Sörmlandsleden Day 10 - Bergtorp to middle of Stage 44

Walking 6.30am to 5.20pm

Distance walked 22km

Was woken up early by birdsong so thought might just as well get going. It was a lovely morning but quite cold. 2km took me to the end of Stage 47 and then on to Stage 46. Even through felled areas, the path was generally easy to follow and trees with waymarks on had been left to just above the waymark.

After 6km, I reached the shelter overlooking Lake Hovrasjön and enjoyed a leisurely second breakfast - made up my last pack of Quaker porridge followed by tea. The lake is under the flight path to Skavsta airport. A couple of Ryanair planes came over to land.

The trail then made its way down to the rural suburb of Oppeby, crossed over the Nyköping River and, starting Stage 45, basically followed the river to the centre of the town of Nyköping. Parts of it looked quite attractive, especially in the sunshine; lots of people around.

Lunch stop

Stage 58 ended, conveniently, at the car park of a large Co-op where I was able to resupply for the next three days. Annoyingly, they had no large bottles of still mineral water for my requirements tonight. I bought two small ones which might just see me through. 

Now starts the second part of this adventure. The Sörmlandsleden website, under the Fly and Hike tab, describes a 94km Southern Route, a circuit which will include what should be some nice walking on the Baltic coast. I shall walk the circuit clockwise. 

As luck would have it, a couple of km along Stage 44, I was able to divert a short distance on Stage 44:1 where my notes (and the map) told me there was a shelter and a water pump. In fact, there were two shelters together and a water tap so problem solved. 

Retracing my steps, I'm now about one km into the forest, having found a nice pitch well away from the path. I shall be coming back this way next Thursday so may stop here again. 

Spot the tarp!

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