Kungsleden :: Snowshoeing in Lapland
| Destination | |
| Kiruna, Sweden | |
| Map | |
 |
|
| Key Facts | |
|
Dates : 3 - 11 March 2012 31 March - 8 April 2012 Or, book a private departure Price : 1360 € Group : 4-8 persons Meeting : Kiruna, Sweden. More details upon booking. Difficulty :  |
|
Fancy snowshoeing in the Swedish Lapland? Come with us 200 kilometers inside the Arctic Circle, along the Kungsleden, "King’s trail". This is Lapland, the last remote wilderness in Western Europe, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Our week-long hike takes us to the Kebnekaise range, which includes Sweden's highest peak, Mount Kebne (2,111 m). These mountains are part of the Caledonian folding system that forms the backbone of Scandinavia. Most of the trek is done along flat terrain.
Itinerary
Day 1
Meeting at Kiruna airport at 12h30. Gather and transfer by bus to Abisko Turiststation. Night in Abisko.
Day 2
Snowshoeing through Abisko National Park to Lake Abiskojaure. The cabins are situated on the south side of the lake. Distance 15 km.
Day 3
Up into the high mountains to the cabins at Lake Alesjaure. We start experiencing the vast open landscapes of Lapland, and the bare mountain regions. Sauna in the evening! Distance 22 km.
Day 4
Today’s leg is shorter. Distance 13 km.
Day 5
We cross over the Tjäktjapass at 1140 m. This is the highest point of the hike and from here the glacier-carved valley of Tjäktjavagge opens up. Some say Tjäktjavagge is Lapland's most majestic valley; others say that the views are prehistoric. Easy hiking all the way down to the cabin at Sälka. Sauna in the evening! Distance 12 km.
Day 6
Easy hiking down the valley of Tjäktjavagge. Distance 13 km. Lodging in dorms with either gas or wooden fire heating.
Day 7
To Kebnekaise Fjällstation. Mighty views all day. Distance 14 km. Sauna, showers and dinner at the restaurant in the evening!
Day 8
The last leg of the week takes us down to Nikkaluokta. Along the way we admire the Kebnekaise range. Distance 19 km.
Day 9
Transfer to Kiruna airport and fly back to your home residence. Nothing of goodbyes, this has only been the beginning.
More photos and videos
Three participants have written articles about their experiences in the Swedish Laplands and how they lived this adventure: Mara (in English), Rogelio (in Spanish), and Jorge (in Spanish).
You can also see more photos of the trip in our Flickr group.
What you can expect
This is the land of the aurora borealis, reindeers, and white landscapes. The nature is absolutely wild, no villages, no people, only the eternal white arctic, and surrounded by the Kebnekaise Mountains, the highest in Sweden. Most of the trek is along flat terrain. We spend the nights in comfortable mountain huts; some of them even have a sauna. Temperatures are around —10°C but the weather is dry and it doesn't feel as cold as you might think.
Some group cooperation is required on this trek. Once we reach the cabins, fetching water, chopping wood, lighting the wood-burning stove, preparing dinner, and cleaning up, will all be part of the adventure.
Recommend this trip to a friend
The price includes:
• Meeting/assisting at Kiruna airport
• 5 nights in mountain cabins
• 2 nights in youth hostel, with breakfast
• 1 night in Nordic cabin, with breakfast
• Service of the YokmoK mountain guide for the entire trek
• Private minibus transfer from Kiruna airport to Abisko
• Private minibus transfer from Nikkaluokta to Kiruna airport
• Travel insurance
• Personal mountain rescue insurance
The price does not include:
• Airfare (for recommendations, click here)
• Meals and beverages not specified
• Snowshoes (can be rented in Abisko for 120€)
• HI membership card (can be purchased in Abisko or in your home country)
• Everything not specified in ´The price includes:´