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Sweden’s Fjällräven Classic Is an Epic Arctic Adventure that Any Hiker Can Do

Traveling 68 miles through sweden’s arctic backcountry, the original fjällräven classic is an anomaly: a wild trek dozens of miles from a trailhead that’s also feasible to tackle as your first-ever backpacking trip. backpacker executive editor adam roy hits the trail to check it out..

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Maybe it was the color of the lake that captured my attention. The milky teal of the water and the lush green grass around it popped in the dull light that filtered through the clouds. It looked inviting—almost tropical. I stood there on the shore of Alesjaure, raindrops thudding off my shell, and thought, I could do it. I could just jump in .

Anyway, I was wet already. It was the second-to-last afternoon of the Fjällräven Classic , a 68-mile group hike along the Dag Hammarskjöld Trail through the mountains of Northern Sweden. For four days, our 18-person group had been trekking through an on-and-off rainstorm that seemed to shadow us as we walked. My socks were clammy and my wetted-out jacket clung to my arms like plastic wrap. Stripping them off and climbing into the glacier-fed water wouldn’t be that big of a leap from where I was, physically or metaphorically. But I was already cold, a thing I hate being, and not looking for a way to be colder. I resigned myself to cowardice and sat on a rock to watch the drizzle speckle the surface of the lake.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted movement. Sanna Wallenius , a Finnish journalist who was part of our group, had changed into a bathing suit and was wading into the shallows. Watching her gave me the final shock of courage, or maybe shame, that I needed. Swearing under my breath, I kicked off my boots and started peeling off my clothes.

“Are you going in?” asked Sarah Hewitt , our group’s photographer, from behind me. I muttered something noncommittal and, as she aimed her camera, started picking my way across the slick, glacier-polished rocks that lined the lakebed.

Maybe, after being damp for days, I had normalized the cold , or maybe that first shock of adrenaline just numbed my nerve endings, But the water didn’t feel as frigid as I expected; after days in raingear, baring my skin to the elements actually felt kind of nice. When the water was about thigh-level, I sat down and took a deep breath. Then I closed my eyes and sank under the lake’s surface.

I’m not usually one for cold plunges, but when you’re hiking with strangers you find yourself doing things you normally wouldn’t. That’s the beauty of the Fjällräven Classic, an annual group-trek-slash-mobile-hiking-festival that has brought thousands of backpackers together in northern Sweden every summer since 2005. Fjällräven, a Swedish gear stalwart famous for its durable packs, tents, and apparel , has established satellite Classics everywhere from the United States to Taiwan. But the original still follows more or less the same route it did nearly 20 years ago, a cross-country journey from Nikkaluokta to Abisko through the precipitous valleys, rushing streams, and high-altitude bogs of Swedish Lapland. The combination of rugged terrain and professional support—resupplies, plus safety and medical staff—attracts a wide variety of hikers. Our media group, which Fjällräven had flown to Sweden from 10 different countries on three different continents, ranged from long-distance hiking veterans to first-time backpackers. (Fjällräven also covered our entries to the event.)

The evening before we started, our group gathered for dinner at our hotel in Kiruna , a mining town 90 miles above the Arctic Circle, just a short bus ride from the start line. Our guides, Sofia and Maria, filled us in on the plan. The Classic isn’t a race, and Fjällräven doesn’t set a pace for participants. Instead, the start, finish, and checkpoints in between stay open for a window of several days, with stops gradually closing over the course of the weeklong event. Our plan was to cover the mileage in a relatively leisurely 5 days. Once we started, however, there was no easy way to quit: With no road access to the trail, the only way to abandon our hike would be to retrace our steps to the beginning or call for a helicopter out.

When we reached the starting line at Nikkaluokta, the sky was gray but the weather was dry. No starting gun here: Hikers trickled off in groups of threes and fours or shopped for last-minute snacks at the angular, two-story mountain station. After checking our suitcases with the volunteers who would shuttle them to the end, weighing our packs (mine clocked in at a hefty but manageable 35 pounds, food included), and taking a group photo, we started walking.

For the first few hours, the trail was easy, wide, and flat. We wound through a forest of stunted birches that occasionally opened up to vistas of cliffs veiled in clouds. We broke for lunch by the shore of Laddju, an opaque blue lake that was home to a boat dock and a grill—cheekily named Lap Dånalds —serving reindeer burgers. As I waited for my water to boil, it began to drizzle, then the sky opened up into a spitting, staccato rain. We trekked on, the path gradually climbing as the trees shrunk into moor and the valley walls steepened around us. It was gorgeous and austere, a bigger landscape than I had expected to find when we first set out. That night, we camped in a cirque near Sweden’s highest peak, Kebnekaise, beneath rock faces split by streams.

Water in all its forms is a constant presence on the Dag Hammarskjöld Trail . It spreads across the landscape in cloudy lakes, rushes through ravines, and soddens low spots on the path into slop. It tumbles from mountaintop glaciers in long torrents, loud enough to hear from your tent as you fall asleep. That last source of water is drastically changing the face of Sweden’s Arctic, in particular Kebnekaise, which is rapidly losing height as climate change shrinks the glaciers that top it. Researchers from Stockholm University estimated in 2021 that the massif had lost a whopping 65 feet in height since the mid-1990s . The shrinkage is so severe that at some point in the past decade, the non-glaciated northern summit of the mountain overtook the ice-covered southern summit as the highest point in the country.

As we walked, Sofia told me that the winter of 2022-2023 had actually been a dry year. I couldn’t tell: The water snuck in through open vents on my rain pants and over the cuffs of my boots. When the fog broke on our second day, I wrung out my socks and hung them on the outside of my pack, hoping the sunlight would help them dry.

Every hour or so, our group took a break, treating blisters, tweaking gear, and refilling water while members trickled in one by one. Between those stops, we often spread out, walking in small clusters or pairs. For a while, I hiked solo, following the path along a slow-flowing river, crossing it here and there on prefab metal bridges. On an island in the middle of the river, I sat down on my pack to watch Arctic skuas wheel and soar while clouds spilled through a cleft in the mountainside above. In my solitude, it seemed strange to think I was in the middle of a 1,500-person event.

