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23-571: The history of Kungsleden is connected to the Swedish Tourism Association ( Svenska Turistföreningen or STF). This association was formed in 1885 by scientists at Uppsala in order to facilitate access to Swedish mountains. From the late nineteenth century, the association had the idea of creating a royal road through the mountains in Swedish Lapland . The proposed route was to link the present-day Abisko to Kvikkjokk. Construction of

46-471: A subarctic climate ( Dfc ), typical of Northern Sweden in Lapland . Summers are cool and rainy with chilly nights and snow covers are often modest except for during milder winters where maritime air brings more precipitation. Winters are long and cold but somewhat moderated by mild Gulf Stream air coming from the west. That means Abisko has a milder annual mean temperature than municipal seat Kiruna in spite of

69-401: A flight time of 1.25 hours. A few places along the trail can be reached by road or public transport (a few others can also be reached by boat charter services). During the summer Jokkmokk, Arvidsjaur and Sorsele are reachable by The Inland Line tourist railway. In recent years, a number of trail running athletes have been attempting to set the fastest known time . The female speed record

92-405: Is by far the northernmost section, between Abisko and Kebnekaise . The season, when the huts are open, usually runs between mid-June and the end of September. Rowing boats are usually in place at the end of June or beginning of July, but the weather can be very treacherous, including late or early snow. The winter season runs from mid-February to the end of April. Huts have been constructed along

115-684: Is currently held by the Swedish athlete Emelie Forsberg . The Belgian adventurer Louis-Philippe Loncke achieved the distinction of being the first person to complete the entire trail on foot with packrafting and unsupported, climbing underway also Skierfe and the Kebnekaise North and South summits. Svenska Turistf%C3%B6reningen The Swedish Tourist Association ( Swedish : Svenska Turistföreningen , pronounced [ˈsvɛ̂nːska tʉˈrɪ̂stfœrˌeːnɪŋɛn] ; abbreviated STF ), founded in 1885, aims at promoting outdoor life and knowledge among

138-631: Is disappearing because of global warming and increased snowfall. Daily passenger electric trains run by SJ AB connect Stockholm with the Norwegian city of Narvik , stopping at both the Abisko village (the name of that railway station is Abisko Östra [east]) and the Abisko Turiststation. Additional regional trains provide links along the Kiruna-Narvik stretch. Abisko is also reachable by car via

161-529: The Malmbanan railway line between Kiruna and Narvik in 1902 gave this project the required access. STF bought three officer cabins from the Swedish Railways including one at Abisko. With the very limited funds available, it gradually transformed the cabin at Abisko into a tourism station. It also built chalets: the first ones being those of Abiskojaure and Kebnekaise in 1907. Between Abisko and Abiskojaure,

184-557: The Swedes about their country. The Association maintains a variety of trails, huts and hostels in different parts of Sweden. It became known for the creation of Kungsleden , a 440 kilometer long hiking trail in Lapland , through one of Europe's largest remaining wilderness areas. The association has approximately 300,000 members, employing about 500 people of which 400 for seasonal work, for instance as landlords for 45 fell huts and 10 larger fell hostels. Dag Hammarskjöld belongs to

207-680: The aurora borealis . One of the most recognized natural sights is Lapporten , a U-shaped valley visible from Abisko. Abisko is also located near the 330 square kilometre (130 sq mi) lake Torneträsk . Abisko is home to the Abisko Scientific Research Station , an important centre for research into Arctic ecology and climate change . The research station hosts the Climate Impacts Research Centre, Umeå University , where research, education and outreach on aquatic and terrestrial ecology are undertaken. Abisko has

230-523: The Kungsleden trail. The national park is known for its Cross-country skiing opportunities, snowshoeing , and other winter sports (Mount Nuolja and nearby Björkliden provides Backcountry skiing and freeriding opportunities). As its location is 195 km north of the Arctic Circle, summer hikers enjoy the midnight sun , while winter visitors may find the light pollution-free location ideal for viewing

253-571: The association's most prominent leaders. As Secretary-General of the United Nations the only remaining duties Hammarskjöld kept in Sweden were those associated with his vice-chairmanship of Svenska Turistföreningen and his membership of the Swedish Academy . The farm Backåkra , acquired by Hammarskjöld in 1957, is in accordance to his will maintained by STF. A part of the farm serves as a retreat for

