E1 Long Distance Path

Understand

The E1 Long Distance Path goes through many countries, including Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. The E1, unlike trails such as the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), does not have a dedicated path. Instead, it is made up of separate local trails that are available in the area, at a few places with a dedicated connecting trail added. The Norwegian part was inaugurated in 2013.

Prepare

Preparation for the E1 follows general standards for its host countries; for northern sections, see Hiking in the Nordic countries for guidance on safety and gear. Most of the trail requires carrying a backpack, as equipment like tents, mattresses, and sleeping bags are often necessary. Note that in Norway, the Børgefjell and Steinkjer sections are unmarked to protect the environment and Sámi interests; hikers must navigate using appropriate maps.

Eat Resupply plans are essential. While some manned cabins offer services, many huts are self-service. In unmanned or Spartan wilderness huts, you should be prepared to use wood-fired stoves for cooking and may need to carry your own food and camping stove depending on the specific segment.

Drink Potable water availability varies by region. In self-service huts, you are often expected to carry water from a well. General advice for the region suggests that while wilderness water is often usable, specific purification and carrying requirements should be checked.

Sleep

Accommodation ranges from Spartan wilderness huts to staffed hostels. In the Nordics, some huts are unlocked, while others require a key or advance reservation. Be aware of the "latecomer's right" in wilderness huts, where existing occupants must make room for new arrivals. A sleeping bag is required for most northern sections, and a tent and mattress are necessary where distances between huts are large. Further south, trail conditions change entirely. You might find yourself opting for different equipment when the trail more closely resembles a camino, and even travels along the same tracks.

Climate Weather conditions, especially from Nordkapp through southern Sweden, demand gear suitable for varied terrain and temperatures. Check seasonal accessibility, as northern sections require specific equipment to handle the cold and potentially rugged conditions typical of the Nordic wilderness.

Get in

The trailhead for the E1 European Long Distance Path is a Nordkapp ("North Cape"). The trailhead marks the northernmost point on continental Europe (more or less). One can hike the entire E1 trail, or sections of it. The sections are usually grouped by country, for administrative reasons, although the borders are not always the best places to begin walking a leg. You could choose to hike the entire thing, some sections, or the whole thing some sections at a time. The trail can be hiked from north to south or south to north. You may choose the start the trail at its proper trailhead at Nordkapp. See its article for more options of getting in. The local airport, Honningsvåg Airport, is 32 km away. Alternatives are at Alta and Lakselv, which offer more options airline-wise but are much farther away.

1 Honningsvåg Airport (HVG IATA), Valan 9751 Honningsvåg, ☏ +47 41 70 66 40. The airport is at Valan, on the south side of Skipsfjorden, 4 km (2.5 mi) north of the town, and 31 km (19 mi) from the North Cape. The airport has an 880-by-30-meter (2,887 by 98 ft) asphalt runway which is operated by the state-owned Avinor. Flights are operated by Widerøe to Tromsø with connecting flights to Oslo. The airline also fly to other communities within Finnmark, who serve the airport with Dash 8-100 and Q200 aircraft. (updated Jul 2020) 2 Alta Airport (ALF IATA), Alta Farm Forest 32, 9515, ☏ +47 67 03 49 00. The airport is located at Elvebakken, 4 km (2.5 mi) northeast of Bossekop in Alta. Alta Airport is owned and operated by the state-owned Avinor. The airport is served by Norwegian Air Shuttle and Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) with Boeing 737 aircraft on flights to Tromsø and Oslo. Widerøe operates services to Tromsø and several regional airports in Finnmark, feeding to the larger airlines' routes. (updated Jul 2020) 3 Lakselv Airport (North Cape Airport, LKL IATA), Lakselv lufthavn, Banak, 9700 Lakselv, Norway, ☏ +47 67 03 50 00. Co-located with the military Station Group Banak, the airport is owned and operated by the state-owned Avinor. The airport is served by Widerøe with flights to Tromsø and seasonally by Norwegian Air Shuttle to Oslo, in addition to international charter

Walk

Nordkapp - Kautokeino

The first section of the hike encompasses the Finnmark section of the hike. There are many areas to camp within Finnmark, including camping sites as well as wilderness huts.

This is the first leg of the hike. It is one of the shorter legs and is pretty easy to hike, but watch out for cars! It starts out quite flat, but goes downhill starting from the 4-5 mile mark. It is easily hiked in one day. As you set out from 1 Nordkapp, the trail/road is generally flat, grass is sparse and the landscape is barren. On your right is a small bay that leads to the ocean. The ocean will remain on your left for a large part of the hike. At about the 2.5 mile mark, a gradual incline begins and the ocean to your left disappears. It slowly levels out by the 4 mile mark, where the decline starts. When it begins to go down, the ocean will reappear at your right in the form of a small bay. After awhile, you will see a large lake called Kjeftavatnet. From here onwards until you reach the crossing, you will find an abundance of lakes, streams, and green grass. When you arrive at Skarsvåg Crossing, there is a collection of really nice cabins called 1 Hytte Camp Nordkapp. You can reserve a camping on a booking website. You can reserve rooms with 2, 3, or 4 twin beds.

This is the second leg of the hike. Continue to follow the road until you arrive at an intersection with a sign pointing to the right saying "BirdSafari", "Gjesvaer", and camping symbols. Take a right turn here, and follow the road until you see a lake off to your left. This is the hard part. At this moment the E1 trail takes a left and goes across these hills, but trail markings here seem minimal, or to not exist at all! The map at the right shows the "supposed" route of the E1, and there have been reports of small dirt paths if you do follow the map exactly. Use your compass to do so at this point. You also may be able to find ATV tracks to guide you. As you continue through the wilderness, you will end up at the coast on another road. Turn right onto this road and continue forward. As you continue, you will approach a sign called Sarnestunnelen. This is a tunnel, and the E1 avoids this by taking

Stay safe

What dangers to take into account has little in common in the north and in the south. In Norway, Finland and Sweden the trail goes mostly through wilderness, where you may not see people for days and the nearest dwelling may indeed be more than a day's hike away. Add that phone coverage may be spotty, and you may have to help yourself in any situation until you are able to fetch help yourself (usually by reaching phone coverage on higher ground). Temperatures may be cool. Wind chill and rain in treeless areas, where there is no shelter other than the wilderness huts and your tent, can put your equipment and stamina to a test. Don't go unprepared. You will also need to know how to use a map and compass, as markings are less eye-catching on some legs, and you do not want to get lost in these areas.

Go next

You could hike another one of Europe's long distance paths! The trails E5, E7, E10, and E12 all have legs within Italy, the last country the E1 Long Distance Path goes into. Both the E5 and the E12 end in Italy, so you can hike those backwards as well.