Backpackers often bristle at the idea of large, organized group hikes, especially commercial ones like the Classic, arguing that they guarantee trash, trampled vegetation, and other serious impacts to the environment. As an American who grew up in an outdoor community with a traditional wilderness ethic, I’ll admit to carrying some of that bias myself.

So I was surprised at how little impact I saw on the trail. Aside from one or two discarded wrappers and a lakeside fire pit where someone had made the poor decision to burn a handful of garbage, I saw little to no trash along the trail, even at checkpoints where trekkers gathered en masse. Group dynamics, it turns out, work both ways: When everyone is tucking microtrash into their pockets, you don’t want to be the one who drops their cough drop wrapper on the ground. (The Classic draws a hard line on littering: In a note in the back of its handbook, the organizers promise to file a police report on anyone who breaks Sweden’s anti-littering laws and ban them from future Classics to boot.)

The only places we ran into genuine crowds were at the six checkpoints, where we could re-up on food and fuel. Here, staff would stamp our “passports,” a measure aimed at making sure that all participants in the Classic are accounted for . (While a handful of hikers need evacuation every year, serious incidents are rare.) Checkpoints were also a chance to grab a treat—one had pancakes with lingonberries and cream, while another had flatbread sandwiches and lemonade—and to use dry toilets that the organizers had brought in. Those last two were important: A week or so before the event, one of the lodges along the Classic’s route had suffered an outbreak of a mystery gastrointestinal illness, forcing evacuations of some stricken travelers. After some deliberation, Fjällräven had decided to go ahead with the event, with the modification that we would no longer be allowed to use the Swedish Tourist Association’s facilities—saunas, shops, or bathrooms.

The lack of latrines wasn’t the only challenge our group faced. While the trail was rarely steep, it did get rough. Within about two hours of starting the trek, Maria Clara Vergueiro, the editor-in-chief of the Brazilian versiion of Outside , lost both of her boot soles, one peeling off after another. She gamely hiked on in her bare uppers until the end of the day, when one of the guides was able to finagle a pair of rental boots from the nearby lodge. We all got blisters, some worse than others; in my personal grossest moment of the trip, a hiking partner walked in on me using a disinfected knifeblade to dig around in one of my toe calluses, trying to drain a blister that had somehow formed under it. Fist-sized rocks rolled underfoot during the climb to the trail’s high point, 3,770-foot ​​Tjäktja Pass, and mud caked our shoes on wet stretches, occasionally climbing up onto our pant legs. Still, when you’re surrounded by good humor, it’s hard to let a few hot spots or aching feet get to you.

“I don’t hate rocks. I love rocks!” Phillip Geiger, a young German magazine editor, joked during one of our stops. “I love rocks in my whiskey. And Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.”

I emerged from the lake, my hair plastered down and streaming water. As I waded onto the shore where I had piled my clothes and a microfiber towel, six more of my hiking companions made their way in, stripped to bathing suits and skivvies.

For the first time all day, I realized, I didn’t feel chilly at all. In fact, I felt strangely warm, and I barely noticed the droplets that spattered onto my exposed skin as I pulled on my raingear. The temperature hadn’t changed, but maybe my attitude had.

Hike It: Fjällräven Classic Sweden

This year’s Fjällräven Classic Sweden will take place from August 9 to 16. Planning on going? You’ll have to be quick: Entries for the company’s events often sell out within hours, as this year’s crop of early-access tickets did this month. Plan on getting up pre-dawn, or staying up late: Fjällräven will release the remaining tickets for this year’s event on their site on Tuesday, March 12 at 4 a.m. Eastern.

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Hiking the Fjallraven Classic – How I Learned to Love Backpacking.

How I learned to love backpacking?

Let me start by saying, I’m not a backpacker. I love to hike and car camp or even glamp. But backpacking? No. Emphatically NO. But then came the Fjallraven Classic Sweden . The tagline says, “Journey through one of Europe’s last wildernesses with everything you need on your back. Over 110km prepare to meet like-minded fellow trekkers, the occasional reindeer herd and mountains that roll into the horizon.”

How could I resist? The Fjallraven Classic lured me in with awe-inspiring pictures, the security of a brand “sponsoring” a hike, and the promise of exploring a wilderness that sounded sexy and wild.  Sign me up!  Me and 2000 other intrepid souls prepared to backpack come mud, snow, and anything in between. I was inspired by the prospect of seeing moose and reindeer and getting to say I’d hiked through the Arctic.

Fjallraven , you had me from hello . So this is how I learned to love backpacking. From a girl who had never camped alone or hiked more than one day alone to one who is now actively planning to do it as much as she can. Thank you Fjallraven! To those of you contemplating this great adventure, I hope I can help make it a little bit less of an “adventure.”

“Adventure is just bad planning.”  ―  Roald Amundsen

Even Backpackers might get the blues

First – this is a serious backpacking experience. Don’t let the fact that it’s sponsored by Fjallraven, a gear company, and that the event is open to anyone, fool you into thinking otherwise. The Fjallraven Classic will challenge you. Preparation is key to not only surviving but thriving – and truly enjoying this hike. I made the grave mistake of not training for this. I paid for it in sore muscles and a wicked cold at the finish.

Preparing for the hike

Put some miles on your boots and pump some iron.

With all respect to Fjallraven they warned us this was no walk in the park. If you’re one of the lucky ones to get a spot on the hike (tickets sell out in a couple of hours), you’ll get plenty of advice from Fjallraven both on the Classic website and in newsletters leading up to the hike. There’s also a (mostly) very friendly group on Facebook who will answer your questions with great advice even if you’re a newbie and you’re asking something you should probably already know. I mean, come on, if you have to ask whether you should wear your new boots for the first time on the Classic …well maybe you should reconsider if this hike is for you?

