Reindeer trekking in Laponia/Lapland from basecamp

Date: On request

Group size: 1 group

Duration: 6 days/ 5 nights

Pathfinder: Lennart Pittja together with 1 or 2 local Sámi herdsmen

Meet up in Gällivare 10 a.m. Tour briefing and packing, lunch will be served on our way up to the mountains. Your Pathfinders will help you to pack, and you can leave casual clothes and travel bags in Gällivare while trekking in the mountains.

Bus up to Ritsem, duration about 4 hours. The trip starts with a helicopter ride from Ritsem to the reindeer basecamp in the mountains, where Pathfinders and the reindeers will wait for your arrival.

Daytrip from our basecamp. We will trek up on the mountain, most likely above the tree line. We are in or just outside Great Falls National park, part of Laponia World Heritage Area. This is the heart of the summer pasture land of Unna Cerus Sámi Community, and your Pathfinders will tell you all about the Sámi culture in the area. The views are magnificent if clear weather. This is also the land of big predators, and there are small chances that we can spot Lynx or Wolverine. During the trek, you will get acquainted with our reindeers, and if you like, you can lead your “own” reindeer while trekking

Daytrip in the area. There are no trails to follow, the only help we can get is to follow small trails made of the reindeer herds going up and down from the mountains. During the trek, we might have to wade across a creek since there are no bridges in the area.

Today our helicopter transport will take us down to Ritsem again, and we will head back to Gällivare where we will arrive in the late afternoon. Check in at a nice hotel in Gällivare, and in the evening we will prepare a nice farewell dinner together. The trip ends after dinner.

Day 6 Breakfast at your hotel. Do not departure from Gällivare before this morning.

Accommodation If you like, you can stay a few nights in Gällivare before and/or after the trek.

Including: All tented accommodation in shared double occupancy, and last night in a hotel in Gällivare. Full board outside of Gällivare. Leader of the trek is Lennart Pittja, together with 1 or 2 local Sámi herdsmen from Unna Cerus community. Our language is Swedish / English.

Fitness and equipment: Everyone with normal fitness can do the reindeer trek with the Pathfinder. We will trek around 10 km per day in varying terrain. Sometimes we will trek on a path but most of the time we will not use any paths or trails. The Pathfinder will give you a list of what to bring and not to bring as a recommendation. We will inform you about our experience of trekking boots, rain clothes, sleeping bags/pads etc.

Packs: Our reindeers will carry all of the camp gear, food etc. Participants are expected to carry their own daypack. Your luggage (1 bag/person, not more than 20 kg) will be transported with the helicopter to the basecamp.

Mosquitoes: There are mosquitoes in Lapland, but we try to adjust the programs to avoid the worst mosquito areas. We will provide you with repellent and knowledge how to do with the mosquitoes. We change the route of the trek during the season according to where there are fewer mosquitos, but a bug shirt or a bug hat might be comfortable if mosquitoes bother you.

Tents and lávvu: We use the best tents on the market, Hilleberg Nammatj (www.hilleberg.se). Every tent is designed for hard mountain weather if that should occur. The tents are made for 3 persons, but during the trek, only 2 persons live in one tent. Lávvu is the Sámi word for equivalent of a North American tepee. We bring with us a modern equivalent lávvu, which will be our mess tent during the trek, where we will serve all the meals. It is also where the social gatherings will materialize in the evenings. A communal basic toilet tent will be provided.

The exact route for the trekking can be changed depending on weather conditions etc. We will start and end in Gällivare and we will trek within the area in or just outside Laponia World Heritage Area.