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276-438: The cottages was slow given the limited economic means of association. There was still no proper path to speak of and the public sentiment for the trail was very limited at first, but it quickly grew in popularity. The trail was extended in a relatively discrete way. In 1941, the Kungsleden went from Abisko to Jäkkvik and early 1950s, it reached up to Ammarnäs. Some hikers at the time included Kungsleden in all STF trail networks in

299-468: The highway E10 which has linked Kiruna and Narvik since the early 1980s. Other local forms of transportation include hiking and dog-sledding in winter. A chair-lift provides access to a point below the summit of nearby Mt. Nuolja. The 425 kilometer-long Kungsleden hiking trail, which follows the Scandinavian mountain range , starts (or ends) at the Abisko Turiststation (consisting of a railway station of

322-572: The members of the Academy. Abisko Abisko ( Swedish: [ˈɑ̌ːbɪskʊ] ; Northern Sami : Ábeskovvu ) is a village in Sápmi ( Lapland ), in northern Sweden , roughly 200 km north of the Arctic Circle , and near Abisko National Park , located 4 km west of the village. It had 85 inhabitants as of 2005. Permafrost is common around the village albeit this low altitude permafrost

345-481: The mountains, from the three-Country Cairn in the north to Grövelsjön in the south. In 1975, the trail was officially extended to Hemavan with the creation of the Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve. The section further south (between Sälen and Storlien ) however, is sometimes called Södra Kungsleden (literally Southern Kungsleden). Kungsleden runs for about 467 kilometres (290 mi) between Abisko in

368-453: The north and Hemavan in the south. The trail is well-marked and many sections are well equipped and maintained by the Countyboard of Norrbotten (Länsstyrelsen i Norrbotten), with plank walkways covering swampy or rocky ground. However, other sections, further from the trailheads, are eroded and rocky, increasing the difficulty of hiking. There are bridges across non-fordable streams and during

391-469: The route. The huts along Kungsleden are (from north to south): There are no huts between Kvikkjokk and Ammarnäs which is about a 130 kilometres (81 mi) section of the Kungsleden. An overview map of Kungsleden. Highlights along the way, sometimes a small detour is needed, are: Abisko : Hostel / mountain station, hiking during summer, back-country skiing during winter. From here, it's possible to get to Nikkaluokta via dog-sledging tours during

414-552: The same name and the Abisko Youth Hostel) (approx. 4 km west of the village itself) and follows through the national park. The Nordkalottruta uses trails of the park as part of its longer passage. The Abisko Turiststation , run by the Svenska Turistföreningen (STF), houses many visitors to the park and provides lodging, food, and other amenities, and is one of many similar facilities located periodically along

437-412: The summer season lakes and rivers could be crossed either with rowing boats provided by Countyboard of Norrbotten or STF or by taking a local charter boat. The winter trail takes a somewhat different course in locations where it runs over swamps or lakes that can not be negotiated in summer. The trail is separated into four sections, each representing approximately one week of hiking. The most popular part

460-476: The trail followed an old road used to transport materials. In addition to the cottages, the association brought in boats for the lakes between Abisko and Vakkotavare. For the section between Vakkotavare and Kvikkjokk , the initial project was to take the trail through the middle of Sarek National Park , with a cottage near the Rapa River , crossing which would require a boat. The plans were later changed, such that

483-473: The trail runs along the eastern end of park instead. Initially, the trail was not marked or named. In 1920, in a book on Kebnekaise, the trail appeared under the name Alesvaggeleden. The trail between Abisko and Vakkotavare was finally marked in 1926 and 1927. In 1928, without any ceremony or inauguration the name Kungsleden appeared for the first time, with the opening of the Kvikkjokk station. The construction of

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506-470: The trail, separated by a distance that a walker could expect to cover during the day, about 9–22 kilometres (5.6–13.7 mi). The huts are primarily operated by STF and provide a mattress, pillow, blanket and simple cooking facilities. For a small fee, it is possible to pitch a tent outside and use the facilities of the huts. Supplies can be bought in some of them (Alesjaure and Kebnekaise Fjällstation, for example). Some emergency shelters can also be found on

529-540: The winter. Access to Abisko is by direct train from Gothenburg , Stockholm , or Narvik . Abisko can also be reached by bus either from Kiruna or from Narvik, which can be reached by regular air traffic. Hemavan is easily accessible by car or bus from Umeå or Mo i Rana in Norway. Some buses only run during the summer season. The Hemavan Tärnaby Airport is the closest airport to the reserve and has one flight per day, 6 days per week, to and from Stockholm-Arlanda , with

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