Old Tjikko- The oldest clonal tree

KarlH's picture

Location

Fulufjället
Sweden
61° 34' 59.9988" N, 12° 40' 0.0012" E
SE
General info: 

Old Tjikko is the world's oldest individual clonal tree. The age of this Norway Spruce tree is an unbelievable 9,550 years and it is located on Fulufjället Mountain in Sweden.

The trunk itself is estimated to be only a few hundred years old, but the tree as a whole has survived almost ten thousand years due to a process known as layering. When branches touch ground, they can sprout new roots and if the original trunk dies, the root system is still alive and may sprout a new trunk.

The age of the tree has been determined by carbon dating of the root system under the tree.

Getting there: 

The tree is located on Fulufjället Mountain. There is a small path leading up towards the tree. However, it is unmarked, as park rangers do not want to encourage large groups of tourists to surround the tree. A free guided tour can be arranged at the entrance (Naturum) that can take tourists to the tree.

The closest village is Särna.

Costs: 

It is free to hike in Fulufjället area.

Interesting places nearby

BASE: 1266ft
SUMMIT: 1778ft
VERTICAL DROP: 511ft

NO. OF. LIFTS: 6
Gondolas: 0
Chairs: 1
Surface: 5

Hurdal ski resort has 4 ski lifts, 10 runs of varying difficulty and 2 snowboard area. The total length of the skiing area is 7 km, and the drop is 285 m.

BASE: 984ft
SUMMIT: 1722ft
VERTICAL DROP: 738ft

Idre Fjäll (Idre Mountain) is a ski resort in central Sweden, known for its reliable snow conditions. Idre Fjäll has 34 ski lifts and 42 runs all on one mountain overlooking the town of Idre.

BASE: 150ft
SUMMIT: 370ft
VERTICAL DROP: 220ft

NO. OF. LIFTS: 8
Gondolas: 0
Chairs: 2
Surface: 6

Gålå is located in the heart of Norway, 1 hour north of Lillehammer, near the Jotunheimen national Park.

Hafjell is located 15km north of Lillehammer, and is an Olympic arena with a wide variety of runs. 16 ski lifts provide access to a total of 40,5km of slopes, and the longest run is 7,5km long.