Skiing in Hemavan

The ski area

Skiing in Hemavan means a ski area right above the village, in the mountains of Västerbotten County in northern Sweden, about 80 km south of the Arctic Circle and close to the Norwegian border. The ski area is run by Hemavan Alpint, and its Centrumliften lift starts in the middle of the village. There are more than 35 runs, a gondola up the fell, a snow park and a skicross course, three children's areas, ski rental in two places, a ski school and several restaurants on the slopes.

The village airport, Hemavan Tärnaby Airport, is about a 10-minute walk from Centrumliften, with flights to and from Stockholm Arlanda. See getting here for flights, buses and the drive along the E12 from Sweden or Norway.

Slopes and vertical drop

The runs cover all levels, from green children's slopes to black. The vertical drop is 665 metres – only Åre in Sweden has more. The highest point is Storkittelhobben, 1,135 metres above sea level, at the top of the Kungsliften lift.

From the top of Kungsliften a blue run of about 5 km goes all the way down to the gondola's valley station through the birch forest. High up it is open and exposed to the wind; lower down the forest gives shelter.

On some evenings during the season there is evening skiing.

The gondola

Hemavan Gondol is a telemix lift with both gondola cabins and chairs, opened in December 2017. It is just over 1.5 km long and goes up to Hemavan Viewpoint – in summer too.

Syterbyn – a new area

Syterbyn, formerly called Syterskalet, is Hemavan's new village and ski area. It follows the Syterbäcken stream up towards the Syter massif and is to be linked to the existing lift system. It is being built in stages with new lifts and runs, so what is open differs from season to season.

Lift passes, rental and ski school

Lift passes are bought online and collected from the machines at the slopes. The same lift pass is valid in both Hemavan and Tärnaby. The youngest children ride for free if they wear a helmet; those free passes, and the parent lift pass, are issued at the ski rental. Prices, age limits and conditions are set by Hemavan Alpint – check them when you buy.

Ski rental is available in two places on the slopes. You can hire alpine skis, snowboards, cross-country and touring skis, pulks (sledges you pull behind you) and helmets, and you can book equipment in advance. The ski school offers group lessons for children and private lessons.

Skiing with children

There are three children's areas, and in all of them children have right of way:

• At Solkatten – a button lift with lift attendants, a sledging slope, an adventure trail, barbecue spots and a small snow park for children, with a restaurant, toilets and rental next to it.
• At Centrumliften – a small children's lift, a slalom course and barbecue spots, close to a restaurant, rental and lift pass sales.
• High up at Kungsliften – a slalom course and a tree trail, with a café nearby.

Children's group lessons come in different levels and meet at the children's areas. Book online, and book early for the Swedish school holiday weeks. Keep the days short and bring spare mittens.

Cross-country skiing

Hemavan has several groomed cross-country trails, and a trail fee is charged for them:

• Floodlit trail, 2 km, classic and skate, in the Fjällforsen area – useful in midwinter, when the sun is only up a few hours.
• Storbäcksspåret, 6.3 km, a daylight trail of easy to medium difficulty, linked to the floodlit loop.
• Restaurangspåret, 5 km through the ski area past the slope restaurants – handy if part of your group skis downhill and you want to meet for lunch.
• Kobåsspåret, about 10 km on the fell, groomed when there is enough snow, often later in the winter.
• Drottningleden, about 11 km, a cross-marked touring trail to Laisaliden, groomed only in certain weeks from late winter into April.

A longer daylight trail runs from Ängesdalslia to the Vikmyra ski stadium in Tärnaby; arrange transport back if you ski the whole way.

Before you go

• Dress in layers – a wool or synthetic base layer, a warm mid layer and a windproof shell.
• Helmets for everyone. For the youngest it is also a condition for skiing free.
• Cold and sun – a neck gaiter, thin and thick gloves, and goggles for days with blowing snow. The spring sun is strong on the snow, so bring sun protection even when it is cold.
• Short days – around midwinter a head torch and reflectors are useful on the way to and from the slopes.
• Wind – when it is very windy high up, choose the runs lower down in the forest.

Families often find a cabin or apartment with a kitchen and a drying room the easiest option. Compare the options under accommodation in Hemavan.

Tärnaby nearby

Twenty kilometres south-east along the E12 lies Tärnaby, with its own slopes on Laxfjället, run by Tärnaby Alpint, and cross-country trails from the Vikmyra ski stadium. With the same lift pass, a day in Tärnaby is easy to fit into a week in Hemavan. See Tärnaby.