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Karin & Elva
Experiencing the Swedish mountain range
A 1,300 km hike over 76 days
After hiking the 210 km stretch between Abisko and Kvikkjokk in 2019, the distance was doubled in 2020 with the 420 km Kungsleden trail. In the spring of 2021, Katrin and her daughter Elva took the first steps on their longest hike to date. At the end of May, they set out along Fjällfararnas Gröna Band—a 1,300 km route that takes them through the Swedish mountain range from Grövelsjön to Treriksröset over 76 days. Here, you can follow their reflections from the journey, and you can also track their hike on Instagram: @make.memories.together
An update from the first rest day in Gäddede
Sometimes in everyday life, it feels like the weeks just rush by. That’s when I often want to slow things down, and I find myself thinking back to the mountain hikes my daughter and I have done, constantly planning new adventures. It’s my best way of pausing time for a moment. Out there in the open landscapes, there is no time—only the rhythm of nature, the movement of the sun through weather and wind. Spending several weeks outdoors is the best way to truly reconnect with yourself on a deeper level, far away from mobile coverage and work emails. The most beautiful part of it all is being able to share everything with my daughter, and I’m so happy that she appreciates and enjoys it just as much as I do out there in the vast landscapes, in all kinds of weather.
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This year, we are hiking Fjällfararnas Gröna Band together—a 1,300 km trek along the entire Swedish mountain range through Sápmi. From Grövelsjön to Treriksröset, or in the opposite direction. In 10 days, we will have reached the halfway point of our hike, and everything truly feels amazing. So grateful for everything we experience—so much new every single day. The freedom of the Green Band is exactly how I want it. It’s not a competition at all; you choose your own start date and direction—southbound or northbound. You also choose your own route, and the only requirements are to pass through or west of a few specific locations to ensure you stay within the mountain range.
We chose to hike northbound, starting in Grövelsjön, because we began the journey early in the season. Spring arrives earlier in the south, the snow melts faster, and river crossings are more manageable early on. We’ve also previously hiked large parts of the northern sections heading south, so this year we get to experience those same stretches again—but from a completely new perspective.
We’ve had incredible luck with the weather during our first three weeks on the Green Band—sunshine and clear blue skies every day for the first 14 days. Such a luxury when you’re camping, as everything dries in no time. It also makes it easier to hand-wash clothes and manage other practical tasks. At the start, we encountered several major river crossings, which was perfect in the warm weather. In one crossing, the icy water reached up to my ribs. I was especially grateful then that our clothes and shoes were dry again within 90 minutes—we took a long lunch break and warmed up in our Woolpower base layers. We were also free from mosquitoes during the first weeks—wonderful.
Of course, we’ve also been heavily exposed to strong winds, and our shoes have been completely soaked almost every day. Snow patches and extensive marshland take their toll. Still, our feet are holding up incredibly well, which I’m very grateful for. But by the end of each day, you can definitely feel in your feet and legs how hard they’ve worked—especially on days when we’ve covered close to 35 kilometers.
Today we had our first rest day. Instead of hiking, we scrubbed ourselves clean, washed our clothes, and filled both our stomachs and our backpacks with as many calories as possible. Tomorrow we set off again toward the next stage north.
There is a wonderful sense of freedom in being on the move, following a new path each day, pitching camp exactly where you want. Falling asleep each night to the sound of a new babbling stream—enjoying everything, here and now.
Halfway along the Green Band
It’s incredibly rewarding to be out hiking for a longer period—here, all the small routines become second nature in the simplicity of life outdoors. The freedom of having everything (the little you need) in your backpack, and simply accepting whatever weather and conditions come your way.
We’ve now passed a little more than halfway along our Green Band journey—about 750 kilometers—and have reached Kungsleden. We hiked this trail last summer; it’s so beautiful and very easy to follow, a real luxury after sections of off-trail terrain. In fact, this is the first week our shoes have stayed completely dry all day. Since the start, we’ve dealt with marshland and snowmelt almost daily, so the boardwalks and bridges here on Kungsleden feel like a real luxury.