Best advice? Start upping your workout at least 4 months out from the hike. This means gradually gaining strength and fitness so you’re doing a couple of short hikes each week (6-10 k) and one long hike on the weekend with a pack (15-20 K / 10 kilos) at least 2 months before the hike. Include strength training for arms, legs, and core. You’ll be thankful you did when at the end of each day you have the energy to socialize with your fellow hikers (and set up your campsite and cook dinner – bonus, attending to hygiene).

Beg, borrow, or buy good equipment – it’s worth every penny!

So I heard the most outrageous story the day before departure in Nikkaluokta. One guy hiked the trail last year with a duffle bag and carried two plastic shopping bags. Don’t be that guy! Also, judging by the stories I heard about the treacherous weather in 2018 and the amount of hardship, I can hardly believe it. I don’t know if this guy made it. (I also don’t know if this is one of the Fjallraven Classic, “urban” legends). If anyone can enlighten me on this story and if it’s true (pictures appreciated) – please do!

For once in my life, I packed literally everything I needed for a trip. It all worked perfectly (except for one item, to be revealed later). I pulled out all the stops to make sure I would be safe, warm, and comfortable. Je ne regrette rien. Yes, my pack was 13.5 kilos and I would’ve loved it to be around 10. But if the weather had taken a really bad turn? Let’s just say, I prefer some extra weight to hypothermia. Even though it’s apparently not a bad way to go. You fall asleep quite peacefully after the initial painful freezing of extremities…

Anyway, prepare to be shamed repeatedly by those who carry less. An annoying game of kilo competition begins as soon as you join the Facebook page and builds to become particularly intense on start day. I had one man ask me my pack weight and when it was the same as his he began to go into a long list of excuses as to why he had so much weight. Finally, I looked at him and said, please stop – you’re stressing me out. We’ll be fine. I felt a little like a psychologist giving a motivational talk. Don’t listen to everyone. Do you. (Don’t go nuts on weight either).

Best advice? A loaded backpacking pack should not weigh more than about 20 percent of your body weight. Ok, so mine was slightly higher but what you don’t know can’t hurt you, right? (It did hurt, a bit). How to pack? I benefited from research , talking to friends, and advice from the Classic community. And yes, I brought my Kindle.

During the Hike

Take care of your feet – they’ll be what get you to the finish.

By the end of the hike, most people’s feet were a mess. Now, this is a combination of the harshness of the terrain, bad boots, and bad footcare. You will be subject to at least one of these problems and if you hit the trifecta, you’re gonna be in trouble. It could even cause you to drop out of the Classic. And when I say drop out, I really mean be airlifted out. Because once you start the hike in this roadless area no cars can go there. It’s either rescue by your feet or by helicopter. This is the Arctic Circle. This is a true wilderness. So if you don’t want to pay for an expensive helicopter ride or limp out in disgrace – take good care of your feet.

I bought new boots two weeks before the hike. Wait a minute! I didn’t end up wearing them on the hike, thankfully. But I almost did. Disaster is the word that comes to mind. I ended up in my tried and true old hikers and for the most part, they worked just fine. I ended up with one blister and a painfully tender little toe. For the blister, I ignored a hot spot for probably one hour too many. The little toe pain was most likely because the shoes were just a bit too worn out and because the trail was 110 kilometers of rocks (with some sweet relief provided by stream crossings and wooden planks). I’m not talking shale (although there is several kilometers of that after Tjaktja pass) – I’m talking a combination of big – small, – jagged rocks dispersed along the trail in such a way as to confound you as to where to put your feet. One too many times my foot slipped into the gap between rocks and was painfully compressed. If you don’t want to fall or twist an ankle you will spend 99% of your time looking at the trail below you. Tip: make sure you stop a lot to look at all the gobsmacking beauty around you – I do mean actually stop as it’s best not to walk this trail without looking at your feet!

Best advice? Stop every 1-2 hours and completely remove your socks and boots and if available, stick your feet into one of the icy cold streams you will pass by. I’m sure this saved my feet.

The weather is unpredictable – prepare for Anything!

In 2019 we were lucky. According to Fjallraven Classic yore, 2018 was a year for the record books. I heard stories of driving rain, waking up to snow and a record number of heli rescues. Again, this is the Arctic! This latitude is notorious for creating explorers like Amundsen and Nansen . Tough guys who spent months exploring the Antarctic before there was Gore-tex. Scandinavians have a saying, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.” It’s true. Mostly.

Best advice? Layers. Bring a clothing system that allows you to go from 17 degrees (celsius) down to 0, and anything in between. Also, don’t forget your nights will be cold. Bring a suitable sleeping bag. I also brought a silk sleeping bag liner. This makes the bag adaptable to warm or very cold nights.

Trail Hacks to help you get the most out of the Fjallraven Classic

There are a lot of people on the trail. Not all the time, mind you – but by the time you get to the end of your day most times, there will be. It helps if you plan your camps a bit ahead with whatever intel you can find. Some parts of the trail have long stretches where the ideal or even decent campsite is hard or impossible to find. So people tend to pitch a lot of tents in one spot. It’s noisy.

Best advice? If you’re looking for some peace and quiet or a wilderness experience you’ll need to begin looking for your spot early or plan ahead . Leave yourself enough time and energy at the end of the day to pick a great camping spot. This is one of the highlights of backpacking after all. Camp!

Yes, there is water all along the trail. It’s in the form of beautiful, ice-cold glacial streams. However, flowing water (the only safe kind) can be far away the moment you realize you drank your last drop and you don’t have the energy or didn’t have the foresight to fill up your canteen at that last stream. Being from the US, I never trust water without filtration. This time I did. The water is not only safe, it’s delicious. I spent one late afternoon and night without water because I ran out after the pass and didn’t fill up at the checkpoint. Big mistake. No dinner for me that night. I’ve never been so happy to see a river the next morning after a couple of hours hiking dry.

Best advice? Read the map and keep your canteen filled – all the time. Splurge and carry 2 liters, just in case – and especially at the end of the day when you may be too tired to hike that extra 1 or 2 k down to the stream to fill up.

