Mellow Expeditions - @louis_meehan

This week’s feature comes from @louis_meehan who talks us through his recent venture to Sweden. As explained by Louis, not only does a trip like this leave you with incredible views but also a peace of mind, teaching you to enjoy the little things in life. Here’s what he had to say about his experience.

My sister and I recently completed roughly 70km of the High Coast Trail in Sweden. Our first multi-day hike abroad.

We arrived on a warm afternoon to the glorified portacabins that made up the tiny Höga Kusten airport. With little plan on how to get to the start of the trail, we relied on the generosity and help of the locals, something which would become a theme throughout our trip.

We finally arrived at the start of the trail in the small town of Ullånger and were immediately faced with a steep gradient taking us up into dense pine forests where we first realised we may have overpacked a little, but were rewarded by the sight of our first bright red Stuga, the Swedish equivalent of a bothy. Inside we found a surprisingly well furnished and comfortable cabin!

For the following 3 days we hiked around 20km a day, through the primeval swamp forests of Skuleskogen National Park, secluded beaches, soaring granite mountain plateaus and quaint rural villages.

Granite monoliths dotted the forests at regular intervals, products of a process called isostatic rebound. This is the uplift of the land in certain areas due to the retreat of the ice sheets following the last ice age, and is the reason for this coastline's unusual height.

For me one of the main joys of this trip was not having to worry about anything from normal day-to-day life. When hiking all you have to think about is walking to the next camp spot, perhaps where you will next get water and taking in the glorious, glorious views. It proved to me that nature is truly the best escape, and immediately left me wanting to go back for more!