Alta Canyon (Sautso)

The Alta Canyon (Sautso, Sámi: Čávžu) is northern Europe’s largest canyon: about 10–12 km long and 300–420 metres deep, cut by the Altaelva river through layers of ancient rock. Golden eagles and peregrine falcons nest in its walls, and from the viewpoint you hear the roar of the Gabofossen waterfall far below.

History: at the top of the canyon stands the Alta dam, 145 metres high. Its construction set off the Alta controversy around 1980, with protests and civil disobedience over Sámi rights. The dam has produced power since 1987 – and the dispute led to a new Sámi policy in Norway and to the Sámi Parliament, first elected in 1989.

The hike: from the car park above the tree line at Beskades on the Gargia road (where the pin is) a marked trail leads to the canyon edge – about 13 km return, 5–6 hours, medium; easy terrain with some boggy parts and two small streams to cross. Season: 15 June to October (or the first snow). In midsummer bring mosquito repellent; in spring reindeer have their calves here. Gargia Lodge nearby offers beds and guides. A shorter route starts at Jotka on the west side (about 6 km each way); the Jotka road is closed in May and October for the reindeer.

Without hiking: guided trips by car (May–October) take you through a tunnel to a visitor centre inside the rock at the power station and across the dam, and in summer riverboat trips run up into the canyon from Máze. Keep well back from the cliff edges. Good to combine with the Alta rock carvings.