Tours › 2012 › Gåsen › Day 2

Monday 30/4

Stage map 2

Gåsen – Storulvån (via Lill-Ulvåfjället/Getryggen)

Horizontal distance:21.5 km
Vertical distance:+120 m, -400 m, +260 m, -290 m, +30 m, -90 m, +320 m, -330 m
Time:5 h
Lunch break: 45 min
Dinner:Pizza
Night accommodation:Fjeld station
Stage classification:Easy/Medium
Map points:Gåsen, Gåsån, Storulvån

I slept like a log and awoke to quite a bit of wind whistling around the corners of the house, and the sky was covered in high clouds. As I slumbered my way through the early morning the wind lessened, and by the time I got up around 08:15 the celestial veils had thinned to the point where a weak sun could be discerned. The clouds continued to grow lighter, starting in the west, letting more and more of the sun through. After packing up and cleaning I spoke with Mats outside for a bit, in both wind and sun, and then left at 10:00.

Stora Härjångsstöten 1
Clouds 1
Gåsen cottages 8

I started ascending the southern side of Gåsen, after a small cornice, where the warm-ish snow provided good grip. I went up to the first intermediate crest, where there used to be an antenna hut, and once I crossed to the western side of the slope it got warm and still. I continued to hold and slightly gain altitude as I went on northwestwards, noting the approach of two snowmobiles beside the trail from down the valley. Eventually I turned my skis downhill and started telemarking, which was fun, and ended up on the trail just as the snowmobiles (or perhaps another pair) returned down. I skated down to the Gåsån shelter, where the snowmobiles were just leaving. Here it was warm enough to remove the cap, and the clouds were finally about to clear the sky overhead.

Gåsen cottages 9
Climbing
Helags 3
Helags to the south
Sylarna 5
Sylarna to the west
Fjelds 1
Slope just here
Sylarna 6
Lower
Gåsån shelter 1
At the shelter
Stora Härjångsstöten 2
Stora Härjångsstöten rising behind me

I followed the winter trail westwards; I knew that Handölan was crossable at Storforsen, but not further down than that, and it was my intention to ski on the western side from the get-go. The was some wind at first, but once the sun cleared the last veil it got warmer again. As expected, Handölan was completely covered at the trail crossing, but at the adjacent turn it broke open, so the spot was well chosen. I skied mostly alongside a snowmobile-and-ski track leading off northwards, and now it was really sunny and fair. As I rounded the northeastern outrunner of Ö Endalshöjden I adjusted my heading to aim for Lill-Ulvåfjället. As I progressed on this route the wind returned, and eventually Sylarna rose in the gap between Ö and V Endalshöjden. Bare patches started to emerge as well, and I stopped at one of the higher ones where there was a suitable rock for lunch-sitting purposes before 12:15.

Fjelds 2
North
Templet 3
Templet
Handölan 2
Handölan opening
Miektjieburrientjahke & Laptentjahke 1
Miektjieburrientjahke and Laptentjahke
Helags 4
Helags again
Bird 1
Twitter
Sylarna 7
Sylarna reappearing
Sylarna 8
For lunch

I had not sat for too long when I suddenly realized that a bank of cloud wads was rapidly moving in from the northwest, obscuring the sun. After the break I started out at a high tempo to get my temperature up, aiming for the summit of the rise. Said rise has several reindeer fences upon it, but the ones I crossed had no mesh between the poles. Some of those at the top did, however, but I could get across easily where the snow had buried it. There were some reindeer in the vicinity, but they seemed oblivious to my presence, munching away at the uncovered lichen and the like. By then the sky was almost entirely cloudy, with only the southeast holding out, and I didn't spend too much time looking at the views.

Instead I started down the northwestern side, where the snow was once again good for telemark, and this time I even had a scant audience further down upon the Sylarna trail. Towards the end of the slope the snow exercised too much grip for comfort, and I just maintained what speed I could as I approached the trail. This I crossed and then skied straight over Lill-Ulvån just below the bridge – also quite a different experience compared to last year. On the other side I went due north, passing the summer trail split at the tree line, and then went down through the forest to the Blåhammaren trail.

