SAREK

It’s been fifteen months now since we returned from our Lapland adventure along the Kungsleden. Fifteen months that the Far North is calling us again. So, of course, the GR738 has allowed me to escape a week in the mountains but I need my annual migration to the Nordic countries, this time we will take the direction of the Sarek National Park in Sweden for nine days to trek in a wild and raw Nature.

Vast almost 2000km², the Sarek is a Swedish national park located a few hours drive south of Kiruna and not far from the Norwegian border. Often considered the last wilderness in Europe, Sarek is a concentrate of wild nature. Here there is no road, no marked path (and even almost no “real” path), just 2 bridges, no refuge as such, at most some cabins as spartan as rare and weather conditions may be hard. Your only neighbors at (tens of) kilometers will be the reindeer that the Sames let graze here all summer long.

A true paradise for the walker who wants to be in the middle of nothing for several days.

On the other hand, the Sarek has a price: no path, no road, etc. implies that you have to navigate even in an often harsh environment. You have the choice between marshes, dense birch forests or large empty expanses in altitude and for the weather: rain (a lot), wind, snow and a little sun sometimes…

Sarek is a difficult environment. The terrain and the weather can be very hard and changing. Even in summer, very short indeed, you can have winter conditions at altitude. Be prepared! The Sarek are aimed at experienced walkers who know a minimum of the middle of the Scandinavian Arctic and who are equipped accordingly. Here you will be alone and the help will not always be able to intervene quickly, besides that you will have no telephone network, nor quick escape.

Warning: the following tutorial is part of a specific context of this month of September 2018. Do not assume conditions in advance (especially with regard to crossings rivers) and do not take the characteristics that we have encountered as an absolute truth. Prepare your hike well and always keep a margin of safety.

Our route allowed us to travel a good piece of Sarek and to pass by the Rapadalen and Skierffe, THE point of view not to be missed in the park. About 170km long, it took us 9 days of walking to achieve it at a rate of 20km / days. It was not a health walk but it is achievable. You will find below are details (the GPX is downloadable):

Download file: SAREK_2018.gpx

Who says isolated region says not easy to access. In addition, we leave in September which corresponds to the end of the season here, some services are already at a standstill.

First step: going to the North. We chose Kiruna once again as a base camp. You can also start from Gällivare which is accessible by train (but no longer by plane). Kiruna has the advantage of having an airport and some good hotels. It is the “city” of northern Sweden. To enter Sarek there are several “classic” points: Ritsem, Kvikkjokk and Saltoluokta. Since the lake crossings and the bus to Ritsem seemed complex because the services were finished for the season, we chose Kvikkjokk as an entry point and Saltoluokta as the exit.

Getting to Kvikkjokk by public transport from Kiruna, requires taking a train to Gällivare and then several buses and a taxi, in other words, it’s long and we did not have many days in front of us. So we chose a solution not “sexy” and rather expensive: the taxi. It is still 4h30 drive and around 5000SEK, three it’s better but good …

So we arrived on site on a Sunday, we bought gas for the stove on Monday morning and we took the taxi at 12h to arrive around 16h (driving sport driver …).

For the return of Saltoluoka it is “simply” taking two buses to Kiruna or one to Gällivare.

Here are some useful links to prepare transfers:

• Swedish Trains : https://www.sj.se/en/home.html#/
• Bus Schedule (especially line 93 for Ritsem) : https://ltnbd.se/
• Taxi Kiruna : https://www.swedavia.com/kiruna/taxi/
• Last solution a bit radical, the helicopter from Ritsem for example (to cross the lake) : http://www.fiskflyg.se/ritsem-en/?lang=en

Also links to the main “resorts” in the area and information on lake crossings:

• Ritsem : https://www.swedishtouristassociation.com/facilities/stf-ritsem/
• Saltoluokta : https://www.swedishtouristassociation.com/facilities/stf-saltoluokta-mountain-station/
• Kvikkjokk : http://www.kvikkjokkfjallstation.se/fr/Kvikkjokk_Fjallstation ou https://www.swedishtouristassociation.com/facilities/stf-kvikkjokk-fjallstation/

Warning: you will certainly have to cross lakes by boat, although some are rowing there are motor boat crossings. You will sometimes have no choice. By cons it is very expensive! Here is a non-exhaustive list valid for 2018:

• Kvikkjokk-Padjalenta : 250SEK each
• Sitojaure : 400SEK each (Twice a day or on demand)
• Saltoluokta to the bus : 200SEK each
• Ritsem : ??

No bank card for the first two but euros seem accepted. In the end, plan cash!

We are September 10, 2018 in Kvikkjokk around 16:30, the weather is nice, the sun begins to be low in the sky and we are waiting at the water’s edge the arrival of the water taxi that should lead us to the beginning of the Padjelanta. We are all three, with Quentin and Matthieu, eager to immerse ourselves for 9 days and 170km in the Sarek. We had only a hurry after last year and the Kungsleden: come back and make even more wild, here we are!

Our “pilot” arrives with a few passengers coming back from Padjelanta. We see with him some details and we embark for 10min of boat. Although early September, autumn has already established its camp here. The birches are dressed in their yellow-red hues, it’s beautiful. The sunlight is soothing. We slide on the water quietly, what a nice way to start a trek.

The jetty is sketchy but there is a small cabin next door for hikers who missed the last boat. We take the time to discuss with the pilot about the route, the passages of lakes, … First a little gruff, it will prove quite nice and will give us good advice.

Now we are alone, the bags are loaded on our backs that bear the weight of the 10 days of food but we are going the light heart on a very good way, marked and easy. This is also a good thing because we will spend two days along it, the time to warm our leg before attacking the heart of the subject.

We will do 7km tonight. Nothing really difficult. The landscapes are pleasant but not particularly impressive because one evolves mainly in dense forest. There are some comfortable bivouac areas along the way. So we settle down at nightfall, not far from the river.

The time to get on camp and eat and the rain begins to fall in fine drops which precipitates our movement back into the sleeping bag warm and soft.

End of the first day which will have been especially a day of transfer. We really attack the march tomorrow with at least 18km to go. In the meantime: good night!

It has rained all night and the environment is particularly humid this morning. We will bend the camp under the drizzle of what hasten our departure.

Today we continue along the Padjelanta. So we are progressing easily even if the rain has made some passages slippery (including the famous boardwalks crossing the marshes). After some time we start to leave the forest at times, allowing us to admire the extension of the valley for kilometers downstream and upstream. We have, for the moment, only met one person at the Nunjes cabin and that will be all for the day …

We are fit and happy to be here. Even if the weather is not good, the weather is not unpleasant. The sun plays with the dense clouds and creates beautiful contrast on the orange birches.

There is not much to say about this particular day. The landscapes remind us a lot of those of the Kungsleden for now but can be at more impressive dimensions.

In the evening (around 16h – the sun setting at 19:30, we shifted the day: get up 6h bed 21h), we will put the camp a little before Såmmarlappstugan, where the path comes very close to the river. It is a nice spot for the bivouac with a beautiful view of the surrounding hills. Unfortunately we will have the right to a succession of small showers all the evening. We still managed to light a fire despite the wet wood but it will not heat very hard.

We do not stay late tonight. The sun setting early and rain not helping but especially we are tired of these first 20km. You have to give the body time to get used to it, it will be better in a day or two.

For now we fall asleep, rocked by the plop plop rain on the tent. It’s nice to feel a little further from civilization tonight but I can not wait to be really isolated, just a few days of patience.

A second rainy night. We are bending a wet camp again but at least it has stopped raining for now.

We will arrive quickly at Såmmarlappstugan where we will cross the caretaker doing the cleaning before closing. He expected to leave this afternoon. The time to chat and admire the morning mist on the river and we take the road on the Padjelanta which rises slightly here.

