Sarek National Park

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Sarek National Park (Swedish: Sareks nationalpark) is a national park in Jokkmokk Municipality, Lapland in northern Sweden. Established in 1909, the park is among the oldest national parks in Europe. It is adjacent to two other national parks, namely Stora Sjöfallet and Padjelanta. The shape of Sarek National Park is roughly circular with an average diameter of about 50 km (31.07 mi). The most noted features of the national park are six of Sweden's thirteen peaks over 2,000 m (6,600 ft) located within the park's boundaries. Among these is the second highest mountain in Sweden, Sarektjåkkå, and Áhkká which is located just outside the park. The park has about 200 mountains over 1,800 m (5,900 ft), 82 of which have names. Sarek is also the name of a geographical area which the national park is part of. The Sarek mountain district includes a total of eight peaks over 2,000 m (6,600 ft). Due to the long trek, the mountains in the district are seldom climbed. There are approximately 100 glaciers in Sarek National Park. Sarek is a popular area for hikers and mountaineers. Beginners in these disciplines are advised to accompany a guide since there are no marked trails or accommodations and...

In Sarek National Park, as in the most of Sápmi, a large number of the locations have names originating from the Sami languages. These languages have several variations and their written forms have changed over time, which explains why some placenames do not always correspond with each other in different sources.

The most common Sami names for locations or features in the park are tjåkkå or tjåkko (mountain), vagge (valley), jåkkå or jåkko (stream), lako (plateau) and ätno (river). An example of this is Rapaätno, meaning Rapa River. These names are also the official Swedish names of the locations.

Sarek National Park is situated in the Jokkmokk Municipality, Norrbotten County, Sweden, north of the Arctic Circle, 50 km (31.07 mi) from the Norwegian border.

The area of the park is 1,977 km 2 (763 mi 2 ) and it is adjacent to the national parks Padjelanta (in the west) and Stora Sjöfallet (in the north). The parks have a combined area of approximately 5,500 km 2 (2,100 mi 2 ). There are also a number of nature reserves nearby.

Sarek National Park is the most mountainous region in Sweden and it is the part of the country that mostly resembles an alpine countryside. Within the park are 19 summits higher than 1,900 m (6,200 ft), the most noted being the second highest summit in Sweden after the Kebnekaise – the Sarektjåkkå with a height of 2,089 m (6,854 ft). The lowest altitude in the park is found in the southwest, near Lake Rittakjaure, at 477 m (1,565 ft).

The park is made up of three types of landscape, sometimes difficult to differentiate between: large valleys, massive mountains, and high plateaux. The largest valley of the park, which is also the most noted, is the Rapa Valley. This valley occupies 40 km 2 (15 sq mi) of the park, including several branches, the most important of which are the Sarvesvagge, which climbs as far as Padjelanta, the Kuopervagge — with an area of nearly 20 km 2 (7.7 sq mi) — and the Ruotesvagge, surrounded by numerous glaciers, including those of Mount Sarektjåkkå. Among the other notable valleys, outside the Rapadalen network, are the Kukkesvagge that makes up the north-eastern border of the park, and the Njåtsosvagge near the southern border. The largest plateau is the Ivarlako, east of the Pårte massif, with an altitude starting at 660–850 m (2,170–2,790 ft). West of Pårte, the Luottolako plateau covers an area of 45 km 2 (17 sq mi) and has an even higher altitude at 1,200–1,400 m (3,900–4,600 ft).

Interspersed between the valleys and the plateaux, are massive mountains, often with several summits. The main ones are:

- Sarektjåkkå, highest point: Stortoppen, 2,089 m (6,854 ft)

- Pårte, Pårtetjåkkå, 2,005 m (6,578 ft)

- Piellorieppe, Kåtokkaskatjåkkå, 1,978 m (6,490 ft)

- Ålkatj, (Akkatjåkko, 1,974 m (6,476 ft)

The park's main river is the Rapa River ( Rapaätno ). It originates from the glaciers of Sarektjåkkå and runs down the Rapa Valley as far as Lake Laitaure, and continues outside the park, where it joins with the Lesser Lule River which becomes a tributary of the Lule River at its confluence. This river is fed by thirty glaciers, contributing to a significant flow. The specific flow, the ratio between the average flow and the drainage basin, from these waters, is the most significant in Sweden. The flow fluctuates strongly with the seasons, having an average of 100 m 3 ⋅s −1 in July and about 4 m 3 ⋅s −1 in winter, resulting in an average annual flow of approximately 30 m 3 ⋅s −1. The river also transports a significant quantity of sediment. In summer, it can carry up to 5,000–10,000 metric tons (11,000,000–22,000,000 lb) of sediment daily. In winter it only carries a few tons every day, resulting in an annual total of 180,000 metric tons (400,000,000 lb). The sediment gives the river a grey-green colour and forms large deltas. The main delta is formed at the confluence of the Rapaätno with its principal tributary, the river Sarvesjokk.

Just before the confluence, the river braids for nearly 10 km (6.2 mi), forming a zone called Rapaselet. The most noted of the deltas – and an emblem of the park – is the Laitaure delta ( Laitauredeltat ), which the river forms as it connects with Lake Laitaure. The other significant rivers correspond to the principal valleys listed above. Most of them make up the drainage basin of Lesser Lule River. The rivers in the north part of the park flow into Lake Akkajaure, in the Stora Sjöfallet National Park, forming part of the hydrographic network of Lule älv.

The park also contains several lakes. The largest are the Alkajaure (altitude 751 m or 2,464 ft), on the border between the Sarek and the Padjelanta park, and the Pierikjaure (altitude 820 m or 2,690 ft) near the Stora Sjöfallet National Park.

Sarek National Park is situated in the Jokkmokk Municipality, Norrbotten County, Sweden, north of the Arctic Circle, 50 km (31.07 mi) from the Norwegian border.

The area of the park is 1,977 km 2 (763 mi 2 ) and it is adjacent to the national parks Padjelanta (in the west) and Stora Sjöfallet (in the north). The parks have a combined area of approximately 5,500 km 2 (2,100 mi 2 ). There are also a number of nature reserves nearby.

Sarek National Park is the most mountainous region in Sweden and it is the part of the country that mostly resembles an alpine countryside. Within the park are 19 summits higher than 1,900 m (6,200 ft), the most noted being the second highest summit in Sweden after the Kebnekaise – the Sarektjåkkå with a height of 2,089 m (6,854 ft). The lowest altitude in the park is found in the southwest, near Lake Rittakjaure, at 477 m (1,565 ft).

The park is made up of three types of landscape, sometimes difficult to differentiate between: large valleys, massive mountains, and high plateaux. The largest valley of the park, which is also the most noted, is the Rapa Valley. This valley occupies 40 km 2 (15 sq mi) of the park, including several branches, the most important of which are the Sarvesvagge, which climbs as far as Padjelanta, the Kuopervagge — with an area of nearly 20 km 2 (7.7 sq mi) — and the Ruotesvagge, surrounded by numerous glaciers, including those of Mount Sarektjåkkå. Among the other notable valleys, outside the Rapadalen network, are the Kukkesvagge that makes up the north-eastern border of the park, and the Njåtsosvagge near the southern border. The largest plateau is the Ivarlako, east of the Pårte massif, with an altitude starting at 660–850 m (2,170–2,790 ft). West of Pårte, the Luottolako plateau covers an area of 45 km 2 (17 sq mi) and has an even higher altitude at 1,200–1,400 m (3,900–4,600 ft).

Interspersed between the valleys and the plateaux, are massive mountains, often with several summits. The main ones are: