Hiking the Kungsleden Part II - Sitoälvsbron to Aktse
- David Maiwald
- Dec 22, 2024
- 5 min read
Part II of the Kungsleden Series
In this article:
Sitoälvsbron to Aktse
The section from Sitoälvsbron to Aktse is an overall easy hike of roughly 17 km with the first half running along a well-maintained dirt road. As the trail is headed directly towards Aktse and the mountains beyond, the prominent face of the Skierffe mountain is always present throughout the entire route. For the entire first part along the dirt road I made good time, allowing me to stop along the way and to taste some of that fresh mountain water from some of the countless streams running past the road. After the previous days were mostly rainy and cold, this was the first day with some blue skies and sunshine reaching through the scattered clouds. All in all perfect hiking conditions with the temperatures reaching a maximum of 17 degrees that day. Once I made it to the end of the dirt road after roughly 1.5hrs I enjoyed some spectacular views across lake Laitaure all the way to the distant mountains of Sarek National Park - an awe-inspiring sight! After that the trail turned into a more or less well-maintained hiking trail. From here on out I traversed large marshlands via wooden planks and climbed over some rocky sections passing through dense forests. This was the first section where I was glad to have some proper hiking boots. There were some hikers on this trail, but it did not feel the least bit crowded - and most people hiking out here were friendly and open for a quick chat anyways so I did not mind meeting other friendly faces out here at all. After roughly 3.5 to 4hrs I reached the STF Aktse mountain hut and with it the legendary Kungsleden trail!
While the entire section hike along the Kungsleden is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure in itself, it is true that the absolute highlight of this section is the area around Akste. Beautifully situated near lake Laitaure, this former settlement is now one of the five STF huts along the trail and offers a good basecamp to explore the breathtaking landscape surrounding this place. A little further upstream is a glacier carved valley which contains a seemingly endless river delta shaped by the glacial streams that come from the high mountains of nearby Sarek National Park. And it was this view that actually made me go and hike this section of the Kungsleden - ever since I first saw a picture of this spectacular landscape around Aktse I couldn’t stop thinking about it and just had to see it for myself!
Once I arrived at Aktse I took a quick look around to familiarize myself with the area. At first I was surprised to see that it was quite busy and fully booked. Although September technically is the shoulder season the hut was still swarming with hikers from all over Europe and - as I soon found out - even from North America! The hut itself is more of a small village with four separate houses scattered across an open meadow in the middle of the woods. Their slightly elevated position at the foot of the nearby mountains allowed for stunning views of the lake about half a kilometer away. Right next to the houses was an open shower and the pit toilets - open air washrooms! The entire area surrounding the houses was just picture perfect with the dense and colorful forests nearby and the dramatic mountains beyond. Once I checked-in at the host’s office I made my bed ready in the bunkhouse, prepared my dinner for the evening in the common kitchen area - with water from the nearby stream - and took a seat out front enjoying the dramatic views of the surrounding wilderness at dusk.
Exploring Skierffe
After the first night at Aktse I got ready for a day-hike up to the peak of nearby Skierffe. This would be an easy to moderate out-and-back hike of roughly 16 km with a total elevation gain of roughly 1000 meters. The skies were clear that day with slight cloud coverage and a slight breeze coming from the high mountains out west - not bad for an early September day in the arctic! And perfect conditions for me to experience that much anticipated iconic view from the top of Skierffe. I started my day hike at around 9 when it was sunny but still freezing at around 3 degrees. However, as the sun started to rise the temperatures quickly rose with it. And since the first part of the hike included a steady climb I was all warmed up fairly quickly. The first kilometer followed the Kungsleden up north towards Sitojaure. A mere 200 meters above Aktse the trees already started to thin out with the treeline close by. That’s when I left the Kungsleden to start the long and steady ascend up the Skierffe mountain. From up here the views already were unbelievable. But the highlight was yet to come. All in all the hike itself was already pretty spectacular with ever greater views across the vast plains of the fjäll and of the rugged mountains out west. Once I reached the peak of Skierffe I was just stunned by the scenery that opened up in front of me. The steep drop off from the peak all the way down to the vast river delta some 700 meters below made me feel like I was flying. It's just beyond words how incredible this place was. All in all an incredibly rewarding experience!
On my way back down, just above the treeline I suddenly noticed a lone reindeer grazing nearby. As I sat down my backpack to get out my camera I saw more and more of them flocking in until I was standing next to a large herd of dozens of reindeer that wandered across the open plains. I just stood there, perfectly still, watching those beautiful animals making their way into the vast remoteness of the fjäll. A peaceful yet exhilarating experience. Towards the evening I returned to Aktse for my second overnight stay in the bunkhouse. Filled to the brim with memories from the day out in the wilderness of Swedish Lapland I ate my dinner and went for another short walk through the open meadows nearby Aktse. I had my camera with me to take some pictures of the sunset over the Scandes mountains and enjoyed the perfect stillness around me when a moose family stepped out of the dense forest into the open meadows. Not bothered by my presence at all they went on about their business while I captured some close up pictures of them. And with that I went to bed, almost too excited to sleep. Aktse was, indeed, a remarkable place full of surprises!
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