Sarek Winter Dazzle - a brief trip into the cold

Impressions from a visit to Gássakáhko, Guhkesvágge, Liehtjitjávrre, Sluggá and Pietsjaure areas in March 2023.
There is no talking in this video so I’d like to give some information below:
I started this tour on March 20th, 2023 from a parking area named Rájvogielas on the road to Ritsem (Ristsemvägen/BD 827). There is a small sign on the road but this spot and its name is missing in some maps. This small parking area is about 15 Km before Ritsem near the mountain Rájvotjåhkkå.
Taking the road to Ritsem in winter with your own car can be a challenge when you get behind Kebnats/Sáltoluokta. Even more so if you make it passed Suorva where things get experimental. There is a seasonal bus starting at Gällivare Train Station at 8 in the morning and returning to Gällivare at around 1pm after a one hour break in Ritsem. This Bus (No 93, Ländstrafiken Norrbotten) tends to disappear from all schedules and without a hint of its existence in off season times. Don’t get confused if planning a tour way ahead of time. This bus exists. Operation starts around February 20th and the winter season ends at the end of April. It is a good idea to take this bus and leave your own car behind because this “bus” is a custom configured 4X4 based on a Mercedes Sprinter. It has 18 seats, double back tires with spikes and it has an elevated chassis. They are pulling a trailer for your skis, backpacks and pulkas. If your own car is anything less than those specs there is no guarantee to be able to get to Ritsem or worst: back! Passed Sáltoluokta the road will be cleared only at random every few days. If there is some wind going the snow will pile up high quick. In fact the road to Ritsem can feel like a trip to The Overlook Hotel in the movie “The Shining” :-)
Crossing Akkajaure on an unmarked route (like I did) is not 100 percent safe. Before I left my car I checked the lake with binoculars and decided it was safe on that day. Unlike in front of Ritsem there is no underwater outlet (coming from Sitasjaure) weakening the ice with currents so I believed this to be safe walking on skis. Taking a snowmobile might be a different thing.
On the other side of Akkajaure I found difficult terrain as expected telling from satellite pictures I studied before. The ascend to Gássakáhko is a bit of a maze. The area is dominated by little but steep hills, long canyon like cuts, boulders, areas of dense standing birches and sudden deep snow conditions. This must be extreme to cross in early winter but I had fortunate snow conditions.
Weather turned out to be great after the second day and snow conditions were perfect. I had great views to the surrounding mountains which I share in this video. I did not see anyone or any tracks.
In Guhkesvágge (on March 23rd) temperatures dropped to an unusual -33 degrees Celsius at night.
I’m using a VBR inner bag and a down mat but I felt slightly cold in my Western Mountaineering Bison sleeping bag. When I left the campsite in the morning it was still
-24. Wind was strong and full frontal. I was happy I brought a cold protection face mask which is normally not a must have item. Using my Lumix S5 for some video was a challenge that morning. Even though this camera is not rated for extreme cold conditions it worked flawlessly however the metal camera body felt like a piece of solidified carbon dioxide. I was struggling to keep a sense of touch in my hands for minutes whenever taking off my gloves to press a button on the camera body.
Around Liehtjitjávrre I finally saw some tracks from other tourers and when I approached Pietsjaure/Bietsávrre I saw the first people on snowmobiles.
You can download a map of Sarek here:
w3.nolang.se/Kartor/Fjallkarta...
Sourrounding areas here:
bengt.nolang.se/kartor/Fjallka...
There is an iphone app where you can download topographical maps for free. Search the app store for “Swedish Mountain Maps”. This app also works well with gps on location in case you get lost in the fog (unlike my Garmin inReach mini which - for reasons I don't understand - shows me an offset of about 3 Km with the 33W and 34W reference grid which is printed on the BD10 map but displays correctly on sent email map links)
I tagged some locations in the video for better orientation:
Áhkká, Gássaláhko, Niják, Suottasjtjåhkkå, Kantberget, Gávabákte, Sarektjåhkkå, Nordtoppen, Stortoppen, Bucht-toppen, Sydtoppen, Guhkesvágge, Sarekvárásj, Bierikbákte, Mellantoppen, Sarvatjåhkka, Ahpár, Ruopsok, Slugga, Pietsjaure/ Bietsávrre

[@rickrebel01]

You are such an legend, making these awesome films. Inspiring and helping people who want to do the same thing. Giving tips to everybody. I am a 22 year old adventurer and find great inspiration in your films, next year i am going to give Sarek a try. I hope that you can continue on these wonderful adventures for a long time to come, including documenting them. Thank you sir! Greetz Rick Rebel From the Netherlands

[@sareksolo2571]

Oh wow, thank you for the applaud! Good to know these videos are inspiring some, because they are quite an effort (and fun) to make :-)

[@levb.7338]

Glad your back!! Always a pleasure to watch your videos! Gonna brew some coffee and enjoy!

