Hiking in Europe - Norway

Step away from the heavily populated trails and take on Scandinavia’s most remote long-distance hiking route through Sweden, Norway and Finland.

Source: Isabel Pohjanen
 

We all love a holiday; travelling somewhere new, taking in the sights, walking through bustling cities, and coming across a piece of history on every corner. Sometimes though, this can get exhausting; standing in line, competing with strangers for a few mere seconds of looking at a priceless artwork and being constantly jostled about in crowds. Our suggestion? Step off the worn cobblestones and into a hiking or running adventure along ancient trails, participate in local events, and experience a different side of a country that most tourists never see.

Country: Norway
Perfect for: Experienced trekkers, through hikers
Difficulty: Moderate to high
Events: Arctic Ultra

Run along the Scandinavian mountains and step into the Arctic Circle on this 800km through trail including vast plateaus, marshland, glacial valleys, meadows, waterfalls, river crossings and remote forests. 

The Arctic Trail (Norwegian: Nordkalottruta, Swedish: Nordkalottleden, Finnish: Kalottiereitti) can be a demanding trek which requires a moderate to high level of fitness and experience with long-distance trekking in order to complete the 41 stages.

The trail was officially opened in 1993, connecting existing hiking trails in the three countries and has since also been added to the European Long Distance Path E1. As such there are several legs that you can do if you don’t want to do the full 800km including the Reisa Valley with rich Arctic fauna and Halti, Finland’s highest peak (1,331m)

Heads up: the Arctic Trail is not consistently marked. Depending on which country you’re in, the markers are all different. In Norway, red paint can be either a dot or a T (short for Turistforening, the organisation who looks after the trail in Norway) found on trees, boulders, or the rock structures known as “cairns”. These markers can be quite spaced out which isn’t necessarily an issue in good weather, but can be with poor visibility. In Finland, the markers are consistently spaced by 40cm wooden sticks with painted orange tops. In Sweden however, there is a combination of the two; markers are cairns with a thick dot of orange paint for summer routes, as well as sticks which may or may not have a plaque identifying the trail for year-round routes. In short, keep your eyes peeled and make sure you know how to read and use a map as well as a compass. If you’re unfamiliar with using a compass, see our blog on compass basics.

Beginning in Kautokeino and ending in Sulitjelma (north to south), you’ll spend 380km in Norway, 350km in Sweden and a brief 70km in Finland, crossing borders 15 times. If crossing country borders tickles your fancy, be sure to check out Treriksrøysa, where Norway, Sweden and Finland meet, which is the northernmost tri-country cairn in the world. Alternatively you can begin in Sulitjelma and end in Kautokeino (south to north) which brings the added benefit of a drier trail as you gradually move north. As the snow melts at the beginning of summer, this increases the water level of the rivers to become very difficult -if not downright dangerous- to cross and detours may be necessary. Once again, as long as you know how to use a map and a compass, you should be able to get back on track in no time.

Higher water levels also introduce another challenge of swamps and mosquito swarms (something that is commonly mentioned when you scour through reviews of the trail) - make sure you take your mosquito head net and mosquito pyramid for your tent and pick up some bug repellent when you arrive. Summer is the best time for hiking the Arctic Trail (early July to early September), late spring and early autumn are also good, however it is not recommended to travel in winter due to the extremely harsh conditions (average of -12ºC and 4 hours of light per day) and remoteness of the trail. Take into consideration that a large amount of the trail is in mountain terrain which can often cause unpredictable weather. Sections which aren’t in the mountains are exposed, so also remember to pack a wind-resistant jacket.

In short, be prepared for cold weather no matter the season and make sure that your equipment is up to the task, including those necessary fly nets and bug-repellent clothing.

There are around 50 places to stay along the trail which includes a mixture of centres and lodges that require booking in advance; attended and unattended huts in Sweden, unattended cabins in Norway which can be opened with a DNT key; cabins in Finland are unlocked but have neither bedding or mattresses (if you don’t have your sleep system set up see our blog on how to start).

Camping is permitted and encouraged due to the distance between huts and the high demand on accommodation during peak season. Supplies are limited on the trail so ensure that you have enough food and resources for 10 days (the longest section without supply sites or stores). In Sweden, the Swedish Tourist Association has a selection of mountain cabins which double as mountain shops offering a range of goods depending on the size of the cabin. Phone coverage is also very limited, so make sure you have a satellite phone.

As the Arctic Trail is a trekking route, there is no race held along the same trail, however there is the Arctic Ultra. An intense multi-day endurance race held in Norway which can give you an idea of the extreme types of conditions that are typical in the Arctic wilderness. 

Whether you decide to take on the full 800km or only some sections, we hope you have a wonderful time in Scandinavia!