# Climbing Kebnekaise in Lapland



## Alex_B (Sep 19, 2008)

.. so here continues the Alex in Lapland saga (first part to be found here: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=138573) ...

One of my goals this year was to climb the top of Swedens highest mountain, Kebnekaise. In terms of mountaineering the climb is easy, but so far weather always prevented me from climbing. This year I reached the summit via the västra leden, which is an altogether 6000 ft climb with two summits and often long distance walking on bad and steep rubble and steep snow fields. The whole climb takes about 10 to 12 hours, so you have to start early. I experienced one huge rock avalanche in a distance which reminded me how alive and unreliable these mountains are. The snow fields can be fun when you go down though, I did slide down one at high speed with snow and ice spraying to all sides 
 I was first afraid my camera might get hurt in this, but it was worth the fun 

Unfortunately it was foggy up on the mountain, so I cannot present any good images.

1: My 'base camp' with my beloved Hilleberg Akto (I also have a larger Nallo, but I wanted to save backpack weight). The image pretty much sums up the weather of the first week, rain in daytime, heavy storm and bad frost at night.






2: The following day the weather was clearing up enough, so in the morning I started climbing.
The first ascend to Kitteldalen:





3: Kitteldalen with Vierramvare to the left





4: Climbing to the summit of Vierramvare





5: .. and further up beyond Vierramvare to Kebnekaise





6: Sydtoppen, the southern summit of Kebnekaise. Always covered in snow and ice.





7: Finally, on the top. The strange geek is the photographer  To the right one can see part of the Björlings glacier.





8: Summit party 





9: Looking from the southern summit to the northern summit, which is about half a kilometre away.





10: Visibility was not great, but still I will give one image... bad weather ahead though.





11: And down again after a long day.


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## Antarctican (Sep 19, 2008)

LOVE the series! The first few shots really made me want to go hiking. But then when the shots with the snow scrolled up, ummm, the urge to climb passed. (I've never hiked in snow...it looks tough. And it doesn't look like any of you had climbing poles. Yikes!). 

What a hoot that party hats were brought along for the summit party.

Beautiful pics, Alex. Thanks for sharing.


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## Alex_B (Sep 19, 2008)

Thanks 

Oh, but climbing poles are standard .. just you might not use them all the way, and they are not in the close up images, true. But for the final summit you needed either poles or ice axe/crampons because it was very steep and very slippery ice/snow.

As for not seeing the poles, I also took off some warm wrapping for the image (gloves, hat, ... ), but after it I quickly put it back on since it was freezing cold up there


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## matt-l (Sep 19, 2008)

WOW. looks fantastic!.. great shots, sound like fun. #10 is beautiful.

:thumbsup:


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## Alex_B (Sep 19, 2008)

thanks 

Yes, I too like #10. However, the view from up there must be fantastic without clouds and in good visibility. I want to go back and take a 360deg panorama then! With all the hundreds of peaks around.


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## rjackjames (Sep 19, 2008)

your pics makes me wanna quit my job......and travel the world and take stunning pictures..like urs.....


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## Alex_B (Sep 19, 2008)

Yes, I know that problem all too well, the job is often in the way of travelling and taking pictures.


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## rubbertree (Sep 19, 2008)

omg, gorgeous! The scenery AND the people!
#11... didn't you just feel like a tiny speck up there looking out into the huge world below...


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## MissMia (Sep 19, 2008)

Stunning shots Alex! I love the light in the second photo. Thanks for sharing with us.


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## Alex_B (Sep 20, 2008)

Thanks 

regarding #11 ... in nature I usually feel free and strong and able to breathe ... and large, not tiny


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## MrLogic (Sep 20, 2008)

Glaciers in Sweden? I guess you learn something new every day.

Nice set!


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## Alex_B (Sep 20, 2008)

MrLogic said:


> Glaciers in Sweden? I guess you learn something new every day.
> 
> Nice set!



Why not glaciers in Sweden? The most water in Swedish Lapland comes from Glaciers, in fact over 300 square km of the North are covered with glaciers.

More details here:
http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/p1386e/sweden.pdf


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## chris82 (Sep 20, 2008)

Looks like a stunning place alex,Great stuff mate


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## Alex_B (Sep 20, 2008)

Thanks Chris! Although weather was not good for photography that day, I liked it


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## jv17 (Sep 20, 2008)

i love no.s 4,9,11 it made me like wanna go up there..


