From hut-to-hut in Padjelanta NP

Hike the Padjelanta trail and sleep comfortable in mountain cabins

Hike in Padjelanta, from Darreluoppal in the south to Ritsem by the shore of lake Akkajaure. Padjelanta, or Badjelánnda as it is actually spelled in Sami, means the “higher land”. This is where the reindeers migrate in the spring to calve and to eat well of the herbaceous plants on the mountain meadows before the long winter comes. The Padjelanta trail that we’ll follow, has since long time been used as a natural route for the Sami people to visit the neighboring villages during their calf marking. The trail leads us across an undulating mountain landscape, along roaring rivers and large mountain lakes where both Trout and Arctic char have been fished for generations. People have lived here for thousand of years and if we look carefully we’ll find traces old fireplaces and hunting pits.

Padjelanta National Park is part of Laponia, an area with several National Parks and Nature Reserves that have been designated a World Heritage Site for their unique nature and cultural values. If the weather is clear we can admire the pointy peaks in Sarek National Park, Padjelanta’s more famous neighbor in the east. The Padjelanta trail that goes across Padjelanta National Park, stretches over 150 kilometers from the taiga in Kvikkjokk, all the way up to the tundra in Duottar before it finish in the mountain birch forest around Änonjalme.

Our idea is to hike in a remote and spectacular landscape in Padjelanta National Park learning more about the Sami people and their culture

This hike is for you…

…want to hike in Padjelanta National Park and learn more about the Sami culture. To join our hike in Padjelanta National Park you must to be able to hike around 10-25km per day in hilly terrain and carry a backpack of about 10-12 kg. Recommended age from 18 years old. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding your physical ability or experience level.

Join us and experience:

• The cultural landscape in Padjelanta National Park
• Views of Sarek and Sulitelma’s peaks and glaciers
• Learning more about the Sami culture
• Dinners with local and fresh fish from the lakes
• Hot saunas and ice cold mountain lakes

Hike in Padjelanta in small groups and with a local guide

We want you to have the best experience possible on your hike in Padjelanta National Park. Therefore, we travel in small groups of maximum 8 guests in total. All our guides have long experience from hiking in the area and can tell you stories about the culture and history in Laponia. They are all certified guides trained in wilderness first aid or live up to the same standard or higher.

Solo travelers

Many of our guests travel on their own and don’t know anyone else in the group when arriving Jokkmokk. It is a great opportunity to find new outdoor friends. Solo travelers are of course welcome to book the tour, but we will need a minimum of four guests in total to run the tour.

Information

Accommodations and comfort

During our hike in Padjelanta National Park we stay comfortable but simple mountain cabins where you sometimes share room or cabin with other hikers. In the cabins we have neither wifi nor running water and very limited access to electricity. We all help carry water and cook dinner in the evenings. Not far from the cabins there are outhouses and when we are hiking between the cabins you choose a suitable place in nature, often with a panoramic view of the mountains.

The food

During our week in the mountains, we cook breakfast and dinner together in one of the cabins. This is also where we meet in the evening to talk about the mountains, life and other adventures. Food is a big part of the experience and to be able to hike in Padjelanta we want to eat well and feel good. We use a mix of dried and fresh food and make sure you get the chance to taste some local specialties. As long as the weather allows, we have a longer break in the middle of the day to eat a lighter lunch and rest our muscles for a while. We bring plenty of snacks and hot drinks and in the rivers there is fresh water to drink. Please let us know when making your reservation if you prefer vegetarian or vegan food or if you have any allergies.

Start and end locations

We will meet you by the bus station in Jokkmokk 10.00 on day 1. After the tour we will finish the tour in Jokkmokk around 15.00 on day 8:

Travel here

More information about how to get to Jokkmokk and back home you’ll find here.

However you choose to travel here, flexible tickets are recommended. We also recommend you to have a valid travel insurance and check passport and VISA rules befor traveling to Sweden.

Stay warm and happy

During a week in Padjelanta National Park we see all kinds of weather. We can experience sunshine and +25 degrees during the day but also down to +10 degrees with heavy rain and strong winds. Night temperatures often drop down to +5. Our packing list helps you to decide what to bring to stay warm and happy on the tour.

Packing list – Sulitelma and Padjelanta National Park>>

How heavy will my backpack be?

Expect your backpack to weigh about 10-12 kg when leaving our first hut in Darreluoppal. Aim for your personal equipment with clothes and other small things to weigh around 3kg plus the weight of the backpack of 2-3kg. In addition, there will be about 4 kg of food, common equipment and a water bottle with water that you get from us in Jokkmokk. The total weight ends up around 9-10kg. But we always have some extra things that we need to be happy and comfortable, such as an extra sweater, a camera or a book. We recommend that you take the time to think through your packing and what you really need. Hiking in Padjelanta National Park becomes much more comfortable with a lighter backpack.

What about mosquitoes?

