This unforgettable hike starts at Øvre Stilla at the top of Tverrelvdalen valley near Alta and goes via Stabbursdalen and southwards along the eastern shores of Iesjavri, Finnmark’s largest lake. We continue across “hundevidda” (the dog plain) towards Karasjok and finally the fertile Karasjok valley. These postal routes were created so the Sami reindeer herders could receive their mail in the winter when they were at their winter pastures. Many love letters would probably not have been delivered if it had not been for this route.
Booking requests
We experience every year that people are interested in this trip, but often too few people sign up for us to run the trip. Therefore, if you are interested in this trip, please submit a “booking request” form with your “dream date” and we will send a proposal based on the various wishes. In general, August and September are the best options. The mosquitoes can be troublesome before this.
The trip in brief
- A total of around 85 km
- Five days’ hiking
- One night in a cabin (can be tent), two in a tent and one in mountain lodges
- A sauna at the mountain lodges is included (for those who wish)
- Delicious meals based on local ingredients, from lunch day 1 to breakfast day 5
- Partial support of polar dogs with packsaddles
- Our route follows marked and unmarked trails, Sami quad bike tracks and overgrown tracks.
- A real mountain hike that requires good hiking boots, backpack and suitable outdoor clothing.
- All participants carry their own gear, including sleeping bag. Polar dogs carry packsaddles with communal equipment and some food.
The legs
The day legs vary in terms of length and difficultly due to us taking advantage of the natural places to stay on the Finnmarksvidda mountain plateau. On the first three days we hike 18-20 km, while we hike 25 km on the fourth day and approx. 15 km on the final day, down in the Karasjok Valley. All the distances are rough estimates to calculate the time used, which do not include lunch breaks.
A good tip: We hike past several rivers and lakes with excellent Arctic char and trout. If you enjoy fishing and have a light (telescopic) rod, bring it with you. We can then plan breaks and camp near some of these spots.
Accommodation
We spend the first night at a cabin in the Stabbursdalen valley, the next in tents at wilderness camps on the eastern shores of Lake Iesjavri and the final night at the Ravnatua mountain lodge. You can enjoy a relaxing hot sauna on arrival at the mountain lodge. The mountain lodge offers basic accommodation in cabins and dormitories with 2-6 bunks. Participants carry their own sleeping bag and ground pad.
Common for all the overnight stays is the fellowship and togetherness during the food, setting up the wilderness camp and the memories from the trip.
Internet, phone coverage and electricity
It’s worth noting that much of the area on this route has no telephone coverage. There is coverage during part of the first day, but that’s about it. There is sometimes mobile coverage on parts of the plateau, especially when we cross an elevation in the terrain. There is no stable mobile coverage at Ravnastua or Mollisjok either, but both have landlines meaning messages can get through. Both mountain lodges also have electricity enabling you to charge your gadgets.
What’s included?
The package price includes all transport, accommodation as described, all meals from lunch on day 1 to breakfast on day 5, wilderness guide, support by polar dogs, safety equipment such as satellite telephone and GPS and mountain equipment such as tents and cooking gear.
If you want meals other than breakfast, lunch and dinner as described, you must arrange these yourself.
For further information and bookings, please don’t hesitate to contact us at post@glodexplorer.no
Planning meeting
On the evening prior to departure, we hold a planning meeting to review the equipment list, weather forecast, the various legs and the meals. We will also be available to answer any questions you may have.
Accommodation before and after the tour
We can offer accommodation in an Aurora Canvas Dome or the Pine Forest apartment.
Day before day 1
As we start at 08.30 on day one, it’s natural for participants from afar to arrive the day before. If you require accommodation in Alta, we can provide good alternatives.
A planning meeting will be held at GLØD Headquarters at 15.00 (3 pm) on the day prior to departure to look at maps and the route, go through the plan and the weather forecast, etc. We will check the gear and any supplements and hand out any equipment you hired.
