Abisko National Park in Sweden is a well-known year-round hiking destination. Abisko's trails are suitable for short day trips as well as hikes of hundreds of kilometres. The most famous hiking route is the Abisko-Nikkaluokta hike along Kungsleden, or The King's Trail.
I planned the long hike in August according to what I wanted to see, starting from Kårsavagge. Kårsavagge is a valley surrounded by steep walls, with the eastern end located in the Abisko National Park.
Kårsavagge is home to the STF Kårsavagge hut, where the trail from Abisko is marked. From the valley, there are several routes to continue the journey. My route continued via Abiskojaure to Lake Áhpparjávri.
Abisko National Park
Abisko National Park, established in 1909, is located in northern Sweden near the Norwegian border. In the varied landscape, you can experience lush forests and valleys as well as admire the towering snow-capped mountains around you.
Abisko National Park is subject to stricter rules and restrictions than other areas. Berry picking and mushroom picking are everyone's right, but fishing is prohibited and you are not allowed to pick flowers or other plants. Movement in the bird sanctuary is prohibited in late spring and during the summer. Dogs must be kept on a leash.
In Abisko, camping is only permitted at the campsites at the Abisko tourist centre and at the Abiskojaure cabins. There is a charge for camping in the campsites. Along the Kungsleden, camping is only allowed in the free Nissonjohka camping area, which is a good four kilometres from the road. Outside the boundaries of the Abisko National Park, you can pitch your tent freely.
Fires are only allowed in the national park area in marked areas. However, camping stoves may be used everywhere.
Abisko trails
Abisko offers access to many day trips and hiking trails for several days. There are so many routes that you can easily combine them to create any kind of ring trail or one-way hike. The classic is the Kungsleden hike on the Abisko-Nikkaluokta route, which also offers a detour to Kebnekaise.
Most Abisko routes start near the road at the River Abiskojåkka. The Kårsavagge trail is the same that turns to Njulla and Rihdonjira waterfalls. The eastern side of the trail leads to Baddosdieva and on to Lapporten. On the Torneträsk side of the road is the Abisko Canyon.
The Nordkalott Trail also passes through Abisko. The Nordkalott Trail takes you to Kilpisjärvi via Malla Nature Reserve towards Halti, the highest peak in Finland and on to Norway from Lake Somasjärvi to Sarafossen and Reisa National Park.
Abisko is easily accessible by car, train and bus from Kiiruna or Narvik. From Kiiruna it takes just over an hour to drive to Abisko. The STF Abisko Turiststation and the Naturum Visitor Centre are located next to the E10 road and the railway. Naturum has an information board, a map and two parking areas.
Parking is available on the north side of the road when staying at the Abisko Visitor Centre. South of the train station there is a large free car park where long-term parking is allowed. It is therefore ideal for hikers.
Abisko - 170 km hike in August
On my late August hike from Abisko, I particularly wanted to see three destinations: Kårsavagge valley, Mårmapasset and Unna Reaiddavagge valley, and the scenery of Unna Allakas. These made up a nice 170-kilometre circular route:
Abisko - Kårsavagge - Abiskojaure - Áhpparjávri - Aliseatnu - Mårmastugan - Mårmapasset - Vistasstugan - Stuor Reaiddávággi - Sielmmávággi - Tjäktja - Alesjaure - Unna Allakas - Gámavuopmi - Abiskojaure - Abisko.
Unna Reaiddávággi changed to Stuor Reaiddávággi and Nallo bypass due to the weather. The total duration of the adventure was 6 days and 5 hours - a 3 hour evening hike on the day of arrival and two hours of morning hike on the day of departure.
Even though my camera (again) rejected cooperation in the middle of the trip (rain, fog etc.), I had so many photos from the long hike that I decided to split the adventure story into three parts. Here are some experiences from the first leg, hiking from Abisko to Lake Áhpparjávri.
From Abisko to Kårsavagge - hiking story
I set off from the car park at Abisko train station a little after seven in the evening. I had calculated that I could get across the border of Abisko National Park before dark if I left for Kårsavagge by 6 pm at the latest. Fortunately, the sky was only filled with a light layer of clouds, so there would be enough light for a long way.
