Sarek Ski Expedition

The ultimate challenge for the adventurous 

On this expedition you’ll be part of a team exploring the remote valleys of Sarek National Park on skis. We follow the rhythm of the nature, waking up to the morning light and the wind outside our tents. There are few who visit Sarek National Park during the winter, and often we ski for days without seeing more than a handful of people. Surrounded by pointy mountain peaks we choose our own way through the untouched snow in the valleys. Some days we enjoy spectacular view and relax in snow couches and other days we plod through deep snow and snowstorms. Every evening we set up our tents and build our own camp in the snow. We cook tasty dinners made from local specialties such as moose and reindeer meet and glance out through the tent to get a glimpse of the northern light.

Sarek National Park is one of the most impressive alpine areas in Sweden. The whole country has twelve mountains that reach above 2000 meters and you will find six of them here. The Rapa River, the artery of Sarek, is born in Skarja and supplies the lush Rapa delta with water from melting snow and glaciers. We start our expedition in Sarek on skis from the west and follow Ruohtesvágge and Rapa valley to Aktse in the east. For hundreds of years the Sami people have migrated their reindeers through Sarek National Park and they still do today. However, the landscape is well preserved and you see few signs of people actually living in the area for thousands of years.

Our idea is to gather a small team of enthusiastic outdoor people to experience the beauty and the challenge of Sarek National Park together

This expedition is for you…

…who are adventurous and who are looking for the perfect winter challenge. Sarek ski expedition is our toughest tour and to visit Sarek on skis it requires you to be in very good shape and that you have earlier experience from at least one multi-day ski tour. All participants are pulling a sled and we will all stay in tents, but we require no earlier experience from neither pulling a sled or winter camping. The skiing is not very technical but you’ll need to be a fairly strong touring skier. We look for expedition members that work well in a team and that have the ability to deal with uncomfortable conditions. Recommended age from 20 years old. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding your physical ability or experience level.

Join us and experience:

• Dramatic mountain views
• Good fellowship and team spirit
• Quietness and pure nature
• Tasty food made from local ingredients
• A good physical and mental challenge

Experience Sarek on skis in small groups with local guides

We want you to have the best experience possible when traveling through Sarek on skis. Therefore, we travel in small groups of maximum 8 guests in total. All our guides live 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 the pickup location. It is a great way to experience new areas and to find new outdoor friends. Solo travelers are of course welcome to book the tour, but we will need a minimum of three guests in total to give it a go.

Information

Accommodation and comfort

The first night we stay in at Åsgård guesthouse in the center of a small town named Jokkmokk located just north of the arctic circle. The house, built almost 100 years ago, was owned by the state forestry company, being the home of the local forester. And still today it feels like coming home when entering the front door. We’ll stay in two-person or three-person bedroom with shared toilet and shower and sauna in the basement if you would like to finish the evening with a hot sauna.

As far as possible we try to offer separate rooms for men and woman traveling on their own. And to let travel companions share a private room. You can also pay extra for a single room. At the guest house there is free wifi and this is also the last chance to charge phones and cameras before heading out in Sarek. 

After one night in Jokkmokk it is time to head out in Sarek on skis. On the expedition we stay two or three persons together in roomy high-quality Hilleberg tents. The tents are made for our arctic climate with booth heavy snow fall and strong winds. You and your tent buddies carry the tent in your sled, build the camp for the night and set up the tent in the evening together. We provide you with sleeping bags for winter temperature and double insulated pads so you can sleep warm all-night long. Don’t expect any cell-phone coverage during the expedition, your guides bring satellite phone for emergency situations. In Sarek national park there are no toilets or outhouses but nature offers cool toilet spots, often with scenic views where you dig a hole in the snow. Your evening toilet is a great opportunity to look for northern lights.

