We’re starting to get closer to our date of departure for Vålådalen, mid September. Bought the map of the area a couple of weeks back and yesterday me and Jon sat down to put out some proper map markers of possible campsites. We also talked about food, water, equipment and weather.
We’re gonna spend about 8 days on the trail depending on the weather and how many detours we’ll do. The detours are mainly, loosely, planned around Helags and Sylarna.
Food, we’re gonna bring less snacks for this one and pick up some on the trial. There are a lots of mountain stations along the way, the map even stated, “Wifi-connection”, jeez… I guess it’s a good place to upload your Instagram pictures and update Facbook… A must have in the outdoors nowadays…
Water, we’ll carry our Platypus one- and two liter bags as usual and pick up water on the trail. There’s plenty of water in the area so that won’t be an issue.
Equipment, not much is going to change here. Some items will be replaced like socks and things like that which are consumables more or less. Jon is opting for a new inflatable sleeping pad that’s longer than his/our current one that we use, Therm-A-Rest NeoAir X Small. He’ll probably get the Klymit V2 pad. I’m contemplating on buying a new pair of shoes as my Inov-8 Trailroc 245’s are showing some wear on both the lugs and a hole on the inside of the heal counter that could be a good spot to get blisters. The Trailroc 245’s have been very comfortable but it looks like they’ve been discontinued. If I am to get a new pair it’s probably gonna be from Inov-8 again. The Inov-8 X-Talon 200 looks nice and quite similar to my Trailrocs with the difference that they’re lighter and have bigger and fewer lugs.
Weather, we can expect rain and colder temperatures maybe down to 0 degrees Celsius at night. Hopefully we’ll have some sunny days with temperatures around 16 degrees. Cold weather is fine as long as it’s clear so we can enjoy the views.
I hope that this will be a good trip!
Lighter Packs 
Classic Swedish mountains, I love that area and have hiked it several times. I’ll be slightly further south myself at exactly the same time as I walk through Rogen and then into Norwegian Femundsmarka over 10 days. should have a good view of Sylarna when I climb Norwegian Storvigelen.
Enjoy!
Do you have any advice to share? Places that we might miss that’s a must to see?
Firstly you are going at the right time of the year. It can be stupid busy at the height of summer as it is of course the Jamtland Triangle. It will be much calmer in September but you will still have the advantage of either buying dinner or supplies at Sylarna, Helags or Blahammeren or simply getting rid of your rubbish / trash in the bins at the many vindskydd.
That said you can really find very quiet places off the main trail. The eastern mountains of Annarisfjallen will be really quiet, around Lunndorrsfjallen too. The forests of Valadalen are great too. Perhaps a topp tur, Helags and Sylarna naturally ( this one is best approached from the Norwegian side).
There is so much to see. I first walked here 10 years ago in October and there was no one there ( it was great). I’ve been back there 3 times, with my family and also when I did my Grona Bandet. It’s just classic Swedish fjall! One of the busy bits (this and the Northern Kungsleden) but it’s great.
I’ll be about 2 days walk due south in Harjedalen but will think of you both. Hopefully the weather will be kind to us all!
Thanks for the reply!
How are the prices in the huts? Very expensive like in Norway or is it more humane?
Will hope for some decent weather. A colleague of mine got back from there not long ago and they had a really nice down pour for the first day or so but then it cleared and the sun came back out again.
No mosquitos though so that’s nice.
I think Stf huts are overpriced compared to the Dnt. I haven’t checked this year but I think members price is 350 SEK (the best I’ve used are the Dnt huts on the Troms Border Trail and they are only 150 Nk). That said I really like Gasen, that’s worth a visit. And dinner at Blahammeren is good, worth going there for just for that!
Think about Rogen for one year, it’s a special place. A little bit different
I’ve used X-Talon 212 (standard fit, not precision) for 11 days on my 30 day hike (I had to buy them in the middle of my trip because the rockplate on my classic hiking boots broke). Great shoe, really good last for my feet (narrow and hugs heel but lots of space for fingers and wide feet). The only things is that it becomes painful walking on medium stone trails. It’s fine on everything else.
Also bought Roclite 280 at the same time because they were on sale (but they fit me less well, so I opted to wear the Talon at the time). I’ve worn them twice now on rocky climbs. Much better protection and you feel the ground much less. Worse grip than Talon and more abrasion on the heel while walking.
Roclite has built in holes for the Innov8 gaiters and X-Talon doesn’t.
Oh, and the X-Talon is a mud magnet.
Thanks! That’s some real good input right there. Just what I was looking for. I still haven’t orded the X-Talon and might give my current ones another go with a fresh inner sole that I previously bought for them.