[@sareksolo2571]

Thank you!

[@alexgetsridof]

Nice! Was just yesterday re-watching one of your videos! Now I can again spend the evening with one! Amazing.

[@sareksolo2571]

Thank you! I will watch you videos.

[@TheCanadianXplorer]

I love your Video ! Sarek National Park is on my list ! I do the same kind of Video here in Canada, no talking, letting the audience enjoy the landscape and the adventure. I will follow you channel for sure ! And by the way, nice tent ! I also have a Hilleberg, the Nammatj 2. Cheers from Canada !

[@sareksolo2571]

Thank you! Canada must be great for these activities. I will watch your channel!

[@neilhfrancis1334]

Haunting, magnetic, somewhat risky too. You have a new subscriber 👍🇬🇧. Interesting pitching (no inner?) and packing away of your Hilleberg. No messing about there.

[@sareksolo2571]

Thank you! Yes, I don’t like the inner tent in winter. For me just two additional surfaces that will be heavily covered with ice crystals. The inner tent does not increase the stability I think (it is just a bag hanging from the outer tent) but it takes away a lot of space and is in the way (outer dimension of my sleeping bag 235cm!). The loft of the hood of my down jacket needs extra headroom. When bumping into the ceiling it snows inside the tent and that is not nice. I just don’t see any benefit of the inner tent in extreme cold conditions. Instead I use an Exped Doublemat as a floor.

[@southface06]

Thanks for a very nice video!

[@sareksolo2571]

Thank you!

[@piotrsitarz]

Nice !

[@christianneubert9605]

Thanks for sharing your journey, again. We used your last two vids to prepare for our own trip through the Sarek this year. Really sad that we didn't meet, because we were traveling at exactly the same time as you. Greetings from Germany and Norway

[@sareksolo2571]

Thank you for this feedback! It is good to know these videos are helpful or fun to some likeminded tourers. If you like, let me know where you went and when you stated your tour. I love to study the map :)

[@christianneubert9605]

​@@sareksolo2571 We started in Ritsem on March 21, 2023, and arrived in Saltoluokta on March 29, 2023. This is the route we took: Ritsem - Gisurisstugan - Renvaktarstuga - Mikkastugan - Rapa Valley - Fjällstua Aktse - Fjällstation Saltoluokta. We were really really lucky with the conditions (weather, avalanche risk, snow level etc.). Overall it was an incredibly great experience!

[@oddandrerustad4363]

Question: What Julbo shades model are you wearing? I find plenty of Julbo sunglasses on the web, but not the kind you are using, that can be tilted up and down. Looks very convenient in combination with ordinary (prescription) glasses.

[@sareksolo2571]

Google: ”Julbo Sniper Glasses”. They just about fit over small style prescription glasses. Beware you would get fogging issues if you put fabric over your lower face. Those glasses did work well together with the Airtrim cold protection mask though. Then the Airtrim needed an additional belt to stay put on my head at least :-)

[@camouflage962]

the only good thing about "South"... are the routes towards the North !

[@user-uj9mn3hk8d]

Fantastic trip! I can almost feel the cold here. What type of camera do you use? Do they work well in the cold? Hope you post more videos , just love it !

[@sareksolo2571]

Thank you!. Most of it is shot with an older GoPro Hero 6 in 2.7K mode. When temperatures drop below -20 Celsius in the night the camera tends to go to its factory default settings on the first take in the morning. After one or two takes some internal heat will be generated and the camera works as expected. I am scared to buy a newer model because you never know what the quirks will be. I also have a Lumix S5 with a Sigma 1.4/ 20mm and a Canon 1.2/ 50mm (both with Canon EF mount and an adapter for Lumix). To my surprise this camera worked flawlessly at temperatures of -30 Celsius although not rated for this use by the manufacturer. I power both cameras externally with a cable and big batteries wich I keep close to my body the whole time while the tiny internal batteries are removed. The GoPro is wrapped in Fabric to reduce wind noise on the internal mics. I also have a separate sound recorder and microphones with wind protection.

