Nine kilometers from Björkliden, straight up onto the bare mountain, lies Låktatjåkko Mountain Station. This is no place you stumble upon by chance. You make your way here – on foot with hiking boots in summer, on skis in winter, or by snowmobile or tracked vehicle when conditions demand it.
This time, my party and I, photographer Fredriksson together with our friends David Kantermo, Nova Crawford Currie, Josefine “Jojo” Ås and Håkan Stenlund, choose the latter. Or rather, we follow behind the tracked vehicle, like a moving button lift crossing the open winter landscape, where the mountains unfold in every direction.
"As the tracked vehicle slows, the wind hits us with full force. Up here, as always, it is nature that calls the shots"
As we leave Björkliden behind, visibility is still good, but the higher we climb the mountain, the more the conditions begin to change. Clouds close in, the wind strengthens, and the landscape gradually becomes more indistinct. After half an hour, it’s almost only the red trail markers that hint at the way forward.
The tracked vehicle driver follows them methodically through the increasingly white terrain, while behind, we feel the wind tug at our clothes and gear.
On nature’s terms
Suddenly, the mountain station comes into view. The dark building emerges from the whiteness almost without warning, barely standing out against the snow swirling around its corners in the rising wind. As the tracked vehicle slows, the wind strikes us with full force. Up here, as always, it is nature that sets the rules.
Låktatjåkko Mountain Station, Sweden’s highest mountain station, sits 1,228 meters above sea level between the peaks of Loktačohkka and Bajip Gohpáčohkka. Its location here is no accident—exposed and weather-beaten, yet strategically placed.
A miniature mountain hotel
In the late 1930s, as more and more hikers and skiers made their way to Björkliden, the idea emerged to build a cabin higher up the mountain – a place to find shelter and warmth. Once the decision was made and the first materials, transported partly by horse, reached the site, it quickly became clear that the project would be far more demanding than anyone had anticipated. Workers were repeatedly trapped for days, taking refuge from raging storms.
To get materials up at all, a special trail had to be cut for the horses. At first, an old railway worker barrack was dismantled and its timber reused for construction, but it soon became clear that it wouldn’t be enough. What was originally planned as a simple rest cabin was slowly turning into a miniature mountain hotel.
Riksgränsen Banked Slalom
It’s all about carving. No jumps, no flips, no rails. Just the beautiful art of turning on a snowboard.
"Up here, it’s not traditional comforts that draw you in, but the atmosphere"
Over the years, I’ve visited many times, both in summer and winter. Yet there’s always something special about stepping through the door. The saying that “history sits in the walls” may sound worn, but at Låktatjåkko Mountain Station, it’s hard to put it any other way.
The mountain lodge offers ten rooms, split between singles and doubles. The standard is deliberately simple, and the rooms are rustic. Showers, toilets, and the sauna are shared. Up here, it’s not comfort in the traditional sense that draws you – it’s the atmosphere.
Already upon stepping through the door, it was clear that last night’s plans for summit tours around the mountain station would not come to fruition. The wind has picked up even more, visibility is nearly nonexistent, and we decide to let the day take a different course.
Waffles in every variety
As the hours pass, we sink deeper into the wooden armchairs by the fireplace in the great room. The Yahtzee dice are rolling, and together we manage to try every version of Låktatjåkko Mountain Station’s legendary waffles.
The plan for the rest of the evening is simple – first the sauna, then dinner in the restaurant. Even though today’s skiing was literally blown away, we are surprisingly content.
When weather and snow conditions allow, the mountains around Låktatjåkko Mountain Station offer a variety of tours – from short and relatively accessible routes to steeper, more demanding options for experienced skiers.
Just outside the station lies Pumphusbacken – an easy slope and a quick run when conditions permit. For those seeking higher terrain, nearby Loktačohkka and Kopparåsen offer summit tours that many consider the most rewarding in the area, with continuous runs and expansive views. A little further west rises Geargecorru, a summit tour suitable for most, though it has never quite held the same reputation as Loktačohkka or Vassečohkka.
Mattias Fredriksson
This is the story of how lifestyle photographer Mattias Fredriksson’s career took off in Riksgränsen back in 1990s.
"Staying up here creates an intimate and unusually pared-back atmosphere"
Over the years, I’ve met many different people who have worked up here – different personalities, different seasons. The staff have always set the tone at Låktatjåkko Mountain Lodge; it’s likely been that way since the station first opened.
A pared-back atmosphere
They generously share their knowledge of snow conditions and route choices, talk about the best runs in the area, and how the weather usually behaves when the wind blows from the west. Conversations flow freely between mountain history and the conditions of the day.
Staying up here creates an intimate and unusually pared-back atmosphere. Some play board games, someone reads, another tends the fire. Mobile coverage is limited, and there is no TV. It affects the pace and the way people connect.
Later in the evening, with the warmth of the sauna still in our bodies, we enter the dining room. The tables are set, the candles lit, and wine is poured into our glasses. Tonight’s two-course dinner is firmly rooted in the local and the wild, featuring ingredients sourced from the surrounding mountain landscape.
The quality of everything served is consistently high.
The wind howls outside
During dinner, the staff share stories from the station’s history and life in the mountains. Afterwards, we move back to the great room. Conversations continue for a while before one by one we retreat to our rooms, falling asleep to the sound of the wind howling outside the windows.
When we wake the next morning, the wind has eased slightly, and the surrounding mountains appear to have received a fresh few centimeters of snow overnight. In the dining room, a hearty mountain breakfast awaits – more than enough to fuel the day ahead.
The plan is to fit in a few of the area’s runs before continuing westward. We study the mountain map and take in the day’s forecasts for weather, wind, and avalanches.
After breakfast, we will leave the mountain station behind and make our way toward Riksgränsen – perhaps Sweden’s most legendary ski resort. But first, a full day awaits in the mountains around Låktatjåkko Mountain Station.
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