There will be mosquitoes. How much depends on the temperature and how much rain we have had recently. But also how windy the weather is during the week that we are out on our hike in Padjelanta National Park. We do our best to choose spots for breaks where we have a breeze that keeps most of the mosquitoes away. If you are sensitive to bugs we recommend that you’ll bring a head net and mosquito repellent. Are you allergic you should consult a doctor about possible anti-histamine to reduce the reaction from the mosquito bites.

Itinerary

Included meals marked each day with B=breakfast, L=lunch and D=dinner

DAY 1 ARRIVAL JOKKMOKK AND DARRELUOPPAL (L,D)

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. Arrive the same morning with the overnight train and connecting bus from Murjek or arrive a day earlier and book an extra night in Jokkmokk. We’ll have lunch in Jokkmokk, pack the mini van and drive to Kvikkjokk from where we fly with helicopters to Darreluoppal up in the mountains. The helicopter drops us a short hike from the cabins where we cook dinner and sleep well surrounded by dramatic mountains.

Hiking distance: about 1 km, elevation gain/loss: close to 0, estimated time out hiking: 30 min

DAY 2. DUOTTAR (B,L,D)

We start the day with breakfast before we head out on our first hiking day. The trail leads us up the steep hillside and we’ll soon arrive a high plateau, almost 1000 meters above sea level. Today’s hike is relatively short but intense for the legs. We pass several small lakes before arriving Duottar cabins where we stay for the night.

Hiking distance: about 11 km, elevation gain/loss: +300/-50, estimated time out hiking: 4-6h

DAY 3 STALOLUOKTA (B,L,D)

After breakfast we continue west to Stáloluokta, the main Sami settlement for Tuorpon Sami community and close to their calving land. Today’s stretch takes us down from the barren landscape above tree-level to the mountain birch trees by lake Virihaure. When we arrive those who wants can enjoy a hot sauna, maybe in combination with a refreshing dip in the lake. In the evening we have freshly catch Arctic char and Gáhkku, a local home baked bread.

Hiking distance: about 18 km, elevation gain/loss: +600/-350m, estimated time out hiking: 6-8h

DAY 4 ARASLUOKTA (B,L,D)

The hike today is relatively short following an easy trail. We have no rush leaving Staloluokta so if we feel for it we can linger on the beach for a couple of hours. Or maybe we do a short day tour or have a extra long lunch on our way to Arasluokta. The trail leads us up the hillside where we can look out over Virihaure, a great natural lake reaching almost all the way to the pointy peaks by the border to Norway. Árasluokta, where we stay for the night is located right next to the summer settlement of Jåhkågaska Sami community.

Hiking distance: 12 km, elevation gain/loss: +200/-150m, estimated time out hiking: ca 4h

DAY 5 LÅDDEJÅKK  (B,L,D)

Nor today’s hike is particularly long but quite hilly. The trail leads us across a suspension bridge by the river Miellädno before continuing upp through a mountain pass at 800 meters above sea level. We’ll pass some impressive “Rauk”s, limestone rocks that have been shapes into interesting shapes by the wind and water. In Låddejåkk vi cook dinner and sleep well, preparing for a longer hike tomorrow.

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

DAG 6 GISURIS (B,L,D)

The longest hiking day of the week takes us up and over the mountains to Vuojatädno “the swim river”. In some places to river gets wider and calms down, places where it is possible for the reindeers to swim across. We follow the river downstream for almost 10 kilometer before we turn east towards Gisuris cabins. In a distance we see smaller Sami settlements that belong to Sirges Sami community. We buy food in Gisuris cabins and cook dinner in the hut together.

Hiking distance: 23 km, elevation gain/loss: +300/-300m, estimated time out hiking: 8-10h

DAG 7 STORA SJÖFALLET NATIONAL PARK (B,L,D)

The last real hiking day of the week leads us through a lush mountain birch forest, along the now much wilder Vuojatädno. On our right we see Akka mountain, “the queen of the mountain”. Arriving Akka cabins we can enjoy a hot sauna followed by dinner in the cabin.

Hiking distance: 14 km, elevation gain/loss: +150/-150m, estimated time out hiking: 6h

DAY 8 DEPARTURE DAY (B,L)

We have breakfast and walk the last two kilometers to the dock and take the boat across to Ritsem. In Ritsem there will be a chance to have a shower before starting our drive back to Jokkmokk. Along the way we stop at Naturum to look at the exhibition about Laponia World Heritage Site and to enjoy a last lunch together in the restaurant.

Hiking distance: 2 km, elevation gain/loss: close to 0, estimated time out hiking: less than 1 h

We reserve the right to make changes

Nature is a dynamic place and we may need to adjust the route and the itinerary according to the current weather conditions. We are also in contact with representatives for the local reindeer herders’ communities and other local actors to collaborate in the best way possible.

Do you have any question?

Send us an email to info@laponiaadventures.com
We are happy to help and will answer you as soon as we can.