Jämtlandstriangeln: the best short multi day hike in Sweden

I once came across the Jämtlandstriangeln on Pinterest and I saved it ‘for someday.’ In the summer of 2021, my hiking buddy and I were at the Höga Kusten and we actually planned to go on a hike there. Spontaneously, we however decided that we would rather end our hiking holiday in Sweden by a hike in the high mountains on the border with Norway instead. And so we drove from the trailhead at the Höga Kusten, straight through Sweden back to the mountains and hiked the Jämtlandstriangeln: perhaps the most beautiful short multi day hike in Sweden!

With a total length of 46 kilometers, the Jämtlandstriangeln is a relatively short hike that takes three days. As the name suggests, you walk in the shape of a triangle. The STF mountain hotels offer sufficient comfort and meals, making it a popular hiking trail to walk with a light backpack. However, we brought everything ourselves and camped in fabulous places, a short distance from the mountain hotels. That way we could get a beer for the view, but we were not part of the crowds.

The start and end of the trail is at Storulvån STF mountain station. This beautiful mountain hotel, which is somewhat reminiscent of the Overlook Hotel from The Shining, is located at the end of the road in the heart of Jämtland, on the border with Norway.

The stages of the Jämtlandstriangeln are as follows:

1. Storulvån – STF Sylarna 16 km
2. STF Sylarna – Blåhammaren 19 km
3. Blåhammaren – Storulvån 12 km

Storulvån is accessible by bus from Duved, a village on the main route between Åre and the Norwegian border.

We park the car at Storulvån and the parking lot is packed as there is a mountain bike event that week. Storulvån is a popular place for outdoor sports, it seems. We have breakfast in the restaurant of the mountain hotel, fill up our water supply and set off. After crossing the river, the path climbs slightly. After about half an hour we arrive at the fjäll.

The trail is wide and pretty well marked everywhere. Walking the wrong direction is not an option. We are soon above the tree line and in the distance the mountains and glaciers of Sylarna start to appear. The sky is bright blue and it is incredibly enjoyable on the fjäll. Reindeer walk all around us and the views are wonderful.

The trail is not hard. After a descent to the river follows a popular spot for camping. From here the last three kilometers go up. First we arrive at Gamla Sylen, the old mountain hut. From here the trails is alternating over rocky sections and planks. STF Sylarna soon comes into view. We decide to cross the river over the footbridge and camp with a view of the glacier.

From here you can take a day hike to the Storsyl glacier, which you can see from the river. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time for this.

Day two starts with a walk back to the river past Gamla Sylen, mostly downhill and therefore nice to warm up with. After crossing the river, we follow the trail up to the left. The trail is wide and although it climbs moderately, it is still a good workout because of the weight on our backs. We regularly look back at the glaciers at Sylarna, which are looking beautiful again today.

The hike between Sylarna and Blåmmaharen seems to be pretty straightforward on the hiking map, but nothing could be further from the truth. The trail climbs and descends again and again. Many planks in the marshes are rotten and sometimes we really have to be careful not to slip, but that only makes it more fun. After yesterday’s relatively easy walk, this day is considerably tougher because of the many climbs and descents.

Along the way, there are reindeer again and again, sometimes very close by. We cross a wide river via stepping stones, which marks the final climb to Blåmmaharen. It is a long but gradual climb. Once at the top we finally see the mountain station. We buy a beer and sit down on the terrace. The hut is busy with hikers, we don’t feel like staying around here tonight.

My hiking buddy decides to go a bit further to see if there is a nice camping spot somewhere. And he finds one, about one kilometer past the hut on the next ledge. We are really in a beautiful spot with a view that is worth a million. Reindeer have gathered all around us, the border with Norway is just in the distance and the views are just endless.

The last day of the Jämtlandstriangeln takes us back to STF Storulvån. Since we are already a good kilometer past Blåmmaharen, it is only a few hours of hiking today, we expect about 10-11 kilometers.

First we cross the Blåmmaharenfjället. The first part of the walk is relatively flat. After a few kilometers we are faced with a steep descent towards the Stor Ulvån river (ån = river). At Ulvåtjärn there’s a shelter and a little further on we cross the river over concrete blocks. After this it is a bit of a climb again and the trail remains fairly flat again, so we can quickly eat some kilometers.

The last part of the trail goes downhill mostly. We come back to the trail that we took up the fjäll two days ago, from here we know the way. We descend further and further, eventually we see STF Storulvån again in the distance.

The last kilometer has arrived and we know that this is our last kilometer on the Swedish trails for this summer. This afternoon we start the return trip to the Netherlands. With a little pain in our hearts but very satisfied about the beauty of this walk we drive back home. We enjoyed the Jämtlandstriangeln so much, what a beautiful hike this is!

Last but not least I have some additional information for you about the Jämtland triangle hike:

• The hiking trail is very well marked. We always buy a fjällkartan (hiking map), in case it is foggy and/or we decide to follow another route. This can be bought for around 10 euros at most outdoor shops in Jämtland and at the shop in Storulvån.
• There is mobile coverage in most places, which is a bit of a shame for us because it means you don’t really experience the wilderness feeling that you have on other trails.
• You can carry food and drinks or buy them in the huts. Bring cash for this. You can often pay by credit card, but sometimes this is not possible due to a bad connection, for example.
• The hike is not super hard but should not be underestimated. You climb and descent quite a bit. Compared to the Kungsleden we found it relatively easy.
• It can be quite busy on the trail as it’s one of the most popular multi day hikes in Sweden.
• Freedom camping is allowed however if you want to stay nearby huts a fee is applicable.
• In case you want to extend this hike, you may opt to combine it with Helags or the Vålådalens fyrkanten.

The Jämtlandstriangeln is an incredibly popular trail, but you walk right through reindeer territory. The increasing number of visitors has led to a conflict between STF (Swedish Tourist Association) and the Sámi, the owners of the reindeer, in 2022.

After intensive consultation, it was decided that the trail may remain open due to the Right of Public Access. However, it has been decided that STF Blåhammaren will close its kitchen as of 2024. This will happen for Sylarna and Storulvån from 2028. All three mountain hotels will drastically reduce the number of beds. STF Gåsen, which is just outside the Jämtlandstriangeln, is permanently closed with immediate effect.

If you want to learn more about this, watch the documentary Kampen om fjället on SVTPlay.

Hopefully you found this article about the Jämtlandstriangeln useful. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. For further reading about hiking in Sweden, I can recommend the following articles:

• The Kungsleden Trail blog: hiking the section from Ammarnäs to Hemavan
• A mini trekking in Grövelsjön in Sweden
• Kungsleden blog: from Kvikkjokk to Saltoluokta

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