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The Padjelanta. Afternoon sun coming out over Lake Vastenjaure. Photo by the author. The author is Lars Bergquist.
Hiking and backpacking in Swedish Lapland is somewhat different from both the U.S. and from continental (Alpine) Europe. Most of the specific info here is about north Lapland and treats of the sub-arctic mountains above and around the tree line, near the Norwegian border. They are easily reached by air or by train from central Sweden. Norway and the Atlantic coast is an alternative approach; in places, you can pop over and walk down to the coast in a day! You might try Narvik, for instance.
The birdlife is fairly rich in the summer while there are few large mammals except reindeer. These are very closely related to the North American caribou, but they are cattle, not game. Brown bear and wolverine are found, but you won't see them - in this open terrain they will spot you long before you spy them. Elk (moose to you Americans) go all the way up to the tree line. Sorry, no polar bears.There are no snakes and the main nuisance is mosquitos and gnats, which can in places drive you to distraction in late June and early July. They may be killed even in National Parks, if you do it manually.
The weather is very fickle, and you may well experience three seasons in one day. Expect occasional, sometimes continous rain from the North Atlantic. In the summer season, day temperatures usually range from +5 to +15 degrees Celsius (ca 42 - 58 F), but they can at times reach 20 degrees (68 F). When the temperature climbs above 14 degrees or so, the Lapps complain about the terrible heat wave.
Trails
The Såmmarlappa STF hut in the Tarra Valley, by the swift-flowing
These offer rustic communal bunking. Mattresses and covers are provided, there is no need to carry anything but a bag-style sheet (but you can of course bring a sleeping bag if you like). There are wood stoves and propane ranges for heating and cooking, respectively; kitchen and eating utensils are available. You hew wood and carry water, take out the slops and sweep the floor when you leave. There is a hut warden, but for maintenance and information, not for room service. No booking. Nobody is ever turned away, but in foul weather, you may have to accept improvisations. Do feel welcome. Just drop your hat on an unoccupied bunk, write your name in the guest book and go find the warden, so you can pay. If he or she is out, there's always a friendly evening round. - Some huts also sell provisions - every second day's march along the main north-south Kungsleden (the Royal Trail) between Abisko and Kvikkjokk, all of them in some areas further south. This of course is canned goods, stuff like pasta and dried or freeze-dried food, sweets and stove fuel (see the section on gear). Remember that this is not only road-less but also electric power-less country - no refrigeration except that offered by the brooks, which usually do keep fridge temperature. Sometimes you can buy fish (fresh or smoked arctic char, a three-star delicacy) and the local soft flat bread from the locals. Do that if you have the chance, but don't count on it.
Overnight fees vary. They are higher in high season along the most frequented trails sections (especially along the Kungsleden from Abisko and south) than they are on the less-traveled trails. They are lower for STF members. Buy a membership card in the first hut - that pays. For the latest fees, e-mail or fax STF (see info at end of page). Remember, most of the huts are provisioned by snowmobile in the winter and by helicopter in the summer, so fuel, food and materials get expensive.
Abisko, Kebnekaise and Saltoluokta in Lapland, other places further south, have fjällstationer which are simple but good hotels/pensions with lots of activities, a friendly atmosphere and good food. They also sell equipment, such as stoves, some clothing etc. If you stay there, you can rent things you need. Kebnekaise is the climbing Mecca. One of the main gateways to the Padjelanta is Kvikkjokk. Here, the station has been 'demoted' to hostel status due to its small size. It does thus not offer full pension, but breakfast is served and there is a self-service kitchen.
Note that Swedish hostels (vandrarhem), though affiliated with Hostelling International (HI), do not discriminate against non-youths. They are well-regulated, clean and safe. The majority of them are run by private persons in association with the STF. Pre-booking is advisable, just as at the stations, but those at the trailheads follow hut policy toward hikers.
Maps are very good, frequently updated (floods sometimes sweep away bridges) and self-explanatory. They carry legends in English and German. Off-trail hikers should however learn three Swedish words:
Låst means 'locked'.
Reindeer fences run generally north-west - south-east and keep the animals of different cooperatives ('Sami villages') apart. There are gates where trails cross them. Otherwise, it is OK to climb across them as long
as you do not damage them.
If you are considering camping, then I would say that 'three-season gear' is not good enough. Swedes favor tunnel- or dome style tents with inner tents semi-permanently attached, no loose rain flies. Such a tent can be erected single-handedly in a high wind, if necessary. The cooking fuel generally available on-trail is denatured alcohol for Trangia-style stoves. If you insist on propane or white gasoline, you will have to buy it in a town and bring it along. Propane gas is not terribly popular, as temperatures are often rather too low for that fuel to work efficiently. Army Rangers use alcohol or multi-fuel stoves.
