Kebnekaise till Ritsem via Sirččám och Gágirjávri / Teusajaure

[Robtrek]

Kebnekaise to Ritsem via Sirččám and Gágirjávri / Teusajaure
Hi, I'm planning to cross the Sirččám and the Teusa River. Sometimes it is possible, I saw a report from 2012. Are there any new reports with the exact location of these two river crossings?
If the water level in the Teusa river is too high, I can go northeast along Kårsatjåkka (Gorsačohkka) to the Teusajaure cottages. On the map, it seems simple. Has anyone done this recently?
Thanks!

I found this information:

Till Stora Sjöfallet från Norr?!?

Hejsan, Sitter och klurar på årets fjällvandring. I år är det en vandring genom myggornas förlovade rike som gäller, dvs Sjaunja. Planen är att starta i Fjällåsen och sen gå rakt väster ut och avsluta vandringen vid Stora Sjöfallet eller eventuellt Vakkotavare. Men det finns ett litet krux i...

www.utsidan.se

Väg till Kårsatjåkka från Stora Sjöfallet?

Hejsan, Jag undrar om någon vet om det går att ta sig upp till Kårsatjåkka från Stora Sjöfallet på ett smidigt sätt. Givetvis vet jag att man kan gå Kungsleden Teusajaure, men det är inget bra alternativ för oss. När man kollar på kartan verkar det bara finnas ett möjligt vandringsalternativ...

www.utsidan.se

 

[HasseQ]

Why not get a packraft, this one weighs around a kilo, without paddles. https://packraft-sverige.se/produkt/anfibio-nano-rtc-packraft-pa-under-1-kg/

 

[undvall]

Hello,

This is a very nice trek there you are likely to meet very few people. But I must admit that crossing Sirččám seems like a close to impossible challange. There is a lot of water flowing into Padje and Kaska Kaitumjaure! But it should be possible to hike down to Tjuonajåkk and get a boat lift there.

Regarding you actual question, I have no answer. I have never hiked along Kårasatjåkka, but I do think it has been done. But in your shoes I would have considered to just cross Eatnamjohka and go stright up the rather step ridge heading north-west aiming for Sliekniamchohkka and then down to Teusajaurestugorna.

I have howver crossed Teusa river, but then we did bring a floatable (packraft like Hasse is suggesting) which makes that crossing so much easier.

/ Stefan

 

[ripjägarn]

Nice trip!
I suggest a boat trip fromTjuonajokk fishing camp to cross Kaitum river. Teusa river can normally be crossed just downstream Suorkijaur. There is also the possibility to cross Teusajaur via the Kings trail. God luck!

 

[Robtrek]

Tack för alla svar.

I have never hiked along Kårasatjåkka, but I do think it has been done. But in your shoes I would have considered to just cross Eatnamjohka and go stright up the rather step ridge heading north-west aiming for Sliekniamchohkka and then down to Teusajaurestugorna.

Exakt, detta är min alternativa väg. Det ser väldigt attraktivt ut på kartan också.

I have howver crossed Teusa river, but then we did bring a floatable (packraft like Hasse is suggesting) which makes that crossing so much easier.

Jag tar inte med mig min packraft på den här vandringen. Om strömmen i Teuse-floden inte är stark kan jag möjligen använda min luftmadrass för att få ryggsäcken torr över floden. Jag fattar beslutet på plats. Det skulle vara viktigt att veta var floden Teuse bäst kan passeras om vattnet inte är för högt.

 

[Tobbe C]

Hi there! I have also read the report from the german guy crossing Sirččám and once there was also a lot of pictures along with his report. His pictures showed a lower water level at Sirččám than I've seen in any other picture of the rapids and still it sounded really crazy and dangerous! Trying to cross Sirččám seems almost suicidal, I would not recommend it! Asking for a boat-ride in Tjuonajåkk (as already mentioned) is probably your best option, unless you hike via the Kaitumjaure huts and use the bridges there. Easiest route around Kårsatjåkka is to the east and north of the massif through Livamvággi, then you don't have to cross the Teusa river (use the boats along the King's trail). The Teusa river should sometimes be crossable (maybe I attempt that myself this summer) near the mouth into Gágirjávri* but it also depends on the water level in the hydroelectric reservoir, not only the water level in the river...

