Europe

[Visited: June 2024]

It was our last day in the Ã…land archipelago and the evening before, some of us had planned to hike near Getabergen. It had been raining the entire night, and when we have breakfast, rain is still pouring down. Still, we decide to take our chances, and head out for the north. We are on a tight schedule, as we have a ferry to catch in the afternoon. When reach the parking at the top of Getabergen, there is still a drizzle coming down. There is nobody else around, and we put our backpacks on our backs, with rain protection for cover. We study the map, and the Grottstigen trail that we had set our eyes on, seems doable in the two hours we have: it is less than 5k. The starting point of the trail is also the highest point at around 100 metres. We follow the white signs, and walk down over rocky plates and through a forest.
The rocks often seem to be polished. The elements have worked them for many, many centuries, and shaped them to what we see now. It is easy to hike on them, and the cracks even allow for small plants and dwarf pines to grow from the grey granite. The rocks are not slippery, and soon after we start off, the rain stops. We continue walking over the rocks, where we see piles of small stones at irregular intervals. Then, to our surprise, we even see the sun pierce through the clouds above us. The further down we walk, the more the clouds break. The rocks are still wet, but the sun shining on them now makes them look more beautiful than before. Even though these rocks are millions of years old, the landscape has changed. The island has shifted, and what used to be the coastline now is overgrown with trees and a hundred metres above sea level. We tread the rocks with respect.
We descend further, into an area with rock formations. This is a paradise for rock climbers. I had wanted to try climbing here, but the rocks are still wet, and we don't really have time anyway. Instead, we marvel at the sharp cracks, the walls partly overgrown by mosses, and the amphitheatre shaped by mother Nature. We see a cave which was used as a church during the Great Northern War in the 18th century, when the people were trying to hide from the Russians. A little further on, we reach the lowest point of the Grottstigen trail: the Djupvik bay which is also the northernmost point of our hike. We read the legendary story of how a local lured Russian ships to run aground during foul weather nearby. It is time to climb the rocks, through forests and over deep cracks, to reach Getabergen again and complete this lovely hike. We have taken our time to enjoy the sights on the way, we have had a leasurely stroll, and just made it back in time.

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Grottstigen Cave Trail (Åland Islands)

Grottstigen Cave Trail > Åland Islands > Europe

[Visited: June 2024]

Around the World in 80 Clicks