Östra Leden (eastern route)

Approach

Start from Kebnekaise mountain lodge and go west, same as the Western Route but turn north before the Kebnetjåkka glacier. The trail should be marked when western and eastern trail gets divided, you can't miss it.

Route Description

Steep hike along the Kebnetjåkka glacier until you reach the plateau. This is where Björlings glacier starts and it needs to be crossed. Watch out for creavasses, they can be very hard to see if it's been snowing recently. This glacier doesn't have any larger creavasses but take a "person" who knows this glacier if you feeling unsecure. In tourist peak time or late in the summer you can follow the tracks in the snow.

Take sight at Gudhjohnsens hylla, a shelf at the end of the glacier. The glacier reaches all the way to the shelf almost every year. From here there is approx. 150 meters of scrambling towards the old shelter. There are fixed ropes/via ferrata and the route should be free of snow in early July. Check with the staff at Kebnekaise mountain lodge before leaving since they are the ones who remove the snow from the route. If you are in a team, watch out for loose rocks. From the shelter at 1880 meter there is an easy one kilometer hike to Sydtoppen.



This route is in my opinion easier and not so physical demanding as the "Western route".

Essential Gear

Full alpine gear is essential if you want to do the ridge traverse to Nordtoppen.

Miscellaneous Info

There are guided trips leaving from Kebnekaise mountain lodge every morning if the weather allows it. The trip costs about 50 Euros (2005), a daypack with all gears needed are included.

Images

View Östra Leden (eastern route) Image Gallery - 2 Images