Höga Kusten Winter Hike - With Svea & Wiebke

We are excited to share the extraordinary hiking expedition documented by  Svea Landschoof and Wiebke Jahn. Together, they embarked on the Höga Kusten Winter Hike, an adventure that has thrived for a decade, evolving into Europe's most popular winter hiking experience.

Participants have the option to join one of two groups: the Expedition group, where you trek with all your gear, or the Explorer group, where you establish a basecamp and hike with a lighter backpack.

If you have ever wondered how it is like to hike and camp in a winter wonderland, you won't want to miss this! Keep reading to uncover their fascinating journey.

 What expectations did you have before going, and did the adventure turn out as you thought?

Neither of us had ever been on a (long) snowshoe hike, and neither had any significant winter camping experience. Because of that, we didn't have any clear expectations other than that it would be an exciting adventure and a great opportunity to get out of our comfort zone. 

Wiebke is wearing our Minna Wool Fleece in the color rust, size S

We had a fantastic time, even though the trip didn't go entirely as planned. Our first hiking day was quite demanding (especially when you're not used to walking in snow shoes), but it rewarded us with the most amazing views over Höga Kusten.

When we returned to the base camp later that day, we were determined to spend the night outside in the tent. However, the temperatures dropped to -25 degrees, more than 10 degrees colder than the weather forecast predicted. We did everything we could, from running around and getting our body temperatures up, to eating and drinking warm things, heating our sleeping bags with hot water bottles, and, of course, layering up with our favorite Astrid Wild gear. After two hours of trying to combat the cold, we both started shivering uncontrollably and decided that it would be best to end our winter camping experiment. 

In the moment, we were both disappointed; however, in hindsight, we did the only responsible thing. We got picked up by Jerry, the owner of Friluftsbyn, who made us feel a little bit better when telling us that it was the coldest night ever since they had been doing the winter hike and that we were not the only ones he had to pick up that night.

We spent the following day in Örnsköldsvik at the spa (how horrible! ) to warm up and rest our bodies so that we'd be ready for the second big hike up the highest mountain of Höga Kusten - Skuleberget.

The hike was fantastic, and the views only got better and better the further we came. On top of Skuleberget is a beautiful wooden cabin where drinks and snacks are served. We had some coffee and a delicious waffle before it was time to return to the Friluftsbyn again.

When we came back there, the after-hike preparations were in full swing. We had a fun night with live music, good food, and interesting people!

Svea in our green Emma 3L Shell Jacket size XXL

Share three of the highlights from the hike; we're longing to hear about them! What was the most challenging part, and how did you deal with it?

Our highlights were definitely the beautiful views we had on the mountain tops and along the way, that we got to spend such a fun girls-trip in nature together (you have no idea how much we laughed during this trip), and getting to know other interesting people.

The most challenging part was, as expected, the cold during the night in the tent. Because of the cold, we decided to cancel our night outdoors, which was no easy decision, but it was necessary for us to feel safe.

We've heard that people are coming from all parts of the world for this hike. Have you made any new friends?

It's true that a lot of people from different countries participated in this adventure. We met many nice people from Sweden, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK and Ireland. It was lovely to have an after-hike party where we could hang out with the other participants. The women from the UK and Ireland were especially warm and welcoming. We connected on social media and hope to see each other again soon. We would love to travel to Ireland someday, so it's always nice to know some people.

Wiebke wearing our black Emma 3L shell jacket in size S

Did you gain insights or learn anything new about yourself during this trip?

Oh yes, we learned a lot! Before the hike, we had a workshop where we learned how to dress appropriately for a winter adventure. One crucial thing is to stay as dry as possible. Therefore, we learned that one must remove layers when moving and physically active. When standing still, we nearly immediately had to take on more clothes. With -15 degrees, one could get cold very fast. Luckily, we felt well prepared with our clothing. Unfortunately, we didn't know how we would react to the cold when sleeping outdoors. The temperature drop was much more severe than the forecast predicted. So, we were happy to have the workshop and to learn facts about hypothermia. Before the trip, we also didn't know much about the right camping equipment and gear. Now, we feel better prepared for our next adventure.

Anything else you want to share?