Sarektjåkkå
2,089 m
Sweden
Also known as Sarektjåhkkå, Sarektjåkka, +1Also known as
Sarektjåhkkå · Sarektjåkka · Сарекчокко
- Elevation
- 2,089 m
- Prominence
- 1,519 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: F, scrambling plus glacier (west ridge); F via Sydtoppen; PD+ from Nordtoppen (SummitPost)
A wilderness expedition rather than a day climb: two days on foot through trackless Sarek National Park from the Akka huts (boat from Ritsem) down Ruohtesvágge to the Skárjá bridge, then a summit day up the crevassed Mihkájiegna glacier and a short scramble to the easy west ridge of Stortoppen (2,089 m).
About 100% of this line is approximate (no mapped trail; drawn from the terrain). Check it against a map before relying on it.
Why? 8 check notes
- ascent 3654 m is 2.3× the net gain 1620 m: the line probably detours down and back up (not a traverse)
- 100% approximate geometry
- low confidence 0.4
- Akka Fjällstuga → Ruohtesvágge: dem (snap_failed, 29.5 km)
- Ruohtesvágge → Mikkastugan: dem (snap_failed, 6.4 km)
- Mikkastugan → Mihkájiegna: dem (snap_failed, 5.3 km)
- Mihkájiegna → Sarektjåkkå: dem (snap_failed, 2.6 km)
- unresolved waypoints: Sjnjuvtjudisjåhkå bridge, West ridge of Stortoppen
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 43.8 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +3,654 m
- −2,034 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 2,089 m
- Time Up
- 21h 43m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 19h 34m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Take the boat from Ritsem across Áhkájávrre to the Akka huts on the Padjelanta side. From there walk south-east past the massif of Áhkká, cross Sjnjuvtjudisjåhkå by its bridge and follow the valleys into the park and down Ruohtesvágge to Skárjá, where three valleys meet near the locked Mikkastugan cabin (emergency telephone). There are no marked paths in Sarek; expect boggy ground, boulder fields and fords of glacial streams, which run highest in the afternoon. Allow about two days; the Skárjá summer bridge, the only one of its kind in Laponia, is in place from late June to mid-September. From Skárjá follow the Mihkájåhkå stream north towards its glacier. Mihkájiegna, Sweden's seventh-largest glacier, ends at about 1,000 m; its lower part has many moulins and its upper part large crevasse fields, so rope up. Head for the start of Stortoppen's west ridge, staying on the main glacier long enough to reach the ridge low down; the snow tongue between Stortoppen and Sydtoppen is an alternative when the snow is firm. A short scramble over loose boulders leads onto the ridge, and an uncomplicated ridge walk to the summit. Descend the same way. In late July the snow bridges over the upper crevasses can be rotten and parties have had to jump or detour round them; earlier in the season, before the main melt, the glacier is easier. The neighbouring summits (Nordtoppen 2,054 m, Buchttoppen, Sydtoppen) can be added by exposed ridges, the Nordtoppen ridge with rock steps that need climbing or abseils.
Start
Akka Fjällstuga469 m
- Bus to Ritsem from Gällivare, then the summer boat across Áhkájávrre to the Akka huts.
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akka Fjällstuga → Ruohtesvágge | 29.5 | 2,309 | 994 | 13h 22m |
| 2 | Ruohtesvágge → Mikkastugan | 6.3 | 38 | 1,012 | 2h 56m |
| 3 | Mikkastugan → Sarektjåkkå | 7.9 | 1,304 | 17 | 5h 22m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Akka Fjällstuga469 m
STF huts reached by boat from Ritsem in summer
- Feature: Ruohtesvágge1,783 m
Long valley in the heart of Sarek leading to Skárjá; wild camping
- Waypoint: Mikkastugan801 m
Locked cabin with emergency telephone at Skárjá; summer bridge, wind shelter and dry toilet nearby
- Feature: Mihkájiegna1,305 m
Glacier snout at about 1,000 m; moulins low down, crevasse fields higher
- Summit: Sarektjåkkå2,089 m
Key Passages
- Stream crossings in Ruohtesvágge
- Skárjá summer bridge (late June – mid-September)
- Crevassed upper Mihkájiegna
- Loose scramble onto Stortoppen's west ridge
Equipment
0/9 packedDownloads
Route confidence 40%Overview
Sweden's second-highest mountain (2,089 m) and the highest point of the Laponia World Heritage Area, rising above the Mihkájiegna glacier in the roadless heart of Sarek National Park. Reaching it means two days of trackless walking and fording streams before a glaciated summit day.
