Lapland 2018

Tour of 2018 – Day 3, July 29th 2018

Camp at bridge over Vierrojohka
We went to bed early last night and everyone was probably asleep by 9pm, I know for sure that I was. The frenzy of the last week before departing obviously had caught up with me when I started relaxing out here in nature!
Slept super well and woke up just after 6:30 in the morning, turns out I was the only one up and I let the girls sleep in while doing some reading and enjoying a great meditation.
After a long, relaxed morning we got going at 11am, maybe half hour earlier Ashleigh got some Advil out of her bag and offered Cornelia for her knee pain. This turned out to be one of the highlights of the tour as we all finished today’s hike felling really well. Cornelia felt a slight discomfort at times, no pain.
The trail through Bessesvagge was, for the most part, in better shape than I’ve ever seen it. Still I lost it once on the stretch through the bushes and found it again after some struggling with vegetation.
I followed a creek uphill until I got back on the trail and then got back down to get my backpack and the girls. Super impressed by their effort, they did 100m (300ft) of steep elevation in just about 20min!
After a short break we continued along the trail, turned south towards the bridge over Aliseatnu and crossed over to the south side.
Side note: there’s a new trail heading eastbound when the wetlands start to show up, I checked it out and highly recommend to stick with the original one!
Reaching the intended campsite at the western shore of Vierrojohka we ignored the cold of the glacier water and first got cleaned up. Then setting up camp and having dinner down by the little pebble beach, starting a small fire to fend off the mosquitoes that appeared when the wind went down.
Tomorrow we need to get started a few hours earlier to have enough time for the Mårma pass so we’re all heading for another early night!

The journey continues, please leave a comment to tell me what You think and share this with friends and loved ones who might benefit or be interested!

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Peace // Claes

Free Group Tour 2018

Hey, let me give You a treat here and invite You to join me on a tour free of charge!
Normally I charge from $197 to $497 per person (www.offthegridlive.com) to take people on a week long hike like this, and I cannot see that this freebie is going to be repeated any time soon.
If You followed my stuff for any length of time You know that I’m all about getting off the grid and away from the beaten track. So, while this tour is incredibly safe and still rather comfortable, You can expect to see parts of the mountain not many find by themselves and to meet very few people compared to following the major trails.
Important dates and locations:
  • July 27th PM depart Abisko Tourist Station
    Get there with SAS flight to Kiruna followed by bus/train, or with train from Stockholm
  • August 3rd return to Abisko
    Stay for a few days to explore the area or depart in the PM
We start from Abisko (along the E10 between Kiruna and Narvik) in the afternoon on July 27th, the hike takes us through one of the most famous valleys in Lapland, Lapporten, and we camp either in the valley itself of after entering Bessesvaggi. Continuing west on Saturday morning we cross the Aliseatnu and make our way up the valley towards Mårma, crossing the pass at 1640m (5380ft) on the next day. Camping one night at the Vistas cabin rewards us with the opportunity of cleaning up in the sauna and wash up some clothing of needed.
Needless to say, the view from that spot is just marvelous!
Now we continue north on the west side of Vistasvaggi using the less trafficked Unna Vistasvagge, with it´s fantabulous camp sites, to take us through to Alisvagge and passed Alesjaure. Briefly touching Kungsleden (the Kings trail) at the cabin in Alesjaure we soon after turn further west and explore a ridge with some beautiful lakes to camp at and very few visitors.
Starting the next day by staying on the ridge for a little longer takes us to the trail leading west towards Rovvidievva that takes us down into the birch forrest where we follow Kamajåkka to Abiskojaure.
This is where we part, leaving You with an easy 14km (9 mile) hike along Kungsleden back to Abisko while I head through Hoiganvagge towards Norway to stay out another good four weeks.
Now, You will receive an email course with everything You need to prepare for the tour when getting closer. Yet please let me give You a list of equipment right away.
Being outdoors is so much more enjoyable when You carry the right gear and I really want to grant You enough time to gather what You need.
Personal clothing:
  • Hiking trousers
  • Underwear, I recommend 3-4 pairs and wash them along the way
  • Socks, use liners and outer socks, 3-4 pairs each
  • T-shirts/shirts, 3-4
  • Long underwear, 1 set
  • Light fleece sweater
  • Warm wool, fleece or down sweater
  • Rain gear, jacket & trousers
  • Hat or cap
  • Gloves
  • Scarf or Buff
  • Light shoes for river crossing – I recommend Crocs as they dry very fast and double  well as camp slippers
Personal equipment:
  • Backpack, 60-75l with rain cover – Make sure You´ve tried it on (packed) and that it fits Your back comfortably
  • Sleeping bag – night temperatures are normally between 0 and +15 Celsius (32-59 F)
  • Mattress – I recommend inflatable with or w/out down filling
  • Camping stove – make sure it´s light and You know how it works, if You use gas be advised that the European standard is Lindal B188 valve
  • Tent – 3 seasons recommended, try to share a tent between 2-3 persons to save weight from Your packs
  • Knife – folded pocket knife is good
  • Cup or mug
  • Plate or bowl (eating directly out of the pot is a good option)
  • Spoon and/or fork (Plastic might break…)
  • Lighter or matches
  • Personal care products
  • Basic first aid – bandages, any medication You use, Compeed (for covering and healing of blisters), insect repellents, etc.

If You join the tour You´ll get all this information again as part of the 8 part email course that´s included to help You prepare for the tour!

Hope You take me up on the offer, there are 10 spots and 10 only, once they´re filled it´s too late!

Peace // Claes