Hiking in Sweden: 3 days in Vålådalen Nature Reserve, Jämtland

Distances each day are around 16 km (10 miles). There are some altitude gains, but not a lot so this does not really matter that much.

You do not need a lot of experience, but having broken in your boots helps.

Very easy! There are many daily trains from Stockholm. You can also fly to Trondheim Vaernes Airport and either go by train or rental car from there. Another idea is to fly to Åre/Östersund airport and go by car, taxi or train to the meeting point.

Accomodation is in simple mountain huts. They are clean, warm and provide a friendly atmosphere. We will have to chop wood and fetch water together as a team - your guide will help you with how everything works, and it's quite fun to be honest :-) Meals, we will cook them together.

We take care of this. However, making sure you have a travel insurance is a good idea.

Personally I like mid-August to end of September.

If you see the "Join a group"-tab then we have open dates, otherwise it will be hard for us to accommodate this.

If the weather is bad, we go any way. If we have to cancel due to safety concerns we will plan for something else or refund an amount equal to the amount of days where we can not provide the service. However we love a good experience and getting a good story, and sometimes the best stories are created in less than ideal weather :-)

The beds are typically bunk beds, with a mattress, pillow and blanket. They are clean and the beds are inviting. Usually around 4 to 8 persons sleep in the same room.

Few people have a better knowledge about this area and we could probably spend the whole trip talking about history and culture in the area.

Usually we make something like porridge with raisins, nuts and jam. We might also have some kind of bread with different types of cheese on or perhaps a salami. This is usually Swedish hard bread but occasionally we also make scones on the stove. If you prefer something like juice we usually bring powdered ice tea which is a good substitute when in the mountains. Coffee, tea and plenty of fresh mountain water.

The lunch is prepared during breakfast. Usually this means making a few sandwiches and adding a bar, some nuts, raisins or filling up a hot water thermos for a quick powdered chanterelle soup on the trail.

A typical dinner on this trip might be something pasta based, but could also be something more Swedish such as potatoes, meatballs and lingonberry jam. Usually we start with some crackers or dried meat and then have a simple dessert. Sometimes this could be just some chocolate, a local cheese or a panna cotta or lemon mousse.

We cook it together. It's very social and actually a nice thing to do in the evening in the candle light. This also means we have to be careful of hygiene, something that the guide will walk through by the first evening. We and the huts make sure there are plenty of possibilities to wash our hands and there are also alcoholic hand sanitizers. And... if you are lucky the guide will take care of the dishes while you lean back after a day of mountain impressions.

I have to say that I love the evenings. When things quiet down and the impressions of the day sink in and I start to contemplate about life. This can be after the dinner when the day is done, perhaps when the candle flicks, or hearing a heavy rain fall on the metal roof. Another common situation is standing outside the hut in the evening, brushing the teeth and gazing towards the stars on the lookout for Northern lights. I view this as how a good movie needs to have some drama, action or "high pace" but equally needs those slower moments for reflection and insights.