Sarek Vassjabakte Skajdasjvagge

Sorry, I speak no Swedish, I hope I have got the right area in the forum.

My question: Has somebody crossed in the Sarek already from the Skierffe the Vassjabakte, the Skajdasjvagge down into the Basstavagge? Is this possible to be done with luggage and without rope harness etc.?

greetings from Germany

Volker

I have not done this myself, but other people have written about it.

It seems to be quite fair, and you don´t need climbing equipment. Of course you have to choose a proper path, but that should be easy to find if the weather is clear.

You start from Vassjavagges highest point and walk up to Vassjabakte. Seems to be thrilling!

Hopefully someone in this community has been there and can give a more complete answer.

/Hans

If there is a problem it's probably getting down Skájdásjvágge. I haven't been there myself, but I've hiked through other narrow canyon-like valleys and it can be quite dangerous if the slopes are steep enough and go right down to the stream at the bottom.

It doesn't look too bad on the map though. If you don't get any answers I'd recommend taking a chance, and if Skájdásjvágge turns out to be too steep you can turn back and take another way down to Sitojaure or Rapadalen.

I'm interested in this route myself, either through Skájdásjvágge or some other way from Vássjávágge down to Rinim, so let us know how it goes.

I haven't taken that route either, but I have hiked through Pastavagge and Skájdásjvágge looks narrow and steep from that direction.

However more useful information is provided by Claes Grundsten who writes about Skájdásjvágge in his guidebook "Vandra kungsleden 2". Freely translated:

Skaitatjvagge
The name of the valley means "between the creeks", and in the upper part the valley is wedged into two water-bearing branches with a mountain-ridge between them. This is one of the routes in Sarek with the highest altitudes, the pass is situated 1610 meters above sea level. It connects Pastavagge with Rapadalen and is valuable as a shortcut. However, it is an unusual burst of effort to get to the crest. The passage is rather a climb than a hike. When starting in Pastavagge you walk along the west side of the watercourse and wade it higher up in order to follow the ridge between the ravines. The slope to the pass, where you meet an impressive and wide view, is broad and boulder-dominated. The south-side is steeper and demands awareness. You keep to the west side. Down by Vassjalåptå you either choose between taking the route to Vassjavagge and further over Jåkåtjkaskalako to Aktse, or down the ravine where Alep Vassjajåkåtj through which you reach Rapadalen. The route over the pass stretches 10 kilometers from valley to valley.

Ah, great! That means that it's completely possible. I haven't read the "Vandra Kungsleden" books, because I thought they were about, well, Kungsleden.

So if one would come from the south and wanted to follow these directions one would zig-zag up the slope to the 1764 and 1698 peaks of Vássjá and then follow the ridge to the east to Vássjábákte and then down Skájdásjvágge, keeping to the west side? The direct route from the highest point of Vássjávágge up to Vássjábákte doesn't look any steeper and should probably be possible as well, but if it isn't it's just a few extra kilometers to take the route described in the book.

Also Axel Hamberg, the early scientist and explorer, mentions Skájdásjvágge in his book "Sarekfjället" from 1922. He writes that the Vassja peaks are "easily accessible" from Skájdásjvágge. No further details how to choose path. They were tough people in those days!

I took that route in 2004. No problems, but I had to work hard for it since I am not young and and not very strong either. I came from Skierffe and walked straight to the north and follwed the west side of Abbmojåhka up to Abbmojavrre. There I crossed over and followed the east side up to Vassjevagge. and pitched the tent at the highest point of Vassjavagge. When you go down from Vassjabakte to Basstavagge, follow the west side of the ravine and cross the left branch of the creak where it joins the main stream, approximately at the last "g" in Skajdasjvagge.

Have a good trip!

/ Bertil

larsl sa:

So if one would come from the south and wanted to follow these directions one would zig-zag up the slope to the 1764 and 1698 peaks of Vássjá and then follow the ridge to the east to Vássjábákte and then down Skájdásjvágge, keeping to the west side? The direct route from the highest point of Vássjávágge up to Vássjábákte doesn't look any steeper and should probably be possible as well, but if it isn't it's just a few extra kilometers to take the route described in the book.

Klicka för att se resterande...

I have found the forum thread were Bertil Disman writes about his tour to Vássjábákte and Skájdásjvágge. He choose another path than Grundsten suggests. So there seems to be alternatives, and that´s good. I try to translate:

"I hiked there in August 2004. Tented at the water split [right expression? my comment] in Vassjavagge and then went up to Vassjabakte. It´s steep and stony. I took plenty of time and moved in zig-zag. The view from Vassjabakte was fabulous. I regret that I didn´t take time to go up upon Vassja, 1764. The path downwards Skajdasjvagge were nice. There were some snow fields."

http://www.utsidan.se/forum/showthread.php?t=35953

It sounds easy to go downhill Skájdásjvágge, but I agree with lars! that you should be careful.

PS. Bertil, I see you were just a little faster than me to answer!

fowwe sa:

http://www.utsidan.se/forum/showthread.php?t=35953

Klicka för att se resterande...

Later in that thread someone also describes an alternative route around Dágarlåbbdå and into Skájdásjvágge from the east, but that sounds considerably more difficult. The slopes of Skájdásjvágge look very steep.

I wonder if it would be possible to take the outside route - follow the eastern slope of Dágarlåbbdå and Dágartjåhkkå down to the eastern end of Basstavágge? It doesn't look too steep on the map, I suppose the main obstacle would be if there are lots of loose rocks on the slope. Has anyone been to Rinim and seen that particular terrain first hand?

Thank you very much for Help.
It sounds to be possible, so I will try it this summer.
regards

Volker

--

"Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges" - Publius Cornelius Tacitus

larsl sa:

Later in that thread someone also describes an alternative route around Dágarlåbbdå and into Skájdásjvágge from the east, but that sounds considerably more difficult. The slopes of Skájdásjvágge look very steep.

I wonder if it would be possible to take the outside route - follow the eastern slope of Dágarlåbbdå and Dágartjåhkkå down to the eastern end of Basstavágge? It doesn't look too steep on the map, I suppose the main obstacle would be if there are lots of loose rocks on the slope. Has anyone been to Rinim and seen that particular terrain first hand?

Klicka för att se resterande...

That passage was discussed by me and some others last year, see thread: http://www.utsidan.se/forum/showthread.php?p=377919#post377919

As I wrote in that comment:

The mountainside south of RInom looks steep. From studying the map I would say that I would not choose to walk up the mountain before I got east of Alep Valak, by even there it looks steep.
I have travelled by boat over Sitojaure and judged by my impressions and from studying the map I would think twice before I hiked on the southside of Sitojaure. There seems to be a lot of willow and the birchwood seems densed.

I urged the person thinking about that route to get back to the forum with his experiences, but I haven't seen any posting on that subject afterwards.

Thomas Jonsson sa:

I urged the person thinking about that route to get back to the forum with his experiences, but I haven't seen any posting on that subject afterwards.

Klicka för att se resterande...

This summer in July, I was up the way to the Vassja!, unfortunately, I could not do the complete passage, because my partner had moved there an injury in the knee, so that he remained down in the tent. But the passage is definitively possible also with heavy luggage

Volker