Skiing the Kungsleden - Days 8 to 13 (and resupply shenanigans)
13th March 2026
The evening of the 7th March our new friends (see previous blog), Mr & Mrs L who had kindly invited us to dinner, had spent the day ice fishing and had caught some magnificent arctic char. A beautiful fish, vaguely similar to salmon in appearance but a much nicer flavour. Dinner was a delicious starter followed by the wonderful freshly caught fish, served fresh from the lake, with a white wine sauce with mashed potatoes and wine too. It was a splendid evening. The kindness of strangers never ceases to amaze me and we can’t thank them enough for inviting two slightly smelly strangers into their home.
The simply marvellous Mr & Mrs L. Our delightful hosts for our rest day in Ammarnäs
Day 8 Ammarnäs to tent spot by lake Lisvuojävrrie
20.18km - 8hrs 43 mins - Total ascent 653m - Total descent 112m - Arrival time 17.28 - Moving average 3.1kmph - Running total 97.48km
The following morning, after a hearty breakfast, we walked along the road out of town.
Leaving Ammarnäs. A long day ahead.
Ammarnäs is very small so it wasn’t long before we left behind the wooden cabins and homes. Joining a ski scooter trail we enjoyed several kilometres of easy skiing as in the summer this trail is a road.
Still smiling because I haven’t seen the steep bit yet.
With the river on our left, mostly frozen but with occasional slashes of black water between the frozen snow and a jumble of ice, we gradually climbed through pine and birch trees to a trail junction. We shared a lunch spot with two Norwegian women who aimed to continue up the valley to a cabin. We however headed uphill and north (but mostly uphill!) . The trail climbed steadily and then steeply causing us to switch to full length skins on our skis.
The climb took us above the pine trees, where only the dead looking birch trees remained. Their black branches and peeling white birch make for a monochrome world against the surrounding snow.
Finally, after many kilometres, even the hardy birch trees were left behind as we entered the pure white fjëlls.
A surreal photo of a footbridge stranded in a sea of snow.
This was to be our longest day so far. Both in time and distance. By 5.30pm. darkness was slowly falling when I finally declared it time to stop for the night. We were both very tired. With hindsight 5.30pm was a bit late perhaps as there is a lot to do just to get the tent pitched. First we had to dig out a patch for the tent. 5ft by 10 feet. This is not always necessary, but the thin crust of snow revealed about 6-8 inches (in cm that’s.. erm… some centimetres) of powder snow, so we had to excavate to a firm base. Then put the tent up, get everything and us inside and then spend a good hour melting snow so we had enough water for hot soup, water for our freeze dried food plus 2.5 litres of water for the following morning.
After a relatively comfortable night…
We woke to a stunning morning and many photo opportunities.
Oooo! Now there’s lovely!
Mrs P out in the cold
A heavy frost coated our pulks (and the tent).
Day 9 - Tent spot to Sjnultje Rest Cabin
Distance etc. for this day are estimates as I inadvertently paused the GPS for around 7km.
Distance 15.5km - 6 hrs 45 mins - Total ascent 107m - Total descent 284m - Arrival time 15.17 - Moving average 3.8kmph - Running total 112.98km
Day 9 started well and finished well with a touch of not so well in the middle to keep us on our toes.
Our new friends in Ammarnäs had warned of a section known for its lack of snow. In the shadow of huge vertical cliffs the area is sheltered from the weather and so we encountered about 5km (in miles that’s too bloomin’ far) of very poor snow cover. We gave up negotiating deep snow, no snow, rocks, blue ice and vegetation and just walked.
The ‘going well’ bit
The ‘going not so well bit.
Once past this section the rest of the day was lovely ending at a small hut with a table, benches, stove and woodshed. We stopped for the night.
The ‘about time too!’ bit.
Toasty and warm inside the hut.
The drill is, take things we need off the pulks. Visit woodshed and do some chopping. Light stove, dry kit, collect snow, melt snow (lots of snow) avoiding the yellow snow, eat, drink, pass out on narrow uncomfortable benches, sleep like a baby (that’s me), fail to sleep well due to a big baby snoring like a badly tuned ski scooter (that’s poor Mrs P.).
Day 10 - Sjnultje cabin to Adolfström
Distance 20.65km - 6 hrs 40 mins - Total ascent 193m - Total descent 451m - Arrival time 14.50hrs - Moving average 4.8kmph - Running total 133.63km
Day 10 was long but easy. Mostly easy downhill to the small town of Adolfström (population: Not many plus us), where we arrived before 3pm and rented a small apartment for the night. We then visited the quirky and cute trading post and cafe Adolfström’s Handelsbod Stugby & Cafe (Trading Shed and Holiday Village). The only ‘shop’ in town. The owner, a lovely lady, has run the place since the 1970’s and has amassed a spectacular display of items to decorate the place.
