Tours › 2007 › Kebnekaise Tour 2: Teusajaure › Day 4

Sunday 11/3

Kaitumjaure – Kebnekaise (via Jierttájávri)

Horizontal distance:	24 km
Vertical distance:	+300 m, -200 m, +60 m, -60 m
Time:	6 h 15 min
Lunch break:	45 min
Dinner:	–
Night accommodation:	–
Stage classification:	Easy/Medium
Map points:	Kaitumjaure, Kebnekaise

After another night's good sleep I swung my legs over the edge of the bed at 06:30, seeing blue sky with a few wisps through the window, and there was some westerly wind. I started a fire and then went out to witness the amazing sunrise – this time of year dawn will occur at the far end of the lake, right in the gap between Čoalmmebákti and Čoalmevárri, which makes for a very nice framing effect. I packed up and made breakfast, and when I was all set I went over to say good-bye to Maj-Lis and Henry; more clouds had appeared, it was a bit windy, and the sun was passing behind Livamčohkka, but it was still fair indeed.

I left after 08:45 in a light wind which faded to nothing in the woodland, and it was not long before I reentered the sunlit expanse. Since it was rather warm I changed into the thinner cap and mittens, but as I was passing the bridge where the summer trail crosses Čeakčajohka the wind had grown back in force, so I switched back. Clouds were hanging in the southwest and northwest, as well as around most peaks in view. I found my old tracks from day 2, which a snowmobile driver had travelled upon (I don't know why certain drivers seem to have a pathological need to do that, thereby destroying them for other skiers), but I could still make them out, and I followed them north for a bit before crossing the stream. I proceeded on its eastern bank until the trail turn under Stuor-Jiertá, where I started following the markers. By then it was rather cloudy behind me, and in central Čeakčavággi elongated clouds were flowing out of the orthogonally connecting valleys.

After a short bit I returned to skiing on the stream, and a kilometer or two further ahead I broke away northeast to a signpost where a summer trail branches off between Unna Jierttáš and Stuor-Jiertá, passes Jierttájávri and then between Unna Jierttáš and Liddunjunnji, to connect with the Kebnekaise trail in Láddjuvággi. The signs themselves were broken and gave no information, but the marking cairns were clearly visible, and I skied upwards just south of these. The peak-clouds, which had been absent for some time, were now growing again, and particularly Stuor-Jiertá was hidden in large parts. I noted a multitude of animal tracks as I climbed to the small pass northwest of Jierttájávri, and then the sun was swallowed by the S-J cloud. With a clear view of the lake I sat down with my back against a sizeable rock at 11:30; the westerly wind had reached appreciable strength, with keen gales.

Last glimpse of Bajip Gáidumjávri

Sun over Livamčohkka

Northbound trail...

...through Čeakčavággi

Stuor-Jiertá

The entrance to Sáŋarvággi

The entrance to Gávgulvággi

Livamčohkka behind

Sáŋarčohkka et al

Unna Avrrik

The valley opening up

Unna Jierttáš beneath Siŋŋičohkka

Mini-panorama of Čeakčavággi

Unna Avrrik in its entirety

Steep and furrowed Liddubákti

Mádir and Čeakčavággi to the north

Going up

The Tjäktja pass in the distance

Fjelds north of Unna Avrrik...

...and fjelds south of it

Neasketvággi

Cloud-sun

Stuor Avrrik et al

Liddubákti!

Jierttájávri

There was still no sun while I ate and more clouds were appearing, especially around Liddubákti; it was clear to the northeast and southeast, though. Again I proceeded a bit south of the still visible cairns, and I had no more started moving before the clouds parted, the sun came out, and the wind decreased. Figures. In the next pass there were snowmobile tracks going off towards (or coming from) Liddujávrrit, and I also saw some snowmobiles down in Láddjuvággi. For some reason the trail has been drawn down the steepest possible section of the slope, and that's where the tracks headed as well; I took an easier route myself, coming onto the main trail when the cairns did. In the valley the wind was back to full strength, and soon I entered the shadow of Liddubákti.

I skied in an older snowmobile track beside the trail at first, going back to it at the bend. The clouds had been lifting behind me all the time, and now that I could see into the broad parts it was clear that it was clear in that direction too. Just before the small bridge over Šiellajohka, back in the sun, I turned upwards, passing west of Lillberget in/beside some old (and frozen) ski tracks. There the wind had subsided again, but higher up the slope it rose substantially, now coming from the southwest. I was feeling a bit worn for some reason, but I had some easily accessible chocolate left to raise by blood sugar, and the nice weather wasn't exactly hurting things.

In places the snow cover was thin, and I made several course corrections as I first aimed for Jökelbäcken and then straight at Kaipak, all in a wind which couldn't decide what it wanted to be. I found an old set of tracks the tangent of which pointed towards Kitteldalen, and I followed these to the crest between Kaipak and Mastberget, where there was hardly any snow left. Coming from that direction the canteen was the first section I passed, so I thought it natural to go inside for a snack. I was accompanied by several other staffers who were also on leave, while outside the clouds had started to reclaim lost ground.