Sarek, Suorva - Ritsem via Ruohtesvagge

Hej hej,

Sorry for starting this thread in English but my Swedish skills are limited, unfortunately I hope that you could still comment on the proposed tour, especially about the status of snow, rivers and bridges. I read in the Claes Grundsten guide that some bridge are only installed in late June?!

I plan to do a solo-trek at the end of June/beginning of July in the Sarek NP. As this is my first tour in the Sarek, I tried to find a route that is not to advanced (in respect to river crossing) with sufficient time to enjoy the nature. Planned route is as follows:

Bus vom Gällivare to Suorva
Suorva via Bro to Skarja
Skarja via Ruohtesvagge to Änonjalmme
Lake crossing via boat to Ritsem
Ritsem to Gällivare with bus

I plan to have 7 days for the trek from Suorva to Änonjalmme, the possible buffer to be used for a day tour to Ahkka at the end of the tour (if sufficient time available).

Tack för hjälpen, med vänliga hälsningar från tyskland
Ben

Looks good

Hello,

As far as I know you will only pass two brides during the "Sarek" part of the proposed trek, over Guhkesvakkjåhkå and over Smajllajåhkå and both these bridges should be in place in the end of June/beginning of July.

You willl definitly have sufficient time to enoy your tripp, I think the plan looks great. Then it comes to snow, this spring has been unusually warm, so unless something very strange happpens "all" snow should be gone by the time you reach Sarek. You will, of course, have to pass patches of snow, but nothing that should make hiking to difficult.

Have a nice tripp!

/ Stefan

7 days should be enough for the trip.

"Bro" = I suppose the bridge in southern Kukkesvagge. It should most definitely be there at the end of June. In the weird case it is not, the rapids can usually be crossed anyway, by a one day detour back and forth in the valley. Cross at N67 30.579 E17 46.083 (just south of Nuortap-Tjeurajaure).

Potentially most troubling streams during your trip, as far as I know:

Njabbejåkkå, N67 28.034 E18 09.964. If seems dangerous to cross, continue upstream (if not ever passable continue through Vuoskelvagge and go on to the northern parts of Kukkesvagge via the lake 1074.)

Tjågnårisjåkåtj, N67 21.354 E17 43.164, can at times be deep and rapid.

The only bridge that may make you troubles is the summer bridge at Skarja, but it is normally placed late June as already mentioned. If it's not there, it is quite impossible to follow the east side of Ruohtesvagge, since the glacier streams of Mihkajåhkå are very severe.
The bridge in Guhkesvagge is a year-round bridge and should not make problems. In case it is not OK, the crossing point mentioned by TOBIASDR 10 km upstreams is a good alternative, as his tip using Vuoskelvagge directly from the east.
If you stay on the west side walking up the Ruohtesvagge, there should be no problems with river crossings, except for maybe the beginning of Smajlajåhkå which is divided into a lot of heavy, but rather flat glacier streams.
I agree with the tips already mentioned on Tjågnårisjågåsj - there may be a snow bridge yet, which in case is situated a little upstreams the 'path'.
Njavvejågåsj could be crossed far upstreams as mentioned, but you may find tips crossing it down at the 642m lake-area. I've no experiences with this place, since I've only walked the upstream route. You'll reach this 642m lake by luck in finding a path directly southwards along the lake in Suorva. I don't remember quite where I saw the tips here at Utsidan
Note: The bridges in Sarek have already been discussed in this thread and at earlier occasions: http://www.utsidan.se/forum/showthread.php?t=74535

I just looked up the positions mentioned by you in the Fjällkartan and it's clear - very helpful. I'll try to reach Laponiatjuottjudus about the status of the bridges before leaving.

Tack!

Hi,

Just two comments:
- If crossing Tjågnårisjågåsj on the snow bridge make sure it really is strong enough, otherwise it can be rather dangerous if it collapses when you stand on it. (A friend of me was saved by his walking stick when crossing a snow bridge (traditional Swedish type of walking stick made of a small three, long and rather strong). When he fell through a hole in a snow bridge, he held the stick horizontally and it managed to carry his weight when it got caught on either side of the hole. It is impossible/difficult to see if there are any week points in the snow bridge due to water carving the snow/ice underneath.)
I have crossed Tjågnårisjågåsj at the delta before it floats in to Ráhpaajåhkå, there it was rather easy.

- If you take the short cut between Sjnjuvtjudis and Áhkká instead of following the path along the southern side of Sjnjuvtjudisjåhkå to Kisuris, the crossing of Suottasjjåhkå can be a little bit tricky. The water contains a lot of sediment which makes it difficult/impossible to see the bottom. The sediment also makes the stones in the river very slippery when you try to stand on them. I have crossed it approximately 200-300 meters upstream from where it merges with Nijákjågåsj, maybe it is easier further upstream.

Have a nice tripp!
/Rickard

ricke sa:

HWhen he fell through a hole in a snow bridge, he held the stick horizontally and it managed to carry his weight when it got caught on either side of the hole.

Klicka för att se resterande...

Scary, and a very interesting story.

In "Eiger Dreams", the adventurer Jon Krakauer describes his solo adventure up the brutal mountain Devils Thumb in Alaska. He had foreseen the risk of falling through a crevasse on the glacier that leads to the mountain, and therefore, he had fastened two long curtain poles on his backpack, pointing back and forth in the direction of walking. If he is telling the truth, he once broke through the snow over a deep crevasse and the poles saved him from a likely death.