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The Rogen Nature Reserve is an area of wilderness in north-west Sweden, bordering Norway where it is contiguous with the Femundsmarka National Park. As well as being famed for its excellent fishing, Rogen is one of Sweden’s top areas for canoe tours, ideal for those looking for a real wilderness paddling experience. The article below describes our Discover Wilderness Canoeing in Rogen self-guided canoe tour (4-8 or more days). A longer and more challenging canoe tour in the Rogen area, Rogen Wilderness Canoe Expedition (8-14 or more days) is also available.
Together with three friends from Scotland (Adam, Craig and Euan our official photographer for the trip), I spent six days paddling in the area in mid-June 2011 – six glorious days of fresh air, clear water and stunning views, all served up with a healthy dose of boys’ trip cameraderie, and of course the occasional mosquito!
Photo: Euan Turner DMh Photo
The night train from Stockholm disgorged us blinking into the morning sunshine at Östersund at a most uncivilised 6am. Fortunately the station staff is used to early morning passengers and the kiosk already had the coffee machine on and cinnamon rolls baking in the oven. This, plus the fact that it was midsummer when sleep feels like a shameful waste of daylight, meant that we were relatively awake and ready for action.
Photo: Euan Turner DMh Photo
A couple of hours later and we were the only passengers on the bus to the wild and woolly outreaches of Funäsdalen, chatting to the driver about the local sights and his passion for Scottish whisky. Euan got very excited when we stopped for a rest break near an outdoor store – he disappeared inside and emerged five minutes later proudly clutching a full-length net mosquito jacket, which he’d always wanted for those Scottish hillwalking trips but couldn’t find at home.
Photo: Euan Turner DMh Photo
I’d visited the area a number of times in winter, but this was my first time in Funäsdalen, and it turned out to be a perfect jumping off point for the outdoor activities in the area. We had an instruction meeting with Kalle from the canoe centre, who advised us sagely to “take it easy”, especially when making land transports – wise words, as even a simple twisted ankle can be very serious in such a remote area.
Photo: Euan Turner DMh Photo
A question often asked by clients considering a tour in Rogen is “How far will we paddle each day?”, but in Rogen this question has little meaning. Depending on the particular area of the reserve you are exploring and other factors such as the terrain, wind and weather conditions, as well as of course your own energy levels day-to-day, you could find that you munch through the miles with a full day’s paddling, cover just a handful of kilometres on a day requiring a challenging land transport, or decide to take a day or more off the water completely to climb one of the peaks for an unparalleled view over the surrounding wilderness. Kalle was right – “take it easy” and you will have a more enjoyable, safer and more rewarding experience than if you focus on setting too many goals for your trip.
We dropped our bags at the canoe centre and headed for the supermarket to stock up. Unexpectedly, we were spoiled for choice and it took us rather longer than expected to negotiate a menu we were all happy with, but after quick repack we were ready for the off, rattling our way out of Funäsdalen along gravel forest roads to the start point.
Photo: Euan Turner DMh Photo
With a cheery wave, Kalle disappeared in a cloud of dust, our last sight of civilisation for the next week. The silence closed in around us and we gazed out across the water for the first time with a mixture of great excitement and just a flutter of trepidation.
Photo: Euan Turner DMh Photo
We had chosen to start the tour at Käringsjön ending at Käringsjövallen (one of a number of possible start/end point combinations), which would take us at minimum through a series of small, interconnected lakes, out into the large lake of Rogen itself, and through another labyrinth of smaller lakes to the pick-up point six days later. How much further we would get would depend on the weather and our own inclination.
Photo: Euan Turner DMh Photo
For our first day, we paddled in light rain through a beautiful maze of quiet, forest fringed lakes with some short land transports connecting them. The edges of the reserve are particularly good fishing waters, and occasionally we would spot a local sat quietly in his rowing boat and staring into the middle distance, contemplating the greater mysteries of life as only a lone fisherman can.
Photo: Euan Turner DMh Photo
Land transports in Rogen are a challenging business. The more commonly used transport points between the lakes do have basic paths worn by previous paddlers, but the terrain can be steep and rocky and at times it feels more like you are climbing with the canoe than walking with it. In these early days before our canoe carrying technique had been honed to perfection, we did each transport twice, once with the canoes balanced on our shoulders (advantage: efficient weight bearing; disadvantage: limited visibility, leading to increased likelihood of walking into a tree!) and once with our gear. By the end of the trip, we had developed shoulders of Kevlar and calf muscles of steel and managed most of the land transports with gear and canoe combined.
Photo: Euan Turner DMh Photo
Camping in Rogen is possible anywhere, but fires are permitted only at the designated wind shelters, where wood is provided for your use and is the only wood that should be used for fire making. The forests of Rogen are ancient and rates of decay very slow. A beautiful knarled tree stump or log you see lying on the ground may be hundreds of years old, and such rich natural heritage simply does not deserve to be turned into firewood. In places when travelling through the reserve you will come across the remnants of fireplaces made by visitors who have not observed the rules – please do not use these for your own fires, or even better, dismantle them where you find them and remove any traces of the fireplace to discourage others and preserve the pristine nature of the reserve.
