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Last updated: March 17, 2001	Unless otherwise specified; text, tables, photographs, maps and other graphics © 1999-2001 Gunnar Ljungstrand
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The glaciers of the Sarektjåkkå massif

The Sarektjåkkå massif is an extended and mighty high mountain massif between Kukkesvagge and Ruotesvagge-Rapadalen in northern Sarek, with lots of high peaks, among them Sweden´s 2nd highest mountain, Sarektjåkkå (2089 m). At far northwest the valley Niakvagge splits the mountain wall. The massif has also the highest concentration of glaciers in Sarek, yes, in all of Sweden. As much as 23-28 glaciers (depending on whether one counts glacier complexes as one or several) are found within the massif, among which several really big ones.

Table over the glaciers of the Sarektjåkkå massif with basic data

1. Niakvaggejekna

Niavaggejekna (0.09 km²) is a tiny cirque glacier on the south slope of Stuor-Niak.

2. Niakjekna

Niakjekna (1.60 km²), a small valley glacier north of Kantberget, lies in a shallow depression between that mountain and Suottastjåkkå. There is a pass (1630 m) leading to Suottasjekna in the eastern part.

3. Alep Suottastjåkkåjekna

Alep Suottastjåkkåjekna (0.52 km²) is a drawn-out cirque glacier on the north side of Suottastjåkkå. Like some other small glaciers it seems to have become slightly thicker in the latest years.

4. Lulep Suottastjåkkåjekna

Lulep Suottastjåkkåjekna (0.29 km²) is a small cirque glacier beneath Suottastjåkkå´s high east precipice.

5. Suottasjekna

Suottasjekna (8.24 km²) covers a large area in the northwestern Sarektjåkkå massif. Suottasjekna proper is the overwhelmingly largest part of this complex, and the other part, with which it is continuos via a glacier pass, is the small Gavelbergsglaciären.

5a. Suottasjekna

Suottasjekna (8.06 km²) is the largest glacier of the Sarektjåkkå massif and one of the largest in Sarek. It is a valley glacier, even though its upper part rather more is a basin. There are two passes leading from it, one to Niakjekna (1630 m), and one over to Ruotesvagge (1490 m). At the latter pass a small meltwater pond can sometimes be found. There is a high pass over to Gavelbergsglaciären at 1650 m as well. Suottasjekna is rather rich in crevasses, even outside the icefall.

The foremost characteristic of Suottasjekna is its massive icefall. About 1 km upstream the snout the ice slides over a precipice, breaking up into blocks, knife edges and towers by crossing crevasse systems. In later years a small nunatak has melted forth in the icefall.

Suottasjekna has another nunatak in its upper part as well, which for some reason has been omitted on the latest version of the mountain map. The southern part of the glacier tongue has also been drawn too narrowly on the map.

5b. Gavelbergsglaciären

Gavelbergsglaciären (0.18 km²) is a small cirque glacier, which is continuos with Suottasjekna via a high glacier pass (1650 m).

6. Såltajekna

Såltajekna (1.27 km²) is a complex and heavily crevassed cirque glacier, which "hangs" on a shelf on the mountain side south of Såltatjåkkå. Previously it was continuos with the small Såltatjåkkåjekna.

Såltajekna has a beautiful icefall, which possibly has advanced slightly in the latest years.

7. Såltatjåkkåjekna

Såltatjåkkåjekna (0.14 km²) is a small cirque glacier on the south side of Såltatjåkkå. At the turn of the 19th century, when the glaciers were more extensive, it was a part of Såltajekna.

8. Kassajekna

Kassajekna (1.39 km²) is a small valley glacier between Kassatjåkkå and Kamtoppen. For some reason Hamberg missed it on his map.

9. Södra Kassakamglaciären

Södra Kassakamglaciären (0.12 km²) is a small ice cap next to Kassakammen. It is not plotted on the mountain map, and is possibly just some dead ice.