So as I said before I really went all out buying equipment for this trek. Since I had only backpacked twice before in my life and that had been a good 15 years before, I did a lot of research and actually packed really well. However, I didn’t take all my equipment out for a test run before the hike (I mean a real-world test run overnight). I set up the tent in my living room and put together my poles, fired up my Jetboil, and tested my new airbed – but I didn’t test Everything. This was a mistake. I had a new 3L Camelback that went straight out of the packaging and into my backpack. Oy! I found out the suction didn’t work on the trail – after filling it with water. Luckily, I had my water bottle – but it sure would’ve been nice to have that extra few liters to drink on the go.

Best advice? Seriously, do an overnight with your entire kit – in the outdoors. Test everything. I mean Everything.

Fjallraven Perks

Oh Fjallraven! – I love you! This ticket has got to be the best bargain out there for an adventure. The most delicious freeze-dried food is included, gas for your stove, maps, great volunteers to check you in and out along the way and some tasty and thoughtful extras at the checkpoints for a surprise to keep spirits up. There are even sauna tickets included at a few checkpoints that you can use at the mountain huts along the trail.

Best advice? Take advantage of all that Fjallraven offers at each checkpoint. Don’t forget a sauna ticket (especially the one at the last checkpoint in Kieron – as I did) You’re really going to want to use it so you can blast into the finish shiny and semi-clean. Also, timing is everything, saunas along the trail aren’t fired up until 16:00 so time your hike accordingly.

Will I do the hike again? I don’t know. But it’s not because it was too hard or not beautiful enough – it’s because there are 6 Classics and I want to do them all!

People initially come to participate in the hike to experience a landscape that is jaw-droppingly gorgeous and to test themselves. People return over and over because of the community and the special bond we all share during Fjallraven Classics. I highly recommend it.

In the words of Roald Amundsen –

“I may say that this is the greatest factor: the way in which the expedition is equipped, the way in which every difficulty is foreseen, and precautions taken for meeting or avoiding it. Victory awaits him who has everything in order, luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time, this is called bad luck.”

Happy Hiking!

2 thoughts on “ Hiking the Fjallraven Classic – How I Learned to Love Backpacking. ”

The 4 km route of rocks at Tjaktja pass was killing, plus the wind! Those were the time the helicopter cannot come and save you even you were willing to pay. Good memories after all. I told myself along the route that it’s just a matter of time, fast or slow, but the checkpoint is anyway waiting for me. Thanks to the late sunset time so we didn’t need to walk with the torch on.

Also, I used to think the sauna tickets are something extra that need to pay. Will definitely prepare for that next time, as semi clean is well good enough.

Hi Joe – Yeah, those rocks after the pass were definitely hardcore! Now that it’s been a few weeks though I don’t quite remember how hard it was just that is was amazing and I want to go back! Next time, I’ll plan well for saunas – that last one in Abisko was definitely refreshing! Happy Hiking!

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The Fjällräven Classic USA

The 12-year-old Swedish trekking tradition comes to the United States with the goal of getting more novice backpackers into the wilderness

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As soon as I saw the double-barrel shotgun, I knew Fjällräven was on the right track. The start of a hike through some of Colorado’s most beautiful backcountry wouldn’t be the same without a shotgun start.

I was at the North Canadian trailhead, near Walden, Colorado, for the inaugural Fjällräven Classic USA, a three-day, 20-mile backpacking trip. The idea was simple: find 20 stunning miles of hiking trail and invite friends to come along for the trek. The company would provide food and water along the way and offer a shuttle service from Denver and Boulder to the trailhead. All I had to do was pack a backpack and join them.

At the trailhead, Carl Hård af Segerstad, brand communications manager at Fjällräven, addressed the crowd of hikers. A tan, well-built man with a thick, full beard, Carl looked like he was born to wear the company’s clothing. A few words of welcome in Swedish, followed by the shotgun blast, and the first of three waves of hikers was off.

Photos from the Classic

Fjällräven launched its first Classic in Sweden 12 years ago. Since then, more than 2,000 people from around the world have traveled to Swedish Lapland every year to hikethe 112-kilometer Kungsleden trail. The folks at Fjällräven hope this first U.S. hike will evolve into a similar tradition. The goal is to get novice backpackers on their first overnight. The $200 registration fee covers food and water on the trail, plusbeerand a barbeque at the end. And, of course, the ease and camaraderie of hiking with more than 100 new friends.

The first day of trekking was tough for flatlanders who had flown in from California and the East Coast—we were at 10,500 feet and covered more than eight miles to our first campsite. The route itself wasn’t particularly challenging, but the skies opened up just as the fire road turned into singletrack. In typical Colorado fashion, we got a little bit of everything: rain, hail, sunshine, more hail. Tired and wet, we were glad to reach the six-mile checkpoint, where crews were handing out hot soup and Swedish Fish. We ended the day on the banks of Jewel Lake, a 11,400-foot-elevation alpine lake nestled at the base of a bowl of mountains.

I met hikers from all over the world, including a marine from Maryland, and a student from ASU, who won Fjällräven’s giveaway and received a free trip to the Classic. One hiker had completed the original Swedish Classic just the week before. We swapped stories as we prepared our Mountain House freeze-dried meals and alpenglow lit the horizon.

The second day, we followed the Hidden Valley Trail along a small river, through fields of wildflowers,and over a mountain pass. From the summit, we looked out over Kelly Lake, which would have fit right in on The Sound of Music set. Fly-fishing lines flashed in the morning light as we descended to the lake, where a crew had a happy-hour spread—Colorado bourbon and moonshine—waiting for us. And, of course, more Swedish Fish. That evening, we passed flasks of Fireball around the campfire as a hiker played renditions of Sugarhill Gang tunes on guitar.

Joe Prebich, vice president of brand at Fjällräven, passed me a flask. “Fjällräven gets it,” he said, pointing to the 50 people gathered around the fire, nodding to the beat. “This right here, this…is what we love to do.”Later, as I fell asleep to the rhythmic pounding of hands on an empty bear canister, I felt the Lapland chill invade my Colorado tent and found it hard to disagree.

