7-day winter expedition along the Kungsleden in Swedish Lapland

Anyone between the ages of 16 and 65 with good fitness and a sense of adventure can walk this trail. The journey includes a solid amount of physical activity, so being in good health is a must.

Are you looking to try a multi-day hike for the first time, but have doubts about your physical capacity?

Ask yourself the following questions:

• How often have I been physically active in the past three months?
• What types of physical activity do I regularly do, and for how long?
• Have I had any recent injuries that could affect my ability to enjoy this adventure?
• Can I comfortably walk 15 kilometers over hilly terrain?
• Can I train in the coming months to prepare myself optimally for this adventure?

If your answers give you full confidence to embark on this adventure, then this trail is definitely for you! You’ll receive a training schedule a week after booking to get you ready to tackle the path comfortably.

Still unsure and want to test yourself before heading out on the trail?

Try one of our micro-adventures like The Vosges Trail, The Mullerthal Trail, or The Packraft Trail.

On each departure day, there are 2 groups, Group A and Group B.

Both groups will hike the full route between Abisko tourist station and the Singi hut. They will also spend the same number of nights in tourist stations and huts.

The only difference between the two groups is that Group A heads straight onto the trail on day 2, while Group B does a local loop around Abisko Tourist Station that day. Group B will start on the trail on day 3, which means they will always be one day "behind" Group A.

While Group B hikes from the Salka hut to the Singi hut on day 7, the adventurers from Group A will have the opportunity to take a local route near Kebnekaise. At the end of the day, both groups will be picked up by snowmobile transport and will be reunited in Nikkaluokta.

In the adventure food pack, you'll find a variety of tasty meals for the whole week (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). If you're vegetarian, you can indicate this in your booking.

What you need to prioritize at the top of your list is enough thermal clothing, a waterproof and windproof jacket, and hard-shell pants that you feel comfortable enough in to cover long distances. You can also optionally book these pants.

Keep in mind that you'll have long days in the cold. Be sure to bring a down jacket, two fleeces, warm and waterproof gloves, and wool socks. A good pair of sunglasses with at least category 3 protection and sunscreen with SPF 50 are also important. Due to the cold, we recommend bringing hand and foot warmers, as well as a thermos for hot water.

Your own hiking boots

If you choose to bring your own hiking boots or winter shoes, it's crucial that they are warm and waterproof. Note: for Nordic skiing, you'll get Nordic ski boots from the rental, and we recommend bringing hiking wool or another preventive measure against blisters.

You will receive a more detailed packing list well before departure.

On each departure day, a team of experienced guides will join who know the trail well and have chosen the beautiful routes and accommodations. They will also be there for support in case any issues arise during the trail itself.

• If you choose snowshoes:
  • You will need to bring your own sturdy, warm hiking boots with a waterproof membrane (such as Gore-Tex) or winter boots. This ensures the snowshoes can be securely fastened and provides you with sufficient ankle support.
• If you choose skis:
  • You will receive rental Nordic ski boots. For these, we highly recommend bringing hiking wool (blister wool) or another preventative remedy against blisters. For the arrival and departure days, we still advise bringing sturdy, warm, and waterproof hiking boots or winter boots.

Ski clothing is generally too warm for this trek. You are constantly on the move and will sweat much faster than you think. Besides staying warm, you also want to avoid getting soaked in sweat. Once your base layers are wet, it becomes much harder to stay warm. We always recommend using the layering system:

• (Merino) Thermal base layer
• Hardshell jacket and pants
• Possibly a technical sweater or fleece as an extra layer
• A down jacket for the moments when you are not moving

Avoid thick ski pants or heavy jackets; you are guaranteed to get too warm while walking or skiing.

During this week, you'll cover a total of about 75 km. The number of kilometers per day varies between 12 and 22 km. The days are well balanced in relation to the distance you'll be covering, taking into account the elevation gain you'll encounter.

A hardshell pants are strongly recommended. Softshells or ski pants are usually too warm or not waterproof and windproof enough. If you don't have a hardshell yourself, you can rent one through us. We ask you to let us know at least 2 months before departure.

No, standard ski or snowboard boots are not compatible with the equipment we use.

We use a nordic ski system with specific leather nordic ski boots, which have a completely different connection than alpine ski gear.

The rental ski boots are relatively wide and fit most adventurers. If you're unsure, let us know your shoe size and possibly the length/width of your foot. We can check with our partner to ensure there's a suitable model available.

If it turns out on-site that you really can't fit into the rental shoes, you'll have to complete the trail with snowshoes and your own sturdy winter hiking boots.

