Kungsleden
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| Kungsleden | |
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 The Kungsleden trail above the Teusa lake |
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| Length | 440 kilometres (270 mi) approximately |
| Location | Northern Sweden |
| Trailheads | Abisko/Hemavan |
| Use | Hiking |
| Highest Point | 1,150 m (3,773 ft) (Tjäkta Pass) |
| Lowest Point | 305 m (1,001 ft) (Kvikkjokk) |
| Trail Difficulty | Moderate |
| Season | Summer to early Fall |
| Months | June to September |
| Sights | Mt Kebnekaise, Lapporten, Abisko, Sarek National Park |
Kungsleden (the King's Trail) is a hiking trail in northern Sweden, approximately 440 kilometres (270 mi) long, passing through one of Europe's largest remaining wilderness areas
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[edit] The trail
Kungsleden was created by Svenska Turistföreningen (STF) at the end of the 19th century, in order to allow more people to experience the beauty of Lapland. It runs for about 440 kilometres (270 mi) between Abisko in the north and Hemavan in the south. It is well equipped and maintained by STF, having for instance large parts where one walks on two parallel planks to avoid muddy ground. Since it's so well maintained and rather flat, the trail is not considered as very difficult, but some wilderness experience and regular caution are of course required.
The trail is separated in four portions which represent approximately one week of hiking. The most practiced part is by far the northernmost, between Abisko and Kebnekaise. The season usually runs between mid-June and the end of September, but the weather can be very treacherous, including late or early snow.
[edit] Huts
Huts are placed along the trail at distances suitable for a day-trip, about 9-22 kilometres (6-14 mi). The huts are primarily operated by STF. One can also pitch a tent outside and use the facilities, for a small amount of money. Some unguarded shelters can also be found between huts. Supplies can be bought in some of them (e.g. Alesjaure and Kebnekaise Fjällstation).
The huts along Kungsleden are:
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Between Kvikkjokk and Ammarnäs, about 130 kilometres (80 mi), there are no huts.
[edit] Sights
Highlights along the way, sometimes a small detour is needed, are:
- Abisko: Great hostel/mountain station, botanical multitude during summer, great back-country skiing during winter
- Kebnekaise: Sweden's highest mountain, 2,111 metres (6,926 ft), and centre of Swedish alpinism. The lodge (Kebnekaise Fjällstation) offers very complete services.
- Sarek National Park: part of Lappland world heritage. No roads, tracks or bridges makes this a place only for the experienced hiker
- Kvikkjokk: Old mountain farming village and nice hostel
- Hemavan and Tärnaby: Small towns/villages with nice hiking in the summer, and excellent back-country skiing in the winter. Native village of alpine skier Ingemar Stenmark.
[edit] Getting there
It's surprisingly easy to go to Kungsleden. The two basic options are to fly from Stockholm to Kiruna or Hemavan, or to take the Göteborg-Narvik train, operated by Connex (it also goes through Stockholm, Uppsala, Luleå and some other Swedish cities), and stops in Kiruna and Abisko. The train takes about 24 hours for the whole trip.
From Kiruna, a bus runs to Nikkaluokta, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) away from Kebnekaise Fjällstation, or some trains go to Abisko.
You can also take a bus to Östersund by Ybuss www.ybuss.se, which costs appromaxily about 35Euro.
[edit] External links