I arrived at the trailhead of Kungsleden, the classic hike on the Abisko-Nikkaluokta trail, before the bridge. A couple of years earlier, I had hiked the Nikkaluokta-Abisko route but turned off from Alesjaure to the Vistas hike. At the end of this hike, I would walk the last leg of Kungsleden from Abiskojaure to Abisko.
I had to dig my camera out and get it ready right away. The turquoise foaming River Abiskojåhkå appeared in the middle of the vertical slate walls. I breathed in the cool smell of late summer hiking. Although a week's worth of food weighed on my back, walking felt so light.
The Kårsavagge trail started just across the bridge. Duckboards and bushes. Most of the path was gravel, ten kilometres would be covered in no time. On a dusky evening in the last week of August, pink grasses marked the way through the silence.
The ascent up the valley is gentle enough that it doesn't feel like much of an ascent. Unfortunately, the sun sets to the west, so the eastern end of Kårsavagge is quickly overshadowed in the evening. All the rays seemed to gather in the far left to the U-shaped Lapporten.
I left the birch trees gradually behind. The narrow path gave way to a wide dirt road. The red marks of the snowmobile trail stood out against the green. The sky began to cloud over, turning the mountain tops pink.
At the end of the large flat terrain, a sign read: welcome to Abisko National Park. Or, in this case, farewell. It took well under two hours from Abisko to reach the border of the national park. Now I could pitch my tent anywhere I wanted. I headed towards Lake Gorsajavri.
A stone's throw away, the route sign said that I had walked seven kilometres, with six kilometres to go to the Kårsavagge cabin. The Abisko-Kårsavaggestugan stretch is 14 kilometres long, but on a hike you always have so many twists and turns that the actual walking distance is easily more.
The trail turned right around a meandering river that shimmered silver. A fine clearing was left behind, and I dived into the dense bush. A few late summer insects might have been circling around.
I hadn't realised that Kårsavagge had such a long willow forest. Fortunately, there was still enough light to walk through the willows to a more pleasant section of path.
Camping in Kårsavage
After a good 12 kilometres of hiking, darkness was falling fast, I should start looking for a camping spot. I would have liked to get a little further along the shore of Lake Vuolimus Gorsajávri, as the terrain was still quite willowy and hilly.
I arrived at a stream where I could get water. The scenery didn't look any better on the other side of the stream, I would set up camp in the first bearable spot. A relatively flat slope was found twenty metres down the hillside. I stopped my sports watch at ten o'clock at night, at the end of a three-hour hike.
By the light of a headlamp and on a windless night, the tent was fast set up. I had already had breakfast, lunch and dinner driving from southern Finland to northern Sweden in one day, and fresh water and a cup of cocoa were enough for an evening snack. The moment of the first night's hike before bedtime is always so exhilarating - I'm finally there again!
The morning dawned gloriously from behind the mountains where I had entered the valley in the evening. A perfectly clear sky heralded a hot day. I made porridge and let the sun dry the tent. At seven o'clock I was back with my rucksack on my back and a smile on my face.
Kårsavagge hut and river crossing
The trail and the tent sites along it got better as the trip progressed deeper into the valley. Lower down near the snowmobile trail and the river, you could see some really nice tent spots. The western end of Vuolimus Gorsajávri is much better for camping than the eastern end.
At the same time, Kårsavaggestugan appeared as a white dot in the middle of the mountain landscape. Latnjacorru had small streams that you could jump over on the rocks. The stream from Latnjajávri was the widest, but you could also cross it by balancing on rocks.
The most spectacular campsites were on the banks of the Gaskkamus Gorsajávri, less than a kilometre from the cabins. The Kårsavagge lodge (STF Kårsavagge Fjällstuga) is one of the oldest of the STF's cabins. The story goes that the small hut is haunted. (I encountered the ghost stories a little later on the hike!)