Sign up for the Fäjllrävennewsletter to learn about the dates and location for next year’s Fjällräven Classic USA.

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The Fjallraven Classic USA: Backpacking Colorado with 160 of My Closest Friends

By: Author Alisha McDarris

Posted on Published: August 3, 2023  - Last updated: June 4, 2024

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I first learned about the Fjallraven Classic USA a few years ago. One day, I opened up my shiny new issue of Outside or Backpacker magazine (publications I now write for on a regular basis) and nestled inside was a small passport book with routes and info about the backpacking event in Colorado.

Wow , I thought, this looks rad! And last month Fjallraven invited me to participate in the annual trip. I was excited and curious. What was this shindig all about? Who signed up for these sorts of things? Would I get to test any of Fjallraven’s vegan gear or clothing? What should I expect? Since I never turn down an invite to go backpacking, I obviously accepted and headed to Colorado to find out for myself. Curious? Read on.

What is the Fjallraven Classic, and How Does it Work?

It’s an annual event that takes place in several destinations around the world. The Fjallraven Classic USA specifically is a three-day backpacking trip in Colorado. It covers at least 30 miles (optional side-trails may be available for additional mileage) and is what I would call semi-supported. Think an organized marathon where the route is marked, there are aid stations throughout, medical staff is always standing by, snacks and water are provided at strategic locations, and you’re far from the only one completing the route.

There were 160 people participating this year and they were split into 2 groups, one of which started the day after the first, so you were really only sharing the trail and campground with 80 people or so.

Except it’s backpacking, so you’re still carrying all your own food (you’re provided with all the dehydrated meals you require) and camping equipment, moving at your own pace, there are no time constraints, and no one is pitching your tent for you when you get to the designated campgrounds. That’s all you, boo.

You’ll be completing the trek with an enthusiastic group of outdoor lovers of all ages, getting shuttles from Trekker’s Inn (the event’s cheeky term for pre- and post-event base camp) to the trailhead, enjoy a convivial atmosphere at a large group campground each night (not toooo convivial mind you–this is still backpacking, after all, which means bedtime is well before 9:00pm), trekking on some of the best hiking trails in Colorado, and having a blast.

You have to purchase a ticket in advance to attend, and they sell out fast, so the Fjallraven team recommends signing up for the newsletter on the Classic website so you get notified when tickets are about to drop to have the best chance at grabbing a spot.

What’s included in the Fjallraven Classic USA?

So far so good, right? Now you’re interested! But what does a ticket get you?

• Colorado backpacking permits
• Wag bags (cat holes are not permitted due to the number of participants)
• Dehydrated meals + snacks at checkpoints
• Gas for a backpacking stove
• A water filter bottle (this year is was a GRAYL– check out our review here )
• Water at checkpoints
• A bear canister waiting for your at camp
• A reusable trash bag with Leave No Trace guidelines on it
• Fjallraven Classic USA medal, pin, & patch when you arrive at the finish
• A Fjallraven Classic T-shirt
• Finishers party complete with food and cold bevies
• Exclusive discounts on Fjallraven gear pre-hike

When is the Fjallraven Classic USA and how much does it cost?

The Colorado backpacking event takes place in late July, give or take a week or two. Tickets go on sale around April, which cost around $200, a steal when you compare the price to a fully guided backpacking trip (or even a major marathon!)

Who is the Fjallraven Classic For?

Honestly, The Fjallraven Classic is for everyone: New backpackers, experienced backpackers, introverts, extroverts, you name it. In fact, I spoke with people on the trail who had never been backpacking before ever, people who have been exploring the outdoors for years, and people who have traveled the world to participate in every Fjallraven Classic event!

It’s for backpackers who love to make new friends and enjoy the company of others and want to share the experience with a group of like-minded individuals (again, much like signing up for a marathon). There are so many opportunities to meet new people as you leap frog on trail, chat at the campground at night, and experience some of the best backpacking in Colorado together.

But that doesn’t mean you have to be an extrovert. On the contrary, it was easy to position myself well out of sight and earshot of any other hikers during the day, which was wonderful, because not only do I prefer to hike at my own pace, not someone else’s, but I enjoy my time in nature so much more when I can listen to and look at and feel the wonders around me as I move through the wilderness. Incessant chatting distracts me from that, so I was thrilled to have plenty of time for myself.

What is the Fjallraven Classic USA Like?

It’s a good time, I’ll tell you that (maybe one of the best backpacking trips in Colorado…?)! Every evening there are “fireside chats” (fires aren’t actually permitted) where you’ll learn about the route the next day, get a recap of the day’s mileage, learn tips and tricks for leaving no trace, make too many jokes about pooping in a bag, find out what time to start hiking in the morning (especially if afternoon storms are expected), get blisters treated (if you pick the right boots and socks , blisters could be a thing of the past), and ask any questions you may have.

The route itself is challenging, but not impossibly so. While there is always a chance the exact route could change, the Fjallraven Classic USA is officially about 30-36 miles (depending on whether you add on side trails to alpine lakes), tackles more than 3,600 feet of elevation gain over a day and a half (the last day and a half is all heading back down), may involve creek crossings, offers the option to swim in alpine lakes, treats you to massive views of mountains and valleys and wildflowers, and more.

While it’s sure to get your heart pumping, there were no sections that were so steep or precarious to be either dangerous or impossibly difficult. Late afternoon rains or storms were a daily occurrence, but passed quickly. You’ll meander through shady pine forests, sunny stretches overlooking valleys, and exposed alpine ridges at nearly 12,000 feet.

That does mean you’ll be at pretty significant altitude, so be prepared. It’s a good idea to get to the area a few days before the trek to acclimate, but you should definitely drink plenty of water and have pain killers on hand in case you get a headache. Don’t ignore more severe symptoms like confusion or dizziness, which can be signs of extreme altitude sickness that may require medical attention.