Finishing at Saltoluokta Fjällstation

Our week together ends at the mountain lodge in Saltoluokta, a cozy and genuine accommodation, located right by the foot of the mountain and away from roads and civilizations. The oldest building is built already in 1912 and the main building is from 1918. We stay in 2-person or 4-persons bedrooms with a shared toilet in the same building. Single room supplement is possible. You’ll find both showers and sauna in a nearby building and the mountain view from the sauna is something special. And after a week in the mountains it is for sure time for a sauna! At Saltoluokta mountain lodge there is free wifi and electricity so that you can charge your phone etc. before starting you journey home.

The food

All meals from lunch day 1 to breakfast day 9 is included in the price. In Jokkmokk, Caisa, who runs the guest house will cook for us and in Saltoluokta we eat in the restaurant at the mountain lodge. During our expedition in Sarek breakfast and dinner will be prepared together in our group tent. This is also where we meet to eat and chat about mountains, life and other adventures. Food is a large part of experiencing Sarek on skis and we want to eat good and feel well. We cook he food from scratch using local ingredients such as moose and reindeer meet. As long as the weather permits, we’ll have a longer break for lunch to eat a lighter lunch and recover. Please let us know when making your reservation if you prefer vegetarian or vegan food or if you have any allergies.

Start and end location

We will meet you at Jokkmokk Guesthouse at 10.00 on day 1 and the expedition ends after breakfast at Saltoluokta mountain lodge day 9. If you choose to return to Jokkmokk with us, we expect to be there around 12.00 on day 9.

Travel here…

Get on the night train in Stockholm in the evening and wake up in Jokkmokk the next morning. This is not only the best option for the planet, it is also a cool experience. Book your private cabin or just a single bed in a cabin with 3 or 6-beds. In the morning you get off the train in Murjek where you board bus 43 for a last hour of traveling before arriving Jokkmokk. There is a bus stop, named Åsgatan, only a few hundred meters from the guesthouse where you will be staying. Purchase both the train and the bus ticket online at www.sj.se. Enter Stockholm Central, Arlanda airport, or wherever you choose to travel from to Jokkmokk bus station and it will give you the options.

If you prefer you can also fly directly from Stockholm to Luleå Airport the day before the tour starts. From the airport there is a bus that takes you all the way to Jokkmokk, or you can also stay in Luleå and continue by bus and train early in the morning on day 1. The airport shuttle you’ll find at www.ltnbd.se and trains and buses at www.sj.se. Please note that the shuttle needs to be booked latest 17.00 the day before.

…and home

We will finish the expedition at Saltoluokta mountain lodge, 4 kilometers walk or ski tour across a lake from the bus stop Kebnats. You’ll can book snowmobile transport across the lake to the bus station at the mountain lodge when we get there. Bus 93 will take you from Kebnats to Gällivare where you change to the night train heading south. Book you whole journey from Kebnats to Stockholm, Arlanda or other final destinations at www.sj.se. For you who choose to fly from Luleå you can travel with us back to Jokkmokk and then continue with bus to Luleå C or directly to the airport.

Please note that you may have to stay an extra night in Jokkmokk or Luleå before continuing. Information about buses can be found at www.ltnbd.se and buses and trains at www.sj.se and remember that the airport shuttle need to be booked latest 17.00 the day before.

However you choose to travel here, flexible tickets are recommended. Even if we have planned with an extra day during our week in the mountains, conditions can delay our arrival to Saltoluokta mountain lodge.

How cold will it be?

During a week in Sarek National Park we see all kinds of weather. We can experience sunshine and -15C degrees during the day but also +5C degrees with rain and strong winds. Night temperatures can drop down to -30C, but normally stays around -10C to -20C. Our packing list helps you to decide what to bring to stay warm and happy on the expedition.

Packing list – Sarek Ski Expedition >>

How heavy will the sled be?

All participant will each pull a sled with your private gear, food and part of the common equipment, such as tents, stoves, shovels etc. In the beginning the sled weigh about 30-40 kg but as we eat and use the fuel for the stove it will weigh less and less. To pull a sled is completely different from carrying a backpack and most of the time you barely feel the weight. We mostly travel in fairly even terrain where the sled slides easily and in the uphill we help each other through the most strenuous sections.