Day 1 (first hiking day)
We pack up our equipment and are transported to Øvre Stilla at the top of the Tverrelvdalen valley. We set off from here to Falksteinen, an ancient Sami sacrificial stone. If your stomach starts rumbling, we can always have an early (packed) lunch here. We continue in a south-easterly direction to the Stabbursdalen valley. There is a gradual ascent before the terrain flattens out up on the mountain. The last few kilometres are mainly downhill. This leg is about 19 km, starting down in the mountain birch forest, over the tree-less mountain area and down in the forest belt at the top of the Stabbursdalen valley. Hiking time: approx. 5 hours.
On arrival at the cabin, we enjoy delicious dinner and a comfortable bed! Please note that this cabin is open to all, so if it’s occupied we will stay in tents.
Day 2
After breakfast, we continue hiking southwards. The polar dogs carry packsaddles with mountain equipment such as tents, stoves, pots and fuel and maybe some of the food we will eat when we reach the next camp site, a wilderness camp on the eastern shores of Iesjavri, Finnmark’s largest lake.This is not a common route and meeting other people (on foot or mountain bikes) is unusual. We are now in the wilderness in the heart of the Finnmarksviddamountain plateau, far removed from civilisation and miles from the nearest manmade installation. The area we are camping in has wonderful fishing lakes and we will camp beside a river with excellent trout! If we are lucky, we can serve fresh trout for supper!
We stay overnight in field tents. Hiking distance: approx. 15 km (4.5 hours)
Day 3
After a quiet night in tents, we continue our journey southwards in gently rolling terrain. In other words, each gentle descent is followed by another modest hill and more wonderful views. There is generally a stream at the bottom and often a wet (or dry) marsh we need to cross. This is Finnmark in a nutshell!
We aim to hike to Stipanavzzi today, which is a cool place where the landscape has received a solid blow with an axe to create a ravine in the terrain that runs several kilometres northwards in the direction of Porsanger.
We stay overnight in field tents. Hiking distance: approx. 17 km
Day 4
We head eastwards towards Ravnastua. These areas are exposed to the elements, so we must prepare accordingly. Late in the day, we head slightly down again towards the wooded valley and, after covering roughly 15 km, we arrive at Ravnastua. On arrival at Ravnastua, we are greeted by our host Oskar. If we are lucky, he will play his accordion in the evening!
After a long day in the mountains, a refreshing sauna is always wonderful. If anyone is keen, Oskar will happily heat it up for us!
We stay overnight at Ravnastua mountain lodge. Hiking distance: approx. 15 km
Day 5
The last leg is mostly through mountain birch forest, ending with a long descent through the pine forest. After roughly 15 km (4 hours), we will be down in the fertile Karasjok valley. We will arrive in Assebahkte, a few kilometres west of Karasjok, where we will be picked up and driven to the Sami Parliament for a guided tour.
After a long hiking trip, many people appreciate a juicy hamburger and a cold Coke. If this sounds like a good idea, we will have lunch at the bistro in Karasjok (at your own expense).
We plan to be back at GLØD headquarters in Alta around 16.00 (4 pm), where you can have a well-earned shower and sauna.
For those who are not in a hurry, we will meet for dinner in Alta (not included) to round off the tour in a proper manner. We can assist with arranging accommodation in Alta for those who require it.
Packing list summer
Personal
Sleeping bag
Ground pad
Cutlery
Plate
Cup
Insect repellent
Sunglasses
Camera
Thermos
(Powerbank)
(Chargers for mobiles, etc.)
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Toilet paper
Travel towel
Other essentials
Clothing
Wind and waterproof jacket
Wind and waterproof trousers
Jacket (woollen sweater, down, fleece, primaloft)
Hat
Gloves
Woollen underwear
Thin fleece
Shorts
Socks
Woollen boxer shorts
Crocs or other footwear suitable for both river crossings and use in camp/cabin
Cap
Woollen t-shirt
TrousersSocks
Hiking boots
Other equipment
Tent (Glød)
First aid kit (Glød)
Primus stove/fuel (Glød)
Cooking pots (Glød)
Kettle (Glød)
Frying pan
Matches (Glød)
Spatula (Glød)
Ladle (Glød)
Fishing knife/bread knife (Glød)
GPS and spare batteries (Glød)
Map (Glød)
Compass (Glød)