EXPLORER

If you can hike 10 kilometers with light packing, you should be able to manage the stages in the Explorer group. However, the distances can be challenging, as we hike in snow and the terrain is often steep both uphill and downhill as we climb new mountains every day. Be prepared.

If you happen to have an off day or experience any injuries, our guides will help you take a shorter route back to the base camp, where you can rest and wait for the rest of the group to catch up.

There will be guides both at the front and back of each group, and you will also encounter guides along the way.

Together, we’ll make sure you have a wonderful winter adventure.

The Explorer group attracts a wide range of participants, from total beginners with average fitness levels to experienced winter hikers seeking an exciting adventure with others, but with lighter packing and time for breaks.

Most participants have never hiked with snowshoes or camped in winter before. The majority come alone but quickly get to know other participants, while some bring friends or family.

About half of the participants tend to come from Sweden, while the other half is made up of people from across Europe.

Some join because they think it’s fun to experience the adventure together, while others come for some personal time and choose to hike certain stages on their own. There is room for all kinds of experiences, and that’s likely what creates such a wonderful atmosphere.

Whether you choose the Expedition group or the Explorer group, you’ll hike at your own pace. However, it often happens that you team up with others who have a similar speed.

In the Explorer group, we set off together on the first day. On day two and three, you can start at your own pace between 08:00 and 09:00.

It often becomes a mix of walking with others, hiking solo for a bit, and then meeting new participants along the way. Or you might meet someone or a group that you choose to team up with. As you can imagine, it will be a lot of fun!

Throughout the hike, we follow marked trails. However, the trails in the High Coast are not adapted for winter, so the trail markers are often hidden in the snow. To ensure we stay on track, we have guides who head out earlier and make sure there are tracks to follow. This makes it easy to navigate.

That being said, it’s still wise to keep track of where you are. When you check in for the adventure, you will receive a map that we’ll go through before setting out. The locations on the map are well-marked in the terrain, so it’s easy to stay oriented.

In each group — which can become quite stretched out, so you may not see other participants — there are guides at the front and back. You will also encounter guides along the way who can answer any questions you might have.

When you check in, you’ll receive a phone number to call if anything happens. Most of the route has mobile coverage.

Meals are provided from Thursday lunch to Saturday lunch.

Since we hike at our own pace and want to allow flexibility to eat when hungry or in a scenic spot, most meals consist of high-quality freeze-dried dishes.

We offer a wide variety, and you will select and collect your freeze-dried meals when you check in. You will receive two breakfasts and three meals. Special dietary options are available, and you can specify any dietary needs when registering for the adventure.

The following meals are included:

Thursday:
Lunch: Prepared meal at FriluftsByn.
Dinner: Freeze-dried meal (1).

Friday:
Breakfast: Freeze-dried breakfast (1).
Lunch: Freeze-dried meal (2).
Dinner: Prepared dinner at the base camp.

Saturday:
Breakfast: Freeze-dried breakfast (2).
Lunch: Freeze-dried meal (3).

You should bring your own snacks, sweets, nuts, coffee, tea, and any other beverages. A tip is to also bring electrolyte tablets or powder. Water during the adventure will be obtained by melting snow during breaks. Don’t forget a thermos.

At other times, you can purchase breakfast and dinner at FriluftsByn. We’ve kept these meals outside the registration since some may stay with friends or elsewhere rather than in FriluftsByn.

For more information on meals, visit: Travel, accommodation, and meals >>

The base camp is, as the name suggests, our base during the adventure. After the “Winter Outdoor Skills Course” held at FriluftsByn, we will take our own bus from Explorer out to Skuleskogens National Park.

From the bus stop, it is about a 900-meter walk to our base camp. During this stretch, you will carry everything you need for the adventure.

At the base camp, there are toilets and a campfire that we all help to keep alive. All trash must be taken back to FriluftsByn.

You can leave your equipment in your tent at your own risk. This is something hikers do year-round, but it’s unnecessary to leave valuables behind.

For your safety, you must check out before heading out on each day’s hike and check in when you return to the base camp.

The check-in and check-out station is staffed and located at the base camp.

There are also guides at the front and back of the group every day, so if everything goes according to plan, which it usually does, we will know that everyone is back at base camp when the guides at the back return.

By checking in and checking out, we perform an extra safety check to ensure that everyone has left and returned safely. This enhances security.

On the first day of the adventure, you will bring all the equipment you need on the bus. After the bus ride, there is a 900-meter walk to the base camp. You will carry all your equipment yourself.

During the adventure, you will store the equipment you do not take on the day hikes in your tent.

On the third and final day, you will carry all your equipment back to the location where the buses picked us up. Here, you can place the equipment you do not want to hike with on a trailer. These items will be transported back to FriluftsByn.

The finish line is at the top of Skuleberget, and you will find your equipment once you have hiked down to FriluftsByn, which is located at the foot of Skuleberget. This is also where we host the After-Hike.