March 2017: Wilderness Cabin Trip in Padjelanta

The group gathers in Gällivare. We spend the evening preparing for our trip, familiarizing ourselves with the route and double checking everyone’s gear.

We travel to Stora Sjöfallet and join a guided tour at the nature museum. After lunch we will drive to Ritsem, organize our gear and set off over lake Akkajaure. Once we have crossed, we will spend the night at Akka cabins beneath Akka massif.

We awaken to the lonely, snow-covered wilderness and begin our journey into Padjelanta. Our skis carry us southwest through a valley that is home to a few stubborn birch trees. Towards the end of the day we will arrive at lake Kutjaure and shortly thereafter reach the Kutjaure cabins that lie by an unfrozen rapid. We enter into the warmth of the cabins to relax and enjoy a dinner of home dried food.

We are settling in to our new rythym. We are in no man’s land and our objective is to carry on. Occupied with our own thoughts and the sounds of Padjelanta’s silence we head to lake Vastenjaure. Lengthy mountain ridges surround us today. Our ski is through a relatively flat valley ending with a mild climb up to Laddejåkka cabins.

A hearty breakfast of porridge with blueberries prepares us for our longest day yet. Vi greet the cold air as we top a 250m climb and find ourselves in a high pass with unbeatable views over this free land. Soon we ski down again towards lake Virihaure where there is a summertime Sami settlement. We look forward to a rejuvenating sauna and an encounter with Sami culture.

Ruins of simple hits, pens and dwellings remind that this area has been used by humans for ages, perhaps as far back as 10 000 years when the continental ice sheet retreated. Today is an easy day, we will do some day trips around Saltoluokta and participate in Sami activities in order to learn a bit about their lifestyle. has important grazing grounds for the Sami villages Sirges, Jåhkågasska and Duorbon.

We leave the open and still outlook over Virihaure and head southwest again. A wide valley leads us slowly upwards and we climb 300m in total over the course of the day. We end up at Tuottar cabins, well known for unpredictable weather. We are also near Sarek’s skyline and can admire the jagged peaks on our eastern horizon.

We awaken with a panorama view of our stark, uninhabited surroundings. Its impossible not to feel the tickle of freedom here in the ”high lands”, Padjelanta. The name comes from Luleåsami and suggests that most of the park is above treeline. Vi continue south over rolling terrain and finally descend into Tarra valley. This valley is infamous for its thriving nature, vegetation, animals and surrounding peaks.

From Tarraluoppa cabins vi follow a meandering river through Tarra valley that leads us south. We will probably see a moose or two, at peace here, like us. We enjoy a warm lunch of home dried beans in the snow and the feeling of true wilderness is exhilarating.

On our next to last day we approach civilisation again and are flanked by the Tarrekaise massif. This area is home to lynx and is speckled with impressive peaks. The cabins in Njunjes have previously been home to settlers and at this point the valley opens wide. We stay the night at Njunjes. We have views over deep green forest to the east, the narrow valley to the west and a looming cliff to the north.

Our last day takes us through the forest and can enjoy a smaller environment for a change. We follow a respectable stream that is probably still frozen at this time. As we approach kvikkjokk the river opens wide and we happily ski in under the sign that says “The King’s Trail”. One of the trails through Kvikkjokk is in fact part of the well-travelled trail from Hemavan and Abisko in northern Sweden. Finally it is time for some luxurious accomodation with a delicious dinner buffet and a sauna. We join a guided tour to a smelting hut to which they previously transported iron ore from a mine in Padjelanta. Our guide Björn has many exciting stories about how the Sami have been exploited in order to serve the Swedish rulers of the time. This allows us to put this beautiful park in context and understand the modern conflict between the Sami and mining companies.

The nearly deserted town of Kvikkjokk only offers one bus that can bring us back home and that’s the school bus. We leave at five in the morning towards Jokkmokk. In Jokkmokk you can visit the Sami museum Ajjte which we highly recommend. Either way the trip ends here and those that wish can continue to Luleå the same day for further transport home.