August Helgesson

During my first long hike, I also rowed for the first time. I had no idea what I was doing, but it was fun and went well anyway. It’s also a great summary of the entire journey – most things tend to work out if you take it slow.

Completed Ribbons:
Green Ribbon 2022 and 2023.

Home:
Tromsø, Norway.

Special memory or experience:
On a rainy day, I was hiking through an unmarked valley when I caught movement in the corner of my eye. It turned out to be a female arctic fox with two pups, about 50 meters away. They didn’t seem too bothered by my presence, so I sat down and watched them through my binoculars. The pups were full of energy, chasing each other around just like kittens do. It was an incredible sight – especially because I hadn’t expected it at all!

My greatest lesson from my journeys:
If I interpret “lesson” as “insight,” then the idea of moving to the mountains or northern Norway was born during my long hikes. Otherwise, I’d say it’s incredible how much the muscles (and appetite…) adapt during a long journey – and how much stronger the body becomes after a month or so.

Favorite place / favorite section along the Ribbon:
Padjelanta in early September was magical. The huts were just about to close, hardly anyone was around, the autumn colors were stunning, and the northern lights had just started to appear. Sarek and the high mountain areas north of Kebnekaise were also unbeatable—the rugged landscape with all its sharp peaks. The ridge hike over Gavelberget and Kantberget in Sarek is one of the most incredible things I’ve ever done.

Tips I want to share:
Pack light! At the start of my journey in 2022, I had 27 kg (!) of food for a few days, but when I started in 2023, I had about half that weight. The difference in experience was huge, and it was really amazing to be able to summit without having to leave my pack behind. I’m convinced that my knees wouldn’t have survived the first Ribbon if I hadn’t reduced the weight of my backpack along the way.

I’d also recommend giving yourself as much time as possible. For me, a long hike is primarily a long break from everyday life, and secondarily a journey from one place to another. It’s incredibly nice to be able to wait out bad weather, take extra rest days, hike up a peak, or just stay longer at a beautiful spot. I’ve met several people on the Ribbons who couldn’t properly enjoy the journey because they felt stressed about falling behind schedule, and many quit because they went too fast in the beginning and ended up with injuries. At the start of my second Ribbon, I overloaded one of my feet, and had I not been able to take a rest week then, I would have had to quit. The hardest days were the last ones, when I had to rush to make it back in time for the start of the semester.

Special area of expertise I can offer tips on:
Lighter packing, less popular route choices, solo hiking, and the Via Suecia (which can be combined with the Green Ribbon).

LINK to Instagram.