- Fix a wheel solution for the sled, with aid from Eckla and Makers of Sweden. DONE
- Complete and check the equipment list. Done
- 2017,August-October: Food prep.Done
- 2017, September-October: Make supply crates and make them ready to send off. Done
- 2017,
October, release of videos on Youtube. Start of Videolog (Vblog). Cancelled - 2017,October .Send off Press release. DONE
- 2017, October: Pack everything needed in the sled with the custom-made wheel and make it ready for departure Done-ish
- 2017, Departure was 14th November 2017 DONE
- 2017, December, post surgery treatment gone wrong, causing an internal bleeding forcing me to seek medical care at homebase Done
- 2018, January, tried to continue but still in December’s setbacks grasp Done
- 2018, January-December: Rest, recuperate and rehabilitate damages. Done
- 2018, November-December: Second try departure Done
- 2019, Spring: estm arrival, it can be faster than that or slower
The whole journey is divided by 3 bigger sections and with it, different pace according to estimated climate:
- Norrköping-Sundsvall: ETA 5 weeks à ~100 km/week or ~12-20km/day. ETA ~Unknown atm
Highlights: FärbeboFjärdens Nationalpark, Gävle, Kustleden - Sundsvall-Haparanda: ETA 10 weeks à ~81 km/week or 8-10km/day. ETA ~ unknown atm
Highlights: Caves! Docksta, Höga kusten (High coast), Aurora Lights, SNOW! Snowshoes on or in worse case scenario, skiis! - Haparanda: ETA 11-12 weeks à ~35 km/week or 5-6km/day. ETA ~unknown atm
Highlights: Torneälven, Kukkulaforsen, more snow! Wildlife and if unlucky, midnight Sun.
This is a rough draft of tre route. The actual detailed map, is due safety, not shared with public.