Getting there: the journey is most of the trip

Kebnekaise is remote, and the travel is a real part of the commitment rather than an afterthought.

Stockholm Central to Kebnekaise mountain station, by public transport:

1. Night train from Stockholm to Boden, around 15 hours. Sleeper compartments are worth it. Bring your own sheets or ask, because they aren't automatically provided.

2. Train from Boden to Kiruna, around 4 hours.

3. Bus from Kiruna to Nikkaluokta, around 1.5 hours. This is the road head.

4. Nikkaluokta to Kebnekaise Fjällstation: 19 km on foot. A full day with a heavy pack.

Total moving time from Stockholm: roughly 45 hours.

The boat. About 5.6 km in from Nikkaluokta there's a jetty on Láddjujávri, and a boat that cuts roughly 6 km off the walk. The last boat is around 6pm, which is the deadline that governs your entire first day.

If you can only afford it one way, take it inbound. Your pack is heaviest at the start and lightest coming out, and you'll want the energy for the mountain rather than the approach. That was the boatman's advice and it was right.

The western route

Kebnekaise Fjällstation to the south peak and back is 18 to 19 km with roughly 1,500 m of ascent. Some guides quote closer to 1,700 m cumulative, because of the shape of the route.

The profile is the thing to know: you climb Vierranvárri first, then descend into a saddle, then climb again to the summit. You gain height, give it back, and gain it again. Mentally that second climb is the hard part.

There are stone steps on part of the route, built by Nepali Sherpas, which are a genuine relief underfoot.

The eastern route via Tarfala is the alternative. It's longer and crosses glaciated ground, so it needs glacier equipment and experience or a guide.

June is not the easy month

It looks like the obvious time to go. Midnight sun, no darkness, warm. It isn't simple.

The snow is deep and wet. We were in hip-deep slush on the upper sections. Crampons are useless in that; it isn't ice, it's saturated snow. Poles would have helped enormously and we didn't have any. That's my biggest regret from this climb.

The melt makes the rivers dangerous, and it changes during the day. A stream we crossed easily in the morning, one of us jumping it and the other wading barefoot, was impassable by the time we came back. We had to bushwhack down the riverbank with no trail to find a bridge.

We were told it was one of the hardest times of year to do this climb. That same evening there were injuries and rescues on the mountain, and an avalanche on the eastern route.

It was 24 to 25 degrees in the Arctic, which nobody expects, and the mosquitoes in June are substantial.

If you want the straightforward version, go later in summer when the snow has gone.

Camping and allemansrätten

Sweden's freedom to roam law means you can camp more or less anywhere, which makes this trip far cheaper than the equivalent in most countries.

The exception: within about 150 m of the mountain station you're expected to pay for the services if you use them. There are toilets attached to the restaurant building, which makes camping just outside genuinely comfortable.

The mountain station itself does an excellent meal, which after 18 km in snow is worth every krona.

What to take

• Trekking poles. The single item I'd change about this trip.

• Boots you've broken in. I arrived with blisters unhealed from the previous peak and paid for it.

• Mosquito protection for June.

• Enough food for a long day plus margin, because pacing is the whole game here: too fast and you burn out, too slow and you run out of food.

• A lightweight sleeping mat if you're camping. Nights are cold even under the midnight sun.

One more thing

I started this project partly to feel alive again, after a stretch of bouncing between depression and anxiety. Kebnekaise was the peak where that landed hardest, standing above the Arctic at the end of two days of travel and a very long climb.

It doesn't have to be a mountain. But if you're in that place, there is usually something that brings you back to yourself, and it's worth going to find it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest mountain in Sweden?

Kebnekaise, in Swedish Lapland. Its north peak is the country's highest point at 2,096.8 m.

Which Kebnekaise peak is the highest, north or south?

The north peak, since 2019. It's bare rock with a fixed height of 2,096.8 m. The south peak is glacier-capped and has been shrinking, measuring 2,088.4 m in September 2025.

Why does Kebnekaise's height keep changing?

Because the south peak is capped by a small glacier whose thickness varies with winter snowfall and summer melt. Stockholm University's Tarfala Research Station measures it every year at the end of summer.

Does the normal route go to the highest peak?

No. The western route, which is the standard route, goes to the south peak. Reaching the north peak requires continuing along an exposed ridge and is significantly more serious.

How long does it take to climb Kebnekaise?

The western route from the mountain station is 18 to 19 km return with around 1,500 m of ascent, typically a long single day. Getting to the mountain station from Nikkaluokta is a separate 19 km each way.

Do you need a guide?

Not for the western route in good summer conditions. Yes, or equivalent experience and equipment, for the eastern route or for continuing to the north peak.

How do you get to Kebnekaise without a car?

Train from Stockholm to Boden, train to Kiruna, bus to Nikkaluokta, then walk 19 km to the mountain station. A boat across Láddjujávri cuts about 6 km off that walk.

Can you camp at Kebnekaise?

Yes. Sweden's freedom to roam law permits wild camping. Within roughly 150 m of the mountain station you're expected to pay if you use its facilities.

When is the best time to climb Kebnekaise?

Later summer, once the snow has cleared, is the most straightforward. June brings the midnight sun but also deep wet snow, dangerous meltwater river crossings and heavy mosquitoes.

Is Kebnekaise dangerous?

The western route isn't technical, but it's remote, long and high in the Arctic, and conditions change fast. Rescues and avalanches happen there, including on the day I climbed it.

Is there a mountain hut?

Yes, Kebnekaise Fjällstation, with accommodation and a restaurant, at the foot of the mountain.

Peak 12 of The Peak Project: climbing the highest point in every country in Europe.