Sustainability is so integrated into the Swedish lifestyle, and things like good working conditions and organic produce are a natural way of life. At some Swedish destinations, visitors are crucial for a sustainable ecosystem. For these reasons, we wish to further support Swedish tourism given their forward thinking and doing when it comes to sustainability.  

This exclusive adventure has been designed by Adventurous Ewe to deliver an amazing experience and showcase the some of the most stunning landscapes across the Arctic Circle. Whilst also giving you the chance to step out of your comfort zone and gain a greater understanding of the Arctic, the environment, the wildlife, the Sámi culture and enjoy back to basics living.

On booking your King’s Trail Arctic Snowshoe Expedition, you will receive all the exciting trip info via our mobile travel app.

You’ll have access to your itinerary, trip countdown, live updates, contact info, weather forecasts, know before you go trip info, kit lists and much more at the touch of a button 24 hours a day via your mobile phone. No more unnecessary use of reams of paper to benefit the environment and the need of carrying around documents with you. A’ppy days.

With being a small family business we pride ourselves with providing personal, professional and friendly service for your Arctic adventure. We appreciate that everyone has different levels of experience and reasons for wishing to embark on this expedition and therefore require varying levels of support and guidance. We’re here to help you every step of the way from the moment you join the flock all the way through to completing the snowshoe trek and beyond. Jim and Sue’s knowledge and expertise stems from dozens of years of travelling and exploring the destinations that we visit in order to fully support you in the lead up to your adventure. Jim and Sue have both completed this expedition numerous times, so are well equipped to answer any of your queries no matter how big or small.

On signing up for the trip, we will provide you with the recommended flights to book to Kiruna Sweden or alternately, we can book the flights for you through our ATOL & ABTA protected Flight Agent at an additional cost. The recommended flights will include airport transfers in Sweden.

Flights are not included in your to give you the flexibility to travel from your nearest airport, use any frequent flyer points or extend your stay in Sweden if you wish.

You can also travel by overnight train from Stockholm to Abisko.

To travel to Sweden, you must follow the Schengen area passport requirements.

To enter Sweden (and all Schengen countries) your passport must:

• have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive. Passports issued after 1 October 2018 are now valid for only 10 years, but for passports issued before 1 October 2018, extra months may have been added if you renewed a passport early
• have an ‘expiry date’ at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave.

You can travel without a visa to the Schengen area (which includes Sweden) for up to 90 days in any 180-day period as a tourist.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

Travel Insurance is an important part of any booking. It is compulsory that everyone who travels with us has taken out adequate travel insurance which includes, among other things, cover for the full value of your trip, medical (emergency, evacuation and repatriation) arrangements, trekking to an altitude of 4167 metres, personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage and personal effects and travel delays.

For UK residents we have partnered with Campbell & Irvine Direct to provide you with a travel insurance. If you would like to obtain cover for your trip please feel free to contact specialist Insurance Brokers, Campbell Irvine Direct for a quote.

Global Rescue Membership
For peace of mind whilst trekking in the mountains, Global Rescue provides short term membership giving access to travel, security, medical advisory and evacuation services up to $US500,000.  They’re a specialised field rescue company, and assist from the point of illness or injury by getting you to the closest and most appropriate medical facilities to get stabilised. Once fit to fly if you require additional inpatient treatment Global Rescue will further evacuate and repatriate to your home hospital on record. These services are all covered through their upfront membership fee with no claims process.  For more info, please click here.

Vaccinations
For the most up to date info on vaccinations, please consult with your GP or travel healthcare practitioner 8 weeks in advance of travel. For more info, feel free to visit https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations/europe-russia/Sweden.

Severe allergies
If you have a severe allergy please inform us at the time of booking. We will do all we can to help, but unfortunately we are unable to guarantee an allergy free environment on this trip. You will need to carry your own treatment for the allergy with you, as ‘adrenaline auto-injectors’ are not carried as standard by AE leaders and crew. Whilst your leader is aware of our trekkers medical history, please also inform your leader on arrival of your allergy, and let them know where you keep your adrenaline pen.

Adventurous Ewe puts the safety and wellbeing of you, our leaders & crew and the communities we visit at the centre of all our operations, always. Your safety and wellbeing is our top priority. The Kings Trail Arctic Snowshoe Expedition is intentionally challenging and requires individual preparation as the trip is designed to take you out of your every-day comfort zone and achieve something incredible. Rest assured we have a thorough Safety Management System, indepth risk assessments and risk management systems in place.

You will be accompanied by your Adventurous Ewe Leader and Local Arctic Guide. Our Leaders are First Aid trained and have extensive experience in leading groups in this region. They will be ultimately responsible for your safety on this trip.