The vegetation is becoming more and more sparse as the day progresses, this allows us to enjoy the view of the entire valley.

We will arrive in view of the cabins of Darreluoppal in the early afternoon. We will meet three people in this area who will be the last for 48h.

Another hour of walking and we are at the cabins.

We will arrive at the cabins in the middle of the afternoon. Then the big question is whether we continue a little way or if we stop here for the night and enjoy the comfort of the winter cabin …

After deliberation, we choose to push further. It will always be won … So we go back on the road again a few hundred meters. Indeed it is here that we come out to walk in the pampas freely. So we choose to cross the river (we will stay west of it for later), climb a little on the heights and finally out of the way.

It is amazing how this little step aside, the one that leads you off trail, is loaded with a strong symbolism in my opinion. By this small step one finds a kind of total freedom, one can walk where one wants, as one wants, having for only constraint the ground. However, we also leave a reassuring line that leads from a point A to a point B without asking too much question. Inwardly, therefore, we must accept all this freedom. For my part I will have to wait a few hours off trail to just find a nice feeling of walking in freedom.

In any case, what reassures me is the field. I was afraid that it is complicated on this section but for now it is grass with some bushes and rockeries. Nothing really bad.

We will not be long in crossing our first reindeer in this ground which is ideal for them. They usually move in a small group of about ten individuals, but one can cross larger herds.

After twenty kilometers we will set up the camp right next to the river Vassjajåhkå to the right of Lake Vassjajavrtja. A very nice location with a beautiful view and relatively sheltered from the wind.

The bivouac quickly installed, we take advantage of the fact that it is still early to go about our business: photo, rest or hunt wild berries that abound in the area.

It will not be long before we have successive visits of small groups of reindeer to the other side of the river. They still keep their distance but it’s a nice show while we eat our lyophi well protected from the wind. In the evening, temperatures fall quickly and it is difficult to stay outdoors for a long time after eating.

Thus ends the third day of walking. For the moment everything is fine if it is a few small sores and a little tired but nothing abnormal.

It’s the first night I feel like I’m far from civilization and still, in the end, there are the cabins that are a short walk away … In any case, the morale is good the physicist is following and I can not wait to get a little further into Lapland.

Here we are, today we really enter the  Sarek whose limit is represented by the small river next to which we camp.

The night was cool but good. We are starting to get a good run on camp storage and we are quickly back on track for our 20km daily.

We continue towards Alggajavrre Lake. The off-trail progression is much easier than I expected and that’s good! Even the few streams to cross are low enough not to bother us too much. We are moving relatively quickly in this beautiful valley. We pass small passes in small passes, revealing each time a new perspective. Here, more trees obviously but the grassy steppe as far as the eye can see. I love this kind of landscape. It feels very small and you breathe.

We will quickly pass the barrier reindeer that serves the Sami to gather their animals. We will cross it at the river but there must be “doors” to cross it elsewhere I guess. The meal break will be done a little further, in front of the Renvaktarstuga.

The Renvaktarstuga are private cabins that belong to the Sames, so you can not use them as a refuge for the evening. On the maps you will find further indications “Låst” or “Forfallen” next to some huts; it means “locked” and “ruined” respectively.

A little after the meal break, we will come across our first crossing a little complex of river. Indeed we find here the confluence of two arms which form a rather important stream in the end. It is therefore necessary to cross a little after the Renvaktarstuga and stay to the west of all the rivers (left bank). We will arrive after some research time to cross (almost) dry by jumping from rocks to rocks. Once again I think we are lucky because the level of lessons is low in this season, it must go very differently in the spring and the crossing must be much more difficult!

We will quickly see Alggajàvrre which marks our entry point into Sarek and a little above Alkavare Kapell, a small chapel, a remnant of a period of mining exploration in the area.

To cross the lake there are two possibilities: row or pass by a bridge. You will find to the north-west end and under the Kapell, boats to cross the river.

