Planning Trip to Sweden "Vildmarksvägen" April 27th-May 11th

[Karo]

Currently planning a trip to sweden to the "Vildmarksvägen". The name means wilderness road. I got my main informations from this side (it is in english): http://www.wildernessroad.eu/index.html
With 2 little children's and one more to come in october it is hard to get free time for expedition trips. I talked to my wife that I´m already at the age of 45 and i would like to make a trip without her and the children. She agreed that i could do what ever I wan´t and now I´m planning.

It is a 500 km trip to the wilderness of the north swedish mountains. Coming from home and visiting the wilderness road and getting back is a trip of 4000 Kilometers.


Trip is planned together with a friends couple and their Jeep XJ. We would like mainly sleep in the cars or a tent. That would be a real experience as the temperatures on the first of July on the Stekenjokk are very cold and on the end of april they are even colder



Hopefully we will see some Brown bears and Moose or any other "wild things"

Google Maps View from here:
http://maps.google.de/maps?saddr=Str%C3%B6msv%C3%A4gen&daddr=65.059067,14.3716809+to:64.6173315,16.6796438+to:Unbekannte+Stra%C3%9Fe&hl=de&ie=UTF8&ll=60.919755,14.436035&spn=9.485856,33.815918&sll=64.270839,16.611328&sspn=2.113222,8.453979&geocode=Fb1czgMdoU7tAA%3BFfu44AMdYEvbACm3L-qmIE5xRjGMDwIaqyytpw%3BFXP72QMd24L-ACmHCRpexaBwRjElDP5kBMtDSg%3BFRhVzgMdkm3tAA&oq=Vilhelmina&gl=de&mra=dpe&mrsp=2&sz=8&via=1,2&t=m&z=6

Some pictures from the wilderness road can be found here:
http://www.wildernessroad.eu/gallery/index.html
http://www.merian.de/bilder/artikel/schweden-europas-wildester-road-trip-1.html

That youtube video woke up my interest for the wilderness road:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpD9dLYOj5Y

Trailblazer must be prepared, still very much to do in that short time. I will post updates about the progress.
Karsten

[SaltWaterDrinker]

Best of luck; this trip looks truly fantastic. Will you be using a SpotGPS so we can track your progress or anything of that nature?

[Karo]

Best of luck; this trip looks truly fantastic. Will you be using a SpotGPS so we can track your progress or anything of that nature?

Thank you! Yes there will be some kind of tracking, but haven´t decided which way to go. SpotGPS is one possible way..

[Karo]

First we have decided to make the trip longer and we will stay till the May 11th. Our first thoughts were to stay until May 6th, but with more planning we found out the time will be not enough and the roads are long...

We will start in the night at 3:00 AM and drive to Rostock. We will take the ferry from Rostock to Trelleborg and will arrive after 6 Hours with the ship in Trelleborg at 13:45 pm. From Trelleborg we will drive to our first stop in Alingsas and stay there over night.

This will be our route:



If someone would like to follow our route, i have installed some tracking under this address:

http://www.showgps.de/tracking/showmore.php?SiteID=10042&Key=Svq1646

The maps are from OpenStreetmap but you could switch to google maps by clicking on the google logo on the left side on the map if you prefer the google style.
Still a lot of work to do but the car is ready to start. I had done a lot of maintenance in the last weeks and had to fix some cooling leaks. A independent car heater from Eberspächer is installed in the Trailblazer, we will sleep in the cars and the nights are cold.

I´ll update my built thread with the upgrades later.
Any progress will be updated after our start on saturday.

Karsten

[dvanbramer88]

Best of Luck! Drive safe and take pictures!

[JorDaneeKey]

Wow! I am jealous! Looking forward to a fun trip report!

[Karo]

1st Day 28.04.2013
The complete photo album for that day could be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/83431476@N05/sets/72157633489202098/

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We started yesterday night and arrived early in Rostock. We took the Ferry to Trelleborg at 07:30 am and arrived at 13:30 pm so we had six hours on the Ferry for sleeping and relaxing. When we had arrived on the Harbour at Trelleborg the weather was sunny so we had a good start.

Picture from our ferry:


Not many cars on the way to sweden:




Fantastic weather on our arrival at Trelleborg:


On the road to our first stop near Göteborg:


Hopefully i can post some updates during the trip..
We are planning our next stop tomorrow to Karlstad.

