Yudychvumchorr
1,201 m
Russia
Also known as Judyčvumčorr, Ioudytchvoumtchorr, +2Also known as
Judyčvumčorr · Ioudytchvoumtchorr · Judytsjvumtsjorr · Юдычвумчорр
- Elevation
- 1,201 m
- Prominence
- 1,051 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Approximate line — not for navigation
An automated check found that parts of this line could not be matched to mapped trails, so it may stray far from the real route. Use it for planning only, with a map and a guidebook.
Why? 2 check notes
- danger scan: Малый Вудъявр → Рамзая: connector line 228 m (limit 200 m)
- unresolved waypoints: Malaya Belaya valley road, Fersman stream camp, South-west shoulder of Yudychvumchorr
Sources differ: n/k (unclassified) for the summit and the Ramzay pass in Russian tourist classification (mountain.ru)
The usual walkers' way to the roof of the Khibiny: from the Malyi Vudyavr lake above Kirovsk up the Poachvumyok valley and through the busy Ramzay gorge (743 m) into the Malaya Belaya valley, then up the Fersman stream to camp at the tree line, and a long, gentle climb of about 3 hours by the broad south-west shoulder onto the vast summit plateau.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- ≈ 13.5 km
- one way
- Ascent
- ≈ +1,053 m
- −212 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 1,201 m
- Time Up
- ≈ 5h 37m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- ≈ 4h 46m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at the Malyi Vudyavr lake just above Kirovsk. A forest road, later a path, follows the Poachvumyok up to the Ramzay gorge and pass (743 m), the most popular way into the central Khibiny, with a memorial to the geologist Wilhelm Ramsay. Descend west into the Malaya Belaya valley, follow the road up the valley and turn north onto the forest path along the Fersman stream. There are camp sites near the tree line, and water in the stream; most parties camp here and climb the summit unladen the next day. From the Fersman stream the broad south-west shoulder is the easiest and longest line onto Yudychvumchorr: a gentle but very long ascent over stony tundra and scree, about 3 hours according to a 2010 summit note, then a walk across an enormous, flat arctic plateau to the ruined triangulation mast on the top. Descend the same way. Steeper, shorter lines exist on the eastern side and from the passes around the massif. The plateau is featureless and exposed: in strong wind, cloud or snow it is easy to lose direction, so turn back rather than cross it in bad weather. Snow patches can linger well into summer. A few groups also reach the plateau from the north side via the Fersman pass, which is graded 1B and needs a rope.
Start
Малый Вудъявр358 m
- Train to Apatity (or Khibiny station), then bus or taxi to Kirovsk; taxi or a walk to the Malyi Vudyavr lake.
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Малый Вудъявр358 m
Lake above Kirovsk; car park and start of the Poachvumyok path
- Col: Рамзая750 m
Ramzay pass and gorge; memorial to Wilhelm Ramsay
- Summit: Юдычвумчорр1,201 m
Key Passages
- Ramzay gorge and pass (743 m)
- Fersman stream path to the tree line
- South-west shoulder
- Summit plateau (navigation in cloud)
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 55%Overview
Yudychvumchorr (about 1,200 m) is the highest point of the Khibiny on the Kola Peninsula and of the Russian European Arctic: not a peak but a vast, flat stony plateau above deep glacial valleys, inside Khibiny National Park. A long but non-technical two-day walk from Kirovsk.
The Khibiny are a compact massif of ancient alkaline rock north of the Arctic Circle between Lake Imandra and Lake Umbozero, cut by deep troughs and cirques and ringed by the mining towns of Kirovsk and Apatity. Yudychvumchorr, in the centre of the massif, is their highest summit and the highest point of Russia's European Arctic. The name is Sami; the top is a huge arctic plateau, so flat that one visitor joked you could build a housing estate on it, with a ruined triangulation mast at the high point and big walls dropping to the surrounding valleys.
The usual approach is a two-day walk from Kirovsk through the popular Ramzay gorge into the Malaya Belaya valley, a camp on the Fersman stream at the tree line, and a long, gentle climb by the south-west shoulder. Tourist groups often combine it with the passes of the central Khibiny, such as Fersman, Orliny and Petrelius. The terrain is scree, boulders and stony tundra; no climbing skills are needed, but the weather is arctic: wind, low cloud and snow are possible in any month.
Since 2018 the central Khibiny, including Yudychvumchorr, have been protected as Khibiny National Park, managed by the Lapland Reserve.
Climbing Notes
Fit hill walkers can do the ascent in two days with camping gear, or in a long day from a camp on the Fersman stream (about 3–4 hours up the south-west shoulder and plateau). Navigation is the main skill: carry a map, compass and GPS and avoid the plateau in cloud or high wind. Expect cold wind on top even in July, and mosquitoes in the valleys. In June and July there is continuous daylight, which makes late starts possible. Winter and spring ascents are ski tours in serious avalanche terrain. Register multi-day routes with the emergency services (MChS) in advance and follow national park rules: camp at existing sites, cook on stoves and take all rubbish out.
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: Good
- October: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Polar night; deep cold
- Mar
- Ski touring for experienced parties; avalanche terrain
- Apr
- Ski touring; long days
- May
- Thaw; wet snow
- Jun
- Lingering snow on the plateau; midnight sun
- Jul
- Main season; mosquitoes in the valleys
- Sep
- Autumn colours; first snow possible late in the month
- Oct
- Snow and short days
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- No huts on the route. Camp at the Fersman stream near the tree line; accommodation in Kirovsk.
- Rules
- Khibiny National Park (since 2018): stay on paths, camp only where bivouacs already exist, cook on stoves, leave no rubbish, do not build unnecessary cairns
- Organised mass events in the park need permission from the Lapland Reserve, which manages it; the park's own page says individual visits currently need no special approval
- Getting There
Kirovsk
Apatity-Khibiny (KVK); Murmansk (MMK)
- Train to Apatity, then bus or taxi to Kirovsk (about 20 km)
- From Kirovsk by taxi or on foot to the Malyi Vudyavr lake and the start of the Ramzay gorge path
Hazards
- Weather
- Avalanche
- Remoteness