Låktatjåkka

Sweden
2 days in August, 2014

A circuit hike between Björkliden and the Låktatjåkka hut.


Day 1
Björkliden - Låktatjåkka

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A group of reindeers
 
 

Playing with hiking maps :)
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The glacier and lake next to the Låktatjåkka hut
 
 

Låktatjåkka hut, the highest in Sweden (1250 meters or so)
 
 

The hut is from the 1920s, and the interior is charming.
They serve good food, and is famous for their waffles.
 
 

View from the hut
 
 

Sara was here in 1988 and found their entry in the guestbook :)
Lena found an entry from when she was here in 1962.
 
 

Old guestbook from the 1940s
 
 

Finn's first overnight in an alpine hut.
But first some reading and playing before bedtime.
 
 

 
 
 

In the evening, we climbed the Låktatjåkka peak (1450 meters or so).
At first it was misty, so we waited, hoping for it to clear up...
 
 

...and so it did. View to the north.
On the opposite side is the Vadvetjåkka national park.
The flat valley floor was once covered by a gigantic glacier
 
 

 
 
 

Norway in the distance
 
 

Day 2: Låktatjåkko hut - Björkliden
(we walked back a slghtly different route)
 

In the morning the weather was very clear,
so we climbed the Låktatjåkka peak again.
 
 

The lake on the left is Torne träsk. It is 70 km long, 800 meters deep(!) and surrounded by mountains on all sides. It's not Sweden's largest lake, but perhaps the most majestic one.
 
 
Finding Kebnekajse, Sweden's highest peak, somewhere in the far distance.
 
 

Some nice mountains, and a small alpine lake (to the right)
 
 

The U shaped mountain in the distance is called Lapporten ("the gate of Lapland")
 
 

On the way back to Björkliden
 
 
I have often seen green lichen on the rocks, but in these mountains there are also yellow and orange ones
 
 
Finn stretching his legs. It's fun to be carried on the back for a while, but after an hour or so it's more fun to run around :)
 
 
 
 
 

My mother with the mighty Torne träsk lake in the background
 
 
 
 
 
The vegetation in this area is just amazing. I wonder what the place looks like in a month, when the autumn colors have arrived
 
 

The "Syndafallet" waterfall
 
 

This small hut is an unstaffed café with a superb view.
This is where you should sit in winter, drinking coffee and
watching the Aurora Borealis!
 
 

Lapporten ("the gate to Lapland") in Abisko national park,
seen from our hut in Björkliden.