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## Mersad (Sep 20, 2008)

This is breathtaking photography. Epic scale and wonderfully done. I simply have no words...


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## Alex_B (Sep 20, 2008)

Thank you thank you  Although I want to return to this place to take images in better light!


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## Mersad (Sep 20, 2008)

Alex_B said:


> Thank you thank you  Although I want to return to this place to take images in better light!



I like the light on these. But it could be very different when if it was bright daylight.


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## Alex_B (Sep 20, 2008)

Mersad said:


> I like the light on these. But it could be very different when if it was bright daylight.



It was OK up to image 5, but then it became all painful with the light and the clouds.

Of course I would not talk of bright sunlight here, but of sunset or sunrise with good visibility and not that fog and leaden clouds which prevented far sight.


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## pm63 (Sep 20, 2008)

Alex_B said:


> 4: Climbing to the summit of Vierramvare



Wow! Amazing sense of scale, love that one.


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## Alex_B (Sep 20, 2008)

pm63 said:


> Wow! Amazing sense of scale, love that one.



Thanks 

And thanks to a gradient filter for the sky,


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## danir (Sep 20, 2008)

Fantastic set Alex. 

Dani


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## Alex_B (Sep 22, 2008)

Thanks Dani


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## BoblyBill (Sep 22, 2008)

Great series again Alex! #2 is again my favorite!


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## Alex_B (Sep 22, 2008)

Thanks!

Most of these are more to tell a story, not to be artsy anyway. But some are better, and I count #2 among them too.


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## Arch (Sep 22, 2008)

great shots alex, very well done. That looks quite hardcore.. i thought you'd be bivi bagging it on the side of the mountain  Looks like you got good gear tho,  im slowly building up my set, buying a few new things before i go on trips... there's sooo much stuff i want tho, i could spend a fortune. :mrgreen:


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## Alex_B (Sep 22, 2008)

Arch said:


> Looks like you got good gear tho,  im slowly building up my set, buying a few new things before i go on trips... there's sooo much stuff i want tho, i could spend a fortune. :mrgreen:



Yes, besides photography it is also a bad money drain ... in particular if you want it bad-weather and four seasons proof, plus lightweight 

I accumulated over the years though. A lot of my gear, including one of my tents, is pretty old though (my larger tent and one of my winter sleeping bags are 15 years old).


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## duncanp (Sep 28, 2008)

fantastic series, as with all your other lapland stuff


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## Alex_B (Sep 28, 2008)

Thank you Duncan!


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## Shine (Sep 28, 2008)

I can't even imagine the feeling in your soul when you reach the summit!  Is it a spiritual feeling regardless of your religious beliefs?  Do all the troubles in the world seem insignificant?  Does life take on a new meaning?  Or is it more of "Right On!, Let's Party!" ?  Just curious...I am in awe of the whole undertaking...:hail:


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## Alex_B (Sep 29, 2008)

Well, as I mentioned, the mountain is not hard to climb. Everyone with some general fitness can do if the season and weather are OK. Hence many many people climb it each year and you do not have this feeling of 'the world is mine' when you reach the top 

Of course for me it was a personal achievement since it was my first mountain after a car drove into me last year. So there was a feeling of achievement. And standing on a mountain and seeing the vastness of the world is always a spiritual experience in a sense, but life does not take a new meaning, at least not for me.

However, one reason for doing these 'wilderness' trips from time to time is to have that close to nature, close to the elements feeling. Without electricity, without water taps and all these modern life gimmicks, you are reminded what life is really about. I think feeling hungry, exhausted, cold, feeling the pain in your shoulders and your feet are experiences which - if you have them from time to time - help to appreciate things you take for granted. You realise the importance of clean water, food, and something warm to wrap around you at night.

If then you come back, and in a restaurant someone complains there is not enough ice in his soda, then this seems so ridiculous to you since you know it is totally irrelevant.



Shine said:


> I can't even imagine the feeling in your soul when you reach the summit!  Is it a spiritual feeling regardless of your religious beliefs?  Do all the troubles in the world seem insignificant?  Does life take on a new meaning?  Or is it more of "Right On!, Let's Party!" ?  Just curious...I am in awe of the whole undertaking...:hail:


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