It always gives me an exciting feeling. Choosing the clothes I will wear and an extra pair in case I get wet or simply really dirty, finding a tent that will work, some gear for in the wild and then packing it all into my bag. It’s a happy campers feeling I get while preparing myself for a new adventure and once I reach my camping spot I totally feel like a wild and happy hippie.

The walls of Utö

It’s still early when I wake up. I can see the mist fogging up my window and a spider on the outside seems to be willing to share the room with me. Yesterday I arrived at Stockholm and after taking a ferry to the Archipelago I arrived at one of the islands. I’m staying in a wooden hut, but it’s one with plenty of fancy features like a heater. A couple of Swedish books mark its territory in the bedroom and a pillow with the word ‘Utö’ reminds me that the place where I’m staying is Swedish. There are some portraits hanging on the wall and most likely they’re pictures from the nearby forest. The walls themselves are painted white and have pictures of ships on them. As I look through my window I can see the color of the hut on the outside. It’s all red, or at least, some kind of red. I decide to go wash my face, brush my teeth and go for breakfast.

who lives on the island knows the island

My bag is ready and I’m fully equipped for the following few days. I even carry a knife that allows me to make fire with it. Together with a bunch of international people, talking in English, we start our hike into the ‘Utö naturreservat’. One of the Swedish, who lives on the island, asks us to look left and right and explain our sight. I see something man made, however it has become natural, or at least so it seems. The man explains that there used to be a mine right here where we are now walking, yet time has turned it into a pond.

The mines of Utö, protected by a fence

magical colors of swedish nature

We reach the forest, where the enchantment starts. Whenever I’m in Sweden I always get this feeling of walking through a fairytale. The colors, the smell, the weather, even the wet spiderwebs. It’s somehow all magical. I see many different colors in the leaves, from green to orange and yellow to red. The mushrooms might have been copying the leaves as their colors even match the rest of the forest. The only thing that has it’s unique own color are the lingonberries. The colors get more and more amazing as I walk deeper into the wild. I even see some bushes that are colored purple and it truly amazes me that the rocks, being covered partly by the roots of the trees, have several patterns of colors as well.

falling down a hill

Soon we reach a big wooden hut, but this time it’s not to sleep, but to eat. Great Swedish delights have been prepared and I can only enjoy. The choice of salmon, shrimps and things that look delicious, but I wouldn’t have a clue of what it is, surprises me over and over in this lovely country. I dig in as if I won’t eat for the next couple of days and of course this goes paired with a Swedish beer. Skål!

Time to continue the hike. With a slightly different group we head towards the other side of the Utö island and this time Michael, one of the Ötillö swimrun race founders, guides us through the rocky soil of the island. Until we reach the Storastrand beach, we hike through the coastline of Utö and pass some beautiful forests and pretty beaches with cute little houses I would love to go to for a romantic getaway. While we walk through the forest, our way downwards from a hill, I’m walking in the front part of the group with a couple of others. We’re talking about all kinds of things, but then we stop talking and walking. It’s almost as if someone is falling down behind us and so we turn around to see what’s going on. Completely surprised we see that everyone is standing still and yet nobody is falling down the hill. We all do hear that sound though. Out of the blue a deer shows up. It’s jumping, coming from the right and passing our path to the left. The deer almost hits one of the guys standing right behind me, but he continues to stay unharmed. It was the deer making the noise. Of course nobody has a camera out at that specific moment to capture this wild animal from so close by. Such a pitty! A few nervous laughs come out and we happily continue our outdoor adventure. By now we can also see that the sky is clearing up. The mist is saying goodbye and a clear blue sky is welcoming us.

Skinny dipping

Upon arrival at the beach I am totally stunned by the beauty of it. I have to go for a swim in this crystal clear water. It’s probably quite cold, but who cares. I’ll have a warm shower in two days… Some other ladies are also in for a dip and we all decide together that it’s time for our swim. I ask a Swedish woman if we’re supposed to go naked since we’re in Sweden, but I get the same face I would give when someone asks me if I wear wooden shoes daily. I change behind a tree and run into the salty water. Brrrrr… it is really cold! It feels like such a big accomplishment when you run into the sea and the temperature is only like maybe 17 degrees Celsius – or less. Happy as I am I’m starting to get cold and decide to go out after about ten minutes. As soon as I get back to the other side of the beach I find more people ready for a swim. I for some reason decide to go again with them. Perhaps because I know I won’t be able to shower in the next two days.

Putting up camp

We’re camping on the beach, so our Tentipi tent has to be put up. With 3 other ladies we look for the perfect camping spot and decide to have a view at the sea. The Tentipi tent is great, because it only takes us a couple of minutes to have our shelter for the night prepared with four sleeping bags on the inside. The smell of food enters the tent as we place our bags inside and hear someone shout “dinner is ready!”. This means it’s time to start the camp fires and get our meal-kits out of the bags. Yesterday, Light My Fire (who sell fire…) gave us a whole new set of camping equipment including a meal-kit, sporks – which is a knife, spoon and fork in one – and a couple of things to create fire with.

We’re mosquito-proof!

All set for the night 🙂

 come on baby light my fire!

By the time we head out of our tents towards the smell of food everyone has already gotten their fire started. I still have to gather some wood and start my own campfire. I see that my friend Norbert also doesn’t have a fire yet, so we decide to make one together with a couple of others too. We start of with one flat piece of rock, where we place the fire-catching-kind-of-wood and start sparking fire with the knife. It takes us a while to get the technique the way it should, but Norbert – hero – got it. We through some wood on top of the rock with the little flame and it all starts working. Our campfire is a fact. Now, time for food!

Norbert and I at the campfire

Night, night all!

An amazing diner is being served at our camping spot at the beach. This outdoor diner even has all the great things I normally expect at a restaurant in Sweden. But hey, we’re in Sweden, so how could I even expect differently. These Swedish know how to serve their food.

After the wonderful diner, the drinks appear. We gather at the several camp fires located on the beach and have a glass of locally brewed beer. Then one of the happy campers points out to me that someone has marshmallows. Ufff… bad idea to mention that to me. I will find out who!
It takes me about an hour before I finish the drinks and remember the marshmallows, but I still have my dessert conquest for tonight. I see that the last campfire, which might have been the one Norbert took care of, has a couple of people sitting around it, holding a wooden stick in their hand. It must be there. I walk towards them and discover a big bag of marshmallows and a chocolate bar. No way! Are they eating marshmallows with chocolate?

The guys show me how to make one for myself and I start preparing a few. I wish I will remember to add chocolate next time I have a barbecue at home, because this is a great idea.

It’s getting late and I know tomorrow morning will be an early rise and shine, so I decide to call it a day. I take a look at the big campfire and walk towards my tent with a headlight. Hopefully my sleeping bag is not getting friends with a tree root. Well, night, night for now! Tomorrow I’ll try to capture the most likely to be amazing sunrise.

Want to go hiking and camping in Utö like I did? Check out the services from Utö Värdshus. They can arrange everything for you.

About Renate Rigters

Ever since I left my home country I felt at home at any other place I went to. I enjoy getting to know more cultures by talking to strangers and hearing their philosophy about life. Speaking with gestures when you can not find a shared language, finding places only the locals go to and learn about their customs and values. Hanging out with local people makes me happy. The experience of every new place is a step out of your comfort zone where I like to wander around until it feels like a second home.

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