For more info, please visit our Safety and Well-being page. 

All our Adventurous Ewe Guides are experienced Leaders and have been carefully selected to ensure you have the best and safest experience with a bit of humour thrown in for good measure. They’re a fun bunch with plenty of Winter trekking experience. All Guides are first aid trained.

Your Local Arctic Guide is a key part to this trip. They are all expertly trained and experienced in every field of this Arctic expedition, bilingual and qualified in first aid and/or Wilderness First responder. They also have a huge passion for what they do and have plenty of knowledge ready to share with you. They are responsible for ensuring the complete safety, wellbeing and enjoyment of the team whilst also retaining a flexible and fun attitude.

The Leaders have a Garmin Connect in case of emergency and have contact with Adventurous Ewe’s HQ.

The King’s Trail Arctic Snowshoe Expedition is graded as ‘Tough’ namely due to the climate, remoteness and need to carry your own kit and equipment.

An appropriate level of fitness and overall endurance will go a long way to helping you enjoy this incredible expedition. A training programme will be provided when you have joined the team for this adventure. This trip attracts people of all levels of experience, fitness and ability as well as ages and backgrounds. This trek is designed to be a unique adventure and complete as a team, it is not a race. If you have concerns about your fitness or if you have reduced mobility please contact us for a confidential chat about whether this expedition is appropriate for you.

To complete the Kings Trail Snowshoe Expedition comfortably, it is preferable that you have previous experience of long treks in varied and irregular terrain carrying a 45 litre day-pack. You do not need previous snowshoe trekking experience as training will be provided, however it is beneficial that you are a confident walker with a good level of fitness to manage the sections of ascent and long duration of the trek, combined with carrying your day-pack every day. During the expedition you will be required to carry all your own kit together with food, emergency shelter and snow shovel (the latter two items will be divided across two people).

A bespoke training programme will be provided when join this trip to help you with your preparations.

You are also most welcome to visit our Training and Preparation.

Our motto is: Train hard, smile harder and enjoy the journey!

A full kit list will be provided when you register for this Arctic Adventure. Good kit can make the difference between a fantastic expedition and an uncomfortable one. Well worn in insulated, waterproof winter boots with higher ankle support, thick soles and rubber or leather uppers are ideal. Examples are Salomon Toundra Pro boots or The North Face Chillkat snow boots.

An exclusive Adventurous Ewe discount code will be provided for the independent outdoor retailers both online and in store when you book for this expedition.

As part of your expedition, you will be supplied with snowshoes and trekking poles based on your size. You will have the opportunity to learn and practice using these items the day prior to setting out on your expedition. No previous snowshoeing experience is required. You will also be provided with a group shelter and snow shovel which will be carried between two people.

To help you get the very best from your Arctic Expedition we will provide you with exclusive Adventurous Ewe discount codes to use in specialist independent outdoor retailers both online and in store. They offer a large choice of kit that the staff themselves use while climbing, hiking, mountaineering, running, travelling or enjoying expeditions across the globe and they pride themselves on sharing their experience and knowledge of equipment so you can choose the right gear to suit you and your Arctic adventure.

The weather in Lapland from March to April is generally stable. Because of its continental, dry climate, the Lappish cold is more bearable than in Western Europe. You can expect temperatures from -5°C to -15°C during the evening and from -3°C to -10°C during the days with clear skies.

Late March to early April is a time of change and renewal in Lapland. You get the greatest snow coverage as by then the snow has been falling for anything up to 6 months. The unspoiled snow provides the perfect canvas for warmer temperatures and stunning ice-blue skies that stretch endlessly away over the forests and frozen lakes to a far horizon. The air is crisp and pure and the days start becoming visibly longer. Though there’s great anticipation for darkness to fall as the great thing about March and April is the improving weather very often means less cloud cover making it perfect for viewing the Aurora. During periods of high solar activity (not forecastable) the Northern Lights can often be seen every night, but the sky has to be clear of cloud cover, and you need to be away from other light sources which is why this expedition gives you the best opportunity to witness such an incredible display. These displays can vary in intensity – from a greenish-yellow glow moving gently around the sky, to a spectacular multi-coloured show dancing across the sky. Sightings not only vary in intensity but in duration too, from just minutes to sometimes hours. Add in the theory that the sun is more active around the spring equinox, you have a great reason to head to the Kings Trail for the ultimate Arctic adventure at this time of year.

Please note, the Expedition Leader reserves the right to change the itinerary at any time should the conditions require it. In these circumstances we will make the best alternative arrangements possible that maintain the integrity of the original itinerary.