Sarektjåkkå is a glaciated massif in central Sarek, Sweden's best-known wilderness national park, with several summits above 2,000 m: Stortoppen (2,089 m), Nordtoppen (2,054 m), Buchttoppen and Sydtoppen. It stands above Skárjá, where the valleys of Ruohtesvágge and Guohpervágge meet to form Rapadalen, and the Mihkájiegna glacier, one of Sweden's largest, spills down its south side.
The climbing itself is modest: the usual route crosses Mihkájiegna and reaches Stortoppen by a short scramble and an easy ridge, about grade F. What makes the mountain serious is everything around it. There are no roads, huts or marked trails in Sarek, few bridges, glacial streams that rise through the day, fast-changing weather and no mobile coverage. Aircraft may not land in the park, so a rescue or a change of plan takes time. The glacier is crevassed and its lower part riddled with moulins.
The classic approach is from Ritsem by boat to the Akka huts and then two days through Ruohtesvágge to Skárjá; another comes from Kvikkjokk via Rinim. Those without glacier gear can climb Svarta spetsen (1,820 m) in the massif for a view over the glacier and the high summits.
Climbing Notes
Plan a self-sufficient trip of about a week from Ritsem: two days in, a summit day, reserve days for weather and high water, and two days out. Carry a tent, stove, food and full glacier kit (rope, harness, crampons, ice axe, crevasse-rescue gear), and be competent at river crossings and map-and-compass navigation in fog. Cross glacial streams early in the morning, when the water is lowest.
On the glacier, rope up from the start of the crevassed zone, probe snow bridges and aim for the bottom of Stortoppen's west ridge. Conditions are best early in the summer, before the snow over the crevasses rots; by late July many crevasses are open. Check with Laponiatjuottjudus that the Skárjá summer bridge is in place if travelling in late June or mid-September.
History
The French geographer Charles Rabot made the first ascent in 1881, according to Wikipedia's article on Sarek National Park. From 1895 until his death in 1931 the Swedish geographer Axel Hamberg studied Sarek's glaciers, including Mihkájiegna, where he measured ice movement and mass balance mainly between 1910 and 1920, and built a network of research cabins in the park. Sarek became one of Europe's first national parks in 1909 and part of the Laponia World Heritage Site in 1996.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Not advisable
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Possible
- October: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Polar night; winter expedition only
- Feb
- Winter; ski expeditions only
- Mar
- Ski mountaineering expeditions for experienced, self-sufficient parties
- Apr
- Ski mountaineering; long days, cold
- May
- Spring thaw; snow too soft for skiing, too deep for walking
- Jun
- Snowmelt and high rivers; Skárjá bridge placed at the end of June
- Jul
- Main season; crevasses open and snow bridges weaken towards late July
- Aug
- Main season; crevasses more open
- Sep
- Autumn storms; Skárjá bridge removed mid-September
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- There are no huts in Sarek. The STF Akka huts at the start lie outside the park; Mikkastugan at Skárjá is locked and serves only as an emergency telephone point, with a wind shelter and dry toilet nearby.
- Fees
- No fee to enter the national park; boat crossings and STF huts outside the park are paid
- Rules
- Sarek National Park regulations (NFS 2013:10): aircraft may not land or take off in the park, so helicopter drop-offs must be outside the boundary
- Dogs are not allowed in Sarek except on a lead on Kungsleden
- Fishing and hunting are banned; no motor vehicles
- Fires are not possible at Skárjá
- Avoid disturbing reindeer; the park is grazing land of Sami reindeer-herding communities
- Getting There
Gällivare; Ritsem is the nearest road end
Kiruna Airport (KRN) or Gällivare Lapland Airport (GEV)
- Bus or car from Gällivare to Ritsem at the end of the road along Áhkájávrre
- Summer boat from Ritsem to the Akka huts
- Alternative start from Kvikkjokk via Kungsleden and the Sitojaure boat to Rinim
- Helicopter flights operate to points outside the park boundary
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- River crossing
- Remoteness
- Weather
- Rockfall