The best coffee shop in Sweden
Inside the Aladdin’s cave that is Adolfström’s Handelsbod Stugby & Cafe
Check out their facebook page for pics of me and Mrs P enjoying the coffee and cake.
https://www.facebook.com/adolfstromfjallgard/
(Apologies for the lack of link, you will have to copy and paste as stupid Squarespace doesn’t allow me to create links on my mobile device).
The lovely owner and purveyor of coffee, tea and delicious carrot cake.
Day 11 - Adolfström to Pieljkaise stugorna (mountain cabin).
14.56km - 6hrs 58 mins - Ascent 423m - Descent 175m -Arrival time 14:58 - Moving average 3.3kmph - Running total 148.19km
A tough, tough day. Mostly uphill and what downhill there was was not fun. Very steep climbing on a narrow, crazily undulating trail. After a while we entered an area where ski scooters were not allowed and it got narrower!
Might as well put those skis away for a while
What!? No wide ski scooter tracks? (There was a single ski scooter track cut by the local Sami people, but it is very narrow and tortuous.)
Maybe crampons would be better?
In brief, a number of losses of sense of humour from both parties and a lot of walking finally saw us arrive at a small cabin, the Pieljkaise stugorna (mountain cabin). We had rented a key at Adolfström to the sleeping section for kr300, the rest of the cabin is open to any passing skier or hiker (there weren’t any). Very happy to arrive and I didn’t even mind fetching wood. Water was simple for a change as there was a small spring about 10 metres from the cabin.
At the end of a long day of cursing the terrain we arrive at the Pieljkaise stugorna (mountain cabin
Time for the daily routine.
Make fire. Not a fire lighter in sight
Look smugly at fire what I made.
Bjørn conducting a freeze dried food inventory ahead of tomorrow’s resupply (little do we know…)
Day 12 - Pieljekaise stugorna to Kyrkans Fjällgärd, Jäkvikk
10.26km - 3hrs 55 mins - Ascent 164m - Descent 435m -Arrival time 12:03 - Moving average 4.6kmph - Running total 158.45km
Day 12 was a dream. A light dusting of snow made the skiing a delight once we climbed above the tree line. A stunning fjäll (pr: fell. Sort of) which I shall describe in pictures.
Looking south, from whence we came
What I need is a creative writing course.
For more photos and short videos do check out my Instagram page @neilpittsadventures.
How many cameras!?
The ski down into Jäkvikk was everything that the previous day’s ascent was not. Quick, easy and lovely. It was a planned short day as day 13 is to be a rest day. We had booked an apartment at the Kyrkans Fjällgärd and were collecting our resupply package at the nearby supermarket (or so we thought).
Arriving at Jäkvikk
We are now officially in Swedish Lapland. I for one shall be looking for signs of Father Christmas and his elves.
After dumping our stuff we headed to the supermarket to discover that our package had not been delivered. They don’t take package deliveries from Post Nord. It had been delivered instead to Arjepelog. 60km south. This was bad news indeed. We couldn’t afford to lose hundreds of pounds worth of food and other supplies.
The lady at the supermarket said it “…happened all the time.” and that I “…could take the school bus at 07.10” the following morning” (Friday 13th) but the bus back didn’t return till 4pm! I could “…try hitchhiking.” she suggested.
We cheered ourselves up with a hot dog, cake, coffee and tea then bought all our resupply snacks.
We returned to the apartment with our snacks for the next 6 days. The news about the resupply box was irritating but we did at least enjoy pronouncing ‘Arjeplog’ incorrectly over and over again (little things..). It is of course pronounced Ah-yey-plog (sort of).
Six days of snacks
Six days of snacks without the packaging
The missing’ resupply box containing 5 days of freeze dried food and other bits.
I managed to hitch a lift back from a very friendly local guy who told me many tales of moose, reindeer, wolverine, Sami skiers and the state of the Swedish health system. I was back with Mrs P in time for a second round of hot dogs, cake and coffee at the supermarket.
‘Supermarket’ incidentally, makes Jäkvikk sound big. It really isn’t. One supermarket with a petrol station, a church and some cabins, that’s it.
So, that’s all for days 8 to 13. Tomorrow we set off into the wilds again. We cross the Arctic circle in a couple of days and will be in the tent for about 5 nights. We will not have signal for some time, so you will have to wait for a while for the next instalment.
A request: If anyone has any contacts with any newspapers who might be interested in sharing this story, could you please send them the link. Many thanks.
