Trail info

IMPORTANT NOTE Sept/2017: WE HAVE MANY CHANGES IN THE 1200 AND THE 500 CLASS. THIS SITE WILL NOT BE FULLY UPDATED UNTIL JANUARY 2018. FOR THE JUNIOR CLASS, THERE IS NO CHANGES FOR FL-2018

An alternative to the maps in the M711 is:
A map in scale 1:250.000 containing the race track AND a GPS containing the track.
(The GPS have to be able to work from start to finish)

NOTE!  From this year’s race (2011) one can alternatively to the series M711 (See below) use a GPS and the following maps: Maps with the scale 1:250.000 with the track drawn into it AND a GPS with the trail plotted in. (The GPS have to be operative, meaning have power, throughout the whole race)

Maps scale: 1:250.000

FL-500
Hunting and fishing map 14 (Finmarksvidda)
Hunting and fishing map 15 (Finnmark Nord) 

FL-1200
Hunting and fishing map 14 (Finmarksvidda)
Hunting and fishing map 15 (Finnmark Nord)
Hunting and fishing map 16 (Finnmark Øst)

The GPS coordinates for both trails can be downloaded at this link: click here (Updated)

Legs and checkpoints FL-1000

Legs and checkpoints FL-500

Large scale map all classes

Information about the different checkpoints, follow this link 

WESTERN PART (O -- Open class only, L - Limited class only)

EASTERN PART - ONLY OPEN CLASS

About the trail and the maps

The present descriptions are made from a musher's point of view. To make the most of it, the reader should have the M-711/ Statkart maps at hand. These are the only maps covering this area that will be of use for navigating (if necessary). Most of the trail follows the snowmobile tracks on the huge plains, which the local councils mark using birch branches one to two meters high. In these areas the Finnmarksløpet will be marking only the places where one could go wrong. The Finnmarksløpet will, however, also leave marks to reassure that the musher indeed is on the right track. The parts of the trail where the regular snowmobile tracks meet will be particularly well marked.

Ready-made maps with the race trail marked, will be available at the Info-kiosk from Tuesday. The mushers must go there and draw/ correct the trail on their maps. At the drivers meeting further information about marking, difficult part etc will be given.

For long stretches our trail will follow the signs for winter road only ( =====), marked in blue on your maps. The names on the maps and the checkpoints are given in CAPITAL LETTERS in this description.

Staff snowmobiles will be driving between checkpoints a couple of hours before the first team, to make sure the marks are in place. In spit of thousands of kroner being spent every year to mark the race trail, it is not always possible to reach our ideal goal: Being able to go the entire route without a map in fair weather.

- Thus being a skilled navigator in rough terrain, experienced in the use of a map and a compass is an absolutely necessary condition for taking part in the Finnmarksløpet. It might be a matter of life or death for every single musher as well as to be able to take care of him/ herself and the dogs for some 3-4 days in a genuine blizzard, with gales the force of a hurricane.

A few Sami words recurring on all the maps are:

   gurra     = narrow valley/ glen