Photo: Euan Turner DMh Photo
Over the next few days we explored a good portion of the Swedish side of the reserve and generally had an utterly wonderful time. We had our fair share of sunshine, and when the clouds parted and the sun streamed down onto the water and the forest the effect was magical. We crossed over the wide expanse of Lake Rogen (choosing our timing and crossing point carefully for safety) to find our “paradise campsite” for the trip near Bredasjön, a lovely spot which opened magically before us as the reeds parted and where we could have stayed forever. We frightened ourselves silly one day trying to round a peninsula at the northern end of the lake during a particularly choppy spell before common sense took over and we made for land and carried the canoes to calmer waters. We took time off from paddling to climb one of the many peaks for a stunning 360 degree view over the surrounding middle-earth-like wilderness and across the border into Norway. We battled early-season mosquitoes for the night at one particularly marshy camping spot and had a real “Cast Away” moment (the Tom Hanks one, not Oliver Reed/Amanda Donohoe!) next morning trying to paddle out from the bay but getting washed back repeatedly by the waves. And through it all we quietly bonded during our daily ups and downs of energy levels and mood, each of us fulfilling the roles that came naturally to us – Euan producing fantastic meals to lift the spirits conjured from a single pot using the humblest of ingredients; Craig, our tea and coffee guru, producing mysterious packets from the depths of his rucksack and concocting a succession of heavenly brews just when they were needed; Adam demonstrating intellectual superiority at the Guardian cryptic crossword and waxing lyrical on everything from music to psychology, and me, well, I mostly admired the scenery and did the washing up.
Photo: Euan Turner DMh Photo
Navigating on the water can be tricky at the best of times and in an area like Rogen can be very tricky indeed, especially in the more maze-like lake areas. One headland can look very much like another, a gap could be a space between islands or just an inlet, and it’s essential to be constantly monitoring your position to make sure where you think you are and where you actually are is the same thing! Navigation in Rogen is like the essential rule for DIY – “measure twice, cut once”. Amazingly, we managed to make reality and expectation match up pretty much all of the time, apart from a brief episode on the last day when with great reluctance we resorted to turning on the GPS for the definitive answer.
Finally, after a period which in some ways felt like years and in others like the merest heartbeat, we emerged from the depths of the Swedish wilderness like Livingstone from the African rainforest to wait for our pick-up. Our saviour, Jan, arrived to rescue us right on time and we bumped our way home, slightly shell-shocked at the sight of tarmac roads and streetlights.
Photo: Euan Turner DMh Photo
Another bus and night train journey later and we were back in Stockholm, hugging our goodbyes at the airport – hairier, muddier and undoubtedly smellier than we had been a week before (apologies to the poor unknown souls who had to share a plane with the other three on the flight home – I was off to the Stockholm Archipelago for a few days and a hot shower), but with a song in our hearts.
Best regards
Bob from The Nature Travels Team
This is a guest article submitted to us by Ruben Corbo, a writer for several websites such as Red Seven Leisure, which is the best man’s choice in providing the best service for planning your stag weekends and more. When Ruben is not writing he is composing or producing music for short films and other visual arts.
NB: Please note that Nature Travels specialises exclusively in ecotourism activities. Many of our outdoor experiences in Sweden, including dog sledding, canoeing and hiking, are ideal for active stag trips. However, we do not offer some of the alternative activities outlined below such as snowmobiling and heli-skiing.
Sweden is the perfect place for memorable stag weekends. There are many outdoor activities to enjoy such as skiing and hiking. Get all the guys together for an exciting weekend. A weekend in Sweden is a fabulous way to have fun with friends, say goodbye to bachelor-hood and look forward to an upcoming wedding.
Skiing
With around 200 ski resorts to choose from it is easy to see why so many people choose Sweden for their skiing. From cross-country skiing to skiing on ice, there are skiing opportunities for all levels. Ski on Sweden’s highest mountain, Kebnekaise, cross country in Höglekardalen or try one of Sweden’s snow parks such as the Åre Ski Resort where jumps and jibs are the name of the game. Other fabulous bachelor party activities to try include snowboarding, dog-sledding and heli-skiing.
(Courtesy of Flickr User: The Next Web)
Fishing
If fishing is more along the lines of what you and the guys were thinking about then Sweden is the place to go. With around 100,000 lakes in the country it is hard not to catch something. Just some of Sweden’s fish species are perch, pike, zander, trout, salmon and grayling. Fly fishing is more and more popular in Sweden due to the diversity of fish, clean waters and the myriad of great fishing waters. Whether your choice is lake fishing, river fishing or coastline fishing, Sweden is a good bet. Sweden even has game fishing right in the middle of Stockholm for those who would rather stay closer to civilization.
(Courtesy of Flickr User: RukaKuusamo.com)
Hiking
Sweden is a hiker’s paradise. There are so many places to trek in Sweden that choosing will be the hardest part. Choose from many fabulous places including the King’s Trail in Abisko National Park, Sarek National Park, Sweden’s lowlands and mountain hiking.
(Courtesy of Flickr User: Bohari Adventures)
Ice Climbing
Ice climbing is definitely a memorable bachelor party weekend. Imagine standing in front of a wall of ice and being expected to climb it. That is just what you and your friends will do on an ice climbing expedition on Kebnekaise Mountain. Instructors teach guests climbing techniques, the proper way to use ice climbing equipment and how to scale an ice wall in this exhilarating adventure. Climb a Swedish wall of ice and be back in time to relax in a hot sauna that evening.