But plan to get up and go to bed early, spend your evenings lounging at the campsite, hike for several hours each day, enjoy the stunning scenery, and bask in the camaraderie that only the outdoors can induce.

You’ll also be sharing a large, wooded group campsite with everyone, so I will say that going to the bathroom involved at least one of two things: 1.) Being comfortable peeing closer to other backpackers than you might usually prefer, or 2.) walking an extra half mile to find a private place to relieve yourself undisturbed. I usually opted for the latter, but wished several times I had been wearing my Gnara pants so I could have gone without worrying about exposing myself.

What Gear to Bring to the Fjallraven Classic USA

When considering what to bring for the Fjallraven Classic, the typical backpacking checklist applies (minus as much food and water since most of it is provided once you arrive). Here’s what to pack:

• Backpacking gear, including a tent , backpack , sleeping bag and sleeping pad , trekking poles , a stove and other gear .
• Clothing suitable for the weather (hiking in Colorado tends to be cool when you’re in the mountains–more on what we wore below).
• Personal items like hand sanitizer and contact solution.
• A first aid kit .
• Protein bars and other snacks (there are munchies at all checkpoints and campgrounds, but I ate at least one bar between each one).

What to Wear

You know we love gear. Here’s what we wore on the hike:

• Fjallraven High Coast Trail Trouser s : I don’t usually like to hike in pants, but these are so light and stretchy and easy to roll that I rather liked them! Plus they’re made of recycled materials.
• Fjallraven Abisko Cool T-Shirt : Super soft, stretchy, and nicely fitted, this top could definitely go from Trail to Tavern.
• Fjallraven Berg tagen Rain Jacket : Roomy, durable, lightweight, and PFC-free!
• Tilley Airflow Modern hat: Made of recycled materials, this hat keeps the sun off and looks good doing it!
• Montane Dart Shirt : Made of recycled polyester, it was just the right thickness for cool mountain mornings and evenings and layered great under warmer layers, plus kept the sun off during the day.
• VivoBarefoot Magna Lite SG : Love backpacking in barefoot hiking boots! Watch our review here!
• Injinji Toe Socks : Recycled materials, fun colors, and no blisters? Yes, please!

Bottom Line

The Fjallraven Classic USA is a blast. The scenery was spectacular, the company was excellent, I got plenty of alone time on the trail, and I’d absolutely do it again. So sign up to get notified in advance of next year’s trip and then hit the trail, yo!

This post contains affiliate links, which means when you clicky-click and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission.

Alisha is a freelance outdoor journalist and photographer based in Ogden, UT. She loves backpacking, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking and snowboarding (even though she’s terrible at it). She’s also pretty sure she’s addicted to coffee. alishamcdarris.com

Monday 14th of August 2023

I’ve never been backpacking but would love to start. :)

Alisha McDarris

Thursday 17th of August 2023

You totally should! Check out our free backpacking 101 course on YouTube if you're ready to get started! It'll teach you just about everything you need to know! https://youtu.be/BzIgCKPG4Zw And drop us any questions that you have!

Dates Announced For The 2024 Fjallraven Classic

Fjallraven has officially announced the dates for the 2024 Fjallraven Classic …

Fjallraven Classic Denmark - July 3rd to 6th

Fjallraven Classic USA - July 23rd to 26th

Fjallraven Classic Sweden - August 9th to 16th

Fjallraven Classic UK - September 17th to 20th

Fjallraven Classic Germany - September 25th to 27th

Fjallraven Classic Korea - October 16th to 19th

Fjallraven Classic Chile - December 2nd to 6th

In 2024, Fjällräven Classic is celebrating its 20th anniversary of trekking the Fjällräven way. Recognising this milestone, Fjällräven Classic is expanding to Chile for the first time and Fjällräven Classic UK is returning with a route through England’s Lake District national park.

Fjällräven Classic was first developed by Fjällräven founder Åke Nordin in 1979. During “Fjällräven Weeks” he helped people experience the benefits of multi-day trekking in Sweden, even if they were not quite ready to do it by themselves. In 2005, the first Fjällräven Classic as we know it today – a multi-day trek with logistical support – took place in Sweden. It has since become a highly anticipated trekking series in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, the USA, the UK, Korea and Chile, with a strong global community.

Sign up for early access. From March 4th at 10:00 CET until March 11th at 10:00 CET, Fjällräven Classic tickets will be available to buy solely to subscribers. After this early access window, a limited number of tickets will be released on March 12th at 10:00 CET.

Apply Now For Fjallraven Polar 2020

The 2020 Fjällräven Classic Is Being Streamed Online

Spring 2023 Fjallraven Campfire Events

Fjallraven Opening Outlet Store In Niagara, Ontario

Apply For Fjallraven Polar 2025 This October

• Simms Travel: +44 (0)1946723227
• Gosforth Taxi: +44 (0)19467 25308
• Manchester Airport to Muncaster Castle: 15:00
• Manchester Airport to Muncaster Castle: 12:00 & 15:00
• Lancaster Train Station to Muncaster Castle: 13:00
• Muncaster Castle to Manchester Airport: 05:00 & 12:00
• Muncaster Castle to Lancaster Train Station: 10:00
• Muncaster Castle to Manchester Airport: 09:00
• A route map
• A Trekking Passport to be stamped by Fjällräven volounteers
• Primus gas for use with stoves with a standard screw thread
• Freeze-dried food including two breakfasts, three lunches and two dinners as well as energy bars and treats at checkpoints.
• Drinking water at all checkpoints
• A toilet bag
• A Fjällräven Classic trash bag for collecting your own trash and any on the trail
• A Fjällräven Classic UK medal and patch when you arrive at the finish

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Walking, Hiking & Trail Running

The fjällräven classic | conquering the king’s trail in sweden, a multi-day hike through the wilderness of northern sweden sounded exciting on paper. but we weren't prepared for just how exciting things would get....

It’s only day three of our week-long trek, but as we struggle to pitch our tent behind the shelter of a boulder it’s obvious our best-laid plans have already gone out the window – or at least the mesh flap which passes for one. With the winds gusting at over 40 knots (a force nine gale in layman’s terms) we’re lucky the whole thing hasn’t blown away.

