This trek has been on my mind for quite a while already. Known as the southernmost trek of the world, the circuit around the Dientes (“teeth”) range on Isla Navarino offers exploring a pristine mountain environment in complete isolation.

There it went. One of my bathing shoes was going down the river. The flow was quite fast here. No chance to react… That’s what happened on the first, relatively easy river crossing on my trek through the Lago Jeinimeni natural reserve. My fault, why would someone rely on bathing shoes with a worn-out velcro fastener on such a trip? Anyway! No big deal, was it? I mean it should be possible to cross the next river with just one shoe, wouldn’t it? I did not really know all details of my further route though…

Illuminated by the low, but warm autumn sunlight, this forest exudes a sublime atmosphere. I feel like moving back in time, to an age when Central Europe has not yet been completely converted into a “cultivated” landscape. Giant oak and beech trees, several times the diameter of the ones we usually get to see. Dead standing trees and fallen trunks on the ground, slowly being converted to soil. The soil densely covered by fern. And the most majestic phenomena: the still living upper branches of some already decaying stems.

I have to admit that Stockholm is not necessarily one of the most remote places on this planet. Nevertheless, there are hidden spots which are difficult to access and thus remain insider’s tips. One of them is Stora Sand, in my eyes the finest beach in entire Stockholm’s archipelago. So it’s hard to believe it’s also one of the loneliest. And the reason for this phenomenon is even more ridiculous: Because it’s located in the middle of a military training area! This military area covers large parts of Utö, one of the bigger islands close to Stockholm.

Luckily the sky was almost perfectly clear today. An incredibly beautiful composition of widely ramified fjords, dark green pristine forest, and snowcapped mountain tops, some of them volcanoes, became visible. No, this was not Norway. The aircraft was moving straight towards the South along the Chilean coastline. The view gave me a first taste of what would await me during the next three weeks.

After an incredibly beautiful night up at the Luohttolahko plateau, it was time to leave the heart of Sarek. The plan was simple: I wanted to cross the small stream Luohttojahka, which appeared to be quite insignificant on the map, much further upstream than recommended in my guidebook. On a more direct line into the valley Njoatsosvagge I would be able to avoid losing too much altitude in between. So far, so good…

Here comes the report of my second trip to Sarek National Park in northern Sweden this August. Last year I fell in love with this region and there was no doubt that I had to return. This time I concentrated on the south-western part of the park, an incredible world of water, dense vegetation, open mountain plateaus and untamed valleys!