(Courtesy of Flickr User: HK James Ho)
There are so many choices when it comes to stag weekends in Sweden. Gone are the days of old where a stag party meant one night with friends. Take a whole weekend to enjoy being with bachelor friends, experiencing wild adventures such as one of the ones mentioned or something else like snowmobiling or trip skating on frozen water. A bachelor party should be remembered for a lifetime. With an outdoor adventure in Sweden it will be.
When you go camping in the wilderness there are a lot of things you have to take with you to make your time as enjoyable as possible. The standard packing list includes things like tents, sleeping bags, clothes for all weather conditions, camping stoves, torches and much more. But I’m sure every one of us has those little items and gadgets that you always take with you even though you might not really need them.
Photo: Jonathan Lamb
We have found some outdoor gadgets that have that certain something, which could make your trip to the outdoors even more exciting, but that you can easily leave at home if your backpack is already crammed.
Metal detecting sandals
Who has not dreamt of finding a treasure chest filled with jewels and gold as a child? With these sandals it’s as easy as going for a stroll to detect hidden objects beneath your feet. You don’t have to carry around a conventional bulky metal detector so everybody knows what you’re up to anymore. Now you can just pretend to go for a walk and, with some luck, at the same time discover long lost treasures in the ground. Well, wouldn’t it be great to leave home for a camping trip and return with a pot of gold?
www.gadgets.co.uk/item/TREASURESANDALS/Treasure-Seeking-Sandals.html
MP3 Sunglasses
Hiking, cycling, inline skating or jogging is so much more fun if you have some music with you that encourages you to go on. But listening to music with a MP3-player using standard headphones can be pretty annoying because with every step you tear the wires and pull the plugs out of your ears. So why not get a pair of sunglasses which you can use to listen to your favourite tunes at the same time? The player and earplugs are simply attached to the arms of the glasses and give you the freedom to move wherever and however you want to without missing out on your favourite songs.
www.iwantoneofthose.com/mp3-sunglasses/
Waterproof notebook
When being outdoors you can discover amazing wildlife, stunning landscapes, incredible vegetation and so much more. To capture every moment of your trip you can use photo and video cameras or you can simply write down your impressions in a diary. But what happens when the weather doesn’t play along and all your stuff is soaked? With this completely waterproof notebook your thoughts and memories will still be preserved even if you stumble into a shower of rain or you drop your notes into the lake you’re paddling on.
www.iwantoneofthose.com/waterproof-notebook/index.html
Grilliput
Is there a better way to end a day of hiking, canoeing or kayaking than with a nice campfire and some grilled sausages? We don’t think so either! Normally you would take out your Trangia stove, put it together, fry the sausages on the included pan and have a lot of work with cleaning the stove afterwards. With the Grilliput it’s much simpler, because you can put it over any small campfire and, thanks to a cleaning groove, it’s neat and clean in only a few minutes. The best thing is that, when folded together, it’s only the size of a large cigar and can easily be put in your backpack.
www.grilliput.com/01en_grilliput_start.php
Inflatable fruit cases
An apple a day keeps the doctor away – following a balanced nutritional diet is not just vital in your everyday life, but especially important when you’re outdoors and doing sports like canoeing, hiking or kayaking. Taking fruit on your camping trips can be an unpleasant experience because you can’t store fruit properly and your apples and bananas get pressure marks quite quickly. These funny inflatable fruit cases will protect your healthy treats from dark marks and your backpack from being soaked in freshly squeezed juice. Just make sure that your fruity snacks don’t float away when you’re enjoying a stopping along a river or lake.
www.gltc.co.uk/pws/ProductDetails.ice?ProductID=1745
Shit Box
Being outdoors often means that there are no proper showers or toilet facilities available. Some of you might say that this is an essential part of an authentic camping experience, but others might prefer to bring this “special gadget” to relieve themselves in the wilderness. This reusable portable toilet is easy to pack and helps you to preserve your dignity on your outdoor trip. It even comes in different designs and sizes so every family member can have their own individual “shit box”.
Essential, superfluous, irreverent, or just plain silly – as an outdoor enthusiast you are never short of new kit to buy! We hope the above suggestions inspire you to explore the full range of possibilities when packing for your next trip!
Best regards
The Nature Travels Team
Nature Travels offers a wide range of options for summer holidays in Sweden, many of which feature wild camping. From canoeing and kayak tours to timber rafting, log cabins, hiking and bushcraft holidays, Sweden is a vast outdoor playground for the outdoor enthusiast.
This is the second part of a report on the Canoe Tours in Bergslagen experience in June 2010. Canoe in Bergslagen is one of a range of self-guided canoe tours offered by Nature Travels in Sweden, available in 7-day or 14-day variations. We also offer canoeing holidays suitable for families as well as challenging wilderness expeditions.
You can see additional photos from the trip on the Nature Travels Facebook page.
Tuesday
We awake early as the tents heat up under a blazing morning sun. Craig immediately sets to work with the morning baking, while we pack the things together and load the boats, feeling a little sad to be leaving what must surely be the nicest camp spot we’ll find on the whole tour. Little do we realise that camping nirvana awaits us just a few hours’ paddling hence.
