Discussions about creating a trail that stretched the whole way across Sweden's northern mountains gained momentum as early as the beginning of the 1900s. A straight line between Torneträsk and Kvikkjokk was going to be 'the King's Road' through the Lapland mountains.
The first point was Abisko Mountain Station, which was inaugurated in 1902 in the road-less wilderness. A few years later, a cabin was built at Abiskojaure and another at the foot of Kebnekaise. Scouts marked the trails between these three points with cairns as early as 1926 and a few years later, in 1930, the entire trail was named 'Kungsleden'.
Fjällräven Classic is based around the same basic concept. Making it easier for people to reach the Swedish mountains. "The stretch of Kungsleden that was chosen feels completely right. With fantastic nature and wilderness 250 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, the Kungsleden trail has always attracted mountain trekkers. The idea for Kungsleden grew from the intention of making it easy for people to be in the mountains, which is the same concept behind Fjällräven Classic. The strength of the event is that it always offers good service, a feeling of security throughout the trek and a warm smile when it is most needed," says Andreas Josefsson, head of Fjällräven Classic.
A fantastic nature experience
Hiking in the mountains of Kebnekaise and along the Kungsleden trail where Fjällräven Classic goes is a fantastic way to experience nature. Even though it is one of the most popular trails in the Swedish mountains, the grandiose views and a tangible feeling of being tiny in an enormous landscape are dominant.
During your 110 km trek, you will see a wide variation of nature and landscapes, from the green birch forests at Nikkaluokta to the moonscape-ish stone fields north of the Tjäktja Pass. High mountains and deep valleys. Gurgling brooks and dry savanna-like plains.
Even though the trail is well-trodden and at times as wide as an exercise path, hiking in the mountains is totally different than walking along a road. Your feet will become more tired because of the unevenness of the ground and the rise and fall of the terrain will break the rhythm of your hike, meaning that in practice you will often not walk faster than 4 km/hour.
The trail is well-travelled and marked with stone cairns and orange stones. It is difficult to get lost during the day, but if you are going to hike at night, it can be a good idea to keep an extra eye on the map and your compass so you do not veer onto the wrong trail. There are a number of alternative trails along the way and even if it is completely acceptable to veer from the main trail as long as you visit all Fjällräven checkpoints, getting sidetracked involuntarily is rather irritating.
The enormous mountains and the alpine environment follow you from Kebnekaise to the Singistugor cabins. After arriving at the Singistugor cabins, you are on a hiking trail called Kungsleden. In its entirety, it stretches 420 km from Abisko in the north to Hemavan in the south. The trail to the north follows a broad but unbelievably beautiful u-shaped valley all the way to Sälka and for many it is the best and most impressive part of the journey. The Sälkastugor cabins are a popular place to put up camp but not just because there is a sauna and reinforcements in the form of food and coffee. The location is imbued with a feeling of freshness, freedom and the high mountains.
The part of the trail that passes over the Tjäktja Pass, 1,100 meters above the seal level and the trail's highest point, is dreaded by many. In the end, the climb is not all that difficult and the view once you are up there is worth every drop of sweat. On the other side unfolds a seeming endless field of stones, but it slopes downward and eventually the grey stones give way to green grass and a shimmering bluish-green valley with wide views to the east. The walk to the Alesjaurestugor cabins is rather easy - without any major changes in elevation - and at Checkpoint Alesjaure there is a sauna and a store.
The trail to Abisko is easy hiking and rather flat up to the Kieronbacken hill, at which point the steep downward climb is a test for tired knees and backs that have carried a backpack almost 100 kilometres. The higher vegetation is back and the last stretch resembles the beginning of the trek, with birch forests and well-trodden, broad paths. Soon you will reach the finish line in Abisko and experience the wonderful feeling of taking off your pack and ordering a rensouvas and a beer in the tent. You made it! And Fjällräven Classic is over! For this year.