[@mobilewintercamp7515]

Fantastic trip, excellent video. Nice equipment you have. What tent is that and what goggles or eye wear is that? I like how it flips up out of the way.

[@sareksolo2571]

Thank you! Google for:„Julbo sniper goggles“. Tent is a Hilleberg Nammatj 2 GT. I attached some „snowflaps“ myself. In this video Mr. Hilleberg explains why he does not believe in snowflaps: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWa1YpZrZ6ugl7sfeature=shared However I don‘t think this to be the full picture because he keeps pointing at the top of the tent. My worries are storm winds getting under the tent once the surrounding terrain transforms. This happens when all the snow relocates in a stormy night. Also the whole tent might deform in wind gusts so wind could easily get under the tent. Under deep snow conditions it is difficult to solidly tie down the base of the tent with pegs. These are some of the reasons why I made this addition to an otherwise great all purpose tent.

[@oddandrerustad4363]

Internet on its finest!

[@sareksolo2571]

🙂

[@nukenk8099]

will it be nice to go there during the first couple day of January ? I'm also planning on such cross country ski tour but i can't find enough infos.

[@sareksolo2571]

January is dark 24/7 and a challenge. There is a lot of info but you have to invest a lot of time for you research ;-)

[@mikecharlie9909]

From France, Thank you for sharing these awesome places and experiences with us ! Very interesting and informative, and, as I'm planning to go there early February, it gives me food for thoughts and useful sights. Still unsure if I will stay on the Padjelanta side, or if I will go inside Sarek's majestic wilderness. It will probably depend on the weather forecast and snow conditions. Any recommendations for an early February trip ? Do you feel that crossing the lake from Ritsem would be a safe bet at this period of time? Mike.

[@sareksolo2571]

Thank you! Getting to Ritsem early February can be difficult. There is no bus connection yet and there is hardly anyone out there. The road will be cleared only at random behind Kebnats/ Saltoluokta for some very few Vattenfall and Sami people who have business there. If you want to be on the safe side you have to come with a big 4 x 4 and snow chains. This winter (23/24)has been cold so far and I’m quite sure you can cross Akkajaure early February on skis. But of course I’m not in a position to give you a „go“ because in the end I don’t know. I assume they will measure the ice thickness and mark a route around mid February preparing for the winter season starting at the end of February. When I crossed there in early March of 22 I noticed the markings to be different than on the map. Route in front of Ritsem was north west along the shore about 1,5 Km (Västra Ritsenjåhkå - avoiding the underwater outlet right in front of Ritsem!) before turning to the south end of those unnamed islands in the middle of the lake. From there it was a straight line to the summer boat dock (Änonjalmme). Kvikkjokk is a better option in early winter. It is an all year settlement with a regular (big size) bus connection to Jokkmokk. Road is good and clearad at all times. Beware of Jokkmokk Winter Market early February. All accommodations might be booked. From Kvikkjokk you could go up Padjelantaleden, go through Sarvesvagge to Rapadalen and back to Kvikkjokk on Kungsleden. I have met two women who made that route in mid February. So it might be possible - although the west side of Sarvesvagge looks scary to me on the map regarding avalanches. Overall early winter is really challenging!

[@mikecharlie9909]

@@sareksolo2571 thanks for your reply, really appreciate 🙏 as the winter bus will only start at the very end of February, ritsem might be a no go. Do you know if there could be a way to get a drop at kebnats (local / taxi / other) at this period of time? Otherwise I will have to make my way from and to Kvikkjokk. I will have a look for the market, but as I will bring the tent, it doesn't bother me to start with a cold night on the outside 😁

[@sareksolo2571]

I had "Jokkmokks Taxi" drop me off at Suorva in 2020 (not cheap). They are about the only Taxi company somewhat close to that area doing this. You are better off making an appointment because they can be quite busy doing medical transports in the area. They might also be a source of information. Than there is Fiskflyg :-)@@mikecharlie9909

[@mikecharlie9909]

@@sareksolo2571 I will give it a try, could be an interesting source of information about the winter road ;) Thanks again 👍 Hope that your plans for this season are going well 😀

[@mikecharlie9909]

​@@sareksolo2571 Hi ! Just to thank you again for your video and answers. I went early february for a start/ end in Kvikkjokk, and did a nice loop between Kungsleden / Sarek / Padjelanta. What a trip! 😊

[@thomasmullee3049]

Every day fresh shaven ? Electro shaver ?

[@sareksolo2571]

A higher KZbin resolution setting might render a different conclusion altogether ;-)