Join us Off The Grid!

Everybody knows how good it feels to have great things to look forward to, and that might be even more important in these different times.

For my part, I’m stoked to have booked my tickets for Lapland this coming summer, and I’d like to invite You to join me for a week of experiencing nature off the beaten track!

Unfortunately the local transportation entities haven’t done their scheduling yet, so I have prepared a few different tours depending on how it syncs with trains and/or busses.
Please trust me that wherever we start and finish, it’s gonna be an awesome hike 😉 !

Here’s the deal:

Start date: Friday, July 30th 2021

End date: Saturday August 7th 2021

Closest city/airport is Kiruna which we are using as point of entry!

Expect 15-25km daily (depending on elevation and terrain) carrying 20-25kg on Your back, and be prepared to use spring and summer to work Yourself to that level if You’re not confident doing it today!

You’ll get all necessary information on how to prepare and pack for the tour, what equipment You need, how to dehydrate food and what to bring, as well att everything else You need to get ready once You committed to the tour.
Once off the grid You learn how to choose camp site, safely make a camp fire in the wild, use map and compass, and a lot more useful stuff on how to navigate the tour.

A couple of times we might touch base with civilization and camp at a cabin with sauna and a small shop, yet don’t count on it. Be prepared to carry everything You need in, and bring the trash out, as well as washing in cold water most/all of the time, ok?

My fee for taking You on this adventure is SEK 1590:- (Sales tax included) and covers the tour itself, educational material and a couple of Q&A sessions online, one in February and another in March, to cover anything regarding equipment, provision and preparation for the tour.

Please acknowledge that travel arrangements have to be handled by every participant themselves. You need to plan for being in Kiruna early on July 30th as we don’t know until later this year when we can get a transport to our starting point!
Let me know if You need any help aside from the links You receive in the confirmation email upon registering, ok?

Hope to see You on the tour!

Peace be the Journey // Claes

After being joined by Ashleigh Overlander and Cornelia Paulsson for the first week of the 2018 tour, I did the entire tour of 2019 by myself – besides sharing a few days with people I met on the trail.

Time to bring some nice people off the grid again and share the mountains and the solitude of the wild.

July 24th, 2020 we meet in Kiruna and take the bus at 2:30 PM, this means You can choose to arrive a day or two early and explore Kiruna, arrive by train from Stockholm, or fly in the same morning.
I for my part depart from Stockholm ARN with SAS at 8:25 AM and arrive in Kiruna airport at 9:55, picking up some gas in central Kiruna and enjoy a nice lunch before the bus departs.
You’re of course most welcome to join in on that lunch 😉

After about an hour the bus stops at Kaisepakte, which is basically just a stop on the road, and we start on the trail towards Bessesvagge. Due to the late arrival in the mountains, we are only doing 6-8km (4-5 miles) that first day, best case scenario we reach Bessesjaure, else we camp at a stream along the trail.

Day two we continue the trail and pass south of Lapporten, probably one of the most photographed valleys in the world, cross Nissonjokha, and then turn north away from the trail.
The middle part of Bessevagge is known (and hated) for its muddy and rocky trail, hard-to-handle vegetation, and the ease with which the trail is lost, and so we avoid that part and move into unmarked territory and wilderness together.
From now on the days are loosely planned as it’s impossible to guess how fast the group can move with comfort, we might have to stop early some days to accommodate some participant’s need for rest. In this case I can take others on an exploratory tour of the surrounding area.

After hiking through Nissonvaggi we move around Ballincohkka and continue back southwards through Ballinvaggi all the way back onto the trail heading west towards Kunsleden.
As stated above, the group is determining the daily tours and it’s just not possible to plan for exactly where to make camps. Of course, I have a general idea and there are several suitable places along the planned stretch.

Depending on how far we can go each day, we might be able to cross Kunsleden and hike over the ridge towards Kårsavagge, in which case we part at that cabin and there’s an easy to find and easy to hike trail leading to Abisko and civilization. Or, we might have to cut the tour short and part in Abiskojaure in case of any serious delays during the days leading up here.

Please always remember that it’s better to go slow and stop early, skipping a day or two at the back end of the tour, then having to deal with someone hurting themselves or stretching their capacity to a point from which they can not continue at all.
It’s everybody’s responsibility to be honest with themselves and me how they feel and to let me know at an early state when exhaustion creeps up on them!

Upon registration, all participants will receive a copy of my ebook on how to prepare for a tour, please make sure to follow the guidelines and recommendations, double-check Your gear to make sure it’s complete and working properly.
Always remember that You need to carry everything on Your back, and what You do not have in Your pack, You will not be able to get during the tour – there are no shops in the wild!