Nordkalottleden, the North Calotte Trail

Nordkalottleden, the North Calotte Trail is about 800 km long and goes through Norway, Finland and Sweden. The trail starts or ends in Kautokeino and in Kvikkjokk. It consists of existing paths which are connected with new stretches of trail. Some distances, such as Kvikkjokk—Sulitelma are easier to hike, while others demand a certain familiarity.

Kvikkjokk-Sulitjelma

Nordkalottleden between Kvikkjokk and Sulitelma is 90 km long, and an old classic path towards Norway.

It follows the first part of the Padjelanta trail to Tarrekaise and turns off towards Vaimok. On the way up from Tarra Valley to Gurávagge the hiker has a good view over the Staika Mountains, the Tarrekaise Massif and the Tarra Valley. Between Kurajaure and Vaimok the terrain consists mainly of boulders.

The stage between Vaimok and Pieskehaure runs upwards and downwards rather steeply in a barren landscape with a view to the Sulitelma Massif and Sweden’s largest glacier. Below the glacier is a sub-Arctic delta land consisting of glacier sediment. The stretch along Pieskehaure is one of the most beautiful ones of Nordkalottleden. After crossing the border into Norway the hiker’s easiest option is to take the south side of the Lomis Lake which is dammed and continue down into the town of Sulitjelma.

We have regular boat tours tours between Kvikkjokk and the Nordkalottleden / Padjelantaleden.

On the Swedish side of the border the cabins are run by the STF.

Cabins in Norway: Ny-Sulitjelma fjellstue 1 km east of Sulitjelma and Muorkihytta at Muorkijaure. For information on Sulitjelma, contact Sulitjelma Turistsenter.