Trails in Northern Lapland
Abisko - Nikkaluokta by Kungsleden This is a classic. You go to Abisko by train or bus by way of Kiruna or Narvik. Provisioning in Abisko village, which has a good supermarket. Two days via Abiskojaure (hut) to Alesjaure (hut, with a shop and, when I last visited the place during a Lapp heatwave, a refrigerator with cold beer...). From there to the Tjäktja Pass (hut) and south along the valley via Sälka (provisions) to Singi (hut). Here you leave the Kungsleden and turn east, one day's march to Kebnekaise through the dramatic Ladtjovaggi valley. From Keb is one day to Nikkaluokta and the bus to Kiruna, but you can cheat and take the helicopter. This is OK, I did it once after an eight day solo. Alternatively, you can continue south three days from Singi by Kaitum (provisions) and Teusajaure (hut) to Vakkotavare (hut), where another bus takes you back to civilization, meaning Gällivare (on the Stockholm Kiruna rail line) or the delightful Saltoluokta station. Relevant maps: BD6 Abisko-Kebnekaise-Narvik, or BD6/30I Abisko-Kebnekaise. For the southern section only, there is BD8 Kebnekaise-Saltoluokta. This is good if you want to stay at Salto and do day trips.Abisko - Abisko You start as above and walk to Alesjaure (which is a nice place for a day of rest). From Tjäktja, you take an unmarked but easy trail through the mountains to Nallo Hut, which is as Arctic as they come. You have to ford practically to the front door. Then 9 kms down Stuor Räitavaggi valley to the beautiful Vistasvaggi valley and the Vistas hut. (From there, you can go down the Vistasvaggi to Nikkaluokta, but that is really a two-day hike and you will need a tent). But it is just one easy but scenic day's march back to Alesjaure, a sauna, and then back to Abisko. Alternatively, you can go clockwise Alesjaure - Vistas - Nallo - Tjäktja - Alesjaure, or Vistas - Nallo - Sälka - Singi - Keb, as I did on that solo. By the way, Abisko is the perfect place for a stay with day trekking. The little National Park is famous for its flora. Maps: as above.The Padjelanta The bus that takes people to and from Vakkotavare also goes to the Ritsem STF hut (provisions) with a boat line to the Akka and Vaisaluokta huts. Both are starting points for the Padjelanta trail. This goes four days across rolling meadow and moor, west of the mountains of Sarek, to Staloluokta by Lake Virihaure. (Stalo is also accessible by helicopter from Kvikkjokk, to the dismay of purists. Provisions are sold in the Lapp camp). Then two days across high moors to the Tarra valley, and then four or perhaps three days down to Kvikkjokk, the sauna and the bus. Såmmarlappa is a good stopover in the valley (provisions). Padjelanta ('the Highlands' in Lapp) is an Eldorado for botanists and the Tarra valley is also famous for its jungle-like vegetation. Ten day's marches in all. Map: BD10 Sareks nationalpark.Saltoluokta - Kvikkjokk The Vakkotavare - Ritsem bus also stops at Kebnats jetty, with a boat to Saltoluokta fjällstation by the Lapp camp. Four days' easy hiking to Kvikkjokk via Aktse (provisions). Aktse is one of the gateways to Sarek and an exceedingly beautiful place. The delta lands and the Rapa valley are of great biological interest. Kvikkjokk is accessed by bus from Murjek (a whistle-stop on the railway line from Stockholm to Kiruna) by way of Jokkmokk. Map: as above.Sarek National Park This is tougher. Sarek is deliberately being kept wild, hut-less, even mostly trail-less. It is accessible from Kvikkjokk (via Pårte hut and a high traverse), Aktse, Salto (via the Sitojaure hut and then a boat trip to Rinim at the mouth of the Bastavággi valley) and Ritsem - Akka (one day to Kisuris on the edge of the park). Sarek is built up of partly glaciated massifs, divided by long valleys. A traverse will take at least five days to one week, approach marches not counted. It can rain prodiguously in Sarek. And people have been lost without trace there and never heard of again. Map: as above.People Both ethnic Swedes, some ethnic Finns and of course Lapps live in the area. The Lapps, who prefer to call themselves the Sami and are so termed by the Swedes nowadays, are not at all picturesque. They seem to dress mostly in North Face clothes, Swarowski binoculars and communication radios and they often travel by helicopter. Only a small minority of families belong to the reindeer cooperatives ('villages'), and even these are no longer nomadic: only a few full-time herdsmen follow the deer. Families may however spend their vacations with Dad in the summer grazing lands up by the Norway border. A considerable number of Sami live in Stockholm and work office hours. The traditional culture and the language are alive and developing however, and crafts like knife-making, bone and antler engraving, woodcarving and tin-wire embroidery are an important source of income. Articles by quality workers carry a red seal of approval. No 'airport art' here! In Jokkmokk there is an interesting Sami museum, Ájtte (meaning Storehouse). There is a lively music movement, fusing rock and the traditional improvised song style, the joik. Most young people of all ethnic groups understand and can make themselves understood in English. The Sami are well educated and organized and politically aware. Respect them, and they will respect you.Contact Info Your best contact in Sweden:Note on those funny characters: Scandinavian languages use three special accented characters which are sorted separately, at the end of the alphabet. They are (the order varies in different languages):This page updated January 2001 |