10. Norra Kassakamglaciären

Norra Kassakamglaciären (0.14 km²) is a small ice cap at the foot of Kassakammen. It has a somewhat odd position, but is undoubtedly a genuine glacier.

11. Vartasjekna

Vartasjekna (4.88 km²) is really just one glacier, but it slides into two directions; Vartasjekna proper towards Kassalako, and Kavajekna towards Ruotesvagge. At the turn of the 19th century Vartasjekna was continuos with Alep Sarekjekna in Mikkajekna.

11a. Vartasjekna

Vartasjekna (3.72 km²) is a valley glacier sliding down towards Kassalako with a rather wide snout. The glacier pass leading to Kavajekna has an altitude of some 1550 m. Unlike e.g. Mikkajekna Vartasjekna has now stopped retreating, and the tongue is now stable in its position. Vartasjekna seems to be rather poor in crevasses.

11b. Kavajekna

Kavajekna (1.16 km²) is the valley glacier gliding down towards Ruotesvagge from the glacier pass leading to Vartasjekna (1550 m). Hamberg wrote about a periodic ice lake up at the pass below the edge of Kavapakte.

12. Vargtoppsglaciären

Vargtoppsglaciären (0.30 km²) is a small cirque glacier on the west side of Vargtoppen.

13. Mikkajekna

Mikkajekna (11.49 km²) is a large and complex glacier complex consisting of four ice streams. The largest single one is Mikkajekna proper, and then Alep Sarekjekna, Matujekna, and Svarta Spetsglaciären come. Previously during the 20th century the entire Vartasjekna was also continuos with this extensive ice area.

13a. Mikkajekna

Mikkajekna (7.31 km²) is a large and extraordinarily beautiful valley glacier beneath Sarektjåkkå. It is feeded by two accumulation areas; a smaller, deeply incised one in the east, and a larger, shallower one in the north. The glacier pass leading to Alep Sarekjekna has an altitude of ca 1625 m, while the one to Matujekna and Svarta Spetsglaciären is slightly lower with its 1550 m.

Mikkajekna has retreated slightly more than one km since the turn of the 19th century and is still retreating, even though it has increased in thickness in its upper parts. The highest measured thickness of the ice is 175 m, but there could of course be deeper places in the areas where no measurements have been performed yet.

Mikkajekna displays both moulins and glacier tables down on the snout, especially in the eastern part.

Mikkajekna has extensive crevasse zones in its upper parts, but the normal route up towards Sarektjåkkå is fairly safe. In the eastern part there is a ca 35 m deep and 700 m long wind channel, while the northwestern part contains two nunataks, which for some reason is missing on the latest edition of the mountain map. Neither is the western part of the glacier tongue correctly plotted on the map; it is wider and fills up the entire width of the valley.

13b. Matujekna

Matujekna (0.31 km²) is a small cirque glacier under Matutjåkkå. It is continuos with Mikkajekna and Svarta Spetsglaciären via a glacier pass at 1550 m. The glacier is almost free of crevasses.

13c. Svarta Spetsglaciären

Svarta Spetsglaciären (0.18 km²) is a small ice cap (or possibly dead ice) on the southwest slope of Svarta Spetsen. A glacier pass (1550 m) ties it together with Mikkajekna and Matujekna.

13d. Alep Sarekjekna

Alep Sarekjekna (3.69 km²) is a wide valley glacier north of Sarektjåkkå. It is continuos with Mikkajekna with a glacier pass at 1625 m. In the pass itself small meltwater ponds can sometimes be found. Alep Sarekjekna was continuos with Vartasjekna earlier in the century. The glacier has few crevasses, but has a large wind channel beneath the precipice of Sarekpakte. It is some 800 m long and ca 25 m deep.

