The Sulitjelma area is a 1 000 km wilderness area, just north of the Arctic Circle in Norway. In this area there are many high mountain peaks, such as "Suliskongen", North-Norway's second highest mountain, and "Saulo", the highest mountain along the entire border between Norway and Sweden. Here are several big glaciers, e.g. "Blåmannsisen", which is the fourth largest glacier in Norway. Several large and small lakes are in the area. The largest is "Balvatn", which is 40 kin.

Sulitjelma is the gateway to the biggest, continuous, untouched wilderness area in Europe, and the biggest, continuous protected area in Scandinavia.

All of the Sulitjelma area is owned by the State. On all State ground the rule of common property is in force. This implies that everyone, Norwegians and foreigners, are entitled to walk about, hunt, fish, pick berries, pitch a tent, etc., within the area.

The south side

On the south side of the town of Sulitjelma you find both wooded terrain and high mountains. The area is less broken than the north side, has more vegetation, and seems more hospitable, and easier to walk about in. Here, there are many possibilities for hikes for adults as well as for children. In the winter, there are prepared ski tracks, both on the high mountains and in the woodlands, and in summer, you may follow many different marked paths in the same areas. Here are several cottages for rent, and the area has a multitude of lakes for fishing, with fine mountain trout.

The North Side

This differs from the south side in that the terrain is more demanding. Wading of rivers, which have their source in glaciers, and walking on snow and ice, is not unusual in the summer. The ice on the lakes does not melt until the middle of July, at the earliest. In this area are two of the most used, marked paths for hiking between Norway and Sweden. Both the climate and the terrain are more extreme on the north side than on the south side. In the winter, there are no prepared ski-tracks, and there are few people.

Lakes for Fishing

The Sulitjelma area, with hundreds of big and small lakes, is an El Dorado for anglers. The best place for rod fishing is on the south side. In the summer, when one can drive right into the wilderness, the distance you walk is short from the road to many lakes. This makes the area well-suited for families. The terrain is little broken, and easy to walk about for grownups and children. All lakes for fishing on the south side are trout lakes.

Glaciers

On the north side lie the two great glaciers in Sulitjelma, "Blåmannsisen" and "Sulitjelmabreen". To reach these, one can drive all the way up into the high mountain area. The nearest glacier is "Sulitjelmabreen". To reach it, we go straight eastward for about I 1,5 hours. The trip from the road to "Blåmannsisen" takes about 2 - 3 hours. Remember that walking on the glaciers is dangerous without a glacier guide!

Cabins for rent

Sulitjelma Jeger- og Fiskerforening - the Sulitjelma Hunting and Fishing Association - has six cabins spread in the area. Renting can be arranged at Sulitjelma Camping.

Sulitjelma og omegn turistforening - the Sulitjelma and environs tourist association has seven cabins spread in the area. These are locked with a standard DNT-lock, - The Norwegian

Mountain Touring Association-lock. A key fitting in all the locks may be bought at Sulitjelma Hotell, and at Sulitjelma Camping.

Border along the watershed

The differences in topography between the Norwegian and Swedish side of the border is considerable. On the Norwegian side of the border we see high mountains and deep valleys, glaciers, and dramatic nature. On the Swedish side of the border the landscape immediately slants, and the further east from the border we go, the flatter the terrain gets. The border to Sweden is long, along the watershed. That is to say, that the border is drawn along the highest points in the terrain. In this way all water on the west side of the border, runs westward and into the Norwegian Sea, while the water on the east side runs eastward and into the Gulf of Bothnia. Practically no rivers run from Norway and into Sweden, or vice versa. Most of the watercourses and big rivers, both in Norway and in Sweden, have their sources in the border mountains. The Swedish areas that lie up towards the Sulitjelma area, are enormous wilderness areas. From the border there is about 60 km in air line to the nearest road and built-up area in Kvikkjokk.

Saami and keeping reindeer

Right from the beginning of time, Sulitjelma has been a Saami district. As a consequence, names of rivers, lakes, and mountain-tops are Saami, not Norwegian. The keeping of reindeer of today, has traditions many hundred years back in time. You can meet grazing reindeer all over the area. Even if someone owns the reindeer, it is just as wild all the other animals you can meet out in nature, for example Scandinavia's biggest animal living on land, the moose.