Seilandstuva
1,078 m
Norway
Also known as Сеиландстува, SeilandAlso known as
Сеиландстува · Seiland
- Elevation
- 1,078 m
- Prominence
- 1,078 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: YDS class 2 (prominent-mountains.no (Bjørstad))
The most common way up Seiland's highest summit: by hired boat to the head of Store Kufjord, then a pathless climb up a grassy gully to the col Straumskardet and a long, easy traversing ascent over snow patches or boulders and point 1048 to the protected Struve survey cairn. About 13 km and 1,230 m return; 6–10 hours on the mountain.
About 100% of this line is approximate (no mapped trail; drawn from the terrain). Check it against a map before relying on it.
Why? 5 check notes
- 100% approximate geometry
- low confidence 0.4
- Kufjordbotn → Nordmannsjøkelen: dem (snap_failed, 5.7 km)
- Nordmannsjøkelen → Seilandstuva: dem (snap_failed, 0.9 km)
- unresolved waypoints: Straumskardet, Creek crossing, Point 1048
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 6.6 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,214 m
- −143 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 1,078 m
- Time Up
- 5h 10m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 3h 44m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
There are no roads, marked trails or huts on this side of Seiland: Kufjordbotn, the head of Store Kufjorden, is reached by boat. Bjørstad took the boat from Storekorsnes to Hakkstabben and a local's boat from Hammelnes to Kufjordbotn (the alternative is a 10 km walk along the east side of Store Kufjorden from Altneset); in June 2024 a Peakbook party was taken from Storekorsnes by the owner of Seiland House and then by small boat into Kufjordbotn. Agree a pick-up time in advance. Kufjordbotn has fine camping spots. With your back to the fjord, a creek comes down from a lake higher up and another on your right; the route climbs the broad gully between them, which has a smaller creek of its own. Climb the grass on the right side first, cross the creek before it becomes awkward (the 2024 party crossed at about 480 m) and finish on the left side of the gully. The grass is steep but easy; after snowmelt there is much loose gravel and slippery ground. The angle eases at the col Straumskardet, with a view north through Straumdalen to Jøfjorden. Turn left (west) and continue on easy ground, making a long traversing climb on the slope that falls away on the right, over a couple of false summits with small dips, to point 1048. Patches of permanent snow make the walking easier early in the season; later expect 1.5–2 km of tiring boulder desert where the glacier has melted. From point 1048 it is almost flat: a small descent, then a gentle rise to the broad final ridge and the large protected cairn (2.16 m in diameter, 1.78 m high). Bjørstad notes that no glacier needs to be crossed on this route, although a small glacier lies just north of the ascent line and the national park warns of crevasses on Nordmannsjøkelen around parts of the summit area. Descend the same way. Bjørstad's party took exactly 3 hours from the fjord to the summit in 2007; the 2024 Peakbook party, at a very relaxed pace, took about 6 hours up and 10 hours in total.
Start
Kufjordbotn8 m
- None to Kufjordbotn. Express boats from Alta or Storekorsnes serve Altneset and Hakkstabben on southern Seiland (snelandia.no); from there a private boat is needed.
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kufjordbotn → Seilandstuva | 6.6 | 1,214 | 143 | 5h 10m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Kufjordbotn8 m
Boat landing only; good camping (Bjørstad's base camp position)
- Feature: Nordmannsjøkelen897 m
Remnant glacier mostly north of the summit and a small glacier tongue towards Straumskardet; Bjørstad notes the route does not need to cross any glacier
- Summit: Seilandstuva1,078 m
Key Passages
- Steep grassy gully above Kufjordbotn and the creek crossing
- Col Straumskardet
- Traversing climb over false summits to point 1048
- Snowfields or boulder desert on the final broad ridge
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 40%Overview
The 1,078 m high point of Seiland in west Finnmark, inside Norway's most inaccessible national park. Reached only by boat and a long pathless hike past the remnants of Nordmannsjøkelen, one of Scandinavia's northernmost glaciers, to a protected cairn built for the Struve meridian survey in the 1840s.