Itinerary

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

DAY 1 ARRIVAL JOKKMOKK AND PREPARATIONS (L, D)

We’ll pick you up at Jokkmokk guest house and drive you to our place just outside Jokkmokk where we give you an introduction to the expedition before having lunch together. In the afternoon we all help to check and pack all equipment and food for a week in Sarek National Park. You will also get a chance to test your skis and boots and practice setting up the tents before the adventure starts for real. There will also be time to pack your private bag and to get to know the other expedition members. When everything is packed and ready we head back to Jokkmokk Guesthouse where you will have some time to check in to your rooms and have a shower before we enjoy dinner in the restaurant.

DAY 2 GOING TO SAREK ON SKIS (B,L,D)

After breakfast we pack the mini van and head west towards Sarek National Park and the world heritage of Laponia. We follow a winding road for about three hours deep into the mountain area until it ends in a small village called Ritsem. From here we’ll continue by snowmobile to the National Park border where we enter Sarek on skis. We ski for an hour or two and find a nice place to build our camp for the night. We’ll have dinner and sleep well after our first day in the mountains.

Distance on skis: about 5 km, elevation gain/loss: +50m, estimated time out skiing: 1-2h

DAY 3 SAREK NATIONAL PARK (B,L,D)

We wake up to the sound of the mountain and have breakfast together in the restaurant tent. Leaving the sparse birch forest behind us we aim for the high peaks in the east entering Sarek on skis through the northwestern entrance. After about 15 km of steady but gently uphill we find a nice spot to call home and set camp for the night. We’ll have lunch on the way brought in thermoses and then cook a hearty dinner at camp in the evening.

Distance on skis: about 15 km, elevation gain/loss: +250 m, estimated time out skiing: 7h

DAY 4 RUOHTESVÁGGE (B,L,D)

We continue in Sarek on skis through the valley Ruohtesvágge passing the highest point of the expedition. The snow and weather conditions will decide our exact route and distance for the day. Before we enter the deep valleys of Sarek we discuss safety considerations for traveling in avalanche terrain and introduce you to your safety equipment.

Distance on skis: about 15 km, elevation gain/loss: -100 m, estimated time out skiing: 7h

DAY 5 THE HEART OF SAREK NATIONAL PARK (B,L,D)

We wake up in middle of Sarek National Park, surrounded by high peaks and miles away from civilization. We are now in Skarja, where the Rapa River is born and will continue down along the Rapa River.

Distance on skis: about 15 km, elevation gain/loss: -200 m, estimated time out skiing: 7h

DAY 6 RAPA VALLEY (B,L,D)

We’ll continue down the Rapa valley with high peaks in all directions. We pass the spectacular peaks Bielloriehppe and in the end of the day small birch trees starts to appear. We set camp just before arriving to the Rapa Delta where we also find Sarek National Park border.

Distance on skis: about 20 km, elevation gain/loss: -100, estimated time out skiing: 7h

DAY 7 EXTRA DAY (B,L,D)

All our winter expeditions in Sarek national park have a planned extra day to give us the flexibility to respond to weather and snow conditions.

DAY 8 ARRIVING SALTOLUOKTA MOUNTAIN LODGE (B,L,D)

We’ll continue through a meandering delta landscape to Aktse where we will be picked up by a snowmobile that will take us the last stretch to Saltoluokta mountain lodge. We’ll finish the expedition with a well-deserved sauna followed by dinner in the restaurant.

Distance on skis: about 10 km, elevation gain/loss: +50/-50 m, estimated time out skiing 4h

DAY 9 DEPARTURE SALTOLUOKTA (B)

We have breakfast in the restaurant before it is time to say good-bye and get ready for your journey home. Saltoluokta mountain lodge organize snow-mobile transfers to Kebnats bus stop on the other side of lake Langas. Travel home on your own or join us in the minibus back to Jokkmokk.

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 questions?

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