Sweden's highest mountain peak 'for now'

First on top of Kebnekaise in a wheel chair.

The southern tip of Kebnekaise is not as high as it used to be, and the northern peak might eventually take over as Sweden's highest point. Photo: Buud
Sweden's highest mountain peak 'for now'
The southern peak of the mountain Kebnekaise may soon be passed as Sweden's highest peak. In the latest measure, which was done in early August, the tip measured 2,100,2 meters (6,889.76 feet) above sea level, according to SVT News. And that makes it the lowest August measurement since the measurements began in 1968, and brings the peak to just slightly over four meters (13.12 feet) higher than the northern peak, which measures 2,096,3 (6.876.64 feet). “We have this trend where the southern peak drops two to three decimeters (7.8 to 11.8 inches) per year. The last time it was really high was in 1995 and 1996 and it was then 2,118 meters (6,948 feet). It has since gotten warmer up here, and the peak has decreased in height,” says Per Holmlund, Professor of Glaciology at Stockholm University.
Holmlund is one of those who perform the measurements. According to him it is difficult to say exactly when the northern peak will take over as the higher one.
“If you imagine the southern peak losing over three decimeters (11.8 inches) a year on average, judging from that, it ought to be in ten years that it will be lower than the northern peak during much of the year.” The reason the southern peak is shrinking has to do with the top glacier becoming increasingly smaller. The northern peak, on the other hand, has no glacier and is therefore not getting any smaller.
Aron Andersson and Johan Ernst Nilsson at the top of Sweden. Aron reached the top of Kebnekaise in a wheelchair, the first one ever to do so. Photo from http://aronanderson.se/
First on top in a wheel chair
Climbing Kebnekaise is a challenge, a challenge that gets even bigger if you reach the peak in a wheelchair. Yet, that's what Aron Andersson did, and he is the first person to do so. The 25-year old Andersson says he likes challenges, and explains that he reached Kebnekaise’s peak by creeping, crawling, using crutches as well as using his wheelchair. “It was a long way to get there, and harder than I’d thought. I thought ‘oh my God’ many times.” Andersson had friend and adventurer Johan Ernst Nilsson with him. Together they wanted to experience something awesome, and decided it had to be Kebnekaise. The route there and back is 24 kilometers (15 miles) on the map, but it took them 28 hours to get there. When Aron wasn’t using his wheelchair, Johan had to carry it. “The last hours before we reached the peak were the hardest. But when we got there it was amazing, although we knew then that we had to get back down.” The road up to the peak of Sweden’s highest mountain is made up largely by huge stones, which Aron says were the greatest obstacle. Now he is looking for new adventures, one of them he hopes will be Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. “I want to get my feeling back in my fingers before then,” he says. You can read more about Aron here:
http://aronanderson.se/