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Route: Kungsleden (Sweden)

Location
Sweden
Distance
482.6 km
Vertical Gain
3,000 m
Description

Kungsleden (King of Trails) is a hiking trail in northern Sweden, approximately 440 kilometres (270 mi) long, between Abisko in the north and Hemavan in the south.[1] It passes through, near the southern end, the Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve, one of the largest protected areas in Europe. In the winter Kungsleden is a ski trail with approximately the same route.

We have only tidbits about FKTs on this trail:

www.jolandalinschooten.nl/category/ultralopen/kungsleden-ultralopen/ : Jolanda Linschooten, September 2014, self-supported, a total of 8 days, including 11 hours of waiting for boats.

Daniel Roxvret (https://www.instagram.com/roxvret/) has done Kungsleden 480 km in 6 days 15 hours in addition to some other things.

sondreamdahl.com/2017/10/05/fastest-known-time-on-kungsleden-the-king-of-trails/ : Sondre Amdahl did it in 6d2h51m in 2017.  Most was with Elisabet Barnes, who quit before the end due to an ankle injury. It seems like their style was "self supported". His TR is in English.

GPS Track
Kungleden-Forsberg.gpx6.96 MB

FKTs

Images
This route on the old FKT site
http://fastestknowntime.proboards.com/thread/1364/kungsleden-sweden

Comments

User Picture
Profile picture for user Heiko Galmbacher

Heiko Galmbacher
Mon, 05/11/2020 - 07:35am

It´s time for a new FKT on Kungsleden in 2020 as a Self-Supported attempt. We (Chris an Heiko from Germany) will try to set a new FKT beginning on 23rd of June this year from Abisko to Hemavan in under 6 days. Carrying all our stuff by ourselfes, sleeping in our tents and also eating our own food... Follow us ob Instagram @project.kungsleden.2020 and leave your comments... Thank you very much...  :-)

Jonathan Isaksson
Thu, 07/23/2020 - 08:12am

Coronatimes is a good excuse to try Kungsleden unsupported. Any FKT’s out there? Starting from Hemavan tonight.

ig: @IceAxeSon

 

Well done Jonathan.

How did you do with all them boat rides on Kungsleden and aint there a bus-ride between Saltoloukta and Ritsem?

Sounds like external support?

Kungsleden seems hard to do unsupported...

Thanks for pointing this out.  Reading Jonathan's report it is evident that his trip should be characterized as "self supported" due to taking ferry boats, a motor boat ride, and the bus.  To do this unsupported one would have to use only the row boats, or swimming I guess, and walk the bus section.  So, unsupported on the Kungsleden seems unlikely.  I have changed Jonathan's trip to self supported.  It was not the FKT, but we will leave it here for the excellent information and photos.

I'm planning an unsupported crossing this August. 7 crossings with a packraft. Always sleep in the tent and of course never resupply.
I'm adding 2 sidetrips: Kebnekaise + Skierfe. My record is 52 days unresupplied (lost 16kg) during the first winter crossing of tasmania. Here the only issue is the wind as packrafting a large lake can become dangerous. I'll have enough food to wait but I have plans to go off track and make the crossings shorter.