STF Storulvån - STF Helags
This is an alternative route from Storulvån, passing through the closed STF Gåsen Mountain Cabin to Helags. The hike from Storulvån starts on a well-used path that takes you to the bridge across Handölan.
After the bridge, a gravel path takes you to the Tjallingen Sámi settlement. The mountain birch forest becomes less dense after the settlement, and you will need to wade for some of the distance to Tjallingån, which you cross by a bridge. Follow Handölan upstream along an easy route to the shelter at Gåsen. Bridges and wooden walkways make it easy to pass the large watercourses and marshy areas along the way. The hike becomes slightly more demanding after the shelter, as you gain significant height. The final few kilometres to the closed STF Gåsen Mountain Cabin, however, are again reasonably flat.
The route continues from the closed STF Gåsen to the STF Helags mountain station. Here you can expect a challenging hike over barren mountain landscape, with boulder fields, ridges and depressions. While it is true that the landscape is barren, you have wonderful views across Sylarna and the impressive Helags massif.
This stage of the hike begins with a steep downhill that brings you after 2 kilometres to a shallow wade across a stream, Gåsån. After you cross the stream, the path climbs and becomes a challenging hike to the pass below Holke. Now you follow the trail downhill to the lowest point on the route, at Mieskenbäcken. The Holke shelter is by the stream, a few hundred metres east of the trail.
The path continues across a rolling landscape and you climb to approximately 1,020 metres above sea level by the tarn at Soenehketjärra, and onwards to the Handölan delta. Before reaching your destination at STF Helags, you follow the zigzag path up and down the slopes of Jalkedsåajja. You will soon see the STF Helags mountain station that offers a fantastic view across the Helags massif and Sweden’s most southerly glacier.
Reindeer husbandry is carried out throughout the region – show respect for this.