As I approached the buildings, a cabin host walked up to me to ask how I was doing. She also gave me instructions for wading and the route across Boazočohkka to Abiskojaure. I thanked her and headed down to the shore.
The inlet between Gaskkamus Gorsajávri and Bajimus Gorsajávri is a wide and shallow wading spot. I changed into dry socks and sandals and stepped into the cold water. The water rose to my calf at its highest point. There was not much current, but the rocks at the bottom were very slippery.
The trailhead of the path was easy to find on the other bank. I looked for the nearest rock to dry my feet and change my shoes. Boazočohkka looked big and steep. But you can always get up, one step at a time. There was a good three kilometres of climbing ahead.
The ascent to Boazočohkka
Most of the trail was a dry and narrow path dug into the grass. Occasional tussocks dotted the wetter parts. Stone cairns were piled along the way.
Some of the streams from the mountain were dry, mere stone pools. There was water in the streams that flowed from the small lakes. I counted on getting a drink from fairly high up and not carrying much extra water in a bottle. The warming weather and the footwork did require a relatively long breaks for drinking, though.
There were several nice spots for breaks on the slope. You could have pitched a tent on the first ledge. The landscape of Kårsavagge valley was starting to look more and more spectacular. Unfortunately, the Gorsajökeln glacier at the very western end of the valley was not visible on this route - you would have had to walk all the way to the end of Kårsavagge to see it.
From the next plateau I had a great view towards Abisko and Nuollá. The surface of Lake Gorsajärvi was shining. Lake Latnjajávri on the other side of the valley is just hidden behind the slopes, only the southern tip and the stream from there are visible once you have climbed high enough. You could hike across the lake to the Låktatjakko lodge.
A windless and sunny day slowly turned hot. I'm not at my best in hot weather sports. Fortunately, my guess was right: less than a kilometre from the highest point of the Boazočohkka crossing, clear, ice-cold water flowed down the slope in wide rims. I drank as much as I could and filled my water bottle.
I could cross the streams over the rocks with dry feet. For a while I could walk on flat grass again before the stones increased. The slope eased before the saddle, where I climbed almost an hour from the water point.
At the top, it was nice to admire the scenery and rest my feet. In the heat, I didn't feel like lunch, so I just had a snack. I had hiked a good seven kilometres and had been hiking for a good four hours.
Hike to Abiskojaure
I started descending down the slope of Boazočohkka. Boazojávri stood out among the barren cliffs. The slope was so steep that the path zigzagged down.
Ábeskojávri glittered blue in the distance below. The buildings of Abiskojaure stood out as dots in the woodland. The sun shone full blade straight ahead, I pushed my sunglasses deeper.
I knew the bad weather was coming and I didn't have much spare days on this trip, so I had planned to hike a really long stretch on the first day. However, my toes were starting to remind me of their existence with pain. I lay down on the grass, leaning on my rucksack, and grabbed some painkillers.
The descent continued to be gentle and easy. The slope towards Abiskojaure is much greener than the route towards Kårsavagge. At Boazocahca, I headed back to Abisko National Park.
Shortly before the birch bush began, I got fresh water from a stream again. The curly birch trees in the forest provided lovely shade and coolness. With only a few days of August left, bees buzzed greedily on the petals of the last flowers. They probably didn't mind the heat delaying autumn.
The jungle ended at the fine sandy beach of Abiskojaure. The beach was the best thing about the place. On my hike so far, I had only seen one person, the cabin host at Kårsavagge. Abiskojaure's yard was bustling with activity. Before the bridge, a group of trail runners swept past me. Welcome to Kungsleden, I thought.
Kungsleden - hike to Lake Áhppar
The metal bridge creaked and swayed under my footsteps. The sun dazzled as it reflected off the surface of the river below. I dreamed of cloudy skies and didn't have the energy to dig filters into my camera lens.
The path wandered a short distance in the gracious shadows of birch trees. It also became very bumpy because of the rocks. I usually like to walk in natural boulders, where the footstep follows naturally from one stone to the next. But on a worn path, the rocks are like repeated obstacles always in the wrong place.
