[{"content":"Each post is a short report from planning or from the trail.\n","date":"15 September 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/","section":"Daily log","summary":"","title":"Daily log","type":"posts"},{"content":"A winter journey on Fjällfararnas Vita Bandet — the White Ribbon — south to north along Sweden’s mountain chain.\nI\u0026rsquo;ve been doing winter cross-country ski trips for a lot of years. Almost every winter there\u0026rsquo;s a trip in Norway or Sweden.\nA few years ago I met some people doing something called Vita Bandet. I had never heard of it. It sounded really cool: ski the Swedish mountains end to end, usually south to north. It takes a lot of time. I\u0026rsquo;ve been thinking about doing the trip for a couple of years, and next season — 2027 — is the year to do it.\nOn this site, I\u0026rsquo;ll document my preparation for the trip. Everything from gear, food and equipment, and also how I put together the route I\u0026rsquo;m thinking of taking. There are also plans for travel: how to get to the mountains and how to get back. I\u0026rsquo;m planning to ask friends to accompany me for parts of the trip.\n","date":"15 September 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/","section":"Vita Bandet 2027","summary":"","title":"Vita Bandet 2027","type":"page"},{"content":"Planning the route is a large part of the fun.\nOver the years I’ve done several parts of the route, especially in the north. I’ve been in the south too, but that was so long ago I don’t remember exactly where. I’m pretty sure I did part of Jämtland.\nFor Vita Bandet there is no fixed route. The only requirement is to stay west of a handful of waypoints, so you stay in the mountains. You can keep to Sweden or cross into Norway.\nI started by looking at a lot of tracks from people who have already done the trip. Most follow more or less the same line. The big choice in the south is Storlien (in red) or Undersåker (in blue). The Undersåker route is shorter, but seems to have more roads. Storlien is more in the mountains but a bit longer. My preference will be Storlien, depending on conditions while underway.\n🗺️ Loading map... After that, most people follow more or less the same route to Hemavan, and then Kungsleden all the way up to Abisko.\nIn the north I prefer to take Lapplandsleden from Klimpfjäll to Hemavan. This stays more in the mountains.\nLater I plan to take the Padjelanta trail rather than Kungsleden all the way. Kungsleden is busy. Saltoluokta is a great hut, but it is quite low, and I had very bad conditions there two years ago. The stretch from Saltoluokta back west to Kungsleden is along a road, or often upwind on a lake. I did Padjelanta in 2024. It was very nice. From Ritsem I’ll go north and then east back to Kungsleden.\nFrom Abisko the usual choice is to cross Torneträsk and then stay on the Swedish side all the way to Treriksröset. I plan to follow Nordkalottleden through Norway to the finish. The standard Swedish side seems very flat. I’ve done Nordkalottleden before, very late in the season (early May 2013). It is a great trek.\n","date":"15 September 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/posts/2026-09-15-working-on-the-itinerary/","section":"Daily log","summary":"","title":"Working on the itinerary","type":"posts"},{"content":"Vita Bandet is a continuous, human-powered winter journey along the Swedish mountain chain, typically Grövelsjön to Treriksröset. Official rules and history: vitagronabandet.se.\nThis attempt # Direction South → north Dates 10 Feb – 15 Apr 2027 Distance ~1,299 km Days 65, including 6 rest days Travel Ski + pulk Sleep Mostly tent; huts at some shops and on Kungsleden Company Mostly alone, some sections with friends Success is finishing at the cairn in reasonable shape, not racing the calendar.\nWhy # Why wait? This year I can make the time.\n","date":"14 September 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/about_trip/","section":"Vita Bandet 2027","summary":"","title":"About the trip","type":"page"},{"content":"Working schedule: 10 Feb – 15 Apr 2027. Camps and kilometres will slip; the daily log is the record of what actually happened.\n🗺️ Loading map... The line is the planned ski, without wild-camp pins.\nMilestones # Date Place km 10 Feb Start · Klacken 15 12 Feb Tänndalen 60 14 Feb Helags 106 17–18 Feb Storlien · rest 159 26–27 Feb Valsjöbua · rest 341 2–3 Mar Gäddede · rest 409 7–8 Mar Klimpfjäll · rest 492 15 Mar Hemavan · Klaartje in 646 21 Mar Jäckvik 790 25 Mar Kvikkjokk · Klaartje out 883 30–31 Mar Ritsem · rest 1009 3 Apr Sälka 1070 7–8 Apr Abisko · rest 1131 15 Apr Treriksröset 1299 Rest nights # Storlien, Valsjöbua, Gäddede, Klimpfjäll, Ritsem, Abisko (arrive + rest). Hemavan and Jäckvik are one night only.\nShops along the way # Storlien · Valsjöbua · Gäddede · Klimpfjäll · Hemavan · Jäckvik · Kvikkjokk · Ritsem · Abisko.\nKungsleden huts after Ritsem (Sitojaure, Sälka, Tjäktja, Alesjaure, Abiskojaure) are planned hut nights; Hukejaure is tent.\n","date":"14 September 2026","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/itinerary/","section":"Vita Bandet 2027","summary":"","title":"Itinerary","type":"page"},{"content":"","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/authors/","section":"Authors","summary":"","title":"Authors","type":"authors"},{"content":"","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/categories/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Categories","type":"categories"},{"content":"","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/series/","section":"Series","summary":"","title":"Series","type":"series"},{"content":"","externalUrl":null,"permalink":"/tags/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tags","type":"tags"}]