[english] padjelantaleden in June

[goaskAlice]

Hej hej,

I am from France and I am studying Engineering Science in Luleå this semester. I am practising basic swedish but english is easier for me, so if you don't mind...

I am thinking of hiking the padjelantaleden and then following with the Nordkalottleden in the beginning of June. My question is: will the huts written "overnight hut" on my BD10 Sareks Nationalpark "Lantmäteriets fjällkarta" be open at this period of the year for me to sleep into?

Tack så mycket,
Rémi

 

[Wolf25]

Huts are open from 1 july http://www.padjelanta.com (only in swedish and german).

Other times one room is open for visitors, but you can't trust to find gas so bring your own kitchen. In the begining of june there can be problems with the boatrides. Timetable is awalible on STFs website, www.stfturist.se
There can be some snow, don't know how much snow there can be early june.

Padjelantaleden is nice.

/Ulf

 

[goaskAlice]

Thanks a lot!
Nice to know that I'll be able to sleep in huts if weather is poor.

Rémi

 

[Otto Støver]

Open huts in Padjelanta.

If you visit the STF homepage you will find the opening times for their huts http://www.svenskaturistforeningen.se/ In padjelanta the huts are not opened, but there is always one hut at each place open all year.

But it is a difficult period of time. The snow is still abundant, but it is weak and it may take quit hard work if you fall through the upper crust. I would NOT go at that time if conditions are normal. But you may be lucky and then it is ok. But there will be mostly snow, I'm quite sure.

Better though if you wait three weeks. The problems you face then is either rivers flooded with melting snow, or insects in ENORMOUS quantities. But the ground is better to walk on.

There are some pictures from this area taken at the end of june. http://www.nordlandsruta.no/bilder.htm
They started in Narvik and went south, an you can see at least some of the huts on the track you plan to walk.

 

[goaskAlice]

Thanks a lot for the advice!
I'll may be try to travel to the norwegian, Gulf Streamed side wich should be a little more warmer, am i wrong?

Thanks again,
Rémi

 

[KLAGER]

It's basically the the altitude that decides the temperature and if it's now left, no big difference btw Sweden or Norway. On the Norwegian side the mountains tend to be steeper though.

 

[Otto Støver]

It's basically the the altitude that decides the temperature and if it's now left, no big difference btw Sweden or Norway. On the Norwegian side the mountains tend to be steeper though.

That is correct. Rémi if you want to go hiking in Norway or Sweden check out the websites for snowdepth before you go. In Sweden you have http://www.smhi.se/cmp/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=5505&l=en and in Norway you have http://www.senorge.no/mapPage.aspx The norwegian site is better as it is possible to zoom into it and also get a lot of other metereological information. Use the buttons and find your way around the site.

Right now it is unusual much snow in north Sweden, while south Sweden have almost none. In Norway it is more the normal amount of snow. The weather the next weeks will decide when it is possible to hike where there is snow now. Beginning of June is difficult in the mountains, at least over the tree-limit. May I suggest you look at the Lofoten area, that can be really wonderful at that time. See pictures from 3.June last year here http://www.lofoten-turlag.no/Turalbum/Aagvatnet030607/index.htm#1

 

[undvall]

I'll may be try to travel to the norwegian, Gulf Streamed side wich should be a little more warmer, am i wrong?
Rémi

It is actually the other way around. Its not the temperature but the amount of snow fall during the winter season which determines how much snow is left in the beginning of June. If you look at the maps you will for instance see that the glaciers are much bigger in Norway.

This gives that you in general will have a better chance of snowfree conditions on the east side of the mountain chain than on the west side. But there are of course very large local variations.

/ Stefan

 

[goaskAlice]

Thanks a lot for the links, very useful!
I think I'll have to change my plans, I didn't tought there would be so much snow...I'll check snowdepth before I go, and make a "plan B", certainly around the Lofoten if conditions aren't on my side.

Thanks,
Rémi

 

[tassemark]

Don't give up yet, it may be possible to follow padjelantaleden early in june, but of course it is wise to have a backup-plan and see how the snow situation becomes.
I have quoted Tore Abrahamsson about when it's possible to walk in Kebnekaise in another thred "Keb in Juni",

"Från midsommar till mitten av september är en bra tid för fjällturer i Kebnekaise. Under gynnsamma väderleksförhållanden kan man gå såväl ett par veckor tidigare som långt i in i oktober, men man bör räkna med att under dessa tider kan snö ge avsevärda problem när man kommer upp i höjd."

"From midsummer (eve) to the middle of september is good for walking in kebnekaise. If the weatherconditions are good you can walk even a couple of weeks earlier ("beginning of june") as well as october, but you should be aware that at these times snow can give considerable porblems in higher altitiudes" (my free translation)

The best thing is to wait until the very last minute and check the SMHIs hydrological reports at the end of may! If they indicate large water reserves bound in snow in northern swedens fjäll-regions then you may consider changing your trip date or destination.

Good luck!

 

[goaskAlice]

Tack!
That's what I intended to do, I would really like to hike in this region so, who knows...may be it is going to be possible...I'll see then, but snow here in Luleå doesn't seem very keen on melting...

Thank you anyway for having taken the time to translate this paragraph,
Rémi

 

[tassemark]

Your welcome, but in return we expect a expedition report as soon as you will be back, either from Padjelanta or from somewhere else in the mountains