The system of the three boats: it is a system that you will find in Sweden and Norway. To cross the train you have two possibilities. Either there are two boats on your side and you take one to cross, or there is only one boat on your side and you will have to cross, come back to drop a second boat which is on the other side and cross a new time. In summary with three boats, we make sure that there is always at least one on each side and it is the responsibility of the user to ensure it. It is therefore necessary to play the game even if it can take time (we will come back to the crossing of Sitojaure) and ensure that there is always a boat at least on each side.

No luck for us, there is only one boat on our side. But hey, the crossing must be 300m, we should get by.

We load our stuff, the guys and the last (me) pushes the boat to finish putting it in the water but the problem: it blocks! It can not be taken off. The water level is so low that near the bank there is not enough for the boat to float …

It will be nice to unload, no means to properly float the boat …. Good … Since we know that there is a bridge a little higher we do not take the head: we unload the boat and we go back to the bridge. I think it could have been put in the water by emptying bags and all, removing the shoes and pushing in the water but except a certain laziness to do all that, we did not know the depth either on the rest of the course, the bridge seemed a good alternative. Suffice it to say that 2018 was a particularly hot year for Sweden, even in the Arctic, which must partly explain the low level of the lake.

So here we are on the way to the “Bro” which is about 2km higher (to locate the area from far it is in the set of small hillocks that can be seen quickly by leaving the area of ​​the boat). So we reach it quickly and we quickly realize that it pulls a little face this bridge …

In addition to its rusty side and the few hanging ends, we have the right to a beautiful sign with a raised hand that seems to indicate a ban to pass … Not having too much choice we start anyway, one by a. It creaks and it squeaks but it goes. Honestly, we were not reassured at all at the crossing and I advise you to be very careful if you go there … (Back in France and after translation, we will realize that the sign means that the bridge is repair and do not borrow it …).

Here we are on the other side … Half turn then and it is left towards the Kapell that we will reach relatively quickly if it is the crossing of the river Gajnajjågåsj which will take us a little time because we have a search for a dry passage.

The detour by the bridge has consumed time and we have made less progress than expected. So we want to continue at least to the east end of the lake.

We are now progressing in a kind of miniature forest composed of bushes, height height or shoulders, particularly dense which makes navigation and progression particularly difficult. So we move slowly while making our way. It makes sense to have a path in the corner but you can not find it and try it up or down, there is nothing to do and frankly it annoys me! In addition to Quentin begins to have a suspicious knee pain, we will have to be vigilant.

We will finally arrive at the end of the lake and a not too bad place for the bivouac after 23km of walking … a good day.

The setting up of the bivouac is accompanied by a “nice” small fine rain that will not let go of the evening … So for me a moment a little gloomy in the gray and the cold. It’s a shame, the corner must be beautiful under the sun.

Once again we will not be slow to join our down especially since we are very tired tonight but well be happy, we are concretely in the Sarek tonight and we will begin to explore it tomorrow!

Cold and rainy night! The alarm clock is not so easy … but the landscape compensates: indeed a light layer of snow sprinkled the head of the surrounding mountains is beautiful. The morning atmosphere is very serene but the clouds will soon come back to their appearance bringing the rain …

We go back on the road looking for the famous path that must pass in the area. So honestly, except for some traces of passages that are due to humans but also to reindeer, we will not find a good path for a moment. No, we will have the right to these horrible bushes which are, moreover, soaked this morning! So we are all wet pants and it goes into the socks by capillarity. So I quickly wet feet and to be honest, they will not dry before the end of the stay … It progresses very slowly and galley, it’s a dirty start to the day! To top it off, Quentin’s knee pain is sharp and very similar to tendonitis. This is worrying for the future because we are at least 40-50km from an exit point … So it will be necessary for the knee to hold!

After this horrible area, we finally arrive in a clear space that allows us to walk a little faster even if we sometimes progress in the marsh that ends to moisten us. On the other hand, the view is superb and the mountains keep their snow cap.