We make our way along the rest of this narrow and beautiful lake. Euan and I are in the same canoe today, and we have both sets of maps (bad idea). Supremely (over)confident in our navigational skills, we strike out for what we’re sure is the correct landing spot, while Andrew and Craig in the other boat eye us suspiciously before paddling off their own way into a different bay. “Hah, poor hapless souls”, we laugh, as Euan and I land and sit down to relax in the sun waiting for the others to arrive. Time passes, vague shouts and expletives are exchanged between us across the water, and finally the other canoe gives in and paddles back to us. We unload and head off, only to discover after a few minutes’ hacking through impenetrable bush that Andrew and Craig were right all along. Oops. Feeling sheepish, we reload the canoes again and paddle around the headland where, sure enough, the correct landing spot is perfectly obvious.
Another day of paddling in bright sunshine and a long land transport brings us to the aptly named “Bredsjön” or “wide lake”. With our muscles aching and our tummies rumbling, it certainly looks an imposing stretch of water to cross, but we steadfastly load the canoes and paddle off, keen to reach the far shore before the wind gets up.
Surprisingly, it turns out to be quite an easy crossing, and just as we’re thinking that we’ve really had enough for today and would like a rest, we round a small headland and our very own “paradise beach” swings into view – a beautiful, small sandy bay with a lovely raised area for the tents and a forest conveniently placed for firewood. We resolve immediately to ring our respective wives and girlfriends and inform them that we’ve decided to stay a while and may not be home for Christmas.
Having shown signs of flagging during the day’s paddling, as soon as Craig’s feet touch dry land he is possessed with a maniacal energy. Spontaneously, he and Andrew decide to make a bread oven and spend the next hour of so heaving huge stones into place and lighting a fire inside. Euan wanders around enthusing about the quality of the light and taking pictures by the dozen, the evening passes cheerfully and a while later the bakers present us with the most delicious bread rolls ever made by man.
Wednesday
This time we really are sorry to be leaving, and sorry especially to be constrained to doing the route in 6 days instead of the standard 7, which would have given us another day’s idyllic loafing about at the camp. As I suggest dismantling the bread over, Craig and Andrew mutter about the heartless destruction of an architectural triumph, but after a little persuasion we all agree that in the interests of “Leave No Trace” it has to go. Wiping away a tear or two, the boys take the oven apart and scatter and bury the stones, and five minutes later it’s as if we were never there.
Every expedition has its “grumpy” day, and this is to be ours. Perhaps it’s the emotional wrench of leaving our beloved beach or perhaps the realisation that we’re over the half way mark it won’t be long before we’re heading home, but today we’re all a little fractious. After a long and tiring land transport we reach “Kanalen”, a 5km stretch of water that under normal conditions can be paddled without problem but today looks ominously shallow. Andrew and Craig once again make the sensible decision and opt immediately to do a land transport along the canal path. Euan and I foolishly elect to give it a go, unload the gear, manhandle the canoe down the bank, load the canoe, then half paddle, half walk through a few hundred metres of canal before it finally gets through to us that there’s not enough water to float the boat. We unload the gear, manhandle the canoe up the bank, load the gear and, hey ho, we’re back where we started, except it’s an hour later and we’re completely exhausted!
Nerves on a knife-edge, major fisticuffs are narrowly averted by Craig’s timely brewing of tea and gallant sacrifice of the last of the cinnamon rolls.
Optimism restored, we trudge on and are delighted to find that after a while the canal deepens and we’re able to take to the water after all. Andrew and Craig go into outdoor-catalogue-male-model-pose mode as Euan finds the possibility to take some photos gives him renewed zest for life. The rest of the day passes without incident. We admire the engineering of an enormous wooden-clad water pipe as we transport past a sluice gate and small hydro station (the pipe looks temptingly like a gigantic elongated beer keg and in our hot and slightly delirious state we fantasise briefly about bottomless supplies of ale).
We make camp on a small headland along the river Uvan, another lovely spot in its own right, though our hearts still yearn for the beach. Once again the cuckoo keeps us company as Craig and Andrew invent a new game – pine cone paddle cricket.
Thursday
It takes us a while to get going this morning, due in part to Euan becoming fixated on taking the perfect arty-perspective picture of our storage barrels. After indulging him patiently for the first few dozen shots, we drag him protesting into the boat and head off. Soon we’re into a lovely winding section of the river Uvan, watching cranes lift majestically from the bank and enjoying the change of scenery from the wider lakes of the earlier part of the tour.
We’ve decided to make things easy for ourselves for tomorrow to give plenty of time to clean and organise the equipment and also to set up some final shots, so today we’re pushing on through the other side of the small town of Hagfors to give us just a short distance to paddle on the last day.
Approaching Hagfors feels strange – the prospect of beer and ice cream beckons, but the call of the wild tugs us back. We land by a lovely floating restaurant where Euan, consolidating his reputation as group nutter magnet, is immediately and helplessly cornered by an elderly local and grilled on the finer points of canoe packing. Mercilessly, we leave him to fend for himself and make immediately for the bar.
As with all Swedes, the waitress speaks excellent English, but her language skills are not quite up to dealing with Andrew’s Tasmanian humour about and he’s surprised when he actually receives the half a burger he ordered, lovingly bisected.
After a surreal episode transporting our canoes right through the centre of town and parking them outside the supermarket, we tire of the bright lights of Hagfors and are keen to be back on the water. We find a nice camping spot on a headland just outside town. It’s cloudier and also windy and this evening, making it difficult to keep the fire going and hard to settle, and we bustle and fuss about for the evening before tiredness overtakes us.