Seilandstuva rises from the sea on the border of Alta and Hammerfest municipalities and is the highest point of Seiland, Finnmark's second-largest island, and of Hammerfest municipality. The mountain falls steeply into the surrounding fjords, and its summit dome is ringed by Nordmannsjøkelen; together with Seilandsjøkelen, about 5 km to the south-east, these are the northernmost glaciers in mainland Scandinavia. Nordmannsjøkelen has shrunk dramatically and is now largely snowfields and boulder desert.
Seiland National Park (316 km², established 2006) has no marked trails, boardwalks or huts in its interior, and no roads reach the mountain. The usual start is Kufjordbotn at the head of Store Kufjord on the south side, reached by hired boat. From there the ascent is about 13 km and 1,230 m return: a steep grassy gully to the col Straumskardet, then a long, easy traversing climb over snow patches or boulders. Technically it is easy; the remoteness and weather are the real difficulties. The national park describes it as long and demanding and suitable only for visitors with substantial mountain experience.
The island is summer pasture and calving ground for reindeer, and the views from the top reach over the Øksfjordjøkelen ice cap, Hammerfest and Melkøya.
Climbing Notes
Organise the logistics first: a boat transfer to Kufjordbotn and a fixed pick-up time, through local operators in Alta, Hammerfest or southern Seiland. Plan 6–10 hours on the mountain, or camp at Kufjordbotn and combine it with Seilandsjøkelen, the high point of the eastern part of the island, via Straumskardet. You need experience of pathless terrain, map and compass skills and the judgement to turn back: boulder fields, cliffs and impassable rivers are not all shown on the map, and locals say it is hard to get lost on Seiland but easy to get stuck. The national park recommends consulting local experts on route choice.
Go in a settled spell between late June and early September. Snowfields can make the upper part easier early in the season but may be hard in the morning; later it becomes a long boulder walk. Watch for crevasses where glacier ice remains, carry full waterproofs and an emergency shelter, and keep well away from reindeer with calves.
History
The summit was established as a trigonometric point in 1846 as part of the Struve Geodetic Arc, the 1816–1855 survey chain from Hammerfest to the Black Sea; sources give 1846 or 1847 for the cairn. The surviving cairn, 2.16 m in diameter and 1.78 m high, is on the Norwegian list of protected survey cairns. Seilandstuva is not one of the 34 Struve points on the UNESCO World Heritage List, but it is one of the twelve rediscovered Norwegian Struve points.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Possible
- May: Not advisable
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Polar night; no access in practice
- Feb
- Winter; requires expert planning with local operators
- Mar
- Winter; avalanche terrain, no marked or groomed trails
- Apr
- Ski ascents for very experienced parties only; reindeer arrive late April
- May
- Snowmelt and reindeer calving; summer trails snow-covered
- Jun
- Midnight sun; firm snowfields on the upper mountain; meltwater in rivers
- Jul
- Midnight sun until late July; possible reindeer calf-marking gatherings
- Sep
- Reindeer round-ups; weather deteriorating
- Oct
- Snow returns (trails covered from about October/November)
- Nov
- Polar night begins
- Dec
- Polar night
Access & Permits
- Fees
- Boat transfer to Kufjordbotn (private hire)
- Rules
- Seiland National Park: motorised traffic, drone use and construction require permission from the Seiland/Sievju National Park Board
- Active reindeer herding area (calving grounds and summer pastures): keep your distance from reindeer; dogs must be on a lead 1 April–20 August and under control at other times
- No marked trails, boardwalks or huts inside the national park
- Getting There
Alta; Hammerfest
Alta (ALF); Hammerfest (HFT)
- Boat: hire a boat or arrange a transfer to Kufjordbotn in Store Kufjord (for example from Storekorsnes or southern Seiland); there is no road or public transport to the start
- Express boat/combi ferry from Alta or Storekorsnes to Altneset and Hakkstabben on southern Seiland (snelandia.no; many departures need pre-booking)
- Ferry from Strømsnes (9 km south of Hammerfest) to Kjerringholmen, then 19 km by road to Hønseby on northern Seiland
Hazards
- Remoteness
- Weather
- Crevasses
- Glacier
- River crossing