We will take the lunch break (at 11h …) on a small prominence and with a magnificent view of the valley towards the west with a large herd of reindeer below. Magnificent.

We begin the descent on the west side of the valley. In the distance the snow-capped peaks and glaciers of Mihkatjåhkkå and Māhtujåhkkå.

The descent is easy and beautiful. Do not cross the Ahkavegge, on the contrary at this level stay on the left of the valley (north side). You will see in the distance a Renvaktarstuga, that the semblance of path crosses on the left. We will cross here a beautiful herd of reindeer curious enough to come to about thirty meters.

The confluence of two valleys offers a magnificent landscape. It’s superb, that’s what we came for.

We arrive after this beautiful meeting to a potentially delicate passage: the crossing of the Guohperjåhkå. Do this “under” the reflaktarstuga, there are cairns that indicate the passage. Once again, our crossing was made easier by the low level of the river but in spring it must be another pair of sleeves!

The continuation of the progression will be relatively boring especially that it drizzles! There is not really a well marked path, at most reindeer tracks … Try to stay on the heights it will be easier to move forward. In any case after a while, we finally see the little hut next to the bridge that allows to cross the gorge of Skàrjà. I’m happy we did not get very far, we improve in navigation. I can not wait for it to arrive because Quentin has a lot of pain in his knee, he has to rest it.

The descent to the hut will be fast. This one is stupid but there is the essential: a table, two benches and a space of “storage”. By cons not enough to sleep properly, so we put the tents outside because we stop here for today. The sun makes its appearance again after a little while. The corner is really beautiful because it is at the confluence of several valleys. At 360 °, summits, valleys and the raw beauty of the country Samis.

As I said we will stay here for the night. The place is beautiful, it is nice and then it will be good to be a little sheltered to eat and do the evening.

This little hut, Mikkastuga, is a real moment of relaxation and happiness in the trek, a breath of fresh air that allows us to find a semblance of comfort. So we will spend the end of the afternoon to warm up quietly in the sun or tidy up a little, clean, … We will have the visit of a Finn who walks for 2 weeks in the Sarek, to make summits, a colorful character but who knew the “job”!

The hours go by, the light changes continuously, I want to redo the same photo every 15min. That these great spaces are beautiful!

In the evening we will have a king feast: sausage, cheese, pistachios, the famous four-cheese freeze-dried fondue that has become a tradition of hiking, soup, chocolate mousse lyophi, caramelized almonds … What to redo the calorie stock for the next day !

We are well, it is cold but there is no wind which makes things bearable. We spend a little time playing cards before joining our apartments outside after some final night shots. This evening is the best I spent trekking and this bivouac (luxury) is one of the most beautiful of these holidays. That will have done us a good crazy in this middle of course.

I fall asleep happy, unaware of the horrible day that awaits us tomorrow …

Morning rise and cold to change … At least it does not rain … for now. We fold the camp and we leave.

Here there is a path not too badly drawn, we lose it from time to time but we end up finding it in general. Quentin’s knee pulls a little but we took some gear to lighten his bag, it seems to stabilize the pain at least …

You will see this portion of the path is not complicated. There are three streams to cross, no problem for us but be careful in the spring. Only the Tjåggnårisjåhkå asks us to spend some time looking for a dry passage. The track forks after the river. You have to aim for the little prominence in the distance called Bielavàràsj (on my right side of the board).

It is from this point that the rain returns. At first light, it becomes stronger as and when. For now it’s okay if the atmosphere is less pleasant. In any case the view is beautiful and the valley impressive. One last rainy photo before the beginning of the horror.

The rest of the way takes us to the technical part of the day. The path passes under the big cliff of Bieltjåhkkå. We meet a duo father / daughter who warns that it slides hard and indeed already it is smooth rock and rain does not help! To top it off, the water-soaked vegetation soaks our pants and the rain always falls harder. So we move in this passage by moving slowly because it really slips.

