A 65km trail, remote landscapes, wild camping and you. This is Classic UK. It’s an epic journey in one of the UK’s remaining wilderness areas, a trek through the magnificent Cairngorm National Park.
With everything you need packed into your backpack, this is the landscape you’ll call home while you walk, surrounded by nature’s giants.
This is a journey like no other. Even though you go at your own pace, you’ll meet other trekkers who, despite different levels of experience, all share the same love for nature; the same willingness to spend time in the outdoors.
Classic UK is the continuation of the Classic legacy. It’s our chance to show you that you don’t need to travel far and wide to find nature. The journey isn’t easy, but the result is worth it. Live simply, move at your own pace and reconnect with yourself, your loved ones and nature. You may even make some new friends along the way and, of course, have a whole lot of fun in the process.
The path takes in truly spectacular scenery that seems to roll and roll into the horizon. A trip of contrasts, the journey will take you from ancient Scottish woodlands, moving through tight valleys, vast glens and surrounded by a roll-call of some of Scotland’s highest and most iconic mountains.
We take care of the logistics – food, transfers, checkpoints, support and even a few little treats along the way – so you can focus on the task of walking, your backpack loaded with everything you need to make the journey of a lifetime.
You can arrive on Monday 12th September and camp in the Fjällräven Classic UK basecamp at Mar Lodge. If traveling by car, follow the signs to the dedicated parking area. Parking is free of charge for trekkers.
Registration will be open from 4pm to 10pm on Monday and from 7am to 8:30am on Tuesday.
You will collect your food, fuel, map and Trekking Pass at registration. You can then make any final preparations, weigh your backpack, and consult the trekking hosts.
You will also receive your safety tag to tie to your backpack for the trek. With the safety tag visible, it is clear that you are part of the event and eligible to receive food, fuel and support at the checkpoints.
We will begin the trek on Tuesday 13th September in front of Mar Lodge. Make sure you pass through the Fjällräven tent and get the first stamp on your trekking pass before hitting the trail.
Along the Fjällräven Classic UK route, there are a series of checkpoints that will be staffed to suit expected arrival and departure times. You need to get your Trekking Pass stamped at each checkpoint and fill in the guest book with your arrival time. In case of an emergency where our event officials have to leave the checkpoint tent, the stamp will be placed outside the tent for you to stamp your Trekking Pass yourself.
Wild camping is permitted along the route. The route does not include campsites and is quite wild and remote in places, be prepared to hunt for good camping spots. As with every part of the route, participants should respect the land and any landowner requests. No fires should be lit and all cooking should be with appropriate gas or liquid fuel stoves. Morning start times are up to you, but we suggest you leave camp between 8am and 10am to give yourself enough time to complete the route. We added an extra day to the event, this means you can have a shorter day on one of your trekking days, to stop and enjoy the beautiful surroundings
We will provide you with a trash bag to collect your non-human waste during the trek. It is vital that you use it. Everyone is responsible for keeping the area free from rubbish and in pristine condition. You are not allowed, under any circumstances, to drop litter along the route, at checkpoints or overnight halts. If you are caught doing so, you will be disqualified.
You will need to carry the trash bag with you until there is an opportunity to empty it into a designated bin.
You can abandon Fjällräven Classic UK at any time. However, due to the lack of roads along the route, you will still have to walk to a road to get any assistance. As the route is quite remote this could take a while. Please contact an official at the nearest checkpoint if you decide not to continue with the trek.
Human waste is another matter. This should not go into the trash bag. Most checkpoints and overnight halts along the route have several no-water toilets.
If nature calls when you’re far from a toilet, dig a small hole, relieve yourself and cover the hole with earth. Never relieve yourself in or close to a water source and please take your toilet paper with you.
Our responsibility is to nature, to preserve and protect it. To leave the area as you found it or, as we at Fjällräven like to do, to leave it in even better condition than when you arrived. This responsibility to nature includes all flora and fauna, as well as all water sources and the landscape itself.
This freedom to roam is what makes Fjällräven Classic UK so special. So please observe it and respect the outdoors as a playground that can be enjoyed by all for years to come. You will receive more information about the right of common access when you check in for Classic UK and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code explains access rights and responsibilities in more detail.
Fjällräven Classic UK wouldn’t be possible without the support of our partners and suppliers. You can find out more about all of them below.
Primus
Lightweight and ultra functional, Primus stoves are long-distance trekking essentials. Primus is the oldest outdoor stove manufacturing company in the world and the portable kerosene stove was the stove of choice for Tenzing and Hillary on their ground-breaking first ascent of Mount Everest in 1953. www.primus.se
Hanwag
Where do you go for hardwearing mountain trekking shoes and boots? Hanwag. Originally a small family firm of shoemakers who took great care in making high quality boots for outdoor use, Hanwag has now spread around the world. www.hanwag.de
Please note there will be a supply of drinking water at several locations during the trek.
Our main goal is to inspire and enable more people to get out and enjoy the great outdoors. So, looking out for nature, preserving it and protecting it, is a given. We do this in many ways, including how and where we source our materials, how we produce our clothing and equipment, and, of course, how we run our events.
Since 2010, Fjällräven Classic Sweden (the original Classic event) has been labelled as an Eco Event by Keep Sweden Tidy. In essence, this means the event’s environmental impact is as small as possible. Our aim is for all other Classic events to follow the same principles of sustainability and environmental awareness.
Fjällräven Classic events are also our way of educating, informing and inspiring you and your fellow trekkers. It’s all about sharing ideas for how you can minimise your negative environmental impacts.