Kungsleden between Aktse and the Pårte cabin, view north towards the lake Tjaktjajávrre, from a place near Huornnásj.

Kungsleden is a 440 km long track from Abisko in the north to Hemavan in the south. The most popular part is from Abisko to Nikkaluokta, passing Kebnekaise. Kebnekaise is the highest mountain in Sweden, about 2120 meters. The track between Abisko and Kvikkjokk have huts, operated by the tourist federation, at regular intervals. These intervals corresponds to one day of walking. Between Vakkotavare and Kebnats do one have to take the bus, and then boat to Saltoluokta. An alternative is to take the bus to Ritsem, and from there walk on Padjelantaleden to Kvikkjokk. This track is longer than to walk Saltoluokta  to Kvikkjokk. Padjelantaleden is also well equipped with huts. The huts are rather primitive. There is a kitchen and one or several large sleeping rooms. One have to bring blankets/sleeping bag. In the kitchen is a gas stove, equipment to make the food, and a wood stove for heating. Water is fetched in a nearby brook or lake. There is an outdoor toilet, and no electricity. A host is there to help you and to maintain the hut. The cost is about 200 SEK per person and night. In some of them can one buy supplies. Out of season are the huts locked, except for an emergancy room. As far as I know are there not many huts between Kvikkjokk and Ammarnäs. There are a few, and not operated by the Tourist federation. These might be locked, and a key has to be fetched in advance. There are a few places offering private lodging. One must anyway walk 50-70 km without any lodging. Tent is then needed. To Adolfsström are there lakes to cross. I confess that I'm not familiar with that part. Between Ammarnäs and Hemavan (78km) are there huts. The track is cairned, with bridges across rivers and wide brooks. You should remember that things may change, and my description may not be uptodate. Please tell me.

The track start or end in Abisko. Here it goes through the birch forest in the Abisko national parc, before it enters the bare mountains region. It continue along the lake Alesjaure. After that it climbs up to the mountain pass Tjäktja at 1000 meters. The track is now in a narrow valley for 10 km. In a side valley towards east at the Singis hut, Ladtjovagge, leads a side track to Kebnekaise mountain station. Here are guided tours up on the mountain Kebnekaise. Tarfala valley is another popular excursion from the mountain station. This side track continue through the forest to the village Nikkaluokta,  with public communication with Kiruna. Those that do not want to walk all the way to Nikkaluokta can shorten the walking distance by taking the boat on Ladtjojaure.

Kungsleden continue from Singis southward passing Kaitumjaure to the hut at the lake Teusajaure. Teusajaure must be crossed with boat. Rowing boats are available, but as an alternative do the hut host provide transportation. If you use the rowing boats, and this is true wherever you have to use this type of boat, is that you must leave at least one boat on each side of the lake. If there is only one boat at your side, then you have to row back with two boats, leave one, and return again, crossing the lake three times. The next hut is Vakkotavere, at the road to Ritsem. The slope down to the hut is steep, with a nice view of Suorvajaure. From Vakkotavare do one have to take the bus to Kebnats, from where a boat (in connection with the bus) takes you to Saltoluokta mountain station.

The Saltoluokta mountain station is situated in a birch forest a few hundred meters from the lake. Kungsleden continue south, uphill through the forest, to wide and flat valley Autsutjvagge, surrounded with hills rather than mountains. The next stop is the lake Sitojaure. Here one can get boat transportation by the local people, either across the lake, or to the west end of it for those that aim for Pastavagge in Sarek. On the other side of the lake, do one continue in a birch forest before one struggle upwards on the plateau Njunjes. Before one go to down to Aktse is there a track that leads to the peak Skierfe. From Skierfe is an excellent view of the Rapavalley and Laitaure. At Aktse can one get boat transportation across Laitaure, or through the delta of Rapaätno to the Rapavalley in Sarek.

