HIKING HÅLLFJÄLLET
Today marked our final day in Åre for this trip. We've completed most of the trails around the area, but one still remained—Hållfjället! So, we packed a picnic, grabbed our gear, and drove out to Ottsjö to explore the final trail on our list.
We weren’t quite sure if we were heading in the "right" direction, but regardless, the start of the trail was rather underwhelming. The path was wide and worn down by vehicles, and in some places, it was quite muddy. However, in defense of those maintaining the trail, I should mention that they were still in the process of laying down boardwalks.
My new Lundhags boots were put to the test today. Not long after, we reached Kläpphögarna, where we took a break in a wind shelter. The trail offered some beautiful views of Ottsjön along the way. After about an hour, we arrived at Hållvallen and some charming old mountain huts. From here, we had the option to either head back or take a detour up to Hållvallsfjället. Naturally, we chose the latter.
After Hållvallen, the trail grew steeper and narrower as it wound its way through the forest. Once we reached the mountain plateau, we took a much-needed break and tucked into our lunch sandwiches.
Finally, we reached the summit at 900 meters above sea level, and the effort was well worth it. The hike offered great views in every direction. This trail is also a classic route for the Fjällmaraton (mountain marathon). Who knows, maybe I’ll be running here later this summer!
In the distance, we could just make out Välliste and Grofjället, where we hiked around the same time last year. On the way down, we passed Hållfjället’s tourist station, but it looked closed. A bit later, we arrived back at Hållvallen, where we stopped once more for a coffee.
The final stretch back to Ottsjö turned out to be longer than we expected, winding mostly through dense, beautiful spruce forest. In total, we covered 17 kilometers on this last day.
