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Kebnekaise hill station has broken visitor records for several years this year and, despite the pandemic, the facility has also come under heavy visitor pressure this year as many have chosen to travel within the country.
New equipment left behind
In connection with this, a new phenomenon has emerged when many tents have been left around the facility. In total, the staff have cleaned about 50 tents and more have been dumped in the garbage station at the hill station. Which means that more than a hundred tents have been thrown around or at the station.
– Sometimes the tents are completely empty, but there is often left over rubbish, wet clothes and new equipment that sometimes is not even unpacked. It almost looks like they’ve come out of the tent in a panic, says Marit Sarri, site manager at Kebnekaise hill station.
Hikers bought tents for the mountain environment
Tents that have been left in the wild are described as “junk tents” and something that could be used at festivals. Marit Sarri estimates that they cost between 300 and 700 crowns.
– They are tents that do not support climate change in the mountains. It’s not the same time here as in Stockholm or on the Norrbotten coast.
Site administrators: unacceptable behavior
In previous summers, the Kebnekaise hill station staff have dismantled two or three of the so-called “garbage tents”. Therefore, it is believed that the reason for this summer’s trash is that the facility has welcomed a new type of visitor with little experience in the mountain world.
– They may not have even visited Kebnekaise if the borders had been closed, says Marit Sarri, site manager at Kebnekaise hill station.
Virtually all the tents have been in such poor condition that staff have been forced to throw them away.
– We have spoken with our sustainability manager and communicator. Somehow we must obtain the information that this behavior is not acceptable. But also for the sake of hikers so they have a better experience and get equipment for this weather.
