Sweden’s Kebnekaise mountain’s two peaks have swapped places as the country’s tallest and second-tallest heights due to glacial melting.
The south peak, which is covered in ice, has been the taller, although its height has varied from season to season and year to year.
Normally, the south peak’s height varies by 3 metres during a year, with the highest in May and the lowest in September. But this year, the increased melt rate means that it is already at a historic low for the over 100 years it has been measured, and will now take second place to the north peak, whose height doesn’t vary.
For climbers seeking to bag Sweden’s highest point, that’s an issue. Unlike the south peak which has had trails and ice to carve footholds in, the north peak requires a guide, serious equipment and climbing experience.
