Ritsem to Abisko

This is the hut stretch: Ritsem → Abisko, about 121 km. Be at Ritsem on Saturday 3 April. You are two. We leave on Sunday 4 April. One rest day is taken where it is needed. The latest place for it is Abisko.

Most Vita Bandet tracks follow Kungsleden all the way from Hemavan. I come in from Padjelanta, meet you at Ritsem, and we ski north of the lake and east onto Kungsleden, staying west of Nikkaluokta.

That keeps me off the busy Kebnekaise corridor. Nights sit at staffed STF huts: Sitojaure, Hukejaure (Nordkalottleden, west of Nikkaluokta), then Sälka, Tjäktja, Alesjaure, Abiskojaure.

Days

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From Sitojaure to Abisko the nights are in staffed STF huts. The night of 3 April is at Ritsem. Beds have mattresses and duvets; bring a sheet (or a liner) to cover them. Each hut has a kitchen for guest use. Hut shops sell some food — snacks, staples, freeze-dried when they have it — not a cooked meal. Ritsem has a café and a proper shop; Abisko has a restaurant and a grocery in the village.

From Sälka north it is classic Kungsleden: Tjäktja pass, then down through the lakes to Abisko. Tjäktja is short but steep with a pulk.

The table is the line when the rest day is saved for Abisko. I am on the approach on 3 April. You are already at the station. We shop, and we leave on 4 April. If a day has to be stopped for weather, that rest replaces the 11 April night in Abisko, and every night after the stop moves one day later. I leave north on 12 April either way.

Beds

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Book six nights, two beds, for the line above, and only the mountain huts. A rest day on the trail means cancel the later huts in Min bokning before 18:00 the day before and move them one day later. Leave Ritsem and Abisko turiststation out of this booking. Those are fjällstationer: a full refund there stops seven days before arrival. The fjällstugor refund in full until 18:00 the day before. Be at the hut by 18:00, or the guaranteed bed becomes whatever bunk is left.

Bail-out

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Two ways off before Abisko.

From Hukejaure, go back to Ritsem. Reverse the first two days: Hukejaure → Sitojaure (19 km) → Ritsem (22 km). Same staffed huts. Then the Falcks bus to Gällivare, the way you came in. That is the clean early exit, before Tjäktja.

Later, east to Singi and Kebnekaise. From Sälka the valleys split. Ski to STF Singi (~12 km), then STF Kebnekaise (~14 km). Kebnekaise is open 26 Feb – 18 Apr 2027. From there it is about 19 km down to Nikkaluokta, or a booked snowmobile. The road starts at Nikkaluokta: Nikkaluoktaexpressen to Kiruna while the mountain station is open, then the train. This is the busy corridor we otherwise stay west of.

Once over Tjäktja, Abisko is usually the simpler way out. Laponia still wants rented kit at Gällivare station — from Nikkaluokta that is Kiruna, then a short train south.

Travel

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This is the easiest public-transport gate on the trip. The likely way in is the night train from Stockholm to Gällivare, then the bus to Ritsem. Out is the train at Abisko.

In. Night train Stockholm → Gällivare (SJ; for 2027 the Stockholm–Narvik night train is planned to run through again). Then Falcks Omnibus to Ritsem Fjällstation — typically one or two buses a day in late winter, about 3½ hours. Book the bus on the same ticket as the train (Resplus, destination Ritsem Fjällstation) so a late train is the operator’s problem, not an unplanned night in town. Timetable and tickets: roadtoritsem.com. STF’s page: transport to Ritsem.

Be at STF Ritsem on Saturday 3 April. On the current winter sheet the bus leaves Gällivare Resecentrum at 09:00 and is at Ritsem at 12:35. April 2027 is not published yet. A night train that arrives around 08:00 can feed that bus. Friday night in Gällivare, then the Saturday bus, is the calm version. Falcks: 0970-248 00. Laponia, if you are collecting rented kit, wants 15–30 minutes at the station.

Out. On this line we ski into STF Abisko Turiststation on 10 April, and 11 April is the rest. If the rest was already used at a hut, Abisko is the 11th. The station is on the Malmbanan. Night train south toward Kiruna / Stockholm, or a day train. I leave on 12 April on Nordkalottleden toward Treriksröset.

Packing

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Each of you packs this. No tent and no stove. Cook in the hut kitchen. The liner covers the hut bed. Beds already have a mattress and a duvet.

Documents. NKBV card, NOK and SEK, wallet, ING credit card, passport, tickets, STF number.

Ski and sleep. Skis, boots, gaiters, wax, climbing skins, short skins, poles, headlamp, snow shovel, sleeping pad, bivy sack, summer sleeping bag, liner, lip balm, sunscreen, toothpaste, toothbrush, small towel, pocket knife, tea towel.

Small kit. Compass, ski goggles, glacier glasses, lighter, sports tape, interdental brushes, a small bottle of soap, maps, maps in the GPS, first aid kit, blue thermos, mug, spoon.

Food, each person. Muesli 1 kg, milk 4 packs, cup-a-soup 20, Snickers or bars 20, granola bars 20, dried fruit 500 g, nuts 1 kg, hydration tablets 1 tube, coffee.

Day clothes. Icebreaker undershirt, thicker merino shirt, thin fleece, balaclava, anorak, Fjällräven pants, rain pants, thin gloves, red gloves, one thin pair of socks, one thick pair, down jacket.

Evening clothes. IB 200 long-sleeve, underwear, down booties, socks, long johns, thin fleece, white gloves.

Renting kit

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Laponia Adventures rents Åsnes backcountry skis with NNN BC bindings, Lundhags ski boots, poles, skins, and a Jemtlander 14 pulk. They also rent Hilleberg tents, winter sleeping bags, mats, and a multifuel stove. Those are not needed. I already have them. Book online at least seven days ahead. For two people, email info@laponiaadventures.com.

In winter they deliver to and collect from Gällivare train station (extra fee). Collect the kit on arrival, then take the Ritsem bus. After Abisko, the train south is about two hours to Gällivare. Hand the kit back at the station. Shop-to-shop one-way is Jokkmokk ↔ Gällivare, not Abisko — ask them to write the station loop into the booking.

Own skis can be sent ahead to STF Ritsem or Gällivare and shipped home from Abisko (Fjällboden handles parcels).