Kebnekaise – Guided tour South Summit

Important! Mandatory briefing
It is mandatory to attend the information meeting on the evening before your ski touring summit attempt. The meeting takes place on the evening before the date stated in your booking confirmation or the selected date on the website. Attendance at this meeting is required in order to participate in the summit attempt. During the meeting, the guides will review the equipment and explain how the tour will be carried out.

Gathering: 8:00 PM, duration approximately 45 minutes.

Day 1: Summit attempt
Gathering: approximately 7:00 AM (exact time will be announced on site and depends on the number of groups departing that day). If the weather is considered too risky for reaching the summit, the guide will inform participants during breakfast. The ski tour is physically demanding and involves approximately 10–15 hours of movement in advanced mountain terrain.

The pace is set to ensure that we reach the summit and return before both guests and guides become too fatigued. On site, you can test your fitness and see whether you can maintain the required pace through our summit test. The test is designed to measure whether you can maintain a pace of 6 vertical meters per minute.

The total duration of the test is 40 minutes. Please speak with the rental shop for information about where the test takes place.

Equipment:
It is important that you have the correct equipment and clothing in order for the tour to be carried out safely. Please see our packing list for summer ski touring.

Included equipment:

• Daypack and hiking poles.

• If the summit attempt takes place via the Eastern Route, mandatory climbing equipment for the via ferrata sections is also included (helmet, harness, via ferrata lanyard, and crampons).

Mandatory equipment:

Good-quality hiking boots are mandatory for the tour. Boots are available for rent if needed. The boots must be rigid both in flex and torsion (the sole should not bend) and provide ankle support above the ankles. The guide may refuse participation if they assess that the boots are inadequate or if the participant’s clothing and equipment are otherwise insufficient.

In our shop and rental center, you can supplement your equipment before the mountain tour. Read more about our shop and rental selection here. (opens in a new tab). STF members receive a 15% discount.

In recent years, the mountain environment — especially along the Eastern Route — has changed rapidly due to climate change. Glaciers are melting faster, snow and ice conditions vary more, and the risk of rockfalls has increased. Therefore, we need to let nature determine what is possible before making a decision.

An initial safety assessment of the Eastern Route is carried out in mid-June. If conditions look good, tours may be moved there starting from July 10. If snow and weather conditions require more time, we will wait a few additional days before making a decision.

Western Route
The Western Route is the most common way to reach the summit of Kebnekaise. It covers more than 20 kilometers round trip and usually takes between 10 and 15 hours. It is a physically demanding hike with an elevation gain of approximately 1,800 meters, as you first ascend and then descend 300 vertical meters before making the final climb to Kebnekaise. The terrain is alpine in character and consists of varied surfaces such as snow, ice, rocky, uneven, and steep terrain, making the hike often feel longer and tougher than the distance itself suggests. However, the Western Route is not quite as technically demanding as the Eastern Route. During the hike, you will cross streams, mountain heath, rocky terrain, and steep slopes before reaching the summit.

Eastern Route
The Eastern Route is technically challenging even for experienced hikers and climbers, and if you do not have the necessary skills, it should be undertaken with a guide. The tour takes between 8 and 12 hours and is approximately 15 km round trip with an elevation gain of 1,500 meters, as you hike directly toward the summit. The Eastern Route differs from the Western Route in that it crosses glaciers and snowfields, requiring the proper equipment and knowledge of glacier travel techniques. It also includes a climbing section secured with a via ferrata, which requires specialized equipment.

The climbing section on the Eastern Route is not technically advanced, but it is highly exposed. For people with a fear of heights, it may feel uncomfortable, and for those with a severe fear of heights, we do not recommend participating in a summit ascent via the Eastern Route.

Kebnekaise – Guided Tour to the South Summit is an activity in which participants travel through high alpine terrain. By taking part in the activity, you expose yourself to risks such as falls from high altitude, falls on glaciers, rockfalls and avalanches, potential snow bridges, and glacier crevasses, to mention a few. The guide is trained in wilderness first aid and does everything possible to minimize any potential risks during the activity. Participants should therefore be aware of the risks involved, and we require all participants to have the correct equipment according to the table above and to follow the instructions given by the guide.

Insurance during STF activity

If you are an STF member and take part in an activity organised by STF, you are covered by accident insurance during the activity. The insurance also applies to children accompanying a member up to and including the year the child turns 15.

About the insurance

The Kebnekaise area in the Kiruna mountains is Sweden’s highest mountain region and the starting point for ascents of Kebnekaise. The landscape is characterised by high alpine terrain with glaciers, steep peaks and wide valleys.

There is an extensive trail system here, ranging from easier day trips to more demanding alpine routes. Summit tours require careful planning and proper equipment, while there are also more accessible options in the surrounding area.

The area is most commonly reached by hiking from Nikkaluokta and is part of both the northern Kungsleden trail and the Dag Hammarskjöld Trail.

Cancellations can be made up to 7 days before arrival. After that, no refund of the paid amount will be issued.

If the activity does not reach the minimum number of participants required, the tour will be cancelled no later than 14 days before the booked date. It is possible to pay an additional amount corresponding to the minimum participant requirement in order for the tour to proceed.

If weather or conditions during the tour require us to turn back, this will be done without refund. However, if the tour is cancelled entirely, the full amount will be refunded, except for an administrative fee of SEK 300. The pace during the tour is carefully adjusted to ensure that we have enough time to reach the summit and return safely without becoming overly fatigued. Participants who are unable to maintain the pace will be turned back by the guide without refund.

A cancelled tour is not automatically rescheduled to the following day. Please contact the rental office for information about applicable arrangements.

• STF Kebnekaise Mountain station

+46 101902360

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