Sarek [antikvár]

Foreword by Bertil Haglund For Swedish conditions Sareli National Park, together with the surrounding parks of Padjelanta and Stora Sjbfallet, is an almost unique mountain region. This is above all true of the Sarek Massif, the least accessible and the wildest part of the Swedish mountain chain. But Padjelanta, too, contains natural values hardly to be found elsewhere. Up to quite recently this was really a very remote wilderness. Today, thanks to the roads which have been built in connection with lake and river regulation schemes, it is more accessible. Taking Jokkmokk and Porjus as starting points, one can set out for the gleaming white peaks. The Sarek Massif is alpine. Here the mountaineering enthusiast with a head for heights can feel the lure of twenty-two glaciers and twelve peaks above 1,900 metres (6,200 ft), a height rarely attained in our Swedish mountains. Highest of all is Sarektjakka, 2,090 metres (6,857 It)- Between the precipitous mountain walls lie the valleys—known as " vaggen". Intersecting the whole region, they link up in such a way that—on a map or from the air—they wear the aspect of neatly arranged, easily accessible roads. But this is an illusion—at least their accessibility is. The terrain of the westernmost valleys, it is true, is normally free from troublesome vegetation and other obstacles. But they are exceedingly difficult of access. If the weather is in its worst mood, a walking tour through Sarek can be distinctly risky. Paths, bridges, overnight huts—all are lacking. One is entirely on one's own—and must rely wholly on one's own equipment. A walking tour across Sarek, from one side to the other, means a walker must carry with him provisions for at least ten days. The chief obstacles he will encounter are Sarek's many "jokks" and little rivers. If the weather has been cold and the glacier waters have all drained away, these are easily crossed at fords. But after hot weather or rain they can rise, necessitating many a troublesome detour. Sarek's fauna has as yet been but little affected by civilization. Besides their large carnivores, the Laitaure Delta and the high mountain plateaux at Luottolako can offer a most interesting bird-life. Yet a walking tour through Sarek can also be fraught with disappointment; above all in what concerns the really big animals, the exciting ones. The fjeld country of Lapland does not thrust its charms upon the visitor. Rather, it offers him golden experiences, memorable confrontations. The surrounding national parks are easier of access, but their fauna is not at all of the same order as Sarek's. Padjelanta is the Lapps' smiling summer country. Here three summer villages have their grazing grounds. But in places, it also contains much interesting bird-life. A well-equipped trail, with good overnight huts, runs from Kvikkjokk via Stalo-luokta to Akka. The so-called western route from Porjus leads straight into the Stora Sjofallet National Park, where the Akka Massif and its surrounding fjeld, despite the destruction which has swept over Stora Sjbfallet, still contain great natural treasures. This mountain world of the fjelds looks rugged, but is sensitive. Its fauna, above all, is sensitive to disturbances. All hunting and fishing—obviously— is forbidden. Only the Lapps may exercise their traditional rights. A visitor must also realise that he must not bring dogs or noisy motor vehicles. Whether it will prove possible in the long run to preserve such a district, where Swedes and visitors from other countries can experience something quite out of the ordinary, will largely depend on whether these visitors can adapt themselves to and let themselves be absorbed by such a wilderness—without its like in Europe today—instead of disrupting it. Sarek National Park is one of the few parts of Sweden where the protection of animal wild-hfe is an important, not to say crucial, aspect of man's respon-