During your Arctic Snowshoe expedition you will be spending 2 nights in mountain stations which are well equipped and both of which have great restaurants serving delicious Swedish meals. The rooms in which you stay are dorm rooms of typically 4 beds with shared bathrooms. A mountain station is a fantastic cross between mountain hotel, hostel and bed-and-breakfast. Typically they occupy unique sites in the stunning mountain ranges with vast views of the impressive frozen landscape.

The other 4 nights you will be staying in mountain huts. These mountain cabins are located 10 to 20 kilometres apart, along the King’s Trail. When you arrive, you are welcomed by the cabin host who is a volunteer. They will explain how the cabin stay works – for example how everybody lends a hand with household tasks. These tasks include chopping wood, fetching water from ice wells, cooking and cleaning up after yourself. Quite often this is a highlight of the trip with such back to basic forms of living. There is a wood-fired sauna in two of the mountain huts we overnight in and most cabins have shops that stock a range of staple products including snacks, drinks and alcohol. Please bring cash if you wish to make any purchases.

There is no electricity or running water in the cabins, and the toilet is a dry toilet. The rooms are different sizes, there are bunk beds and usually heated by wood or gas stoves. There are blankets and pillows available, but you need to bring your own sleeping bag. Your stay will be simple, but always personal and memorable.

All meals are included during your expedition. Typical meals include:

Breakfast: Porridge or cereal with dried fruit, tea & coffee
Lunch: You will pre-make your own packed lunch prior to setting off each day. Items for lunch include hot soup with bread and cheese, sandwiches, snacks, etc.
Dinner: A hot meal is cooked every night by the dinner crew for that day. Meal examples include meatballs and rice with fruit salad for dessert.

You will also have the opportunity to eat traditional Sámi cuisine, reindeer meat with lots of butter. Plus you can sample other Swedish meals at the mountain stations.

A celebratory dinner is included on your final night.

Water will be supplied from the ice wells; you will need to bring your own wide-mouthed water bottle for this and also a flask to take hot drinks.

The impact of single use plastic is having on our landscape, wildlife and oceans, it is now more important than ever that we all make changes in order to help our planet. We may not be a huge global company but we’re passionate about playing our part and trying to make a huge difference collectively. Together we can dramatically reduce our consumption of single use plastics and support our responsible travel ethos of ‘Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but boot-prints, keep nothing but memories.’

You can make a difference too with taking part in the Arctic Expedition. As part of our commitment to helping the planet, members of the flock you join us for this Arctic Adventure, you will receive a free Adventurous Ewe Water-to-Go bottle. This is our way of saying thank-ewe and also making a difference to the consumption of single use plastics in developing countries. For more info please click here or email us at info@adventurousewe.co.uk for more info.

You are most welcome to extend your stay in Sweden following the Arctic Snowshoe Expedition. A popular option is to stay at the Ice Hotel or to travel by overnight train in Sweden.

For any further info, please get in touch with us at info@adventurousewe.co.uk.

All your trip info will be sent to you through a mobile travel app which is free to download. You will receive an email from Adventurous Ewe with your personalised log in code for this app. For the latest and greatest from the land of adventures, simply follow us at:

Youtube: Adventurous Ewe
Facebook: @adventurousewe
Instagram: @adventurousewe
LinkedIn: Adventurous-Ewe-Ltd

You’re most welcome to use the hashtags
#ewecandoit #thisflockrock #adventurousewe

Your Adventurous Ewe Leader/s and Crew will have a satellite phone, mobile phones and radios communications in case of emergencies. The team are trained to deal with these situations. Please ensure you listen to your Leader during these times and refrain from putting any posts on social media. Should you find yourself unable to continue with the trek, your Leader and crew will make the necessary arrangements. Depending on the situation, you will be met by the support vehicle (depending on access) and you will be transferred back to your accommodation or nearby medical facility as required.

Your Emergency Contact at Adventurous Ewe HQ is Jim Young on +44(0)7747 346 588.

Cool Earth

We are very excited to have teamed up with leading climate change charity Cool Earth, who share our mission to protect the planet’s precious environment in a sustainable manner. The future of rainforest protection is where everyone makes a difference to climate change! We invest a % of our revenue into supporting critical conservation projects around the world through Cool Earth. You are most welcome to help make a difference too by sparing a few pennies. Please give what you can and help save the world’s rainforests today by clicking here. Just £2.50 will save 10 trees and lock up 10 tonnes of CO2.

Together, we can all make a difference in helping preserve this precious and wonderful planet.

Thank-ewe