Another thing I’m deeply grateful for is that up until Hemavan, we’ve been completely alone out on the open landscape. Not a single tent or person in sight—everything entirely to ourselves. It’s indescribable and incredibly valuable.
A wonderful highlight along the way was a detour of about 30 kilometers to Borgafjäll, where we met a relative who shares the same love for the wilderness. I’ve wanted to meet him since I was little, so it was very special. On the way to Borgafjäll, right around the summer solstice, we experienced the magical Lake Sannaren in fog, rain, and sunshine—a truly memorable moment.
After visiting Borgafjäll, we continued to Klimpfjäll, where we enjoyed fresh strawberries and celebrated Midsummer in the sunshine, halfway up the mountain once again.
The toughest part so far—for both me and my daughter—has also been one of our absolute favorites. That was the day we spent hiking off-trail on Mount Aamera near Skalvattnet. The views were incredible, and it felt thrillingly close to the Norwegian border. We stood for a long time by one of the large yellow cairns marking the border—it almost felt like standing at Treriksröset itself. It was our most demanding day so far: 14 hours of hiking including wonderful, restful breaks. The hardest section was crossing the height near Lake Arevattnet—it took four hours up and down, very steep and high, and it started hailing and turned cold at the top. The descent was probably the most difficult, as the rocks became slippery. We pitched camp late that evening, but were rewarded with views of the midnight sun over the mountain peaks and a rainbow. In that moment, every step of the tough climb was worth it.
We don’t choose the fastest or easiest route to Treriksröset—we choose the one that gives us the most.
One thing we’re really looking forward to is Sarek, which we’ll be crossing in a couple of days—off-trail, with many river crossings.
Today is day 39, and we’re in Jäkkvik on our third rest day since the start. We’re freshly showered, clothes are washed, and both our stomachs and backpacks are filled with good things. Tomorrow we head north again—we’ll cross the Arctic Circle, and already tomorrow morning we’ll take our first rowboat crossing, something my daughter is really looking forward to, as she’ll be rowing us across. The past six days have brought temperatures around +30°C—challenging heat with round-the-clock sunshine, little shade, no wind, and very persistent mosquitoes. We’ve cooled down by pouring cold water over our heads at every stream we pass. Rain is expected tomorrow, which is much needed as the land is very dry.
Now it’s time to head back out into the open landscapes again—wonderful!
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Now we’ve arrived in Abisko. Some choose to end their Green Band journey here, which is completely acceptable during times like the COVID pandemic when borders are closed. But we absolutely want to reach Treriksröset. It will add a bit more adventure now, as we’ll be hiking entirely off-trail for a few days along the Norwegian-Swedish border.
We’re really looking forward to that, especially in contrast to Kungsleden, which we’ve been following for the past couple of weeks. It’s very popular and well-trodden, though still incredibly beautiful.
The past few days have brought some serious weather challenges. Conditions shifted to strong winds combined with constant precipitation—snow, hail, and rain—that lasted almost an entire week. Nothing dries in cold and damp conditions. We had to adjust our route slightly to get around potentially canceled boat crossings and to avoid exposed mountain areas during that time. That week, we were incredibly grateful for our Woolpower wool base layers. Wool is so reliable since it keeps you warm even when damp. Thankfully, it has now become a bit milder again, which feels good as we head into unfamiliar off-trail terrain.
Since the last update, we’ve also passed the 1,000 km mark of our hike—it felt like a real celebration! Somewhat ironically, right at that moment, the weather turned and the wind picked up with every step we took. At one point, we had to take shelter from the wind inside a large pipe under the road.
Today we’re having our final rest day before the last stage up to Treriksröset, and then the return journey back to Björkliden/Abisko for the train home. But first, we’re really going to enjoy our final three weeks out here. It will be incredibly exciting to reach our goal and place our hands on Treriksröset—we’re truly looking forward to it. It will be magical. We’ve brought dried strawberries to celebrate at the finish, and we’ll most likely camp there for at least one night, just to take in the view and the moment—off the beaten path, timeless, together.
