Day 1 - Arrival in Högfjället, Sälenfjäll

Högfjället is a settlement in Sälen’s national park. The guide will aim to meet us at approximately 6.30pm to brief us and answer any questions. For our first 4 nights we will be staying at the Gammelgarden Hotel, which has excellent facilities including an authentic Swedish sauna.

 

Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included

Luggage access

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Day 2 - Sälen Track Tour

Today we will start right outside our hotel door and explore the vast network of over 200km of trails that surround Sälenfjäll (Sälen mountain). We usually start with a nice loop around Vestra Kalven mountain, stopping for a picnic lunch at the beautiful wooden cabin at Lindalen, where we can treat ourselves to waffles and cream. Our first day gives us a true taste of Swedish cross country skiing and mountain life. 

 

Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included

Luggage access

Distance: 15km

 

Day 3 - Sälenfjällen Mountain

Today we will start at the trail head opposite our hotel and ski to the charming mountain cabin ‘Hemfjällsstugan’, that sits on a plateau at 810m. We will aim to have lunch there, but before that we will spend the morning skiing above the treeline, stopping at Storfjällsgraven for a mid-morning coffee. Today's route takes us across the typically Swedish mountain landscape as we ski past frozen streams and shallow valleys on a circular loop around Mellanfjället (910m). 

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Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included

Luggage access

Distance: 15km

Altitude gain / loss: +347m / -344m

 

Day 4 - Sälen to Mångsbodarna

We start the day by making our way to the hamlet of Berga - the official start of the Vasaloppet Trail at the Vasaloppet Arena. The first 3 kilometres are fairly easy, before the trail starts to climb the 178m to Vasaloppet’s highest point at 528 metres. This the hardest climb of the tour, and brings us high into the Spränsbackarna forest. The trail then levels out and we start to wind our way through the open and scenic marshlands of Valmyrsätra, and on to the frozen lake of Smågen. Here we will see one of the many lumberjack/log floaters' huts known as ‘Smågenkojan’. Right up until 1947 lumberjacks would spend the nights here during their working week, but today it makes the ideal stopping point for lunch. From Smågen there is an easy climb for 4.5km, followed by 8.5km of rolling descent to Mångsbodarna. Mångsbodarna is one of the three original 1922 race checkpoints, and home to water-powered saw and paper mills and the old school house. We'll take a taxi back to Sälen, to spend our last night at the Gammelgarden Hotel. 

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Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included

Luggage access

Distance: 24km

Altitude gain / loss: +368m / -301m

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Day 5 - Mångsbodarna to Evertsberg

We head back to Mångsbodarna to rejoin the Vasaloppet Trail, and start with a 3km descent down to the woodland settlement of Tennång. The Darlana region is well known in Sweden for upholding its traditions and local culture. and you'll see plenty of the Dala wooden horses, decorated with the traditional patterns known as ‘kurbits’, which has become a real Swedish icon. After another climb we then drop down to the farming village of Risberg where we can take a refreshment stop. We then have a final climb through dense Vasa birch and fir trees as we head out of Risberg, and on to the easy trails around the shores of the beautiful frozen lake of Mellansjön. Here we can head 300 metres off the track to a woodland cabin where we can have our picnic lunch beside the lake. After lunch we have a short ascent to the village of Evertsberg, where we pass the 47km check point indicating that we are now a little over half way. We take a taxi the 12 kms to the Hotel Älvdalen, where we will spend the next two nights. 

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Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included

Luggage access

Distance: 23km

Altitude gain / loss: +362m / -361m

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Day 6 - Evertsberg to Hökberg

First we will head to Evertsberg, and join the trail again. We descend on an undulating track for around10kms, then arrive at the famous 50m climb originally known as the Sighing Hill, just before Oxberg - after Sven-Åke Lundbäck’s 1981 Vasaloppet victory Sighing Hill was renamed ‘Lundbäck’s Hill’. We take the short descent to Oxberg, where we can admire the 18th century chapel, and stop for lunch. In the afternoon we ski through snow covered pastures and rich woodland to reach the Gophus ski centre above the Österdaläven valley. Today ends with a final steady climb to the mountain farm of Hökberg - Hawk Mountain - before we head back to the Hotel Älvdalen for a second night. 

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Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included

Luggage access

Distance: 24km

Altitude gain / loss: +396m / -568m

 

Day 7 - Hökberg to Mora

Our final day of skiing starts in Hökberg. We ski the easy trails down and around Hökberget 'fell' where we can sometimes spot hoof prints and evidence of elk in the forest, then take level trails to Eldris - the final checkpoint of our tour. Now that we have just 10kms of easy skiing before we reach our end point in Mora we can take our time and enjoy the last day of our adventure. We wind our way down into Mora, right to the town centre and the Anders Zorn statue of Gustav Vasa at the Vasaloppet finish gate. The name Mora comes from the old Swedish word 'mor' meaning 'thick forest and humidity'. Mora is a friendly town with nice shops and cafes, and sits by the region's biggest lake, Silijan. Sweden's best known artist Anders Zorn was born here, and his house/museum, along with its own tearoom, is well worth a visit. 

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Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included

Luggage access

Distance: 19km

Altitude gain / loss: +152m / -225m

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Day 8 - Departure day

Our trip finishes after breakfast. 

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