Updates on our tracking site.
Karsten

[Karo]

2nd Day 29.04.2013
The complete photo Album for that day could be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/83431476@N05/sets/72157633489277236/with/8736745778/



The first night we stayed on a Camping ground near Lerum. The sunny weather changed on our way from Trelleborg to Lerum in rain, temperature were at 12 degrees Celsius.
After the first night we had our breakfast and of course i had to take my "offroadtb cup of coffee"



The swedish camping grounds have some mall box houses for rent. The houses are equipped for sleeping and cooking. Nothing fancy this was our "House" for one night:



We started early on that day, i had to find a local shop for buying a prepaid simcard for my Computer. On our way we also had to find some special gas stations for lpg (propane/butan). In sweden are some gas stations equipped for lpg tanking but only a few. As the costs are much cheaper then normal gas we decided to search for them. We found a gas Station but it was closed so we took some pictures near it:


We drove to the next gas Station to Brolanda and found some nice Locations on that way:

[Karo]

3rd Day 30.04.2013
The complete photo Album for this day could be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/83431476@N05/sets/72157633473872297/



That day we started from Vänersborg to Hagfors. Hagfors is the main place for the European WRC Rallye Champion Ship and the main place for the service Teams. We found another real nice camping place near a sea.





On the way there was a lpg gas Station in Karlstad we used:




Arrived in Hagfors and talked to the camping guy. He came from Holland and lived for 6 years in sweden. He had many tips for real good viewing Points in this area. He gave us a map and painted all the interesting Points for us on it. Really a nice guy
We found out that the local maps are much better than we could have buyied in Germany. When you stay on the Camping grounds they are free of Charge and you Keep them with you for the next trip to sweden. So we collected some more maps



In the evening i shot some more pictures near the sea:

[Karo]

4th Day 01.05.2013
The complete Photo Album for that day could be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/83431476@N05/sets/72157633495780514/with/8739272800/




Took so many pictures during the last days, but it is difficult to load them all up to flickr.
During the last days we mainly headed to the middle of sweden. This night we stay on a camping ground in a small house. We got a good tip for a trail to the north from the loacal guy at the camping ground.
Some progress pictures:


We stayed on this sea over night:




Car is fully packed not much space for sleeping, for sleeping i have to remove my bags.


Found a steep uphill and decided to go that way, it ended on a 25 km Trail.






On our way to the top:


All things went good until we came to a tree that crossed our path:




We decided to pull it better out of the way, i think the Trailblazer could have driven over the tree but the Jeep XJ had no A/T Terrain Tires and was a bit lower than my TB.


So we pulled the tree out of the way:


Got that tree broken:


Both cars passed:




We found some skeleton of a moose:





Started our way to the camping ground tonight:


If it is possible i´ll post more updates. After the Trip I'll post some videos and update this thread.
Good night
Karsten

[Karo]

5th Day 02.05.2013
The complete Photo Album for that Day could be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/83431476@N05/sets/72157633481133999/


This Day after Breakfast we had to plan our Route to a Viewing Point and to a Waterfall. Both Places are not marked on a normal map and the way to them are small forrest paths.
We decided to drive to the Viewing Point first and after that to the Waterfall. Fining that Spot was a little more difficult then we have thought. But we reached the Top and it was an amazing view from above.



On Top was a old Ski Lift and some kind of Radio Station.
























After taking Photos and climbing in every House and the Tower we decided to go ahead to the Waterfall. It was a 3 Hours Trip on dusty Trails with many Seas right and left and of course we had to stop many times to take some Shots.























On our Way home:





I have to tell you there are so many more Pictures in my Gallery, you could check them out on the Link above.

[Karo]

6th DAY 03.05.2013

The complete Photo Album for that Day could be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/83431476@N05/sets/72157633481858249/

What a exciting Day! We drove around in the Forrest the hole Day, found a Summer Camp in the Woods and finally viewed a Moose!

The Cars were covered fully with Dust from the Trails. I had my Dashcamera installed and took many Films from driving through the Woods.







We found a nice Location for our Lunch:

[Karo]

7th Day 04.05.2013

The complete Photo Album for that Day could be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/83431476@N05/sets/72157633483767491/with/8740792066/

So nothing very Special on that Day, we reached our northest Position that day and crossed the Border to Norway. Headed back to Sweden and drove through a City called "Charlottenberg". After buying some Gifts for the Family we searched for a Camping Place as the Weather turned really cold. So we stayed for one night in a small Camping House directly at a Sea.