Walking along the duckboards, I felt like I was on a savannah. I passed a sign for some World War II memorial. There would have been a shelter to visit. I didn't feel like looking for the place when there was still a lot of walking to do and my pace was slowed down by the pain in my feet.
The wide stone path at Kungsleden was also difficult to walk on because of the rocks. A couple of groups of people passed by, otherwise it was quiet. A little after three in the afternoon I stood at the Abisko National Park sign again, now I would leave it behind for several days.
From the national park border it was less than a kilometre to the River Siellajohka. The river was a popular camping area, judging by the flat grasslands around it. As Abisko National Park approaches, it is one of the last places where you can camp freely. It was nice to sit on the rocks sunbathing on the shore and boil water for lunch.
I crossed the bridge and set off along the path that climbs between Gárddenvárri and Siellanjunni. The Ballinbogicohkka boulder loomed large behind the hilly riverbed. After a flatter stretch, Gárddenvárri cast its shadow on the path, it was already late afternoon. At the same time, the snow-capped peak of Kåtotjåkka began to loom in the distance ahead.
After the final ascent, I could enjoy an easy walk on the long duckboards over the willow bushes. The planks continued up to the junction of the paths. Before the foot pains, I had planned to walk all the way to River Vierrojohka, so that I could cross the Mårmapasset the next day in good weather.
According to the crossing sign, Vuopmegeahi was 14 km away. There would be a bridge to River Vierrojohka, which would take me to Mårmastugan shelter. It was 25 kilometres to the shelter. Good luck for trying, as the clock was already ticking at seven pm and my feet were burning like hell.
I turned left towards Lake Áhpparjávri, glowing blue in the middle of a carpet of crowberry and blueberry bushes. The beauty of nature made words very unnecessary and emptied my mind. It was a privilege to be a visitor to these lands.
After walking some distance, I had to rest my toes. I studied the map of the route ahead to see where I could find suitable campsites. At the same time, a sudden and profuse nosebleed caused an obligatory longer break with toilet paper filling my nose. There was no way I would get anywhere near Vierrojohka.
By the time I finally got on the trail again, it was mercilessly late. I hurried along the lakeside in the willow bushes. How the willow bushes came as a surprise again? The scene was pretty much the same as the night before, though now it was still light out.
Around nine pm I started to circle the terrain, looking for a flat, dry spot. Ahead, the bushes seemed to cover the banks throughout, so when I came to a stream that would provide drinkable water, I decided to camp near it. Eventually, after a bit of climbing, I found a tolerable spot a little higher up the slope.
Sleep a night outdoors in Swedish Lapland
The annoyance of a shorter than expected day trip evaporated faster than I could take off my backpack. The golden sun dipped behind the mountains, turning the landscape an incredible shade of orange and red. It was completely silent.
The tent's rainfly was still wet from the previous night's semi-bushy camp, and I was sure it wouldn't dry a drop among the willow bushes and other vegetation on the lake shore. To make matters worse, a sharp branch punctured a hole in the tent floor. I repaired the damage with duct tape.
In my home country, Suomen Latu's (The Outdoor Association of Finland) "Sleep Outdoors" was currently being celebrated. I had already had dozens of such nights this summer, but this night of camping was still a breathtakingly wonderful experience. I'm beginning to believe that I'll never get tired of sleeping under the stars. Or rain clouds, or northern lights, or whatever happens to be in the sky.
I cooked my dinner listening to the silence of the night. Feeling infinite freedom and deep gratitude - this (too) was happiness. I only dared to crawl into my sleeping bag when it got so dark that I could no longer see the landscape.
Kårsavagge's adventure to Lake Áhpparjávri had been just over 37 km, with 25 km for today. On the first leg of the adventure, the ascent was 1360 m.
In the morning I woke up to the most beautiful lake scenery and August warmth. Next on the adventure would be Mårmastugan and Mårmapasset, Stuor Reaiddávággi and Sielmmávággi. Great scenery, creepy weather, sauna and ghost stories!
