The best thing about the Fjallraven Classic is everyone being excited about hiking and hiking together. We met people from Korea, the Philippines, South Africa, Iowa, Finland, and a bunch of other places. We only met two people who didn't like us because Brad and Nando were too loud(?).
The worst thing about the Fjallraven Classic is it being over. I miss going to REI and Midwest Mountaineering every week and telling every sales representative about it while trying on every pair of hiking boots. Before going to Sweden, I purchased and returned 11 pairs of boots. That's an actual count. I purchased and returned the same pair twice before keeping them the third time. And that isn't even the pair I took on the hike.
Here is the overall schedule
8 months out - purchase ticket the second they go on sale
Until departure - visit outdoors stores weekly. obsess about gear. go on some practice hikes. revise gear. tell everyone about everything.
Arrive - hike for 70 miles. remember to stop and look around. some people will be appalled by your offer to share whiskey while hiking. others will have their own and everyone can enjoy talking about their respective whiskeys. we had three different kinds: fireball, screwball, and pendleton. one guy had some very specific, collector's scottish whiskey. we did not mention any of our whiskeys during that conversation.
Finish - attend party. be sure to finish hiking in time for the party.
Sweden is beautiful. Exceptionally beautiful, unexpectedly mountainously beautiful, more dramatically beautiful than it looks in the Fjallraven Classic promotional videos on YouTube.
