The Montane Lapland Arctic Ultra takes place on snowmobile trails Northwest and Northeast of Överkalix.

Maps

Below you will find Google Maps of both loops. Please note that these trails are not available for hiking in the summer and during winter season 22/23 the trails will not be permanently marked, yet. Marking on some parts of the trail will be done for the MLAU only. Due to influences like overflow and open water the trail can be changed any time. So, the most important thing for athletes on the trail is to follow the trail marking. There are other marked trails. Therefore, having the GPS-file on a Garmin or similar device can help when in doubt. It is important to be alert when navigating the trail. In other words, athletes who are very tired are more likely to make mistakes.

The below map shows loop #1  of the MLAU. It is 185 km long. Please note that some of the trail details right in Överkalix likely will be different. It depends on ice conditions on the river and the exact location of the checkpoint. Start and finish will be at the Grand Arctic Resort but the checkpoint could be a couple of hundred metres away.

The below map shows loop #2 of the MLAU. It is approx. 315 km long and gives us a maximum total distance of 500 km. Again, details in Överkalix and at some of the checkpoints may be slightly different from what you see on this map. There may be updates during the year and also details announced at the trail briefing.

Trail Facts

Start: Överkalix, Norbotten

Checkpoints: see detailed trail description below

Start and finish 185 km race (loop 1 – North and Northeast): Överkalix

Start and finish 500 km race (loop 1 plus loop 2 – North and Northwest): Överkalix

Trail Conditions

It is of course impossible to say in advance what the trail conditions will be like. Dead winter in the Swedish Lapland can bring just about any kind of conditions. If we are lucky and there is not too much fresh snow after the last trail breaking effort. In case of fresh snow and strong winds, the situation trails will be soft and more challenging.

We will have our own trail breakers. However, they won’t be able to break a trail for the entire field of athletes at once as they will be spread out over a large distance once everyone begins. Therefore, be prepared for a soft trail and expect overflow. Don’t underestimate those obstacles. Overflow can get you into a life threatening situation very quickly. Don’t keep on going if you are close to falling asleep. Wear waterproof socks and/or overshoes if necessary.

The MLAU trail also features some road crossings. It is VERY important that you are cautious when crossing roads. There can be vehicles on these roads at any time of day and night. Ice and snow may make it impossible for cars and trucks to break in time and/or unexpected breaking may result in the vehicles going off the road seriously hurting or killing driver and passengers.

GPS Waypoints