Monday 23/8

I slept lightly but still felt rested when I got up at 06:45. It was fairly chilly inside but no worries, and outside it was clear with a few clouds around the northern peaks. It was also still and a bit of frost could be seen in the grass, so the night had been a cold and cloudless one. I packed up and went down to Alexandra with my return parcel, to be stored until winter, and then had breakfast while she spoke to the campers who had also arisen. I cleaned the room, fetched water, said my goodbyes – and then started the day's trek just on schedule at 08:45, eschewing the wind jacket.

Perfect morning...

...with some lingering clouds...

...on the heights

Last looks...

...at Anaris

I maintained a brisk tempo which was no problem as the rucksack felt rather light. There were some muddy sections on the trail which were easily circumvented where necessary, and all the streams were easily crossed as water levels had sunk back quite far. Lillån was also simple, but after that the path up the slope was pretty wet. I had great views all around, limited only by some distance haze.

Stor-Anahögen in the clear

Åreskutan not quite

Audience

Green Kraapa

Hottögsfjället

Lakes behind

Bowl ahead

Tree-woven

Simple passage of Lillån

Stunted

Wide indeed

Cresting

The pass greeted me with a cold wind, which my hands took the brunt of since I was warm enough from the climb otherwise. I left the path to have a closer look at the little tarn where I had seen the tent on my Kraapa visit, and found the available spots to be scant and/or wet, but the pool itself was pretty enough in its rocky hollow. The wind lessened as I walked over naked rock faces, and after I had passed the winter trail split and a section of rocky rubble the path ventured into dense vegetation.

In the pass

After the pass

Approaching the tarn

By the tarn

The way down

Fangvalen

Rounding the corner

Splendid view over Vattensjöarna

At times the sideway slant was appreciable, but the sights were absolutely splendid, with Vattensjöarna below and Ottfjället and the higher western fjelds coming into view more and more. There were also a few ptarmigans I scared up, as well as some flowers which remained firmly attached to the ground. As I was nearing the hollow between Staalavielie and Kruptjie I saw a single camper just striking camp on the other side of the stream, but once I was across I realized that said camp was some distance below the trail, so there were no greetings to be had.

Slanting

More peaks in sight

Ajvin Sijte fishing camp

Stream passage

The next section consisted of low gravel rises which turned into a combination of sparse and leafy forest with high undergrowth of the meadow kind. The trail then suddenly threw itself down a steep slope into more typical dense forest which with its mosses and ferns gave rather a dark feel. I met a single woman going up, and before long I found myself at Tvärån, which was easily crossed on rocks at a place that had been obviously engineered for the purpose. A flat portion later I walked up to Staloviellekåtan which is situated on a hilltop just off the main trail, and found it to be in very good condition. It was still too early to stop, however, so I soon pressed on.

Gravel...

...giving way to flowers...

...of various kinds...

...and then dense undergrowth...

...in the sideways slope...

...before more gravel rises

Over the shoulder

Straight ahead

Ottfjället and V Vattensjön

Staalavielie

Down!

Dense and murky

Tvärån

The hut...

...from the outside...

...and the inside

From there the forest was dry, and before long the terrain started sloping downwards and the moss reasserted its dominance. I walked on, and after crossing a mire canal on flat rocks placed there I emerged onto dry open heath reminiscent of Öland's alvar, which soon turned to grassland. Next up was a series of low, sturdy bridges crossing the sharply meandering Skraupvalbäcken no less than five times, and then there was an uphill portion before I finally caught sight of Tomröven where I aimed to have lunch, reaching a campsite among the sparse trees by its northeastern bay at 11:45.

Pleasant path...

...through the forest

Alvar-like

First contact with Skraupvalbäcken

At Tomröven

I dug into my lunch at once, not bothering with the jacket since the wind was weak. Since I was still on the clock I didn't tally for too long, but still took the opportunity to appreciate the scene, which was a welcome break in the woodland. The next part consisted of dry pine forest skirting a large mire, and in several places large logs had fallen over the path. I then came out onto open land at the bridge over the somewhat large Källbäcken, where I met two older ladies. Then the trail entered forest of the denser but still dry kind, where there were more fallen trees, and then the terrain started sloping downhill again.

Skraupvalen across Tomröven

Nice view

Half-fallen

Wholly-fallen

Peak line

Pines

Before Källbäcken

After Källbäcken

Vast mire

As it did so the mosses returned, and after a while a ski track (or what would have been one in winter) joined up with the path. After walking atop a rise with a sharply slanting eastern edge I descended again, and then passed a brook that had spread out widely over an area of grass. Shortly thereafter I passed a signpost pointing out a side path to V Vattensjön, and then there started appearing more low shrubs in the undergrowth, but the ground remained dry. When I reached the trail split to Bäverkroken I paused and called Helena to set a meeting in Vallbo for transferring my paperwork, and looking at the time I was now even a bit ahead of schedule.

I now had the option of following the official markings westwards to reach the trail from/to Vargtjärnflätet, but since the path straight ahead, which also served as a ski track, was quite clear I decided to take it. The first bit was dry and shrubby, and then the ski track broke off on a side route, crossing the footpath at places. A somewhat less dry descent later I found myself at Vargtjärnbäcken, which was wide and no obstacle at all just there.

Grassier

Narrower

Vargtjärnbäcken

On the other side I saw bike tracks in the mud and a few boards, but otherwise the path was not very well kept, this not being the official stretch after all. Then the ground turned grassy and in short fashion I reached the first buildings of Vallbo, which I skirted to land on a much larger path I followed down to another stream crossing, this one via a bridge, and then walked up to the center of the village where the bus stop was at 13:45.

Same as last time

Vallbo outhouse

Last bit

The village's fjeld chapel

There was no one in sight at first, but as I was adjusting my pack I noted someone feeding a couple of horses, and a couple of bikers also passed by at a distance. Add to that there were chickens and a rooster plus a flock of sheep in a pasture, and a few cars came and went on the road, mostly heading for or away from the chapel and/or the official trail central/parking. Helena arrived at 14 and we spoke for a while about the period that had just ended and some of what the future might hold, and when she had left I made final preparations for the journey home. The taxi-bus arrived at precisely 14:30, and since I somewhat surprisingly was the only passenger this time around it was in the form of a smaller van. My sojourn in Anaris thus ended much as it had been passed: calmly.

Empty camp

Baa

Cluck