Skåneleden, a new route begins

A new day, a new start. And indeed the Skåneleden Coast to Coast. I wake up early and plan to set off early, but that plan falls apart immediately. It actually takes me hours to get going.

Early meal by a lake

Although I had a good breakfast, I get hungry again fairly quickly. Since I don’t want to eat late like yesterday, I soon make use of a beautiful covered picnic table by a pond. While enjoying my meal, a bean dish with lots of vegetables and eggs, I also write. And that is enlightening…

What has the Hallandsleden brought me?

Because what has the Hallandsleden really brought me? I think mainly the insight that being on the road doesn’t always mean you have to move forward. But I constantly sense an internal struggle within myself. That so-called ‘having to’ is a persistent thought in my head, because I actually still ‘have to’ achieve a lot for myself…

I have to do so much

I thought it stopped at: I have to write and I have to walk. But there is so much more. It constantly haunts my mind and apparently occupies me more than I’d like. I write down my list of ‘have to’s: I must stop eating sugar, spend less time on Instagram and useless internet surfing, start earlier, be more productive, reach out more to family and friends, read more, not always procrastinate chores, and especially do exercises for my stiffness.

Walking with ‘have to’s

Pfff. It’s quite a list. I never realized I had so much ‘have to’. Later, I continue walking with this theme. And then I decide: I don’t have to do anything! So be it, chocolate every day, too much online, stiff and wasting time on pointless things. Yes, I might live less long and be less creative, but I decide: I must do nothing. Maybe that will actually help me achieve beautiful things, and if not, then not. I’m curious.

Fellow hikers on my path

Today, I unexpectedly encounter four hikers, fully loaded with heavy backpacks, coming from the opposite direction. Most walkers take this path from east to west. This is a first for me, as I’ve never met another hiker on the Hallandsleden. This trail is likely more popular.

Challenging parts of the route

The stage is tough on me today. Different annoying climbs, especially since I have to go steeply up and down one after another, four times in a row. With Wheelie, I arrive at a gate that I cannot get through. I have to lift it above my strength to get over it. Quite an effort, and weightlifting has never been my favorite sport.

Impressive rock formation

Most of the route isn’t particularly special, except for a small piece of beautiful nature reserve. Through the marsh, over a heather path, I come across a huge rock formation. Truly grand and impressive.

Joint evening with drinks

At the shelter where I’m going to spend the night, there’s a two-person tent. I move very quietly because I think one or two people are already sleeping, but not long after, Joost walks up. A teacher from Gouda, who set up his tent in the afternoon and then went grocery shopping in Örkelljunga, 4.5 kilometers away.

What follows is a very pleasant evening together at the picnic table in front of the shelter, including a bottle of drink that Joost just scored at the supermarket.

Overnight stay: Bjärrabygget