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Climbing Sweden’s second-highest mountain

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WILDERNESS ACTIVITY. In the last week of August, activists from the Nordic Resistance Movement scaled the northern peak of Sarektjåkkå mountain in Lapland, northern Sweden.

Last year, comrades from Nest 4 and Nest 6 hiked through Sarek National Park to climb Sarektjåkkå, Sweden’s second-highest mountain, after Kebnekaise. However, a severe storm put a stop to their plans.

Sarektjåhkkå hiking, Lapland

As such, a new (and more successful) attempt was made this year. This time, comrades from Nest 1 also took part in the hike, which lasted for five days.

Sarektjåhkkå hiking, LaplandSarektjåhkkå hiking, LaplandSarek hiking, SwedenSarek hiking, SwedenSarektjåhkkå hiking, Lapland

Just like last year, the participants started from the Suorva Dam in Stora Sjöfallet National Park. On the second day, they entered the eastern parts of Sarek and camped closer to Sarektjåkkå than the year before.

Sarektjåhkkå camping, Lapland

On the third day, Tuesday, 24 August, the activists headed for two of Sarektjåkkå’s four peaks. After hiking along the valley to Sarekvárásj mountain, which is located in the middle of the valley, beside a large lake, they walked past some smaller mountains and up along the northeast side of Sarektjåkkå.

Sarektjåhkkå NRM flagSarektjåhkkå hikingSarek NRM flag

As the party climbed upwards, they were met by an increasingly beautiful view, before reaching the point where the mountaintop was covered with clouds and the visibility worsened. At around 3 p.m., the comrades reached Nordtoppen, which, at 2,056 metres above sea level, is the fifth-highest mountain peak in Sweden. The visibility there was limited to about 10 metres in all directions, and it began to snow with a very cold wind.

Sarektjåhkkå hikingSarektjåhkkå hiking NRM flagSarektjåhkkå hikingSarektjåhkkå hiking

From Nordtoppen, the party then went as far as they could along the ridge towards Stortoppen, which stands at 2,089 metres above sea level, making it the third-highest mountain peak in Sweden, after the two peaks on Kebnekaise. However, it proved to be an optimistic undertaking to reach the summit. The activists were stopped by a section that even under normal circumstances required climbing equipment, and it was now also covered in ice and snow. It was therefore not possible to get closer to the summit.

Sarektjåhkkå hiking, LaplandConsequently, the activists had to content themselves with the altitude they had attained and then hike back down to the base camp in the valley. By the time they were back in the camp it was 10 p.m., and everyone was drenched by the rain after descending from the higher altitude where it had been snowing. Even so, everyone managed to dry themselves off and warm up, before indulging in a lie-in the following morning.

Sarektjåhkkå hiking, Lapland

A pedometer app on one of the comrades’ phones estimated that the hike on Tuesday was 30 km long. As such, the group took things a little easier on Wednesday and only walked about 10 km when hiking out of the valley and Sarek itself. Finally, the activists walked back to Suorva on the last day and rounded off this year’s hike, tired and worn out but also very happy to have finally scaled one of the peaks in Sarek!

Sarektjåhkkå hiking, Lapland