Journey to Abisko
The following report is a small hiking guide for the Abisko valley in the north of Sweden. There begins the hiking trail "Kungsleden".
In the summer of 1997 we travelled by train from Berlin (in the late evening) via Sassnitz and Trelleborg to Stockholm (late afternoon). The night train toward the Polar Circle departed in the evening. After reaching Abisko and the lake Torneträsk in the north of Sweden the following afternoon, we had completed more than forty hours of travel. In summer the sun does not set in this part of Lapland for a few weeks. So it is never dark at night.
Abisko is divided into two parts: there is the old village with the supermarket "ICA" and there is the tourist station with a hotel and a small shop. Both parts have a railway station: "Abisko Östra" and "Abisko Turiststation". The second one is already situated within the Abisko National Park (75 km²).
From Abisko you can see the mountains called "Lapporten" - the Gate of Lapland. Before leaving Abisko we took the cable car up to the mountain Njulla (1,169 metres high) at midnight. Unfortunately it was too cloudy to see the midnight sun (visible until 16 July).
Kungsleden and the Abisko National Park
In Abisko begins the well-known hiking path "Kungsleden" (Path of the King), which continues southward to the highest mountain in Sweden, Kebnekaise, at more than 2,100 metres. At first the path is lined by small trees, then only bushes remain and you have a great view into the distance. After leaving the National Park the mountain terrain becomes more barren. Occasionally we still spotted isolated snowfields. The mountain massif of Kieron was visible on the left side throughout (Kieron means "Girun" in the native Sami language).
Within the Abisko National Park it is not permitted to pitch tents anywhere. However, there are two official camping spots: the first is at Nissunjohka, not far from the railway station (and free of charge); the second campground is at the far end of the National Park and requires a small fee. The Kungsleden is a well-maintained timber plank trail, though a few sections can be somewhat rotten.
Hiking to the Top of Kartinvare
We did not hike all the way to Kebnekaise along the Kungsleden. Instead, we climbed to Kartinvare (in Sami language: Gárddenvárri, 1,155 metres). Kartinvare offers an excellent viewpoint in all directions, including toward Kebnekaise.
Incidentally, the Abisko valley is the driest area in Sweden, with only 298 millimetres of rain per year. And a word of warning: at the first campground (Tältplats Nissunjohka) our tent was pitched close to the river - and by morning it was partly inside the water!
Maybe one day I will continue hiking along this wonderful trail, the Kungsleden.
Link Tips
- Northern Kungsleden hiking in the mountains
- Swedish Tourist Association for hiking, Swedish website
- Kungsleden at Wikipedia
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... more of Lapland:
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... more of Sweden, but by canoe:
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... more mountain hiking – in Norway:
