Saturday 7/7

I walked briskly along the trail, which was fairly warm. After the reindeer fence I met a couple of people, and then broke off on the little path to the hut, finding it to be even harder to make out from this direction (after the clear beginning). After passing the hut I crossed another brook with ease, and landed in a good deal of low shrubs, which I often could negotiate by way of reindeer paths. I aimed for the southern end of Urttičohkka, picking my way across wetness and shrubs replete with mosquitos, but my repellant worked for the most part. A bit later the ground turned grassier and stonier, which gave way to some nice patches, followed by a very good one above some juniper thickets.

Having crossed...

...Gáidumjohka

Niche between Sáŋaroalgi and Sáŋarčohkka

Spires

Another hut visit

Pretty valley

Upstream

Downstream

Further upstream

Now that I was high enough to be clear of most of those thickets I adjusted my heading for the northern end of Urttičohkka, and found that the heath here beneath that mountain's steep eastern face was very nice to walk on. It had been rather warm down in the bushes, but now a cool wind was blowing, and the sun took to being dimmed by some light clouds every now and then. On a large snowfield ahead a sizeable reindeer herd was resting, and despite my keeping as long a distance as I could they got up and moved off. As I neared the corner the wind picked up, but died down again when I passed around it partially on rocks and snow. The herd was moving on ahead of me, and I sat down in the sun against a flat rock close to the outflow from Sáimmajávri at 11:45.

Climbing

More of those

Nice walking here

Reindeer resting

Reindeer leaving

Panorama of Sáimmajávri with Gállaktjåhkkå beyond

It was quite warm when there was no wind, but a few remaining bits of ice out on the lake provided contrast. I ate as I looked across the water at Gállaktjåhkkå, which was a bastion on the far side of the Teusa valley. I had seen a note in the cottage that there was supposed to be an old Sámi sacrificial site just here at the outflow, and spent some time searching for it, but found nothing that immediately stood out as such – the closest thing was a couple of rocks aligned in a way which may or may not have attracted people's attention in days of yore, but if so there was nothing there now to tell some kind of tale. Instead I went on past the lake, keeping my distance to the water, walking first on stony grass and then perfect heathland. I continued out onto the flat parts beyond the lake, just where the terrain started slanting downhill, where I was treated to a great view over the upper parts of Teusadalen.

Interesting rocks?

Gállaktjåhkkå

Panorama over Gállaktjåhkkå and upper Teusadalen

Stuor Ruška and Sealggá

Part of Vieračorru

Lone one

After standing there for a good while I turned around and walked back, this time keeping closer to the lake, where there were more rocks and snow. I crossed the stony outflow easily and then made my way up the southern outrunner of Sáimmavárri, which was actually clad in heath at the top. From there the view down the valley was fantastic, and by going a little bit further up I could just see parts of the upper valley and Viddjájávri as well. As the slope down the other side was both convex and very steep I did not push my luck by attempting to descend there, and so followed the shape of the outrunner itself down, walking a little path that gave way to a long snowfield where I could do more of the gliding thing.

Cool

Urttičohkka's eastern face

Sáimmajávri and Gállaktjåhkkå from Sáimmavárri

Kaitumdalen and Livamvággi

Peek of Viddjájávri

Chute

The stream from Sáimmajávri was very easily crossed, and after passing below the few remaining reindeer the terrain was mostly grassy, stony and wet. I went down at an angle, meeting some more reindeer, and the ground got better by and by. Having almost reached the reindeer fence running along Gáidumjohka I levelled out, following reindeer paths through or around various thickets. It was very warm when it was still, but blessedly the sun played hide-and-seek with the increased number of clouds in the sky and so was lacking in power for the most part.

I mainly kept close to the stream, but when the ground grew hilly and bushier I went up among the rises, eventually coming onto the lower hut path a short distance before the trail. Since I was not really in any hurry I walked leisurely, meeting a couple of young women and a large, curly dog. It was very warm again, and the last bit through the forest felt longer than usual, so it was refreshing to be greeted by the sound of a harmonica as I stepped onto the yard around 15:30.

More quadrupeds

Drier

Up the valley

Following the reindeer fence...

...lining...

...the falls...

...of Gáidumjohka

Hills

More falls

Trail

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