Såmmarlappakåtan Travel Guide

The last bit of today’s hike is the toughest part. From the more open landscape you dive into a dense forest area, winding and twirling up and down, left and right. Climbing over a fallen tree, jumping over a little stream hoping not to get the feet wet, ducking for an overhanging branch.

It is getting late, and the sky is getting dark, letting us know that rain is quickly on its way towards us. And despite our relaxed mood we do decide to hurry on. And we hurry on and on. Not only is this the toughest part of the trail, it is also a part that seems surprisingly long. On the map it is only a few centimetres, but in reality it is quite a bit more. But we made it! And just in time for the rain to arrive as well.

Såmmarlappastugan is located on a nice spot in the dense forest. But one side of the mountain hut has an open view, and that is towards the river. And a lovely view it is! We are welcomed inside with a nice piece of home baked cake, a pure luxury in this remote area. The 'Stugvärd' on this occasion is a young woman, who is bursting with energy and good spirit, and seems to cherish this place and spoil the guests that arrive. This is a good place to end the day, which has been another wonderful day in the Fjällen. I stare out of the window and slowly start to wonder what tomorrow might bring......

The best memories of this day? I guess that must be this moment you see in the photo. The sun is shining so nicely, the mosquitoes are taking a break somewhere in the woods, and as they are taking a break, why shouldn't I? Just after crossing a little river, about halfway through the day we settle down on a nice improvised bench. This spot is perfect to stretch the legs, give our backs a little break and warm up some hearty soup, which tasted delicious! The trail is even easier to walk then I imagined. If it wasn't for the load on our backs, it could have been a nice stroll in the park. Well, I guess almost, hahaha, as the distances are somewhat longer here ;-)

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Maybe the lovely lazy stop on the way is my best memory of this part of the hike, but this second part of the day is without a doubt the most beautiful! We finally leave the forest area a bit behind us and the landscape opens up. The surface isn't an easy hiking trail anymore, over lots of boardwalk and a nice even trail through the grass, but instead we walk over a somewhat uneven rocky surface. In front of us the views open up, and our hiking tempo goes down considerably. We've reached the 'Fjällen' speed.

We don't go slower because the trail is difficult, or because we are tired. Neither are the backpacks too heavy or we need a break. No, the reason is something totally different. We finally have left civilization behind us, not only in the sense of surrounding, but also mentally. In this enormous empty mountain area, there is no urge to haste and hurry on. There is no reason to run and be at a place before a certain time. Here you are to enjoy, to soak in the surroundings, its immense beauty and to relax the mind. This is Fjällen' speed, leaving the hasty life behind and finally come to ease. We pause often during this part of the hike, just to sit on one of the big boulders on the side of the trail, while we enjoy and stare over the landscape displayed in front of us.

After about 4 kilometres we arrive at a 'major' crossing on the hiking trail, should we go straight ahead or turn to the left?? When we planned our trip we opted for the shorter and easier trail towards Såmmarlappa (which means straight ahead). This is the route that most people take and this is also the official Padjelantaleden trail. But if you want a bit more off the beaten path trail that is more challenging (lesser huts and much more distance between them, less bridges = more wading through rivers, and in general a bit more difficult terrain), then turning left might be the right thing for you.

We thought quite a bit about which route we should take, but on retrospect I liked our route, so I am happy we just walked on. The route to the left is part of the Nordkalottenleden. When you follow this trail, you have several choices in which direction you would like to hike. Crossing the Norwegian border for example, or maybe follow the trail more northbound towards lake Virihaure, which is also our aim to reach in a few days time.

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To give you some idea of where Padjelanta, Kvikkjokk and Såmmarlappa exactly are, I've added some maps for you. The first map is of Sweden with all its National Parks. In the very north of Sweden you can see a little dot where Padjelanta is located. Together with the National Parks of Sarek and Stora Sjöfallet it makes a huge area, also called "Laponia" or "the last wilderness in Europe". The main part of this hike along the Padjlantaleden is through Padjelanta National Park, but you also will go through a tiny bit of Sarek and Stora Sjöfallet. Såmmarlappa is located just south of the entrance into Padjelanta National Park.

The second map is a detailed map of the National Park (from the parks website). On the map you can see the hiking trails, roads how to get to the park, the places where you can stay overnight, etc.

The third map is a map of my hiking trip through the park, which is also the official route of the "Padjelantaleden / Padjalanta Hiking Trail". The total hike is about 160 kilometres long.

On my Padjelanta page you can find some more practical info how to get to the park