The following morning, a grim-faced volunteer at the next checkpoint tells us: “It’s been bad. I’ve just been looking at some statistics. We had 60 tents pitched near here last night and maybe 11 or 12 collapsed.”

“The Classic was dreamt up by Åke Nordin as a way to celebrate the Scandinavian concept of friluftsliv.”

None of this, it’s fair to say, fits with the picture I’d painted to my long-suffering girlfriend Simona when I’d persuaded her to come on the walk with me a month or so before. “ Hiking , camping and cooking in the open air. It’ll be fun,” I’d said. “Plus loads of people do it every year, how hard can it be?”

Started in 2005, the Fjällräven Classic is a multi-day trek along a stretch of the trail known as the Kungsleden (or “King’s Trail”) in Northern Sweden . It was dreamt up by the brand’s founder Åke Nordin as a way to celebrate not only the company itself, but also the peculiarly Scandinavian conception of adventure it embodies, known as friluftsliv.

Literally this translates as “free air life” but (as you might expect from the people who invented flatpack furniture and the Tetra Pak) there are multiple layers of meaning folded into this neat little word. It’s not just a description of an activity, it’s also tied to a set of beliefs – the idea getting outside is good for you, that access is a fundamental right, and that the outdoors is for everyone, not just the hardcore.

Given the everyman ideals he’s espousing, Nordin’s idea of a fun hike looks quite daunting, at least on paper. The route stretches for 110 kilometres, beginning where the tarmac road ends at Nikkaluokta and winding through broad glacial valleys and past Sweden’s highest peaks. The finish line, which we’re told will take around a week to reach, is in the small frontier town of Abisko, nearly 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle.

However, I wasn’t lying to Simona when I told her that lots of people complete the trek every year. From its humble beginnings when just 152 took part, the event has grown exponentially. In 2016 more than 2,000 people finished the Classic, and as we line up at the start, it’s obvious that our fellow trekkers have come from far and wide. We see Canadians, Germans, Koreans, Japanese, many of them obviously fans of of Fjällräven, who’ve dressed head-to-toe in the company’s kit for the occasion.

“There are actually people from 38 nations at the Classic this year, and only one quarter are Swedish,” says Anna-Luisa Stadelman, one of the startline volunteers, who admits to being something of a Fjällräven fangirl herself. “It’s my seventh year here,” she explains. “I’m German originally but I studied in Sweden in 2002 and first came on the Classic in 2008.”

As we set off, it’s easy to see what keeps people like Anna-Luisa keep coming back to the Classic year after year. Everything is as well-organised as you’d expect a mass-participation event to be. Maps, camping gas and free freeze-dried food are handed out to participants, and there are busses to take us to the start line. When we start walking the group quickly strings out, so it never feels crowded however, and by the time we stop to pitch our tent on the first evening, we’re completely alone.

When you’re this far north of the Arctic Circle in August it only gets dark for a couple of hours each day, and even then the light never fully leaves the sky. This means the sunsets are long, drawn out and spectacular. We cook our dinner in front of an incredible display as the sun goes slowly down over the snow-capped peaks ahead of us, painting the sky orange, red and purple as it sinks.

The following morning is equally idyllic. We’re in no rush, and wander down to the shore of a nearby lake to wash before hitting the trail. The water is bright turquoise, the result of glacier run-off further upstream, and icy cold. Simona, who’s Italian, thinks I’m mental for wanting to swim in it, but the sun’s shining and I warm up quickly once I’m out.

The hiking remains relatively easy until we reach the first checkpoint the picturesque fjällstation, or hill station, beneath Kebnekaise, Sweden’s highest mountain. Fjallraven Classic rules forbid us from staying in the pretty wooden huts (you have to camp from start to finish for the challenge to count). But thankfully they don’t stop us from eating in the restaurant.

Named Elsa’s kök (Elsa’s kitchen) after the legendary hostess who managed the hill station from the 1930s to the 1960s, it’s impressively gourmet given the remote location, serving modern Swedish food to guests seated at long, communal tables.

Our fellow diners are a mixed bunch – day trippers who’ve flown in on one of the distinctive red helicopters that resupply the Kungsleden’s network of huts, hikers who’ve been up the mountain (a hike that’s apparently the equivalent of going up Ben Nevis) and the properly hardcore.

One side two wealthy 40-something women from Boston tell us how they come hiking in a different destination every year, travelling from hut to hut while someone else transports their bags. On the other side there’s a young Belgian couple who have already been on the trail for fifteen days. They obviously take this sort of thing very seriously. “We bought a kiln this year so we can make our own dehydrated food,” they tell us.

If the hiking thus far has shown us what attracted the Americans here, then the next few days will give us a taste of the more serious side of northern Sweden – the reason people like our Belgian friends consider the Kungsleden a challenge worthy of their attention.

“As we’re cooking breakfast, we look up to see a herd of wild reindeer trotting across the hillside opposite.”

It’s cold when we wake up, and drizzling slightly. Even through the trees that surround our tent, we can feel the wind is beginning to get up and as we set off and walk out above the treeline, both the rain and the wind get worse. Extra layers are put on, hoods are put up and rain covers are stretched over our backpacks.

We lean forward onto our poles, drop our shoulders and power on. But it’s exposed up here, and the storm seems to make the packs on our backs feel heavier. Suddenly carrying the extra camera gear, which has made my pack a hefty 25kg and taken Simona’s up to 19kg, doesn’t feel like such a good idea.

At one point we pass two fellow Classic participants, a Russian mother and daughter team from St. Petersburg, huddled behind a rock, sheltering against the wind.

They look like they’re struggling, and we’re glad when we see them make it to checkpoint two later that evening.

They’re far from the worst off though. A look at the route map on Fjällräven’s website shows images of happy hikers splashing around in a stream at the next checkpoint, Sälka. Yet it was here that the storm hit hardest, flattening all of those tents. “Some people carried on,” says Marie Olsson, the volunteer who’s been helping people pick up the pieces. “But because they’re staying in the huts it won’t count as completing the Classic.”

