Tours › 2007 › Sarek › Summary

Summary

The forecasts were wrong. Well, perhaps they weren't really, but I certainly had much more fair weather than a quick look at the prognoses may have indicated, and even when it was bad it was not too bad. The only day that can be considered truly dismal as a whole was the second one, and I do concede that if the following day had seen no change I would seriously have considered aborting in some fashion. But it did change – and what a change! The trek through Ruohtesvágge was one long delight, and seeing the impressive landscape of central Sarek – and the mighty Sarektjĺhkkĺ in particular – in its full splendor was simply awesome. It also felt good being able to walk the route to the end, defeating the Skájdásjvágge stream that so many people have spoken of without difficulty, and to return to Saltoluokta at long last. It was a shame about Lĺddebákte/Rapaselet, though, but this won't exactly be the last chance I get...

It is fairly common to meet a defensive attitude when "visiting Sarek" is the topic of conversation, with phrases such as "you need lots of experience", "it is not for everyone" and "don't go" being thrown about – and quite a few of those who profess to know things would balk at someone like me who enters the park on his own. This can sometimes be construed as haughty; that those who spread it wish to keep Sarek "for themselves", for whatever reason. In any case, warranted or not, the name of Sarek does bring with it certain connotations to this day, and in many circles having been there – especially if it is repeatedly over the course of many years – can bestow a degree of status on people. The park is, after all, Sweden's last truly alpine region of wilderness that remains mostly unaffected by exploitation, and regardless of the hardships (real or imagined) and the conquest thereof involved in a "successful" visit, it is a singular place worthy of renown.

Now, because of the resulting lack of practical aids that are otherwise common along the large trails, there are still some things to consider before setting out on a Sarek tour. Apart from the previously mentioned three (3) bridges, every stream, large and small, must be crossed without any help other than what wanderers themselves can muster, there are no accessible cabins or huts save for the small telephone building at Skárjá, and that is also the only telephone there is in case of an emergency (mobile phones do not work). Furthermore the park is large, and from its central parts it is a walk of several days to the nearest trail or cottage, and farther still to the nearest road, and the terrain is in many places difficult – there are no marked trails, but a number of paths that have arisen over the years do indeed help.

Finally, depending on one's choice of travel route and time period one can find oneself very far removed from any human life, which necessitates appropriate knowledge and equipment, but if one sticks to the existing paths in the large valleys during the main tourist season one will encounter quite a few other hikers – Sarek may be wild by our standards, but it is not desolate, and its age-old function as a living cultural landscape is still perpetuated by the local Sámi. As for advice for or against going, I will only say this: if you know and understand the implications of the conditions outlined above, then go – if you don't, don't.

Regarding my own experience, I thought there was nothing to it, really. But then again conditions were pretty favorable this time, and stories of expeditions turned most unpleasant abound. The preceding winter had brought large amounts of snow in Sarek and the melting was slow, which meant that in the early summer it was pretty difficult getting anywhere due to all the water, and reports of the worst mosquito invasion in years were a bit worrying. By the time I got there, however, I noticed nothing quite out of the ordinary regarding either of these subjects; in fact it was only along the large trails that the mosquitos were a bother – inside the park I hardly used the repellant at all.

Since Sarek is the area in Sweden that has the highest precipitation rates, I cannot complain at all about the proverbial hand I was dealt; I was given truly exceptional sights throughout the tour, and I consider it to be a great success. It certainly did anything but scare me off, and I fully mean to make a habit out of Sarekkian journeys in the future. The size and complexity of the park make for excellent variability, and it will take a long time to reach the level of the Norwegians on day 6 – and that's not taking into account all the peaks, minor valleys, passes and glaciers either.

I suppose this makes me a member of the "circles" referred to in the second paragraph, but I for one will absolutely endeavor to encourage people to discover and explore this jewel of nature! As for myself, I shall at the very least need to return to get better photographs...

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