Keep in Mind it was a Day in May

[Karo]

8th Day 05.05.2013

The complete Photo Album for that Day could be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/83431476@N05/sets/72157633487211769/

Target for that Day was Strömstad a Harbour City on the West Coast of Sweden. On our Way we passed again man Lakes with a light Cover of Ice on the Water. The Weather turned better as closer we get to the Coast.















We searched again for a Camping Location and found another nice place for the night.

























End of the Day.

[Karo]

9th Day 06.05.2013

The complete Photo Album for that Day could be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/83431476@N05/sets/72157633487940613/

The next Day it was foggy in Strömstad and cold. We started from Strömstad and headed back to Vänersborg, because I wanted to visit my Uncle who lives in Sweden for more than 35 Years now. He lives near Lidköping which is on the South Side of the Vänern Lake. We planned the Route to get over 2 Islands and crossed a nice big Bridge.

















Here is a small Video with a turning around View:

http://flic.kr/p/ejrngV









When we arrived in Vänersborg we took our Round to walk to the Vänern Lake, we had the same Camping Place we have stayed the Week before. We walked over the Rocks near the Lake and I saw a red Wire in the Water with some Wood on the End. We pulled the Wire out and we found three Beer Bottle Opener from a local Beer Brewery. The nice Part about this it is a good Souvenir to keep it. It was exactly how we needed it 3 Persons (2 Friends and me).

[Karo]

10th Day 07.05.2013

The complete Photo Album for that Day could be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/83431476@N05/sets/72157633504341644/with/8741456321/

The Day to visit my Uncle. I was so happy to visit my Uncle, he lived for more than 35 Years in Sweden. He has 2 Sons both of them have their Familiys. The last Time i had made Holiday in Sweden was probably 33 Years ago when I was 12 or 13 Years old. So that was a really amazing adventure for me.
We didn´t had much Time but I loved what he has showed to us. We entered a viewing point, he showed us a stone pit. I had stayed there for a longer time collection old fossil for my sons.

















Me and my Uncle:





I really like this one:








In the Evening we drove home to Vänersborg.

[Karo]

11th Day 08.05.2013

NOTHING SPECIAL! THIS WAS A RAINY DAY AND WE DROVE FROM VÄNERSBORG TO GÖTEBORG TO MÖLNLYCKE.
Personally for me it was another fantastic Day. I saw my Cousin and we stayed by his Family for 2 Nights and I really love him and his Family.
There is only one picture from that Day before we left Vänersborg:

[Karo]

12th DAY 09.05.2013

The complete Photo Album for that Day could be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/83431476@N05/sets/72157633487528623/

After having a good Breafast we planned the Day. It was rainy outside so we looked for some indoor Action. We visited a aircraft Museum which was a old miltary Installation near the Göteborg Airport. It was in a Mountain 30 Meters in the underground. That was really cool. Look yourself:





































After looking in all that Planes and Helis we needed some fresh air so we visited a small Island near Göteborg and took the Ferry to the Island. The Ferry´s are free of use.







































Off course this is an offroad Forum so there must be some "offroad Pictures" right?
Okay we had to buy some Things for the evening Meal. So we decided to took "the other way"
Only iPhone Pictures sorry..

















And some Video Action:









The nicest Picture ist both Cars together. I had to explain that my Cousin drives a Treilblazer too.





After all that Action we were hungry so before and after shots:






Finished that Day with some Beer..

[Karo]

13th Day 10.05.2013

The complete Photo Album for that Day could be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/83431476@N05/sets/72157633502461804/

So that was our last Day in Sweden for that Trip. It was sad to leave my Swedish Part of the Family, but I was so happy to see my Wife and the Kids (one is 4,5 Years old and the other is 1,5 Years old).

So we started at 10 am from Mölnlycke to Trelleborg and arrived at the Harbour at 2:30 pm. We had again six hours on the Ferry and after that again 2,5 Hours for the way home.























































































That´s all...

I have some more Films and need time to watch them and cut things together. So there would be one more reply in this thread.
Hope you have enjoyed it.
Karsten

[NC_IslandRunner]

Awesome trip! love the pics!