During The King's Trail, you won't encounter any restaurants, except at the beginning and the end of the week. For this reason, we offer you a complete meal package consisting of freeze-dried meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This adventure food pack costs only €115 (veggie) or €125 (standard). In addition, the meals are lightweight and easy to carry in your pulka or backpack.

The planet offers us so many beautiful things to admire, but if we want to continue doing so in the future, we need to protect it today. That's why we make extra efforts to reduce the impact of our trips. You can reliably contribute to a climate project from Greentripper in the booking form, which balances out the CO2 emissions from your transport.

By contributing to their certified project “Wildlife Cambodia,” you help protect beautiful forests and the wildlife within them, support local communities, and reduce the CO2 emissions from your transport. If you choose to contribute for the emissions of your transport, Travelbase will also make an additional contribution for the emissions on-site. After your trip, you'll receive an official carbon credit certificate.

Read more about our efforts at travelbase.eu/impact.

The King's Trail takes place in small groups. This allows us to offer a personal experience and create an intimate atmosphere.

No, it depends on your own preference.
We definitely recommend a pulka if you choose to ski, as it makes moving around more comfortable: you pull your gear behind you instead of carrying it on your back. If you opt for snowshoes, then a backpack is also an option, but you can carry a bit less gear.

A pulka is a special, streamlined sled that allows you to efficiently pull all your baggage and equipment behind you through the snow. You attach it to your body using poles and a hip belt, so you can pull the sled behind you.

The major advantage of a pulka compared to a traditional backpack is comfort: the sled is specially designed for deep snow and glides so smoothly that you will barely feel the 10 to 20 kilos of clothing and meals on your back or shoulders. This significantly increases your stability on skis or snowshoes and reduces physical strain.

You do not need any prior experience to walk with a pulka; the system is highly intuitive, and our guides will teach you on day one how to smartly pack and navigate the sled in the tracks.

Not necessarily. If you distribute the gear wisely, one pulka can sometimes be enough for two people. For example, one person can use the pulka while the other carries a backpack, and you can switch along the way. Of course, a pulka is provided for each participant, and we highly recommend this as well.

Yes, absolutely. A pulka:

• increases your stability on skis or snowshoes
• reduces the load on your back and shoulders
• makes it easier to cover long distances in the snow

Without a pulka, you have to carry everything in a backpack, which can quickly feel heavy and unstable in deep snow.

Yes. There is no luggage transport, as we hike from hut to hut. So, you'll carry everything you need in your pulka or backpack. You won't be returning to the base camp, so pack smart and light.

We recommend using a waterproof duffel (size M, about 90L) as your main bag. You’ll place this in your pulka. Additionally, bring a daypack of about 30 liters for your gear on the go. That one can also go in the pulka. You don’t need any experience to walk with a pulka. It's easy to use and much more comfortable than a heavy backpack.

You don't need to bring your own trekking poles or reserve them. Everyone will receive trekking poles on-site anyway.

There is a very high chance (unfortunately never 100%) that you will see the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) during The King’s Trail. The trail is located entirely above the Arctic Circle and we start in the Swedish village of Abisko, which is world-renowned as one of the absolute best places on earth to spot the Northern Lights.

This is due to a unique microclimate locally known as the 'Blue Hole': the surrounding mountains block the clouds, meaning the sky above Abisko is statistically clearer and more cloud-free than anywhere else in Lapland. Furthermore, because we trek deep into the wilderness and spend our nights in remote mountain huts, there is total darkness and zero light pollution. As soon as the sky is clear and there is solar activity, all you have to do is look up from the mountain hut to admire the magical green light.

To comfortably participate in the winter expedition on The King’s Trail, a good level of fitness and solid core stability are required, but you do not need to be a top athlete. Because you will be active in the snow for 4 to 8 hours daily while pulling a pulka, your preparation should focus primarily on endurance and strengthening your lower back and legs.

Our training tips for preparation:

• Build your endurance: In the months leading up to departure, regularly go for longer walks (15 to 20 kilometers) to accustom your body to consecutive days of physical exertion. Steady running or cycling also helps improve your cardiovascular fitness.
• Strengthen your core and legs: Pulling a pulka requires stability from your abdominal and back muscles. Add basic strength exercises such as squats, lunges, and planks to your weekly routine.
• Train with resistance: Try going for a brisk walk with a weighted backpack. This simulates the muscle tension your core absorbs when the pulka pulls via the hip belt.

About a week after booking, you will receive a targeted training schedule from us that will prepare you step-by-step to start this arctic adventure comfortably and with full confidence.