Indalsleden

Today, I drove 496 km along the most beautiful winding roads, first to Åre and then down to Ottsjö, where I am staying for the night. Having picked up my bib (number 4038) in the centre of Åre, the reality of all of this finally dawned on me as I found myself surrounded by super-athletic people in UTMB T-shirts :-)

As so many times before, I was also struck by how little of Sweden I have actually seen despite all my travels. Passing Sollefteå and then following Indalsälven upstream, with its 26 hydropower plants and the fascinating former whitewater rapid (“Döda Fallet”), I felt as if I were travelling through a vast interior of colours that I would have placed anywhere but in Sweden.

With the transfer bus leaving already at 04.20 tomorrow morning, I will soon have an early night, but at least I was able to swing by the local pub for a craft beer and some last-minute carb loading.