Friday
Our last day. The wind drops and the sun comes out once more to greet us for our final short stretch of paddling. We spend a leisurely couple of hours basking in the sunshine at the end point, brewing up the last of the tea, making a valiant effort to eat all the food and pottering about taking photos of the equipment and cleaning the canoes. Before long it’s time for Anders to collect us with the van for return to the canoe centre and bus back to Karlstad.
Having survived 6 days’ paddling in the wilderness unscathed, Andrew finds the walk from the bus stop to the youth hostel a bit too much of a challenge. We hear a yelp and turn round to find him in a heap on the verge clutching a badly twisted ankle. We drag him hobbling to the Bishop’s Arms for an emergency dose of field anaesthetic (aka single malt whisky) and the rest of the evening gives a fitting symmetry to the trip as we make a determined effort to blow our remaining Kronor.
It’s been a great trip all round – we’ve been ridiculously fortunate with the weather, found that we’re not in bad shape at all really for three 40-somethings and a 20-something, seen that four guys can spend an extended period in each other’s company without major violence and indeed actually enjoy it and discovered that, when it comes to our paradise campsite, heaven really is a place on earth. We’re already planning the next trip for 2011….
Best regards
Bob from The Nature Travels Team
Sweden is a wonderful choice for a summer family holiday – with its endless quiet, deep forests, clear waters and fresh air, Sweden provides an ideal environment in which to let your children experience the freedom and adventure of the outdoors.
What’s more, Sweden is very affordable for families travelling by public transport – you will find that even older children pay heavily reduced fares or may even travel free of charge on trains and buses.
Nature Travels offers a wide range of summer holidays for active families, whether you are looking for the challenge of a self-guided tour, the variety of a multi-activity holiday or the flexibility of a log cabin. Whatever your preference, if you enjoy the outdoors, you should find something in the suggestions below to inspire you for your next family adventure!
Family Bushcraft Holidays
There is something about learning and practising bushcraft skills which fascinates children of all ages, from the youngest adventurer to the most world-weary adolescent. Our family bushcraft holidays are guided adventures led by experienced local guide, taking you and your family out into the wilderness for 5 days of discovery on land and water. Along the way you will learn skills such as how to prepare food over open fire, how to build a shelter, how to navigate and identify some of the tracks and signs left by the rich wildlife of the area.
Learning bushcraft is not only a hugely enjoyable activity for children, but furnishes them with essential life skills – teaching and encouraging them to be responsible and independent and to handle fire and tools appropriately and with respect. And you’ll find that the parents enjoy themselves at least as much as the kids!
Self-guided canoeing
For families who love the freedom of wild camping and the thrill of making their own adventure, self-guided canoeing is the ideal choice. Canoe holidays are also extremely affordable, making them an excellent option for families on a budget.
We offer a wide range of multi-day canoe tours to choose from suitable for families with children of all ages, from gentle paddle tours through attractive rural areas with the chance to stop off along the way at local village stores to take a break and enjoy an ice cream, to more challenging wilderness tours which are nevertheless very accessible to active families who enjoy nature. All tours feature wild camping and the opportunity to go fishing for your supper – another great way to bond with the kids!
Timber rafting
There are few images which conjure up the adventure and freedom of a summer holiday on the river better than idea of floating downstream on your very own log raft! Ideal for Huckleberry Finn fans and for families who enjoy working together, timber rafting is a unique experience, a self-guided voyage down the meandering river Klarälven over 5 or 8 days, camping wild on the riverbank along the way.
Timber rafting is a marvellous exercise in teamwork, and great for encouraging reluctant teenagers to lend a hand! It’s more of a challenge than you might think – you will be constructing your own raft using only logs fastened together with rope, and on your voyage downstream you will need to plan ahead to negotiate twists and turns in the river, sandbanks and overhanging branches, and be on your toes when it’s time to make land! But timber rafting offers a wonderful mix of adventure and relaxation, as the river seduces you with its stately progress and the forest lulls you into daydreams – you’ll have time to sit and watch the world go by, but watch out for that sandbar – whoops, you’re grounded!
Family Multi-activity Holidays
Do you have the kind of children that want to try everything (or are you that kind of person yourself?) If so, then a multi-activity holiday could be the ideal solution for your next summer family adventure.
The advantages of multi-activity holidays are many:
- if your family has different interests or levels of ability, a multi-activity holiday allows you to offer something for everyone
- there is always something new going on, meaning you’re very unlikely to hear that plaintive cry, “Mum, I’m bored”
- if you’re not sure what kind of outdoor holiday is for you, multi-activity holidays can be a great way to try out different activities to find what suits you best – try a one-day timber rafting tour this year, and you may well be back for a week’s rafting adventure next year!
With options from tipi holidays in the south west of Sweden to midnight sun adventures in the far north, you should find a multi-activity option to suit you.
Summer Log Cabins and Farmstays
If you enjoy the flexibility of self-catering combined with the convenience of a fixed cabin base and the chance to “do your own thing”, a log cabin is the ideal choice for an active family holiday in Sweden. Ideal for families with a range of interests, log cabins give you the freedom to be as active (or as lazy!) as you wish. Let Dad go off for a canoe tour with the children while you relax and enjoy the view, or Mum can lead an expedition into the forest looking for mushrooms while you go fishing on the lake!
