| I would like to take a distance course to become a guide. Does STF run such courses? No. STF doesn’t run distance learning courses any longer. The Mountain Safety Council has brought out a standard course for guides. You can find these at the website www.fjallsaker.nu. You’ll also find there the Council’s contact details, for advice on who currently runs courses. |
| Can I pay with credit or bank cards in the mountains? Yes. All mountain stations and mountain cabins accept credit and bank cards. |
| Can I book a place in a mountain hut? No, you cannot book a bed in a mountain hut (Arådalen excluded). You are, however, guaranteed a roof over your head. There are extra mattresses for those days when all the beds are taken. Larger groups should ring in advance so that the hut warden can prepare for your arrival. |
| Will my mobile telephone work throughout the mountains? No. There’s relatively good coverage in the vicinity of the mountain stations, but don’t count on being contactable at all times. The further into the mountains you venture, the worse the coverage becomes. |
| Which mountain trip is best for beginners? Jämtland’s mountains (Jämtlandsfjällen), for example the so-called Jämtland’s Triangle (Storulvån, Sylarna, Blåhammaren), is suitable for beginners. |
| Do you sell maps of the mountains? Maps of the mountains are available for purchase at the Lantmäteriet´s website or from good bookshops.
At our mountainlodges you may buy maps for the surrounding area. |
| Can one cycle on the Kungsleden? Yes, but parts of it are very stony. |
| How do I pay if there is no hut warden around? In the hut you will find a payment slip that you can take home and use to pay for your stay. You can also pay the money into the PlusGiro account PG 517-3: with the payment you should include your name, which hut you stayed at, and the date of your stay. |
| Is it possible to stay overnight in mountain huts and mountain stations out of season? Yes, but only in emergencies. There is a safety room in some mountain huts and mountain stations without any road connection. |
| I want to go to the summit of Kebnekaise. How do I go about it? You go first to Kebnekaise’s mountain station, 19 km from Nikkaluokta, a bus journey from Kiruna. Then you spend the night at the mountain station and set out with the STF guide to reach the summit. You ought to allow a couple of extra days - depending on the weather it might not be possible to make the trip some days. The hike to the summit is tough, but most people can make it with moderate effort. |
| Must I be super fit to go on a trip to the mountains? Absolutely not. There are plenty of ways to enjoy Swedish mountain life without great hardship. Many people enjoy just walking or skiing in the vicinity of the mountain lodge or mountain cabin. Those planning to make longer excursions will, of course, feel better if they’re not completely out of condition. |
| Can I buy food during my journey? Yes. STF’s mountain stations and most cabins have a good range of provisions for sale. |
| Is it true that there are a lot of mosquitoes in the mountains? The truth is that there are many mosquitoes in the mountaion but not more than you can find in places in the archipelago of Stockholm or in the woods in Skåne. It’s worst in late spring/early summer, in mountain birch forests and beside boggy areas. Later in the summer there are few mosquitoes - sometimes none!
Up on the mounatin where the wind almost always blows there are none or few mosquitoes.
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| How far apart are STF’s mountain huts? Between 12 and 25 km. A good day's journey for most people. |
| Can I camp in the mountains? Yes, you can. If you choose to camp by one of STF’s mountain cabins or mountain stations there’s a service charge, for which you get access to the services the cabin or station provides. |
| Where can I see the midnight sun, and when? In the very far north of Sweden, north of the Arctic Circle. At Nuolja in Abisko you can see the midnight sun between 27 May and 18 July. |
| Can my children, aged 6 and 8 years old, walk in the mountains? Yes, of course! Make short trips of a varied nature so that they don’t get tired. It can take half a day before they’ve finished playing beside a stream - so take it slowly. A good idea with young children is to have a base (tent or mountain cabin) from which to make trips, so you don’t have to carry too much. |
| Can I take my dog along in to the mountains? Yes. According to the Rights of Public Access dogs must be kept on a lead from 1 March-20 August. Animal life is at its most sensitive to disturbance just then from even the most peaceful pet dog. Outside these times you must keep close watch over your dog, so that it doesn’t scare the wildlife. Special rules apply, according to the Nature Conservation Act, when taking your dog into a national park area. These rules can be found on the website for the respective county’s administration committee (länsstyrelse). For Norrbotten you can find the information at www.fjallen.nu |
| Who’s responsible for taking care of the pathways? The Nature Conservation Authority is responsible for the public pathway system. In Norrland’s county they’re maintained by the county’s administration committee (länsstyrelse). Upkeep of local pathways is the responsibility of a local-authority leader. |
| May I fish wherever I like in mountain lakes and streams? No, you may not. It is, however, possible to purchase a fishing permit for a large number of lakes and stretches of water. Several of our mountain stations and mountain cabins sell these fishing permits. A county’s administrative committee (länsstyrelse) has information about its permitted waters. |
| Is it safe to drink the water from mountain streams? Yes - there’s nothing better! The water should be running and clear. You can even drink the lake water in the mountains. |
| At which times of year can one go walking in the mountains? The season starts at midsummer and keeps on through into September. High season is between about 20 July and 10 August. There are a lot of people in the cabins then, and in some places it can get a bit crowded. Winter season begins at New Year. Most mountain stations, however, open in February and remain open until the beginning of May. Mountain cabins open in late February/early March and are open until the beginning of May. |