Hi all, I'm planning to fly to Oslo or Stockholm on August 12 and spend about 30-40 days in the area. I was planning to stick to the northern part of the Kungsleden plus Kebnekaise but now I'm being tempted by Jotunheimen, Lofoten, and Sarek as well. Does anyone have some advice regarding an itinerary? - Although the midnight sun will be long over, I'd like to catch as many long days as possible. - Would also like to be in a good place to possibly see the Northern Lights in September. - Ideally, would like the trip to get progressively harder. I have trekking experience, but not solo, so I want time to build up my confidence and brush up my skills.
Oh, and how's the availability of electricity/3G in the area? I understand it's not typically in the huts, but would like to recharge my camera and check in at home every week or so.
Kungsleden is a big motorway of a path with hundreds of folk walking it. Several of the huts have electricity, but I'm not sure about mobile phone access. It's substantially cheaper to camp beside a Swedish hut and use its kitchen and lounge than it is to sleep inside.
You won't need 30-40 days for Kungsleden, unless you diverge and spend time around the high (glaciated) mountains around Kebnekaise. In that case you'll need a tent. If not, you could continue after Abisko on the so-called nord-kulotten (northern cap) along the Swedish-Norwegian border, which briefly enters Finland's panhandle and can be extended to Kautokeino on Finnmark. Here the huts are much smaller and more primitive (no food) and can be over-filled by commercial treks in August (no booking needed), so again a tent can be a good idea.
You are right. You'll be too late for the midnight sun, but you may still be a bit early to see northern lights, as twilight still lasts all night at that latitude, especially in August.
An alternative, if you want to walk light, could be to take the bus from Oslo to Haukeliseter on the southern fringe of Hardangarvidda, then walk to Jotunheimen. Huts all the way, so you just need your day sack plus toilet bag and a change of clothes. Lots of scope for variation, especially in Jotunheimen, and you could continue northwards into Breheimen and ever onwards.
Sarek is very wild with no facilities at all (including paths). Some big river crossings are necessary, too, so not a place for solo walking. I would advise having some experience of less demanding parts of Scandinavia before tackling it.
Lofoten is very dramatic, but the scope for walking is limited, as the mountains are so steep. Great place for short walks, though.
Stacey, if any help, we walked the Kungsleden from Abisko last Sept, then turned away from it when we hit Sarek, walked thru Sarek via Rappadalen etc back to Narvik. About 22 days, I think. Sarek was ace, but you are very much on your own. I would guess you'll have 'walkable' light til possible 10 initially, changing to about 8 by late Sept.
Mobile phone coverage - very iffy! Don't rely on it. Wardens at huts on Kungsleden are, apart from one we met, very helpful. They'll be able to advise on times, food availability, possibly mobile coverage etc. But once we left this motorway, things were very different! Mid/late Sept sees the closing of huts, too, so check that if you want to use them. Many sell essential food items by the gram - bloody handy!
The previous year, we walked the Troms Border Trail to Abisko, and various other trails, too. Really good area, and so much quieter than further south - if that's what you seek. We do. So my advice for that is to be north of the AC.
An old thread... but I'm dragging it back to life...
I've just had a meal with a pal who recently got back from walking the Kungsleden. Then it dawned on me... we've only just had Easter... and I always thought it was really a summer trek. Sure enough, him and his mate did it in truly Arctic conditions, with snow and howling gales, being blown over despite the weight of their packs... and they lived to tell the tale!
At this time of year I'd expect people to be travelling it on nordic skis. I know of several commercial trips that undertake it with sledge dog support.
Then again, it has been unseasonably warm through March for much of Scandinavia, but even so I doubt if the snow cover would all have thawed.
Sorry... they skied... or at least... they skied when it was possible to stand upright!
At one point a Hercules transporter plane flew low over them, then crashed, killing all on board, burying itself in an avalanche of its own making. It was on the news.
there are a couple of very informative and long threads on o.m re the kings trail if you use the search engine on here.Ive used them recently as ive been thinking of abadoning my usual week in the alps for the northern part of the trail As yet the travelling is putting me off a little.
I went up north of Kiruna to Bjorkleiden about 10 years ago - we flew to Oslo, then did about 18 hours on a sleeper train... it wasn't too bad.
Yeah, Paddy, the winds were crazy at times in March. I spent a few days at Finse hut in Norway in March (the weather didn't let us venture much further). They have a weather station and the night before we arrived they recorded a gust over 200kmph!
Just saw this thread pop up in my email... well, I did it and I had a fantastic time. I took the Kungsleden from Abisko to Salka, then the Padjelantaleden to Kvikkjokk with a detour in Sarek, and then came north on the Kungsleden to Kebnekaise, again with a detour in Sarek around Aktse. I slept in a tent until the last week, when I started getting too cold/lazy. I don't think I ever paid to camp because all the huts allowed free camping in a certain area (no access to stove/sauna, but convenient for socializing and buying provisions).
All in all, I spent around 5 weeks in the area, but I stopped every few days to read, explore, fish, and tackle some of the smaller mountains. It was a bit difficult near the end as the smaller huts (and boat services) stop a week or two before the main mountain stations close. I arrived at Kebnekaise literally the night before it closed and had to race to Nikkaluokta to catch the last bus of the year. However, I'm glad that I went towards the end of the season, and diverged from the Kungsleden after four nights, because there were way too many people on the main trail in mid-August. Lots of loud school groups. By the time I rejoined the Kungsleden from Kvikkjokk it was totally fine.
I saw neither the midnight sun nor the Northern Lights, which means that I have not one but two return trips to plan.
I would only have 7/8 days available early sept, wondering what would be a good itinery given that time restriction and how much do the huts cost roughly??
i will be in that part of the country from 24 aug to 15 sept, will keep an eye on the long range forecast and if the first week looks ok will spend it going around sarek, in wet weather sarek is a no go area, if the forecast is bad ill probably head to abisko and follow the nordkallotleden up to kilpisjarvi which will take about 8 days, several years ago i saw the nortern lights in early sept while staying in the toppstugan on swedens highest mtn. where are you flying into julian? a week around sarek starting and finishing at kvikkjokk, there several starting points for sarek, you could go up to abisko and have a week hiking around kebnekaise, ideall if flying into kiruna.
Stephen I was thinking of flying into Stockhom then the overnight train,Sarek sounds wonderful but it still seems a lot of travelling when i can only get away for a week around beginning of September.
