Photo: Peder Sundström

In the warm evening sun, the well merited Swedish team Cross Sportswear, biked in to TA 5 in Saxnäs at 18.07. They are leading the second Explore Sweden Expedition Adventure Race, 47 minutes before another Swedish team, Lundhags. “It was extremely hard,” said team captain Mats Andersson. “We have been racing for more than 50 hours with only one hour of sleep. We are really looking forward for a five hour rest! We are gonna get our stuff together and then eat and sleep. I´m looking forward to the ski leg. I’ve practiced that since I was a kid!”

The Explore Sweden race organization is now moving their headquarters to Saxnäs, waiting for the rest of the teams to arrive. With the Explore Sweden flags blowing in the wind, there is a buzz of activities with journalists and photographers running around, volunteers setting up tents for the teams to rest in and getting ready to go up into the mountains.

By: Emma Wichardt