For those with an interest in food and tradition and who are looking for the kind of idyllic childhood summer experience to be found in Pippi Longstocking books or half-remembered from your own childhood summers, our Summer Fun on a Forest Farm will take you and your family back in time to the sights, sounds and smells of a simpler, quieter world: birdsong, summer flowers and the aroma of fresh-baked farmhouse bread.
You can also browse additional suggestions for family holidays in Sweden here, with a range of options in both summer and winter. We look forward to welcoming you and your family to Sweden!
Best regards
The Nature Travels Team
The Kungsleden in Lapland is Sweden’s best-known long distance trail and offers world-class possibilities for hiking tours and ski touring.
Extending for 440km from Abisko in the north south to Hemavan, the Kungsleden runs through some of Sweden’s most dramatic mountain and wilderness areas and is an ideal choice both for hiking tours in summertime and ski touring in the deep snows of the Lapland winter.
Photo: Håkan Hjort/Niac-photo
Contrary to popular belief, the Kungsleden (“King’s Trail” in English) is not named in connection with a Swedish king. The Kungsleden trail was created at the beginning of the 1900s with the aim of increasing the accessibility of the far north and allowing visitors to experience its dramatic beauty while at the same time preserving the wildness that makes Swedish Lapland so special.
Photo: STF Bildarkiv
Mountain cabins are spaced roughly a day’s walk or ski apart along the Kungsleden. The cabins offer simple but comfortable overnight accommodation and cooking facilities, and improve the accessibility of this wilderness region without detracting from its remote character.
Photo: STF Bildarkiv
Hiking or skiing the whole of the Kungsleden takes around 4 weeks, and participants normally do one of four one-week sections. The most popular section is the northern part of the Kungsleden, starting at Abisko and heading for the mighty Kebnekaise, Sweden’s highest mountain at 2105 metres above sea level. In summer, hiking on Kungsleden includes the option of a day ascent of Kebnekaise.
Photo: STF Bildarkiv
Nature Travels offers a range of experiences on the Kungsleden in both summer and winter:
- Hiking on Kungsleden from Abisko to Kebnekaise is an 8-day guided hiking tour led by experienced local guide taking you through some of the region’s most beautiful areas. You can choose to add a day ascent of Kebnekaise as an optional extra.
- An alternative and challenging option for those who love wild camping, our Sarek National Park Expedition also runs in this region. Kungsleden does not pass through Sarek (there are no paths or infrastructure of any kind in the park) but does skirt the edge of the part at Aktse.
- In winter, Ski Touring on Kungsleden is an 8-day guided ski touring expedition following a similar route as the summer hiking tour from Abisko to Kebnekaise and is an ideal tour for those with some previous ski touring experience.
- Starting at a different point on the Kungsleden, Discover Mountain Ski Touring in Lapland is an ideal choice if you have previous cross country skiing experience but do not have the level for an extended mountain tour.
Photo: Håkan Hjort/Niac-photo
Kungsleden is one of the world’s top long distance trails and is a “classic” route for hiking and ski touring – the wilds of Swedish Lapland are waiting!
Best regards
The Nature Travels Team
Combining the tranquility of cross country skiing with the challenge and adventure of winter touring off the beaten track, ski touring is a marvellous way to enjoy the beauty of the Swedish winter landscape.
Photo: Janey Shemilt
Just as the popularity of cross country skiing is growing as skiers seek ways to escape the bustle and noise of the pistes into a quieter world where it is possible to appreciate the silence and grandeur of winter, so ski touring is drawing the more adventurous keen to explore deeper into Sweden’s vast mountain wilderness areas.
Ski touring makes it possible to cover much greater distances over unprepared and unmarked routes than snowshoeing. Indeed, ski touring may be a quicker and easier way to get around the mountain world even than hiking in summertime, with ascents and traverses possible that would be more challenging in the summer. Compared to snowshoeing, descents are of course much faster, but being able to glide on flat sections also extends the distance covered with each stride considerably.
Photo: Janey Shemilt
To achieve the necessary grip both to climb and travel on the flat without slipping, touring skis use wax or removable “skins”. For steep or icy conditions, ski crampons can also be attached. Skis for touring have the possibility to free the heel for ascents. Depending on the kind of skis and techniques used, the heel may then be reattached when skiing downhill.
Of course, travelling in remote mountain terrain, especially in winter, requires not only good physical condition but also a sound knowledge of winter mountaincraft. Unless you are an experienced tourer, it is strongly recommended that you travel with a guide who knows the local area intimately.
Photo: T. Idestrom
Nature Travels offers a wide range of guided ski touring holidays, from Discover Mountain Ski Touring in Lapland, suitable for those with some previous cross country experience but yet to try a mountain tour, to more challenging multi-day cabin-to-cabin tours on the King’s Trail in Lapland and in the mountains of Dalarna near the Norwegian border. If you are keen to improve your knowledge of winter mountain skills, Ski Touring and Winter Mountaincraft in Jämtland is an ideal private experience for small groups.
Photo: STF Bildarkiv
If you don’t have previous experience of cross country skiing or ski touring, don’t despair! There are plenty of other options for enjoying winter mountains. For example, Winter Weeks in the Mountains is ideal for those with no prior experience, based at a comfortable mountain station with extensive opportunities for self-guided XC skiing and ski touring on prepared and marked trails starting right from the door. If you would like to improve your technique, instruction can be arranged, while guided day excursions with the station guides are also available.
