Skåneleden SL1 Kust-Kust, Unsupported
7,8kg pack weight (incl. Water) where of 2,7kg energy (approximately 10000 kcal).
Planned to complete the route in three stages and spend some hours in wind shelters along the trail so I brought a lightweight sleeping bag and air mattress.
Started Thursday 18th May short after the train arrived in Sölvesborg around 9 in the morning. Sunny and maybe 12 °C at the start, raising to 20°C in the afternoon. Running through beautiful beech forests on single track trails, and gravel roads.
At campsite Östanfors I took a break to rearrange the pack and sit down for a while. Resupplied water at taps along the trail as well as from streams and lakes, using a filter bottle. The aim was to reach Glimåkra (85km) before dusk, but it was almost dark when I arrived at 21:40 and the wind shelter was occupied. However one couple made some space so I could roll out my gear and catch some hours bad sleep. Pain in hamstring, thighs, calf, during the night I thought that I couldn't continue. But when my alarm went off at 02 I felt quite fine. It was cold, 5°C?, when I collected my gear and as silent as possible sneaked away from the shelter to get ready for some hours night running without disturbing the others.
In order to maybe be able to get better sleep and not disturb other hikers I set the goal for this stage to Bjärabygget (180km). I got away abou 02:30 and it wasn't that long until the birds woke up and filled the forest with lovely songs! The morning broke and the km went on when I passed farms, meadows, forests and small villages. At Horsaskog the water wasn't drinkable so when I reached Ubbalt shelter I was out of water for the first time, however not a problem when you have a lake (Vittsjön) and water filter. Here I took a break and changed socks and underwear, really nice! At this point my thighs was beginning to feel sore and it was harder to run downhill. The lack of sleep was also obvious when I missed the water tap at Hårsjö. At the shelter I cathed 15 min sleep before I continued. The weather as the same, maybe slightly warmer and it was nice to reach Åsljunga and wash head and arms. I reached Bjärabygget at 18:30 and got the shelter for myself. Took my time to prepare as much as possible for the last stage and I got to sleep at 19:30, woke up 22:30 in order to get away at 23:00.
The last stage was the longest and it was colder so I had to stop after a while to get more clothes, wool shirt and tights. Shuffling through spruce and pine forests. When coming out from the forest at the dawn it was around 0°C, which soon would change. In Båstad I took a nap in the sun by the sea before the last climb, before the last 50km by the sea. It really warm and nice weather so there were a lot of people by the sea all the way to Ängelholm. The last obstacle was unsuspected, a wall of mosquitos met me in Kronoskogen 2km before the endpoint. But so close to the finish I had no alternative than endure.
At Ängelholm train station my wife welcomed me with a gold medal (filled with chocolate) and I could finally stop moving!