Hiking the Padjelanta trail

We all gather in Jokkmokk, a small town just north of the Arctic Circle, for an introduction to the week and to check that we have everything that we’ll need. We’ll have lunch in Jokkmokk, pack the mini van and drive to Ritsem. M/s Storlule takes us across Akkajaure to Änonjalme from where we hike the last two kilometers to Akka cabin. We cook dinner and sleep well in comfortable beds by the foot of the majestic Akka mountains.

Hiking distance: about 2 km, elevation gain/loss: close to 0, estimated time out hiking: 40 min

We start the day with breakfast before we head out on our first hiking day. The Padjelanta trail leads across the roaring rapids of Vuojatädno and continues through Stora Sjöfallet National Park to Three-park-meeting-point. This is where the great National Parks meet up, Stora Sjöfallet, Padjelanta and Sarek. We’ll continue the last short distance to Gisuris cabins where we have dinner and for the night.

Hiking distance: 14 km, elevation gain/loss: +250/-50, estimated time out hiking: 6h

The longest hiking day of the week takes us down to the bridges across Vuojatädno “the swim river”. In some places the river gets wider and calms down, places where it is possible for the reindeers to swim across. We follow the river upstream for some kilometers before the trail takes us up the mountain and down to Låddejåhkå cabins on the other side.

Hiking distance: about 23 km, elevation gain/loss: +400/-350m, estimated time out hiking: 8-10h

The hike today is relatively short but quite hilly. The trail leads us up the hillside where we’ll pass some impressive “Rauk”s, limestone rocks that have been shaped into interesting shapes by the wind and water. A bridge takes us across Miellädno and we continue the last kilometers to Árasluokta cabins, right next to the summer settlement of Jåhkågaska Sami community.

Hiking distance: 13 km, elevation gain/loss: +450/-450m, estimated time out hiking: ca 4-6h

Nor today’s hike to Stáloluokta is particularly long but relatively flat. The trail leads us upp the hill from where we can look out over Virihaure, a great mountain lake that reaches almost all the way to the pointy peaks by the border to Norway. For the keen hikers there will be an optional afternoon hike or time to relax and enjoy a hot sauna or a refreshing dip in the lake. Or why not both? In the evening we’ll eat locally caught and smoked fish and Gáhku, home-made flatbread, before we sleep well after a relaxing day in the mountains.

Hiking distance: 12 km, elevation gain/loss: +250/-250m, estimated time out hiking: about 4h

We have breakfast together and fly back to Ritsem where the mini van is waiting for us. On the way back to Ritsem we stop for lunch at Naturum in Stora Sjöfallet.

As part of the team you’ll carry your own backpack  with your private gear and part of food and common equipment. At most we are carrying food for 3-4 days and will refill during the hike. In the beginning the pack will weigh about 12-15 kg depending on how much personal gear you’ll choose to bring.

Our hike along the Padjelanta trail is a longer hut-to-hut tour with one day with more than 20 km to cover. The trail is relatively easy to hike, but sometimes with a lot of up and down. Please read through the requirements listed further up and don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or would like to discuss your experience level.

During a hike in Padjelanta we see all kinds of weather. We can experience sunshine and +35 C degrees during the day but also +5 C degrees with rain and strong winds. But don’t worry too much about the cold. Pack according to the packing list and listen to good advice from the guide team about how to stay warm.

There will be mosquitoes. How much depends on the temperature and how much rain we get during the weeks before our trek. But also how windy it is during the week that we are out on our hike in Padjelanta National Park. We do our best to have breaks where there is a light breeze that keeps most of the mosquitoes away. If you are sensitive to insects we recommend that you bring a mosquito hat and repellent. If you are allergic, please discuss with your doctor if you should bring some antihistamin.

We don’t automatically say no just because you have a medical condition but it should not be a high risk factor for you or the group. We recommend that you talk to your doctor and make sure you have medication that you know works well for you. AND please let us know when filling out the application form and we can discuss this with you before we head out.

We are used to handling most food preferences and allergies, just let us know when filling out the application form. BUT with limited cooking space we can’t handle too advanced requests or guarantee that it will be totally free from gluten or lactose etc. If you have a severe allergy please contact us to discuss this with us.