Joining on Lapplandsleden

This stretch is a good one if someone wants a ski trip of a week or so . Lapplandsleden is the marked winter trail from Borgafjäll toward Hemavan (red crosses). I wrote about why I prefer it here.

Two join points: Gäddede (longer) or Klimpfjäll (shorter). Both end in Hemavan, which has a proper bus and a tiny airport. There is no winter bus Gäddede → Klimpfjäll — Vildmarksvägen / Stekenjokk is closed.

Working dates from a 5 February start. They will slip with weather.

Own pulk. We share tent and stove for the tent nights. At the four Länsstyrelsen huts we sleep inside. I continue north from Hemavan; Klaartje will join there.

The line is Gäddede to Hemavan. Up to Klimpfjäll it is the track in from Gäddede; from there it is the official winter trail. The Borgafjäll start is not on this map. The first two ski days are tent until Slipsik.

Days

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Working dates from a 5 February start. They will slip with weather. We sleep in the huts when the day ends at one. Tent on the other nights. Klimpfjäll join: meet on 5 Mar, rest 6 Mar, and ski out on 7 Mar.

Hut nights are Slipsik, Tjåkkele, Åtnik, and Arevattnet. 9 Mar is the long gap on the kalfjäll, between Åtnik and Arevattnet. Gränssjöarna is about a kilometre off that camp if you want a cabin or a shower. I ski into Gäddede on 28 Feb (11 km). If you join there, you can already be in the village.

Huts — not free, and you still need a tent

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Länsstyrelsen has four overnight huts on the trail: Slipsik, Tjåkkele, Åtnik, Arevattnet. Unlocked. Wood stove, kitchen kit, mattresses, pillows, blankets. Bring a sheet or sleeping bag. You cannot book. Hikers and skiers get the beds; if you already slept a night, you offer the bunk to the next person.

200 kr per person per night if you sleep inside (children 0–15 free). Pay afterwards — Swish or transfer, details in the hut. They are not STF, and they are not free.

We plan to use them. The tent is for the nights without a hut, and as backup if a hut is full or too cold. Länsstyrelsen is clear: the gaps are long, so a multi-day trip still needs a tent. Rastskydd along the way are for weather, not planned nights.

Nights at the huts

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The days land on the hut line. Sleep inside at Slipsik, Tjåkkele, Åtnik, and Arevattnet. Gränssjöarna is about a kilometre off the 9 Mar camp (optional cabin / shower / sauna, phone first in March).

Gäddede → Slipsik is tent on the track (2 and 3 Mar). After Arevattnet: tent at Atostugan (parking/rastplats at Atoklimpen, not one of the four official overnight huts), then Goeblejaevrie, then Hemavan. Borgafjäll hotel is about 24 km east — a storm detour, not the line.

Getting to Gäddede

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Thin. Länstrafiken Jämtland 425 is the last bus: Strömsund → Gäddede, about 2 h.

Winter pattern now (check ltr.se / Resrobot before you book — March 2027 will move):

To hit 15:25 in Strömsund: train to Östersund, then bus 142 Östersund → Strömsund (~1¼ h, several weekday runs). From the south that is a morning train to Östersund, bus, then 425. The useful arrival is Fri 26 Feb ~17:25, so you have Saturday in Gäddede before the shop day. Shop is Sunday 28 Feb, rest Monday 1 Mar, ski out Tuesday 2 Mar. Stay at Pilgrimshotellet. Gäddede Camping is open year-round if you want a pitch. The Sunday 19:10 bus lands late on the shop day.

Skis: packed, in the luggage space if there is room — the driver decides.

Getting to Klimpfjäll

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Better hub. Länstrafiken Västerbotten 420 Vilhelmina → Klimpfjäll, about 1 h 50, via Saxnäs. tabussen.nu.

Typical winter pattern:

5 Mar 2027 is a Friday, so the weekday 420 can land you that afternoon. I ski into Klimpfjäll the same day. Rest is Saturday 6 Mar. We leave Sunday 7 Mar. Vilhelmina itself is on inland buses toward Umeå / Lycksele / Östersund, and has a small airport.

Home from Hemavan

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This is the easy end.

Bus 31 Hemavan ↔ Umeå, daily, about 5–6 h. Weekdays there are a few runs (Umeå toward Hemavan around 07:00, 14:10, 16:10). Weekends are thinner. From Hemavan there is a morning bus toward Umeå. Timetable changed 2 Feb 2026 — use the current PDF on tabussen.nu. Then SJ / Norrtåg south from Umeå.

Plane: Hemavan Tärnaby Airport is in the village. PopulAir Arlanda ↔ Hemavan, about six days a week in winter (often no Saturday). March is high season on the state route, often two weekday round trips. Times are not up for March 2027 yet; last winter a typical pattern was Arlanda ~08:50 → Hemavan late morning, and an afternoon flight back. Book populair.com. Local 320 covers Hemavan–Tärnaby.

13 Mar is a Saturday. I arrive that afternoon and shop. The rest day is Sunday 14 Mar. You can leave Sunday or Monday. A Saturday flight the afternoon we arrive is often not in the winter pattern.

If the ski is late, wait in Hemavan. Do not plan a tight same-day connection off the trail.

Times above are the 2026/27 winter pattern. Recheck Resrobot, ltr.se and tabussen.nu when the winter 2027 books open.