After 45 minutes, we start to get wet. We finally reach the plateau of Lake Sàvvajavrre and there we go to a whole new level. Already we are almost 1000m, the mercury has fallen well, but we have a strong headwind (about 50km / h) and we are in the clouds. So take rain, wind and a temperature around 0 ° C and you have the great combo. Quickly we find ourselves wet to the underpants (literally), the goretex gives up the game and we are immediately wet at the torso. Basically we are fully soaked!

Then starts a long moment of struggle, we lose our temperature extremely fast, so we start to walk like crazy. Heads down in the wind, we advance as quickly as possible to warm from the inside. We do not talk anymore or just some jokes from time to time to warm up the atmosphere.

We will talk about it together next but I can tell you that at that moment we all felt extremely vulnerable in the middle. Already we are 60km from any civilization, the telephone network does not pass obviously and even if necessary the relief could not intervene by this weather. So we are all alone, walking like ghosts to escape this plateau that is literally sucking all traces of heat in our bodies.

Further, before attacking the descent, we will make the ghostly meeting of a group of reindeer posed waiting for the end of the storm. The descent sounds like the exit door of this hell of fog.

The few tens of meters of elevations remount slightly the thermometer but we are soaked and we stay cold. We continue to move forward. We will arrive quickly in a forest of sodden birches that will continue to wet us.

After long kilometers, we finally find a spot where to land. The camp is hastily mounted and we jump into our respective tents. Matthieu and I are in underwear because all our clothes are soaked. Directly under the cover of survival time to resume a few degrees. Quickly we dress with dry clothes (thankfully the backpacks have not (or little) taken the water) and we take refuge in our down.

It will take us 3 hours to return to a suitable temperature! The rain fell continuously for 7 hours. The “evening” around 17h it finally stops and it’s happy because we have to eat something hot to recover. So we go out “cook” in underpants because the pants are soaked. The clouds have finally risen and reveal a beautiful scenery. We spend a good time with our lyophi and the view. It’s crazy the speed with which we go from one emotion to another on a hike: we alternate between saying “but why are I fucking here? Why am I doing this?” at times of grace offered by a view, a hot little thing to eat or just a good joke. It is also that finally that one comes to look here, the simple things which have a real beneficent impact on you.

We will go to bed early, rain resuming in the early evening. Fortunately our sleeping bags are not wet.

This day will have been very rich in teaching, first and even if we know it is the speed at which a difficult situation can happen, it is also the fact that the water will always cross but it is especially the harshness of the climate here. This day changed our perception of this trek. We went from wild “walk” to engaged hike. Tonight we especially want to get out of here. Our arrival in Rapadalen will have been very sporting.

In terms of feedback, I think we have prepared too much in “French Mountains” mode. Sweden requires a particular approach especially in terms of moisture management. Afterwards, we will have to review some points. But let’s be reassured too, we overcame that and the Swedish father / daughter duo we met today will say to Saltoluokta (where we find them) that they had a lot of problems too and it was hard so good, if even experienced local galley, it’s ok!

In the meantime I fall asleep, exhausted, warm and listening to the rain outside. I hope it will stop by tomorrow morning.

It rained again tonight but at least this morning it stopped … By cons everything is obviously wet from yesterday. I must admit that this morning I have no desire to get up and put on clothes full of water (pants, socks, …).

But hey … you have to go. We fold the camp and we start. It was not too bad recovery from the day before but Quentin still has bad left knee and the right one starts to make his too … it’s not good sign and we have 60km to go …

The beginning of the path is still and always in the dense and wet forest, we will not dry today … By road I hear a vague trace of track that seems to have been recently trod by a human given the few footprints that we find here and there. It is far from the beautiful Padjelanta and its 4-star layout. Here no boardwalk in the swamps, you have to go straight and up to mid-calves sometimes. And marsh level we are served today. Anyway to summarize we have the choice between the forest of wet birches, swamps and a bush dense to the height of man who whips your face … A real treat.

