The Arctic Trail
Discover 800 kilometer of trail through
the wilderness in northern Scandinavia,
250 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle
The Arctic Trail is a remote hiking trail, 250 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle. It winds through Norway, Sweden, and Finland, encompassing total 800 kilometers of marked tracks. However, it is possible to walk parts of the trail. The first phase starts in northern Sweden and follows the more traveled King’s Trail. The second phase ends in a small village in Norway, which is difficult to access. This is the story about the third phase — taking us from Kilpisjärvi in Finland to Abisko in Sweden.
- Abisko–Staddajåkka–Kvikkjokk, about 400 kilometers (an alternative route is Abisko–Staddajåkka–Sulitjelma, about 350 kilometers)
- Kilpisjärvi–Kautokeino, about 200 kilometers (an alternative route is Kilpisjärvi–Halti–Kilpisjärvi, about 100 kilometers)
- Kilpisjärvi–Abisko, which is almost 200 kilometers long
A word of advise.
The Arctic Trail can be demanding,
with long distances between the cabins.
Some phases are definitely not suitable for beginners.
Bringing a good tent is a must as there are only about 40 cabins spread around the entire trail system. Some of them are locked. You can hike for days here without meeting another human being. The weather can change suddenly — in just a few minutes — and one should never hike alone into mountain terrain.
Getting there
Allow for ten days to cover the Kilpisjärvi-Abisko part of the trail. That includes 2–3 days of transport, getting to and from the trail system, and about 10 kilometers by boat in the beginning. The trail itself is of medium difficulty with few steep sections, allowing for 20–30 kilometers hiking per day.
There are several ways to access the trail. We flew from Stockholm to Tromsø, via Oslo. From Tromsø in Norway, it takes almost four hours by bus to Kilpisjärvi in Finland. Explore the different itineraries depending on your starting point.
The Three-Country Cairn
The boat Milla will take you across the lake close to the three-country cairn, where Norway, Sweden, and Finland meet. You can also take the nature trail that begins at Mount Saanas foot and come to the Arctic Trail that way. This part is wooded and quite easy to force. From the boat to the cairn, it is an easy three-kilometer walk. Walk another three kilometers to get to Goldahytta in Norway.
The trail starts to elevate and you are soon above the tree line. Walk 10 more kilometers and you will reach Gappohytta, also in Norway. On the way south, a good place to pitch the tent is some four kilometers before you reach Pältsa cabin. However, be prepared for lots of mosquitos!
Heading South
From Gappohytta, you can head south to the Pältsa fjällstuga in Sweden. Here are the first signs of what lies ahead; fishing with some small lakes to pitch the tent and rest for a while. Do not be afraid to be deviated a little from the trail. However, be prepared to wade if necessary. Moving on to into Norway and Rostahytta, crossing the suspension bridge across Iselva.
The walk along the river is nice and relaxing. At the three cabin Rostahytta, you will meet a couple of cabin hosts. Take the opportunity to ask about weather conditions and the like. Also, get rid of garbage and unnecesessary equipment. After the coin, the trail takes on a new stretch, around the mountain south of the hut. The gradient and terrain turn out to be quite demanding.
Gone fishing
From Rostahytta, the trail continues to Dærtahytta and Dividalshytta. After a few days, it is nice to wash our clothes and take a bath. The area is hilly and quite dry. After a while, however, it is almost like walking into a swamp. Swamps mean millions of mosquitos and wet boots. After a while, you will reach a beautiful fishing site. This was the first part of the trail where we actually saw quite a number of people.
After Dividalshytta, the terrain changes to a jungle-like forest that never seems to end. Do not miss the beautiful and mighty waterfall close to the trail. After hiking for several hours, we decided to set up a campsite by the river.
Go West
Hiking the Arctic Trail is meeting nature in its different shapes and expressions. Bright sunshine combined with snow and ice. Bare raw mountain combined with jungle forest. The beauty lies in the contrasts.
Approaching the end of our trip, the hike continues from Dividalshytta to Gaskashytta via Vuomahytta. After Dividalshytta, we passed Divielvan via a suspension bridge. Next, the trail rises again from the birch forest up in the mountains with panoramic views. Vuomahytta is located in the mouth of a wide u-shaped valley. After Voumahytta, the trail reaches almost thousand meters, after which it goes down to Gaskashytta and Altevatn.
Litjälktis lower slopes do not invite the hiker to nice experiences with their bushes and muddy trails. Before Inset, there are nice camp sites. In Inset, there are good accommodation facilities including a husky farm. Altevasshytta is located a few kilometers east of Inset. Altevatn is a dammed lake of some ten kilometers. West of it there are about four hundred houses, where one can only pass along a road. There are three places where you have to wade because of unsafe bridges due to floods in the area. Shortly before the border to Sweden, you will arrive at Lappjordhytta.
Returning to civilization
The last part took us from Lappjordhytta via Pålnoviken to Abisko fjällstation in Sweden, a hike of about 20 kilometers. Plan for a few extra days to acclimate to civilization. In Abisko, you can find accommodation ranging from a tent to a hotel.
Inspired by this trip? You can find more information and a few useful liks below.
- Best real maps over the area are Norwegian Skibotndalen (10149) and Dividalen (10144), as well as the Swedish BD1 and BD6. For planning purposes, digital maps can be found at http://ut.no/kart/.
- Consult http://www.eskelisen.fi/se/ regarding timetables for the bus from Norway to Finland.
- For information about flora and fauna, please visit http://www.kirunalapland.se/se/Se-gora/Vandring/Nordkalottleden/ [in Swedish].
