Recap | Haglöfs Ski Camp 2026

What exactly is the Haglöfs Ski Camp?

Get to know the home country of the Haglöfs brand—ideally right where the products are actually used: in the mountains. That’s why this year’s destination is Sweden’s highest mountain, Kebnekaise. At its base, a small tent village will be set up, completely cut off from the outside world and accessible only by touring skis, splitboards, or snowmobile. From this base camp, participants will explore the area, led by experienced mountain guides. Winter camping is taken literally here—all luxuries are done away with, though there is a sauna tent. Otherwise, you’ll be on frozen ground 24 hours a day, with no running water and no electricity.

First up is a bus ride to Vassijaure, heading toward the Norwegian border. This region is the inspiration behind Haglöfs’s well-known Vassi collection. Unfortunately, we won’t be going to the foot of Kebnekaise as originally planned, since a storm the week before the camp made it impossible to set up there. When Per, the event organizer, explains this to us, it strikes me as nothing short of a minor miracle that an alternative could be found at such short notice.

The first ski tour with the camp as our destination

We step off the bus and practically straight onto our skis or snowboards, then head out into the backcountry. Thankfully, our luggage is transported to the camp. In groups of about 6 participants, we kick off the Haglöfs Ski Camp 2026. Accompanied by our mountain guides, we head out for an initial safety check, including avalanche awareness training. Since we’ll be spending the next few days exclusively in open terrain with people we don’t know—and since the winter here hasn’t exactly created a relaxed avalanche situation—this is a very good start. Meanwhile, Bruce (our mountain guide with a typically Swedish name) tells us a bit about the area, which is also home to the well-known Riksgränsen ski resort.

The first evening at camp, featuring Swedish cuisine and a very special surprise

After the camp’s first departure, we arrive at our tent village and curiously open the tent flaps to inspect our home for the next few days. Inside are four camp beds covered with reindeer fur—there isn’t really room for anything else. After we’ve settled in briefly, we head straight to the large communal tent for the official welcome speech. Dinner follows shortly after, and by this point at the latest, it becomes clear to me that I’m going to feel right at home over the next few days. That’s because they’re serving my favorite meal: plenty of food! On top of that, the traditional Swedish fare—featuring reindeer, moose, and trout —is absolutely delicious. The dishes are inspired by Sámi cuisine, the indigenous group that still inhabits the northern part of Sweden. We spend the rest of the evening outside by the campfire until the first people head back to their tents because of the cold and the long journey.

Day 2: Perfect weather invites us to explore the area

The next morning, I slowly wriggle out of my nice, warm sleeping bag, and we meet up again in the communal tent for breakfast and to plan the day. My discovery at the breakfast buffet: Messmör, a kind of butter with a slightly caramel-like flavor. Absolutely amazing! In one corner of the room, a clothes rack catches my eye, along with a table next to it holding ski goggles and other accessories. During the tours over the next few days, we’ll have the chance to test next season’s Haglöfs products. The new models from the Vassi collection are there, as well as the completely new Nallo Touring series. Since some of the participants are from the company’s internal product design and development team, many of the conversations at the tables and on the tours revolve around these products. It’s really exciting to get this kind of behind-the-scenes look at a company like this!

We start today’s longer tour a little later, attached to a rope whose end is secured to a snowmobile. We’re pulled along part of the route through flat terrain, which definitely saves us an hour of boring trudging. I could definitely get used to that! The weather forecast is better than expected, so we take advantage of the day to explore the area. In the distance, we see the ascent to the local mountain, Vássečohkka, where several snow slab avalanches have already come down on terrain with a slope of about 30 degrees. When, during our lunch break, a helicopter flies past us and our mountain guide receives a call asking if we’re all right, we’re actually quite glad to be on flatter terrain. Apparently, snowmobilers triggered an avalanche during that rescue operation and had to be rescued.

The highlight of the camp: the sauna tent

Slightly uneasy but still happy, we return to camp with the goal of taking a closer look at the sauna tent. Even weeks after the event, I’m still thrilled by the idea of putting two sauna stoves inside a large teepee . Simply brilliant! After a few beers, it’s off to dinner—luckily, the communal tent is right next door. Today’s menu features a buffet inspired by Alpine countries, with a huge pot of goulash taking center stage. Since I’ve once again eaten way too much, I head to bed relatively early afterward.

Day 3: You can still have fun at the Haglöfs Ski Camp even in bad weather

On Thursday, visibility is unfortunately terrible, which leads us to set out as a large group. In a line of about 25 people, we set off in the opposite direction from the day before. Thanks to the light snowfall, we at least manage a few good turns on the descent later on. So Thursday turns out to be rather unspectacular, though the previous days had set the bar very high. But I do end up having a personal highlight: I get to ride a snowmobile!! It’s only a few turns, but I can’t wipe the grin off my face for the rest of the day. And as befits a final evening, after an Asian dinner, we dance and celebrate exuberantly to live music.

Why the Haglöfs Ski Camp Is Special

If the pictures aren’t enough, here are a few more words about it:

Of course, we all hope for great powder runs, perfect weather, and breathtaking scenery on a ski trip. The latter can be planned, but the other two things, unfortunately, cannot (at least not months in advance)—and that’s why the only reasonable expectation for a ski trip is that it will leave you with fond memories . And that’s exactly what happened here, because despite modest snow conditions, one highlight has followed another over the past few days. Several times I found myself thinking: I would have had an absolute blast during the four days of ski camp even without the ski tours—but of course, having them makes it even better.

Thank you!

Thanks to Haglöfs for the great insights and the chance to get to know the team! And thanks to Per for the incredible effort of organizing such an event—and then pulling off a last-minute location change on top of that. Hats off!

Ski Camp 2027:

P.S.: There will be another Ski Camp in 2027, this time with two dates at the end of April! You can find all the details here, especially the exact dates and how to book your spots.