Now it is mostly through a forest to Kvikkjokk. There are a few kilometers, where Kungsleden pass the border of Sarek, where it is above the tree line. From here is a good view. The forest consists more and  more of spruce and pine, partly a  primeval forest. Closer to Kvikkjokk is it affected by human activities, e.g. clear-felled areas. In Kvikkjokk is a youth hostel, and there are daily busses to and from Jokkmokk.

The part of Kungsleden south of Kvikkjokk is not as popular as the part Abisko - Kvikkjokk. The roumor say that it is not as interesting. I can not say myself, since I have no experience of it, neither do I know any that has been walking there. But looking at maps and reading about it say something different. The track goes through forests and on mountain plateaus, from which one must have a nice view of the surroundings. What follows is based on studying maps and reading about the track, except for the last part to Hemavan.

Kungsleden continue from Kvikkjokk on the other side of the lake Saggat. One can get boat transportation from Kvikkjokk, if one is coming from south use the phone there to ask for transportation. The track goes through a forest to the hut Tsielekjåkk, an unstaffed hut with two beds. One continue through a narrow valley, up on a plateau, and then again through a forest to the Pite river, 18 km from Tsielejåkk. To the next place (Vuonatjviken) with lodging is it more than 30km from the river, so tent is recommended. Piteriver is crossed on bridges, before reaching Vuonatjviken do one pass the plateau Barturte with probably a nice view. Down to Vuonatjviken is the track through a birch forest. Vuontajviken offer lodging with self service. Here you arrange your boat transport across the lake Riebnes, as well as the next lake Hornavan. The same thing one have to do in Jäkkvik south of Hornavan, if coming from south. Between the two lakes is it roughly a 2-3 hours walk. Jäkkvik can be reached by car.

Shortly after Jäkkvik is the Pieljekaise national parc. In the parc is a hut where the birch forest begin after one have passed Pieljekaise. To get access to the bedroom do one need to have a key. The key one get in Jäkkvik or Adolfsström. After the hut one  walk in a mountain birch forest, passing a small lake, to the village Adolfsström at the lake Iraft. Here you can stay overnight. The village can be reached by car. The track continue along the lake to Bäverholmen, but it is possible to arrange boat transportation instead. Bäverholmen can only be reached by foot or boat, it offers a restaurant and lodging. After having crossed the river Laisälven on a bridge, is it uphill through the forest to the bare mountain region and the Sjnjultjehut. The key to the bedrooms has to be borrowed and returned in Adolfsström or Ammarnäs further south.

From Snjultje do one continue up to Björkfjället, with a great view, before it is time to descend into the forest in the valley of the river Vindelälven. Here is a hut, once again is the key to be borrowed/returned in Adolfsström or Ammarnäs. One is now the Vindelfjällen nature reserve. The hut is close to a three meter waterfall, Rävfallet. After the bridge across the river is one coming to the eastern part of Ammarfjället, from which one reach Ammarnäs through a forest dominated of spruce. In Ammarnäs are there many types of  lodging, e.g. a youth hostel. Ammarnäs has bus connections with Storuman.

The part between Ammarnäs and Hemavan have staffed huts with regular intervals, within one day walking distances. The track start with an uphill slope to a plateau before it for a short time reenters  the birch forest. It continues across yet another plateau to the lake Tärnasjön, here it turns south along the lake, which it cross on several  bridges at the archipelago in the south end of the lake. One now enter the valley Syterskalet, surrounded with mountains with peaks of more than 1700m. One of them, Norra Sytertoppen (1767m),  is rather easy to walk up on. Some use this path to reach the hut (Viterhut) at the west end of the valley, instead of walking in the valley itself. From the Viterhut continue the track along the brook Syterbäcken, which it abandons and continue on the hillside to the ski slopes at Hemavan. Hemavan has bus connections with Storuman, and lodging; e.g. a youth hostel. While in Hemavan, visit the mountain botanical garden.