Åreskutan
1,420 m
Sweden
Also known as ОрескутанAlso known as
Орескутан
- Elevation
- 1,420 m
- Prominence
- 840 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2The standard walking route up Sweden's best-known ski mountain: a marked red-graded trail of about 8 km and 860 m of ascent from the Fjällgården trail centre above Åre, past the Kabinbanan top station to the summit café Toppstugan. About 2.5 hours up; the cable car can shorten either direction.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 5.6 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +881 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,420 m
- Time Up
- 3h 41m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 32m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at the trail centre (Spårcentral) by Hotell Fjällgården on the eastern edge of Åre village. Trail 214, Västra leden, is graded red (medium) by the resort and follows the Stjärnvägen path west and up through birch forest and across the ski slopes, then climbs the open upper mountain to the Kabinbanan top station plateau at about 1,274 m. SkiStar gives 7.6 km and the Åre tourist board 8.1 km; allow about 2.5 hours up. From the top station a short, steep, well-trodden path climbs the last 146 m over rocky ground in about 1.3 km to the summit, with the Toppstugan café (built 1892, Sweden's highest café), a telecom mast and a helicopter pad. This last section takes about 45 minutes and is what most lift users walk. Descend the same way or ride Kabinbanan down from the top station when it is running. The rocks are slippery when wet and the summit is exposed to strong westerly winds; take warm, windproof layers even on a sunny day in the village.
Start
Spårcentral Fjällgården557 m
- Kabinbanan cable car from Åre torg to 1,274 m (summer operation roughly late June to August, reduced days in September; weather-sensitive), leaving 146 m of ascent to the summit
- Train to Åre station (direct services from Stockholm and Östersund); walk about 1 km east through the village to Fjällgården.
- Parking at the trailhead
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Spårcentral Fjällgården557 m
- Feature: Stjärnvägen749 m
- Lift: Kabinbanan top station1,265 m
- Summit: Åreskutan1,420 m
Key Passages
- Stjärnvägen across the ski slopes
- Steep rocky path from the Kabinbanan top station to the summit
Equipment
0/4 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
The 1,420 m mountain above Åre in Jämtland, Sweden's largest ski resort in winter and a straightforward marked summit walk in summer. It rises 1,048 m above Åresjön, and a cable car runs to within 146 m of the top.
Åreskutan dominates the Åre valley in western Jämtland. Its southern slopes are covered by lifts and pistes, and the summit carries the Toppstugan café (first built in 1892), a telecom mast and a helicopter pad. Its height above Åresjön, 1,048 m, is the largest relief in Jämtland county, and the summit looks out over Kallsjön, the Oviksfjällen, Sylarna and the mountains along the Norwegian border.
In summer the resort's waymarked trails replace the pistes. Two main routes climb from the trail centre at Fjällgården: the red-graded trail 214 (about 8 km, 2.5 hours) and the steeper black trail 215 over Totthummeln and Lillskutan, plus the very steep 'Vertikal K' from Åre torg. Many visitors ride Kabinbanan to 1,274 m and walk the last 45 minutes. The mountain is geologically a type example of the nappe structure of the Scandinavian Caledonides, and its lime-rich soils support an unusually rich mountain flora.
It is an easy, popular mountain by Scandinavian standards, but the summit weather is not: winter gusts above 40 m/s are recorded almost every year, the record mean wind is 55 m/s, and the top is usually 5–10 °C colder than the valley.
Climbing Notes
A fit walker needs no special skills in summer. Allow 4–5 hours for the round trip on foot from Åre, or 1.5 hours for the summit walk from the cable car. The lifts and the Toppstugan café run only in the summer season (in 2026 the first summer lift opened on 5 June and the last ran on 27 September; Kabinbanan ran daily from late June to the end of August and on Thursday to Sunday in September). Check opening times in the SkiStar app, as the cable car closes in strong wind.
Carry proper wind and rain gear: conditions on the summit plateau change quickly and the rocks are slippery when wet. In winter the upper mountain is heavily rimed and very windy; it is reached by skiers from the lift system, and the north side towards Huså is an off-piste descent requiring avalanche skills and equipment.
History
Åre has been a winter sports destination since the late 19th century. Toppstugan on the summit was built in 1892, enlarged in 1935–1937 and renovated in 1974, when a kiosk was added (opened 1976). Åre hosted the Alpine World Ski Championships in 1954, 2007 and 2019.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Not advisable
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Ski season; summit icing and storm-force winds common
- Feb
- Ski season; summit can be reached from the lifts in calm weather; coldest month
- Mar
- Ski season; longer days; summit exposed and icy
- Apr
- Late ski season; spring snow
- May
- Snowmelt; lifts closed; trails wet
- Jun
- Summer lifts start in June; snow patches on the upper mountain early in the month
- Jul
- Main hiking season; Kabinbanan and Toppstugan open daily
- Aug
- Main hiking season
- Sep
- Autumn colours; lifts on reduced days; first snow possible
- Oct
- Lifts closed; early winter conditions on top
- Nov
- Winter conditions; short days
- Dec
- Ski season begins; very short days
Access & Permits
- Fees
- Kabinbanan and other summer lifts require a ticket (one-way and return tickets sold in the SkiStar app)
- Rules
- Cyclists share the upper mountain with walkers on the downhill-bike trails in summer; stay on the marked hiking trails
- In winter the upper mountain is part of the ski area; off-piste terrain is not controlled for avalanches
- Getting There
Åre
Åre Östersund Airport (OSD)
- Train to Åre station, with direct services from Stockholm and Östersund (and from Trondheim via Storlien)
- By car via the E14; parking in Åre village and at Fjällgården
- Kabinbanan valley station is at Åre torg in the village centre
Hazards
- Weather