In spite of everything one progresses and the few passages close to the water reveal every time a splendid landscape with, in the background, the Gådoktjåhkkå all sprinkled with fresh snow.

The further we go, the less the trace is visible. It often disappears in rivers and marshes.

Early afternoon, Nammàsj (pronounced Nammatche) is in sight, it’s our destination. We are trying to set up camp near the landing stage that normally leads to Akste but is no longer operational at this time.

We will reach our destination around 16h. We have a nice bivouac area and above all an incredible view of Rapadalen.

The camp installed, we s’atèle our classic tasks: drying business (we even have the chance to have the sun!), Photo, foot care … Moreover, when it comes to feet, mine start to get a little tired of being so wet that I have some open sores on the heels and a toe that starts gently to purge … but hey, when you walk 8 hours a day in swamps you must not s’ wait for better – we also meet a Swede later who had an interesting philosophy: “Get wet and accept” (Be soaked and accept it) …

We will light a small fire tonight. What to warm a little even if the wet wood does not heat very hard.

The day was good in the end and we made good progress despite the difficult terrain and the knee of Quentin. The bivouac is really beautiful and pleasant. Once again, the lights of the self make you want to take pictures continuously.

Because it’s freezing, we will soon be joining our down.

It was cold tonight! With Matthieu it was because we are two in the tent and we have good duvets but Quentin is well peeled. We had about -5 ° C. The funny thing is that since everything is soaked, and everything has frozen, even the shoes. So we have the good fortune to put good big blocks of ice right after the sunrise.

By cons who says cool night said pretty sunny morning atmosphere :

The first step of the day is to climb the Skierffe. Just 600m from D +, it is not huge but there is no way on this side which changes the situation in the end. So we start off trail through the birch forest once again relatively dense.

In order to find you I advise you to aim at the waterfall that descends to the left of the Skierffe. Following this course you will not encounter any major difficulties. There is just the Nammàsjjåhkå to cross but looking a bit you can find a watchtower.

We arrive quickly at the beginning of the climb which is done largely in the forest. The slope is quite steep and the lack of path does not help but by going quietly no worries. In addition, the view is more and more beautiful as one raises what gives balm to the heart:

You will reach a “false” plane at the top of the climb where trees are scarce. Take direction to the right (full east) at this time. Once the cascade has passed from above, you start the long final slope towards the summit. I advise you not to walk too close to the cliff, already for safety but especially to have the surprise of the view when you reach the highest point of Skierffe.

And I must tell you that this view is absolutely beautiful! From above you kiss in a glance Rapadalen and its delta, Nammàsj very small down, Tjahkelij, the lakes of Làjtavrre and Tjaktjajàvrre, … It’s amazing! To the north you can also admire the large empty moors that extend to Lake Sitojaure. The Skierffe keeps its promises in any case and we are happy and far from the harshness of the last days. That’s why we walk: to see these unique and wonderful landscapes with our own eyes.

We take advantage of this magical place to make our lunch break. However at 1179m altitude it is cold especially in the Far North, we cool quickly being static. Still some photos and we take the road again.

The continuation of the path must lead us to the lake Sitojaure, for that we must reach the Kungsleden but the path goes down to Akste to go up. So we decide to cut straight past the Doaresoajvve. We find ourselves again off the trail in a very pleasant terrain walking freely. The landscapes are superb: tundra as far as the eye can see with a backdrop of great peaks all white.

We finally reach the Kungsleden which seems to us a highway after these 7 days in the pampas: the path is wide, perfectly marked and marked up every 10m. In short we advance quickly on the end of the plateau and then in a forest / swamp relatively sad.

Around 16:30 we arrive in sight of the little cabin near the pier which allows to cross the lake. From here we can take a motor boat but as we do not have enough Swedish crowns on us (400Kr / pers), we say that we will row on the 4.5km except that … there a 0 rowing boat! There should be at least one except that no … It’s a problem!

