Currently in Abisko National Park, staying at the cozy Abisko Mountain Lodge where I’m being pampered and served one delicious meal after another. The rustic, relaxed, and extraordinarily friendly atmosphere makes this unique hotel an ideal base for long hikes in the stunning and surprisingly warm fall weather.

I’ve visited Swedish Lapland many times – especially in my youth when I worked several seasons at Hotel Riksgränsen, the legendary ski resort west of here, near the Norwegian border. Though I stayed at Abisko Mountain Lodge as recently as February 2022, this is the very first time I’ve been to Lapland in the fall. Experiencing and documenting the autumn’s vibrant colors here has been on my bucket list for a long, long time.

As soon as I arrived from Kiruna yesterday, I headed out for a two-hour hike toward the iconic Čuonjávággi, or Lapporten – the dramatic formation in the mountain range that holds deep cultural and spiritual significance for the North Sami people.

For many Sami, Lapporten is seen as a portal to the underworld, a gateway for souls journeying to the afterlife. It is a sacred place where people can connect with spiritual energies. This area is steeped in legends involving supernatural beings and ancestral spirits, adding to the mystical aura of Lapporten and the breathtaking landscape that I have the privilege of being in right now.

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