This year Fjällräven Classic turns fifteen. It is an event that attracts more than two thousand hikers from 48 different nations – and that is just for the Swedish edition.
I was invited to experience a hiking event that manages to combine pristine nature with rock’n’roll and tattoos.
We already know that hiking is pretty much the best you can do for your body and soul – there are more people than ever looking to hit the trails and there is no sign that this hiking trend would come to a halt.
When the very first Fjällräven Classic appeared it was a sort of mutated offshoot to something that was then called Fjällräven Extreme Marathon – an event that now lives on under the name Björkliden Arctic Mountain Marathon.
But unlike that event – and unlike anything else at that time – here was an event that didn’t focus on the fastest times and the performance – but the experience of it. The organizers wanted to show, not only the area around Kebnekaise and The Kings Trail, but also the beauty of hiking.
When I got asked to join the event I heard a voice in the back of my mind that said that hiking with more than two thousand people was a very bad idea. But, as you will hear in the episode, it turned out to be a very pleasant surprise.
I’ve already recommended the event to friends of mine as I really think it is a amazing thing. Sure, if you are a seasoned hiker looking for stillness and getting away from the beaten path this will not be your thing. But my experience is that you make the hike your own: if you want to avoid the groups along the trail it’s really no problem and you don’t have to pitch your tent right by all the others.
So join me on a 110 kilometer, five day thru-hike from Nikkaluokta to Abisko where I meet hikers from all over and some of the people making the event go around such as Sofie Jugård Löfgren and her company Aktivut.
I’m talking to Ted Weirum who tries out all sorts of Outdoor equipment on his YouTube Channel, I also meet two participants from the latest Fjällräven Polar – one who changed life completely after that experience.
I also talk with one of the persons who are now planning the up and coming Fjällräven Classic UK who will take place in the Scottish Highlands, someone said Haggis, Whisky and bagpipes…?
Find all Husky International episodes on Spotify, acast or where ever you listen to your podcasts.
The Swedish Outdoor Podcast Husky is recorded with support from Naturkompaniet.
If you like this interview make sure to listen to my interview with Rich Roll or the episode about ski touring on Iceland.
Original photos © Fjällräven / Magnus Ormestad
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