The final stage
The final stage was, to say the least, a bit nerve-wracking—mainly because we were about to head completely off-trail for the first four days, but also because it felt so remote, far from civilization, and we had just experienced several days of snowstorms with very strong winds. The weather had become milder again, even though we set off in the rain. We weighed our backpacks at Abisko Mountain Station—they were incredibly heavy, as we were carrying food for a 15-day hike, from Abisko to Treriksröset and back. My pack weighed 17 kg and my daughter’s 13 kg—about 10 kg each was food, so they became lighter day by day.
The off-trail section turned out to be absolutely stunning. After a full day of rain, we woke up at our campsite on the other side of Lake Torneträsk and could now see Abisko and Lapporten across the water—an incredible view, especially since we hadn’t seen anything the day before. We were so lucky with the weather during this stretch—almost too warm at times, but with breathtaking scenery. Both my daughter and I agreed it was the most beautiful part of the journey, and also the most demanding, with steep climbs and, at times, endless rocky terrain. Every step was worth it, and the feeling of having the vast landscape entirely to ourselves off-trail is hard to beat.
After a few days off-trail, we reached the marked summer route that would take us all the way to our goal—Treriksröset. This trail isn’t heavily trafficked, so at times it was a bit difficult to follow. It also passed straight through rocket range areas, which felt a bit nerve-wracking, as it took 2–3 days to cross this large region. A pleasant surprise was that during the warm days, cloudberries and blueberries had ripened, and we enjoyed them daily during the final stretch—an absolute delight after two months of mostly dried food.
Treriksröset – Day 65
On day 65, we were so close to Treriksröset—it felt thrilling. We had started seeing signs already the day before, and it suddenly felt very real. On the final day, we walked 36 kilometers. When we caught sight of the birch forest down by the water, we were filled with excitement, knowing that somewhere nearby was Treriksröset. The final 1.5 kilometers were indescribable. We half-jokingly, half-seriously told each other not to trip now. My daughter pointed out every rock and stick so I wouldn’t stumble. We were thinking of those who had been forced to end their Green Band journey early—and now we were so close to our goal.
Then suddenly, through the trees, we both saw it—bright yellow and large: Treriksröset. We reached it quite late, at 21:33, and at that exact moment, the sun broke through after a full day of rain showers. I wanted to run straight to it, but my daughter firmly insisted we set up the tent first—and she was absolutely right. We sat there for a few minutes, looking at the cairn, taking in the moment of our final steps on the Green Band. Because once we place our hands on it, we know—it’s done.
After a few minutes, we gathered ourselves. My daughter grew so excited she ran ahead, but of course she waited for me at the cairn. One, two, three—we counted together and placed our hands on it. Completely indescribable.
We did it. We did it together. So grateful.
We stayed there by the cairn until after midnight. It was cold and windy, but the midnight sun lit up the mountain peaks beautifully. In that moment, I was very thankful we had already pitched the tent.
We slept deeply, took a well-deserved lie-in, returned to the cairn again the next morning, and then began hiking southward—which felt very strange, now heading back toward Abisko. The return journey was a beautiful time to reflect, to land gently between the Green Band and everyday life. We took it a bit slower, with later mornings and longer breaks. Even in Abisko, we allowed ourselves a few extra days to simply enjoy tent life before catching the train home on day 76.
The Green Band was and remains indescribably beautiful for us. It will always stay with us—strengthening, meaningful, and a truly wonderful time together. Deeply grateful for everything, and absolutely certain there will be more long-distance hikes when the next opportunity arises.
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What is Fjällfararnas Vita & Gröna band?
Our Scandinavian mountain range, stretching over more than 1,300 kilometers, offers much of what many would call true wilderness. To travel its entire length under your own power has become a classic challenge. Completing it is proof of a wide range of knowledge and experience in spending extended periods in the mountains—but also of qualities such as judgment, endurance, and companionship.
The idea behind the bands is that you travel under your own power from Grövelsjön in the south to Treriksröset in the north, or vice versa. The journey must be carried out as one continuous trip without long breaks and without external support (such as food deliveries by snowmobile to the traveler). The trek can be completed year-round. The color of the band indicates the season in which the journey was undertaken. Consideration for the environment, nature, and cultural heritage should be both a guiding principle and a given.
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