COME ALONE
– HIKE WITH NEW FRIENDS

WHAT DO SOME OF THOSE WHO CAME ON THEIR OWN HAVE TO SAY?

“I had no previous experience but have always wanted to go on a winter adventure. However, it’s been hard to get family and friends to join, so when this opportunity came up, I took it—and what an adventure! I can truly recommend the High Coast Winter Hike.”

Jennie Dahllund.

“Nervously, I arrived alone and received lots of tips from the crew and other hikers. Others on the hike walked alongside me during the hike when I was going more slowly than they’re used to. Their generosity and friendliness, along with the magical winter wilderness views have made me come back for more Winter Hikes.”

Paul Wright

“My first time I came alone and weirdly enough, people and the staff made me feel at home from the first second. I even got to help with my backpack. This is why I come back in 2024. The human experience is the best. So come alone and you will leave with friends“

Mathieu Levasseur 

HIGH COASR WINTER HIKE

TIPS FOR THOSE COMING ALONE

The High Coast Winter Hike is likely the world’s largest winter hike, bringing like-minded adventurers from around the world on a three-day winter journey through the highlights of the High Coast World Heritage Site since 2014.

We provide snowshoes, meals, buses, courses, guides, and a celebratory atmosphere. You’ll bring your essential gear and choose between the two groups: EXPEDITION, where participants carry all their equipment and stay at two different camps, or EXPLORER, where a base camp is set up, allowing for hiking with lighter packs. If you lack a tent or sleeping bag and can’t borrow one from friends, you can rent from either FriluftsByn or Naturkompaniet.

Since many in both groups are new to winter adventures, we start with a introductory winter outdoor course. Afterward, we have lunch and then take buses to the starting point of each adventure. The trails are well-marked and easy to follow, and there are guides at the front and back each day.

How challenging is the hike?
The Explorer group is suitable for those with average fitness, while Expedition requires preparation by training with a packed backpack. You can find more information and answers to common questions for each group here:
Explorer >>
Expedition >>

Come alone – hike with new friends!
You can probably imagine the community that builds when a large group of both curious beginners and experienced hikers embarks on a winter adventure together. Usually, things fall into place naturally.

However, we wanted to share some tips and highlight things previous participants have found helpful when coming alone.

1. JOIN THE PARTICIPANT GROUP >>

Here we share tips and get to know each other before the adventure. You can also post if you have space in your car or are interested in carpooling to the adventure, as well as if you’re looking to share a cabin with someone else.

2. STAY IN FRILUFTSBYN >>

If you stay in FriluftsByn, you’ll be right in the heart of the action, as well as at the start and finish of the adventure. You can book your own cabin or a bed in a shared cabin.

3. ARRIVE FOR THE PRE-EVENING >>

No matter where you’re staying, most people tend to arrive on Wednesday for the pre-evening, where we open check-in and hand out maps and meals for the adventure. The restaurant Vardagsrummet will be open exclusively for those of us heading out. If you’re coming alone, it’s a good idea to show up then.

5. SHARE A TENT?

If you’re participating in Explorer, we start by setting up a base camp, but if you’re hiking Expedition, it might be a good idea to see if someone else hiking solo wants to share a tent and reduce the weight. You can bring this up in the participant group, write a note and pin it on our bulletin board at Restaurant Vardagsrummet, or simply ask someone who seems friendly and is also hiking alone.

6. CHOOSE A GROUP

When you sign up, you choose whether you want to participate in the Explorer or Expedition group. However, you can change your mind until the buses depart. If you do change your mind, you must inform the check-in team, as you may get excited about joining. Expedition or feel like hiking with a lighter pack and join the Explorer.

7. SHARED CAMPSITES

During the day, we spread out quite a bit since the World Heritage site is large. Often, there can be hundreds of meters between each small group. But in the evenings, things get more lively. We gather at shared campsites, and if you want company, you can join others by one of the campfires.

IT’S EASY TO COME ALONE

TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATION

During the adventure, you’ll stay in your own tent, but before and after the adventure, most people stay at FriluftsByn.

You can easily get here by car, carpooling, or by taking the train and bus. You’ll find more information on how to get to FriluftsByn in the link next to this text.

If you’re coming alone, you can book your own bunk in a Outdoor Cabin for the entire period from Wednesday to Sunday for only 1200 SEK. You’ll stay there Wednesday to Thursday before the adventure and Saturday to Sunday after the adventure, but you can also leave your belongings in the cabin while we’re out on the adventure.

It doesn’t get any better than this. You’ll stay right where everything is happening, close to the pre-event and after-hike, where you’ll meet other participants and be able to ask questions so everything feels great before the adventure.

“Out of 200 hikers, about 50 usually come alone. When you head out like this, it’s natural to start talking to each other, and soon small groups form. Sometimes these groups grow and become larger, only to split up again and meet up at the campsite. It’s kind of like hanging out at a festival, with the difference being that we’re undertaking an epic hike through breathtaking nature.”

Jerry Engström, FriluftsByn

EXPEDITION »

The original three-day adventure where we experience the highlights of this World Heritage site at our own pace. With the right preparation, this will be a memory for life. We set up two different base camps and carry all our gear with us.