And while snowshoeing may not be able to match ski touring in terms of distance covered, it is very much an activity with its own special charm and requires no previous experience. Our 4-day snowshoeing and winter camping tour in Jämtland is an ideal option for adventurous types who want to get away from it all for a few days!
Best regards
The Nature Travels Team
Snow caves or snow shelters are not only fun (if hard work!) to build and a real experience to sleep in, but the knowledge may one day be essential if you find yourself in a winter survival situation.
In this article, we give some basic pointers to consider when constructing your snow cave/snow shelter:
Equipment:
Snow caves can be built with just hands (or with improvised digging utensils such as snowshoes), but a snow shovel will certainly make the process much easier and more enjoyable!
Where to build your snow cave:
Ideally, you should have snow of depth of at least 1.5 metres. If this depth is not available naturally, begin by gathering together snow from the surrounding area into a large pile.
The number of people who will be sleeping in the cave dictates its size – bear in mind that you will be hollowing out a space big enough to sleep the required number. Start with more snow than you think you may need! If you are a large group, you should plan to build a number of smaller shelters.
A good snow cave takes patience, and you should wait at least an hour to give the snow pile time to settle before beginning any digging – the time needed for the snow to begin to bind together may be longer depending on its consistency.
If snow depth is naturally around 1.5 metres, you can look for a suitable site near banks or trees. Choose a leeward spot (away from the wind) if possible for additional protection and be careful to site your cave well away from any danger of avalanche.
Digging out your snow cave:
If the snow is deep, start by digging a trench angled downward into the snow. Excavated snow should be placed on top of the cave. Continue until you have made a trench roughly as long as you are tall.
Then, begin digging your tunnel, making it a little wider than your body width, starting about knee height above the entrance. If snow conditions are suitable, dig the tunnel so that it slants slightly upward, aiming to make the “cave” end of the tunnel about 30cm higher than the entrance end (as warm air rises, this helps to keep warm air inside the cave).
Try to make the tunnel about the same length as your body, then begin to create a space about the same size as your body. Push the excavated snow out behind you into the tunnel and out through the entrance.
Once you have created a whole of suitable size, begin to shape the inside of the snow cave into a dome, aiming for a space large enough to allow you to sit upright comfortably. The shovel can be used in the initial stages, finishing off by smoothing the surface with gloved hands – the smoother the surface, the less likely you are to be made wet (and cold) by drips.
The walls of your snow cave should be at least 30cm thick, both for stability and warmth.
Making the perfect snow cave:
For those special snow cave features, consider some of the following upgrade options!
- Warm air rises, so elevating your sleeping position will help to keep you warm. Building in a sleeping platform will raise you above the floor of the cave.
- Make a small shelf on which to rest a candle – just a single candle can raise the temperature inside significantly.
- Using a ski pole or trekking pole to make a small hole in the top of the cave is very useful for ventilation, preventing buildup of carbon monoxide from breath or cooking.
- Use packs or equipment to block the entrance and keep warm air in.
Safety:
Digging a snow cave always carries with it the risk of collapse, especially if the snow is granular. Build your cave with at least one partner. One person should remain outside at all times during construction to rescue the person digging in the event of a collapse.
Under general conditions, and if properly constructed, once completed a snowcave will not collapse. As night falls and temperatures drop, the snow cave is likely to become more stable.
Always keep your shovel next to you when inside. If there is a storm in the night, you may need to dig yourselves out.
Have fun!
Best regards
The Nature Travels Team
Nature Travels offers two winter holidays in Sweden where it is possible to try building and sleeping in a cave or snow shelter under the instruction of an experienced local guide.
Dog Sledding and Winter Bushcraft is a 6-day experience in the company of a bushcraft guide, combining the challenge and adventure of dog sledding with the chance to learn winter bushcraft skills including shelter building and cooking over open fire.
For those with some experience of ski touring, Ski Touring and Winter Mountaincraft is a private tour with wild camping for groups of min. 4 persons led by a local guide with extensive experience of extended expeditions in harsh winter conditions.
Jämtland may be less well-known than the region of Lapland to the north, but the delights of its mountain world and the range of outdoor activities available are no less impressive.
The dramatic mountains and vast wilderness areas of Swedish Lapland in the far north of Sweden are justly famous as a winter adventure holiday destination (though the marvellous opportunities for summer activities such as Hiking on the King’s Trail are less well-known). But the county of Jämtland, bordering Lapland to the north and Norway to the west, also offers winter and summer possibilities to rival the majesty and excitement of its northern cousin.
It is true that the small town of Åre in Jämtland is one of Sweden’s premier destinations for downhill skiing and regularly hosts international ski events, and that the Åre area is also acquiring a name in MTB circles as a centre for mountain biking in summer. But for those interested in winter pursuits away from the hustle and bustle of the pistes, Jämtland is also a superb area for dog sledding, ski touring, snowshoeing or a traditional winter log cabin holiday. From the imposing bulk of Helags to the silent forests of mountain birch, Jämtland’s mountain magic remains largely undiscovered by visitors from overseas.