14. Sarekpaktejekna

Sarekpaktejekna (0.36 km²) is a small "inclined" cirque glacier to the north of Sarektjåkkå. It is relatively free of crevasses and consists of rather clean ice, without silt dirtying it. On the other hand there is quite a lot of rocks on the ice. The glacier has very large and extensive terminal moraines, very likely ice-cored.

There are also beautifully meandering meltwater streams on Sarekpaktejekna. Stereo image of the ice canyon.

Right below the terminal moraines of Sarekpaktejekna there grows a group of the very rare Mountain poppy (Papaver radicatum ssp. hyperboreum).

15. Kaska Sarekjekna

Kaska Sarekjekna (2.53 km²) is a medium-sized valley glacier east of Sarektjåkkå. It is one of the most alpine in Sweden, since it is surrounded by 4 2000-meter peaks. The glacier itself seems pretty free of crevasses. In the beginning of the century it was called Linds jökel, after the cartographer Leonard Lind.

16. Årjep Sarekjekna

Årjep Sarekjekna (4.90 km²), which also has been called Lulep Sarekjekna and Buchtglaciären (after the cartographer G. W. Bucht), is a large valley glacier flowing down into Kukkesvagge. A small heavily crevassed bi-glacier oozes down from the depression between the peaks of Spika, and another tributary comes down from Buchttoppen. Årjep Sarekjekna has a large wide medial moraine on its snout, which has been plotted as ice-free area on the mountain map. Formerly there was a glacier pass to Tjågnårisjekna at 1635 m, but as a consequence of the melting a mountain ridge has appeared there. At the pass there are some crevasses as well.

17. Tjågnårisjekna

Tjågnårisjekna (3.00 km²) is an oblong valley glacier south of Svarta Spetsen. It is even, and seems to be fairly free of crevasses; a crevasse zone exists in the middle part, though. There is a pass (1635 m) towards Årjep Sarekjekna in the upper part. In the beginning of the 20th century this was a glacier pass, but it is melted-out nowadays. Another possible pass leading to Vuoinesjekna exist in the eastern part (1770 m). Previously Årjep Sarekjekna was also continuos with the small Tjågnårisålkejekna.

18. Tjågnårisålkejekna

Tjågnårisålkejekna (0.19 km²) is a small cirque glacier to the south of Tjågnåris. Previously it was a part of the pretty large Tjågnårisjekna, but it is separate now.

19. Vuoinesjekna

Vuoinesjekna (3.20 km²) is a rather large valley glacier in a shallow valley between Vuoinestjåkkå and Spika. A possible pass leading to Tjågnårisjekna lies at 1770 m. The glacier seems basically free of crevasses.

20. Alep Vuoinestjåkkåjekna

Alep Vuoinestjåkkåjekna (0.17 km²) is a small cirque glacier just below the peak of Vuoinestjåkkå.

21. Lulep Vuoinestjåkkåjekna

Lulep Vuoinestjåkkåjekna (0.05 km²) is a very tiny cirque glacier in the eastern cirque of the Vuoines ridge. It is not plotted on the mountain map, and the one that is plotted atop the ridge is just a snow field.

22. Sarvajekna

Sarvajekna (1.54 km²) is a small valley glacier hanging out over the steep slope towards Pierikjaure. Its upper parts are surrounded by savage precipices at all sides, and the glacier is rich in crevasses.

The front of Sarvajekna seems to have advanced somewhat in the latest years.

23. Sarvalåptåjekna

Sarvalåptåjekna (0.44 km²) is a small cirque glacier next to Södra Sarvakammen. At its western side it extends longer than the mountain map shows.

	Top of document	The glaciers of the Ruotes massif	The glaciers of Sarek	The glaciers of the Skana massif	Site map	Email the author	Copyleft information	Detta dokument på svenska
Last updated: March 17, 2001	Unless otherwise specified; text, tables, photographs, maps and other graphics © 1999-2001 Gunnar Ljungstrand
	Images with size information (xx kB) leads to the corresponding image in 4 x better resolution.