______________
*Some more details in this comment: https://www.utsidan.se/forum/threads/vaeg-till-karsatjakka-fran-stora-sjoefallet.61659/post-742976

 

[Robtrek]

For the benefit of everybody: my german colleague kindly sent me the coordinates of his river crossings in 2011.
Sirččám approx. 67.65453 18.70462
Teusa river approx. 67.62743 18.34274
He also sent me some fotos of both crossings, they look not too difficult. But as you mentioned above, he probably had very low water level. And even at this low level, he was in the water up to his hip (Sirččám) and his navel (Teusa).
Thanks to him for his pioneer trek, and to all of you for your kind answers.

 

[Tobbe C]

Thanks, I've been wondering about the exact location of his crossing of the Teusa river! As for your continuing planning; also pre-plan alternative routes if any of the crossings looks difficult and leave room in your schedule to go around to a safer crossing. Good luck and I wish you a beautiful trip!

 

[Robtrek]

My colleague has added the fotos to his 2011 trip report. You can see his report crossing the
Sirččám and Teusa river here (scroll down).

 

[Robtrek]

Good luck and I wish you a beautiful trip!

I returned from my long trek Abisko-Harrå and while I saw many exciting places, without any doubt the views around Sirččam were the most beautiful of all. Even in Sarek I've seen nothing that could match the scenery of blue Kaitumjaure in front of the snowcapped mountains...

As for the Sirččam crossing, it wasn't particularly difficult. I've shot 2 videos, one with a first impression when I reached the ford, and the second one after the crossing with a comment in English, detailing the route I just took.

My background is river rafting rather than trekking and as far as I could tell when reading the Sirččam rapid, water level was just about normal. It hadn't rained for the past 2 days but there definitely had been a lot of heavy rain in the week before. However, I would be interested to hear the opinion from people who have seen Sirččam at different water levels. Given the exceptional beauty of that area and the ease of crossing the river (at least in my case, knee-deep at most), I wonder why there are no tourists. From Singistugorna to the railway line at Harrå, I didn't see any people at all, except for the Tjuonajåkk fishing lodge in the far distance across Kaitumälven.

Thank you Sweden for allowing us to share in the beauty of your nature this summer!

 

[Tobbe C]

Thank you for your follow up!
What date did you cross? You can see a calculated value of the flow here which usually is quite good. Enter 36327 into the search box. If you want data from further back you can go here and again search for 36327. Download and open the spreadsheet, the latest data (daily average) is under the tab "dygnsuppdaterade värden".

Your route choice certainly looks a lot better than going through the middle of the rapids as it seems like the first German guy did and his report did not sound safe. I haven't been there myself but looking at the amount of exposed rocks I say that the water level still was fairly low but certainly within the normal range of course (low to high). This is just downstream a fairly big lake which evens out discharge from rain pretty good.

There are no tourists because there are no huts, trails, or bridges. It is quite easy to find desolate areas in the Swedish mountains if you keep away from the trails. Remember, Sweden only has 10 million inhabitants on an area larger than Germany.

I'm glad you enjoyed the trip!

 

[Robtrek]

What date did you cross? You can see a calculated value of the flow here which usually is quite good. Enter 36327 into the search box.

Oh thanks for this useful website! I crossed August 23. If I interpret the data on the website correctly, the waterflow on that day was 54 m2/s, which is close to the maximal level. In the years 1981-2019, the maximum occurred in 2019 with 56 m2/s. In most years, however, waterflow would be around half of that.

If my interpretation of the data is correct, the ford can be recommended for normal use by trekkers.