Hiking up to and visiting Sweden's most southerly glacier - Helagsglaciären - was one of the most amazing things I have ever done! The reindeer, the views, the ice, the snow. It was just incredible! The hike was quite warm, despite the annual freeze of this environment, it was about 25°C when I went up, so it was so nice to stand on the ice and snow at the top and feel the cold air. :)
The air directly above the glacier and the snow was actually quite cold, which is presumably caused by the energy being taken out of it to melt the ice. It was also interesting to see the rock graffiti left behind by the other visitors to this wild and remote location (I didn't contribute). The views (seen in the reindeer video) were just astounding. The sun was setting, adding an even more orange glow to the mountains in the background. The bottom of the valley you see in the video is actually itself at 1000 m above sea level, and the peak of the mountain I climbed (Helags) was 1796 m, rendering it Sweden's tallest mountain south of the arctic circle!
I spent the night in the valley you see in the video, at the mountain station. I would certainly recommend a visit to Helagsfjällstation if you get the chance! Lovely food (reindeer stew) and truly striking views in a really impressive environment. It does involve hiking at least 12km from the nearest road though.
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