While rather smaller than Swedish Lapland, Jämtland nevertheless covers a huge area and is very sparsely populated – the sense of scale when travelling through the area is an exhilarating lift to the senses. It measures approximately 315 km from north to south and 250km from east to west. Total area is around 34000 square kilometres, about the size of Ireland, which represents 8.3% of Sweden’s land area, yet Jämtland has a population of just 113 000, just over 1% of the country’s total. The majority of the population is concentrated in the county capital of Östersund. Almost the entire county is a highland region, with the highest peak on the Swedish side being Storsylen at 1728m.
Lying south of the Arctic Circle, Jämtland may not be able to offer the added attraction of such good chances to see the Northern Lights compared to more northerly alternatives (though displays of the Aurora Borealis do occur in Jämtland, the chances of a strong display are more likely further north). But it is able to offer other advantages, not the least of which is that travel to the area is often considerably more affordable. Trains provide a convenient and cost-effective alternative to taking a domestic flight.
For example, clients travelling to our Dog Sledding and Winter Bushcraft experience can step off the plane at Arlanda airport in Stockholm, walk to the train station below the airport building and take a direct train to be in Bräcke just 4.5 hours later, from where transfer to the cabin is included.
Fly to Trondheim in Norway and you can be in Undersåker in just over 2 hours, the jump-off point for the quiet beauty of the Vålådalen Nature Reserve, a marvellous area for extended ski touring and snowshoeing tours. One stop further down the line lies Järpen, the destination station for many of our dog sledding holidays in the area.
Jämtland’s mountain wilderness is waiting to be discovered – take a look at our interactive map of Sweden, find out where it is and start planning your adventure!
Best regards
The Nature Travels Team
Sweden’s quiet lakes and waterways make for some wonderful opportunities for world-class canoeing. Nature Travels offers a range of 5 self-guided canoe tours with durations from 4 to 14 days. These flexible canoeing holidays are located in the county of Värmland in western Sweden. All take place on calm, slow-flowing rivers and lakes and feature wild camping all along the route. It is also possible to go fishing on all the tours – a dinner of freshly caught perch could provide the perfect end to a day’s paddling!
Whichever canoe tour you choose, taking some time to hone your paddling technique will improve your enjoyment of your canoeing holiday in Sweden and help you move through the water as efficiently as possible – you may be surprised how much a little attention to your technique can save on tired muscles!
Our self-guided canoe holidays use aluminium-bodied open Canadian canoes, 5.25m in length. If you are an odd-numbered group, one person will simply paddle solo. This can take a short time to get used to if you have not paddled before, but otherwise should present few problems. Bear in mind if choosing of the extended wilderness canoe tours which require land transports, such as Canoe on Svartälven or Canoe in Bergslagen, that the solo paddler will require additional assistance during portages.
Below we have given some basic advice on paddling technique to get you started:
How to Launch a Canoe
You may find it easiest to launch with as little weight in the canoe as possible, especially if the river has steep banks or difficult access. Try to put your canoe into the water parallel with the shore. Most steering is done from the back of the canoe, so the fittest and/or most experienced paddler should generally sit at the rear.
Before loading luggage into the canoe, ensure that you are floating freely and will not ground on any stones, etc. Hold onto both sides of the canoe to steady it as you get in – the canoes are very stable and there is no reason you should capsize during your tour, but the most common time to fall into the water is when entering or exiting your canoe!
Similarly, when transporting the canoe over land, you will need to leave as little weight as possible in the canoe. Transporting a canoe full with luggage may damage your equipment.
How to Paddle a Canoe:
In general, the persons in the front and back of the canoe should paddle on opposite sides. When you get tired, change sides. You should have most of the paddle blade in the water as you paddle and move the paddle in a straight line. Keep your paddling action close to the gunwale and try to paddle in the same rhythm as your partner, keeping the speed and force of your strokes roughly the same.
You can use the standard front stroke in reverse both as a braking stroke and to turn the canoe.
How to Steer a Canoe:
The person at the rear generally controls the majority of the steering. Use a “J-stroke” to make small course corrections as necessary with each stroke, being careful not to overcorrect. Begin your paddle stroke as normal but as you move towards the end of the stroke, rotate the paddle about 45 degrees – clockwise to turn right and anticlockwise to turn left – to guide the canoe.
If paddling across a large area of water such a lake, aim for a fixed point on the opposite shore and steer towards it – it can be easy to drift off course and paddle further than necessary!
Our canoe tours in Sweden are accessible for both novice and more experienced paddlers and some tours are also suitable for families, even those with young children. Depending on the time available and your preferred level of challenge, you can choose between extended wilderness canoeing expeditions or a family-friendly canoeing holiday in rural areas.
For the truly adventurous, for 2009 we have even added the possibility to combine two of our longer routes together into one 14-day wilderness canoe tour, offering almost 200km of canoeing with the possibility to extend the distance paddled even further by planning detours into side lake and river systems. As well as being suitable for the more adventurous private paddlers, this combined route is also ideal for adventurous training for armed forces and cadet groups.
Canoeing in Sweden is a seductive combination of tranquility, adventure and close-to-nature experiences – Happy Paddling!
This video shows survival expert Ray Mears canoeing in the area around Karlsborg to the south of Värmland:
You can find our more about Nature Travels canoeing holidays in Sweden and also our range of sea kayaking tours at www.naturetravels.co.uk/category-water.htm
Best regards
The Nature Travels Team