One couple have decided to call it a day altogether – as we’re eating our lunch one of the resupply helicopters lands next to us and they climb in, looking very grateful for the rescue. “Their tent was one of the ones that was destroyed,” says Marie sadly. “But also their boots were not good, their backpacks were too thin.” We thank our lucky stars that we’re kitted out in the right gear.

Certainly if the next few days teach us anything, it’s that neither the Kungsleden as a trail, nor the Classic as an event, should be underestimated. The terrain is never particularly steep, but the pathway is often strewn with rocks and can be tricky underfoot. For long sections the trail is just planks over boggy marshland and when the winds aren’t high enough to be an issue, the mosquitoes definitely are.

At the Tjäktja checkpoint we find three volunteers, Mathias, Tomas and Frederick, bundled up in multiple jackets and sheltering inside the check-in tent against the weather. “You wouldn’t believe it,” says Frederick, “but sometimes it’s so hot at this time of year people are walking the Classic with no shirts on. You have to jump in the streams to cool down.”

“Hmmm,” says Simona, as we warm our hands around the cups of tea they’ve kindly poured us. Then we head back out into the rain.

But if there are moments where the Fjällräven Classic doesn’t feel like a summer holiday, they’re few and far between. More often, we find ourselves revelling in the sense of space, blown away by Lapland’s bleak beauty.

As we’re cooking breakfast one morning, with not another soul for miles around, we look up to see a herd of wild reindeer trotting across the hillside opposite. They stop just long enough for me to grab my camera and fire off a few frames, before they disappear over the next ridge.

On our penultimate day we find ourselves heading northwards across a wide open plateau, the sun dipping slowly behind the tents of a traditional Sami settlement to our left. Off to the right, we can see the tongues of two massive glaciers, reminders of the ice age that shaped and sculpted this ancient-looking landscape. “I feel like we might see a dinosaur here,” says Simona. If we did it certainly wouldn’t look out of place.

In the end, we don’t come across any sauropods. But we do come away with an appreciation of why this part of Sweden has attracted generations of outdoor enthusiasts. The Svenska Turistföreningen (the Swedish Tourist Association, or STF), has been managing and promoting this wilderness since it was first formed in 1885.

At strategic points along the trail, they’ve created what they call meditationsplats (meditation spaces) marked by stones carved with quotations by Däg Hammarskjöld, the Swedish diplomat and author.

As the second Secretary General of the United Nations, Hammarskjöld was a man who gave his life to the cause of peace (quite literally – he was killed on the job in 1961 ). And when he wasn’t working this part of the world, where he had a house, was where he came in search of it.

Taken from his book Markings, the quotes are carved here in Swedish and Sami. Neither are languages that I speak. Nor am I normally given to meditation. But standing next to the stones and looking out at the rugged landscape which surrounds them, I start to understand why it was that Hammarskjöld thought this place was so special.

It’s the same reason Åke Nordin was so keen on enabling other people to explore it. Friluftsliv might be a tricky concept to define in English, but spend a few days hiking here, in Fjällräven’s home country, and it’s instantly obvious what the whole thing is about.

Do It Yourself:

Getting there:

Norwegian Airlines ( norwegian.com ) and SAS ( flysas.com ) both fly from London to Kiruna via Stockholm, from £305 return.

Accommodation: Contestants on the Classic must stay in the tent that they carry with them. However, you can stay in the STF huts along the Kungsleden if you’re not part of the event. Visit swedishtouristassociation.com for the English language version of their website.

At the end of the Classic, we stayed in the Abisko Guesthouse ( abiskoguesthouse.com)

Joining the Fjällräven Classic You can sign up for the next Fjällräven Classic Sweden (or any of their global spin off events) at classic.fjallraven.com .

As a way for international visitors to explore this unique part of Sweden, it really is hard to beat. Fjällräven provide food and gas to participants, as well as organising a finishing party. Navigation is very straightforward but it’s worth remembering that while there are regular checkpoints, you’re on your own for the most part, so make sure you have everything on Fjällräven’s helpful packing list.

The Fjällräven Classic Sweden usually takes five to six days to complete, although you can definitely do it faster – the first pair across the finish line when we took part were trail runners who completed the whole thing non-stop in under 20 hours!

Tristan and Simona’s trip was hosted by Fjällräven. For more info visit fjällräven.co.uk

To read the rest of The Remote Issue, click here .

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Fjällräven Classic Korea

16-19 oct 2024, trek into the heart of jeju island.

Experience the highest mountain in Korea, trek through tranquil forest trails, and feel the mysterious beauty of Jeju island, a world heritage area with hundreds of passionate trekkers. This magical trek takes you over the mountain of Hallasan through the forest and down to the sea. The campsites are beautifully located by the foot of the mountain and you’ll be able to enjoy authentic Korean cooking with food that will be provided.

Eorimok Trail Center - Witse Oreum

A steady climb to CP 1. Take a break at THE lunchspot for as long as you want, but don\"t forget to pass here within 13:30

Witse Oreum - Hawon Village

A 1km down from Muo Beopjeong Temple, located at Joongsangan, with a magnificent view of Jeju Island and you will feel embraced by nature.

Hawon Village - Cheona Forest

You will walk through such spectacular maple forests, the highest point (1,000m) of Hallasan Dullegil, and the elegant bamboo forest

Cheona Forest - Yusuam

Where the forest ends and the costal area starts. Yusuam is the transition region along the trail.

Yusuam - Hyangpa Castle

Following the Olle Trail towards the coastline passing beautiful sights in the cultural landscape.

Hyangpa Castle - Villa de Aewol

Last stretch takes you down to the waterside that you follow to the finish line where the happy people and refreshments waits for you.

How to prepare for multi-day trekking

Find all the guidance, tips and know-how you need to feel fully prepared for Fjällräven Classic Korea

Got everything you need for the trail?

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