Fortunately for us there is an American waiting for 1h the boat to pass the other side. We will wait until the driver arrives and see with her how we can arrange to pay for our crossing (euros, transfer, ..).

Then starts the wait, we do not know what time it will pass, there is just a word saying that it will … We wait while chatting with the American hiker, nibbling, improvising a petanque to pebble base, …

Time passes and is long, after 2 hours of waiting we begin to wonder what we will do ….

Fortunately, our pilot will arrive around 18:30. Fortunately she also accepts euros, so we will be able to cross tonight and not waste time. So we embark all four and left for 10 minutes crossing.

The distance is really long to the small village on the other side. I think that rowing is possible but it is a good step not to undertake if there is too much wind! And I’m not even talking about the case where you have to make an extra round trip to bring a boat to the other side. I advise you to prefer the passage with the motorboat even if it is expensive.

We arrive on the other side, we land and we take the time to chat with the pilot who is also a reindeer breeder. Initially we thought we would stay well at the Sitojaurestugorna for the night (a refuge) but she advised us to continue the road 3km further to bivouac and spend the 50 € of the night (500kr) Saltoluokta is more fun according to her.

So we take the road at dusk walking quickly to try not to arrive at night. The Kungsleden is still “rolling”, so we need just 45 minutes to cover the 3km to the bivouac near a water point.

It’s already dark when we get on camp. We will have the visit of a beautiful red fox, not afraid who will approach a few meters to glean a little food I think. He will leave after a while leaving us to our lyophi eaten in the light of the headlight.

The sky is clear, it will still be cold tonight. We sleep for the last time in our tents because tomorrow is the last day.

The mercury is still down well tonight as evidenced by the frozen tent awakening. The rising sun also reveals the beautiful landscape that surrounds us and which we could not enjoy yesterday. I love these early morning atmosphere where everything is calm and peaceful.

We fold the camp one last time and we take the road for the 15km that separate us from the Saltoluokta fjallstation.

The landscapes are really beautiful all along this stretch of road, moreover we are lucky to have a big sun today, the perfect time to finish the trek. It’s the first day without any rain.

So we go forward the light heart happy to find the civilization after these 8 days not always easy.

It will take us only 4 hours to travel the distance that separates us from the “resort”, 4 hours of show offered by nature:

We will arrive in Saltoluokta around 13h. There are a lot of people here, it’s even surprising and a little destabilizing after a week having almost nobody. I always need a little moment to land …

The rest of the day will be shared between a small beer, a sauna tour with a beautiful view of the lake and the valley, a good evening meal (~ 25 €).

In the evening we will wait for the dawn and we will be rewarded by a beautiful show! A great way to finish this trek.

We will fall asleep with our head full of northern lights in our room.

The next day we will take the boat at 12:30 and then the bus to Kiruna where we will spend a day before returning to France.

From the bus ride, we will feel a nostalgia for the great outdoors and the “Wild”. Unfortunately we say goodbye to Lapland but already we want to go back to live such an experience again.

What an adventure ! I wanted to go to Sarek as soon as I heard about it and my hopes were not disappointed. Sarek is wild, hard, beautiful, breathtaking. The dimension of Nature, whether landscape or weather, make you feel very small. It is rare nowadays, in Europe at least, to walk 3, 5 or even 7 days without crossing a real human structure or even people or just 2min time to cross.

This trek will have been one of the hardest that I have done and it is the same for my acolytes. The field was the main difficulty but the weather will have arranged nothing. But besides that, the reward offered by the landscapes and all these little indescribable moments largely compensate for the difficulties. A few days after our return Quentin was talking about amnesia to pain, I like this picture. We forget what was wrong and we only keep the good and we immediately want to leave a little further, a little longer. I do not know yet where it will be, but what is certain is that the call of the North will still be strong in the coming months.