Since I (Chris) did the Via Suecia as a solo hike, the following is written from a first person perspective.

Through a conversation with 2 Swedish hikers on our hike from Sweden to Italy, we became aware of the Via Suecia.
A new trail that leads from the northernmost to the southernmost point of Sweden (Treriksröset-Smygehuk).
I wanted to do a longer hike in Europe on my own for some time. Preferably in an area with wilderness and few people. 
On our trip through the Swiss mountains I decided on short notice that the Via Suecia is the right trail for my wishes.

Due to the late decision, I started towards the end of summer.
I knew that this would be a big challenge for a hike that starts a good bit above the Arctic Circle and is more than 2'000 km in length.
I wanted to start as soon as possible and use every day, so I decided to start in Abisko.  The journey is a lot easier than to Treriksröset and it "saved" me a around 100 km of hiking.
I didn't plan much. Only the navigation and the possible resupply points I prepared.

On 20.08.2022 the time had come. I started in Abisko on the Kungsleden.
The Kungsleden is one of the most popular long-distance hikes in Europe, so it had many hikers. Especially the first 110 km are very busy.
Fortunately, the Via Suecia leaves the route very soon and it quickly becomes more solitary.

The hike led me through beautiful, lonely landscapes and national parks. 
Since certain sections have no route guidance, the navigation was sometimes a bit tricky.

From Kvikkjokk the Via Suecia joins again the Kungsleden. It had much less people than at the beginning.
The weather was now very good. Lots of sun, but very cold nights.
Towards the end of August / beginning of September, the temperatures at night were around freezing. The coldest was about -5 degrees.
My gear was running low for these temperatures (-5) and I was starting to get a little worried. 
What will the temperatures be like towards the end of September?
Will I be able to complete the mountains by the end of September?
I hiked every day around 40 km in average. No zero days. Just pushing forwards.

I talked to Trix frequently on the phone. The big topic was the gear package that Trix will send. What shall be the content of the package?
My 2 biggest concerns were the sleeping bag and the tent. 
The sleeping bag was not warm enough and the tent was no longer waterproof.
I did not want to replace the two items, there had to be another solution!
And there was: A silk sleeping bag, which brings about 5 degrees more warmth and a special repair kit for the tent.
The resupply package was on the way. I got it after 1'000 km in Undersåker.

From the middle of September the STF mountain huts were closed. 
From then on I was completely alone on the trail. 
More than 1 month without a human being. 
Only in the few supermarkets where I bought food, I had contact with people.
It was an incredible experience.
The rugged nature, the few sami settlements, the animals, the weather.
Everything i had hoped for from the trip came true.
Through the solitude, i had a lot of time to think. 
Amazingly, i never felt lonely. A warmth surrounded me the whole trip, a strong spiritual experience.

I actually made it through the mountains by the end of September.
The last 2 weeks in the mountains were marked by bad weather. Lots of rain and strong winds. 
When i arrived in Sälen (the end of the mountains), I was physically exhausted and very tired.
The trip became one of the hardest I had ever done in my life and I was unsure if I wanted to continue the hike.
I decided to go 3 more days to Mora and see how it feels.
The trail was much easier to walk now and in Mora I felt much better. I decided to go on.

From Mora I hiked mostly through forest.
I often slept in Vindskydds. On the trail I was still alone, but now the path led more past houses. Also I came more often through villages.
The forests have made the hike complete. It was the mosaic piece that had been missing and I'm happy that I continued.
Trix pointed out to me in a phone call that the southern part of the Via Suecia leads to large parts on the paths that we hiked in 2021 on our trip from Sweden to Italy.
For this reason, I decided that my hike would end in Göteborg instead of Smygehuk.
On 22.10.2022 I finished the hike in Göteborg. I was satisfied, I found everything on this hike that I had hoped for.

Sweden is such a blessed country. The nature is exceptional, the people are very friendly.
The contact with the Sami people were especially special to me. 
I will never forget this hike and a big thank you to Benny Borgh, the inventor of the Via Suecia.

Finally, a big thank you to Trix for everything. I love you!

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