Panorama 3
Panorama eastwards from Lill-Ulvåfjället
Reindeer fence 2
Reindeer fences there
Fjelds 3
Clouds extending into the southeast
Helags 5
Helags still lit
Sylarna 9
Sylarna mostly not
Fjelds 4
Into Norway
Slottet 1
Closeup of Slottet (Castle)
Getryggen 1
Getryggen (Goat's Back) ahead
Laptentjahke & Västra Bunnerstöten 1
Laptentjahke and
Västra Bunnerstöten
Power line 1
Crossing the Sylarna power line
Skier 1
Lone skier
Fjelds 5
Bumpy terrain
Getryggen 2
To climb

I came straight upon one of many snow bridges across Stor-Ulvån, on the northern side of which I started climbing the hilly lower slope of Getryggen. As I reached the tree line again it got windy, and there were people about both at my present level and higher up the fjeld. I pointed my skis directly at the first major crest counting from the station, the slope below which constitutes the classic, simple go-to run of the area. Once there I proceeded a bit further northwards to look over that route, but judged the snow to be better where I first arrived, so I turned back – and then down. The first bit was amazingly good, but then the top layer got a wee bit too deep for my narrow skis – had I had my dedicated telemark setup I would have loved it. The last bit was better again, but once I reached the first trees it was back to sucking snow. I was at the bottom at 15:00, and went straight inside.

Fjelds 6
The vale of Handölan
Ånnsjön 1
Ånnsjön
Sylarna 10
Patch of sunlight at Sylarna

After looking about a little I proceeded at once to the sauna, where there weren't too many present, lest I encroach upon the women-only time between 16 and 17. After that I relaxed and rearranged my pack, stuffing it onto a shelf. Outside it had grown completely overcast, and Getryggen was veiled by a light haze; I thought I felt some light drops in the air as well. I checked myself in and then browsed the shop until I had found myself some dinner – and a bit more while I was at it. Outside the haze had turned into full rainfall, and it looked to be a gloomy Walpurgis Night. Down in the kitchen I met Emil from Fjällfest and Linda, my old colleague from Kebnekaise. While I ate the rain shifted to sleet and then subsided, only to return in the form of snow together with more wind.

After finishing up I went up to the loft above the restaurant where I sat down and relaxed, feeling drowsy, and read for a good while. The snowfall was growing denser, but I still had to venture out into it in order to get to my night quarters; I had booked a bed in the old station buildings on the opposite side of the stream. Due to the abundance of snow I saw fit to put the skis on, and as I crossed the short distance I noted that the clouds were breaking apart, at least temporarily. The old station consists of two buildings, and my bed was in the smaller one, which looked and felt very much like a 1930s' cottage seen here and there in STF's fjeld inventory. It was empty at the moment, and after inspecting the rest of the facility I returned up to the new station to have an evening snack.

Storulvån fjeld station 2
New station
Storulvån fjeld station 3
Old station
Storulvån fjeld station 4
My place
Storulvån fjeld station 5
Inside

The traditional bonfire was to be lit at 21, but some of the staff were jumping the gun and I went over as people started filing out. As if on a cue the clouds lifted noticeably, and soon the staff-staffed choir walked up and rendered a few performances of classic spring songs, followed by a short speech by the station manager. The fire had trouble getting off the ground, as it were, and saw assistance arrive in the form of gasoline and the like. I and several others noted the impact of the natural light, and I remained outside for a while before returning in to partake in the offered vickning (late-evening meal).

This was announced as "small", but was in reality anything but – and the quality was outstanding too (and it was free at that!). As a consequence the line was quite long, but it was worth it, even though I had just snacked. When I was finally finished I glided across Stor-Ulvån again, and it was back to snowfall. Soon two more people came but they entered the other room in the little building, so I turned in alone at 23, after setting the alarm for the following morning's bus and train home.

Bonfire 1
Bonfire 2
Choir 1
Bonfire 3
Bonfire 4
Bonfire 5
Storulvån fjeld station 6
Evening 1
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