Friday 8/8 – Thursday 14/8

Friday 8/8

The next morning came with some wind and fairly low clouds, with a shower to boot. I spoke at length with the Dutchman inside while the rain intensified, and eventually the Estonian came in as well. As the morning progressed the rain petered out and the clouds started breaking up, with some weak sunlight appearing. With the growing light I now caught sight of a tent over at the ford on the westbound trail, which I hadn't seen in the gloom of the preceding evening, but it was a while yet before its occupant packed up and started moving.

High night

Low morning

By now there was a good bit of sky visible, but it was also quite windy and the cloud base wasn't too high. Just after the Estonian left (the Dutchman had done so earlier) the new tenter approached, in the form of another Dutchman of elderly make who as expected had come to the ford in the evening and decided to stop rather than press it to the cottage. I spoke for a long while with him and then he visited the shop and just had a break before moving on eastwards. Now the weather was improving more, with actual warmth in the appreciable wind and Nuortta Sávllo just out of hiding.

After an outside lunch I therefore decided to go out for a shorter tour of the nearby area around 12:45, opting for the trail shoes for ease of walking. I followed the path leading by the tent spot east of the sauna, coming up onto a high brink before rounding the bend in Varvvekjåhkå on the other side of which lay a very nice flat little area that looked perfect for tenting, with a brook running down from the hollow above for easier access to fresh water at that.

At the tent spot

Rapids

The campsite

Again, towards the massif

Next up was a series of hills of dry heath, which I crossed in a lessening wind, arriving at some rapids splashing over flat rocks. There I removed the wind jacket, and I was happy to note that my body felt fine after a couple of days of sniffles and a general light under-the-weather feeling. A short distance later came another good campsite followed by a cliff passage in the stream that started out wide but then grew more narrow. I had now progressed far enough around that I was in visual contact with the trail again, where I observed the older Dutchman just passing over the far crest in view.

Buildings

More rapids

Next campsite

Dry

Suliskongen emerging

Narrowing

Woolly

Narrowed

Swift

After a waterfall in the stream I reached yet another flat area, this one more expansive than the previous ones, and here it looked like a tipi had stood at some point. The wind was more noticeable again as the terrain was more open on the whole, and now that I could see further the sky was darkening to the southeast. I also saw a single hiker walking the trail westwards, but I instead proceeded eastwards towards the crest, passing a little cloudberry mire, and it wasn't long before that darkness turned into a rain haze that started bringing drops in the wind. I therefore parked myself behind a rock, putting the jacket back on, and waited out the shower.

Approaching the waterfall

Another bend

Downstream

At the fall

Clear traces

To eat

I continued on carefully across a wet section and then crossed the trail, heading up a bit in the slope to a ledge of sorts with a good view over Adámvallda – or at least it would have been good had there not been another haze on the way. I headed back down towards the trail while the wind brought more drops, and when I reached the path this turned into actual rain so I scampered over to a large rock and huddled down. One rainbow later I was back on the trail, which felt somewhat long, and now it was getting warmer again so I removed the jacket once more. There were a couple of more drops before I was back at 14:30, seeing that hiker from before sitting at the outdoor table.

Mires

Sliver of lake

Adámvallda

Haze

Bow

Landed

Lake back in view

Home stretch

This was a Swedish-speaking foreigner (German, I thought) who was on a round trip of the Sulidälbmá massif, including Kvikkjokk, now stopped for food, a visit to the shop, and a chat with yours truly. After I had had a snack myself I went back out to try my hand at fishing in Varvvekjåhkå, going down to the bridge. I got a brown trout on the very first cast on the downstream side, but it was too small to keep so back in it went. The very second cast landed me another one, but this was even smaller, and after a while of fruitless attempts I moved to the upstream side of the bridge. Here it was a bit tricky due to the strong current and a cliff wall, but I did get a third small fish that also went back. That was it for the day, but at least I knew that there were fish in the stream.

Below

Above

No one had arrived in my absence, and despite more wind it was quite warm. Soon I spotted a group of four coming from the west, and another two were sitting along the northern trail. The quartet turned out to be a Belgian extended family who were to spend the night inside, and they made some pretty substantial purchases in the shop. The other pair, however, turned westwards at the trail split and then proceeded up towards the glacier between the bridges, so no more guests this day.

There was a bit of sun-rain while I prepared dinner, and I also spotted a new tent at the Lájrrojåhkå bridge. As I lit the sauna for the Belgians the sky was growing more and more clear, but the massif was still cut off. It was a great albeit somewhat cold evening, and as I drifted off to bed the wind was picking up again, with the now familiar howl in the chimney.

Saturday 9/8

The clouds were low during the night and there was a bout of heavy rain, and come morning the clouds remained. The wind had died down, however, but the temperature was a meager 10°C. It was growing lighter with patches of sky showing, and I prepared to go for my first longer day tour of the period, which I had felt a strong wish to do for some time now. As the higher peaks remained clouded I decided to aim for Dälbut and beyond, possibly all the way to the deteriorated hut at the end/start of the old trail across from Juoŋasuoloj. Having seen the quartet off and completed all cleaning tasks I set out at 10:15, wearing the boots now that the terrain would be a bit more rugged.

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There were no traces of visits upon my return, so I proceeded straight down to the stream for a wash; it was cold as usual, but felt really good. The peaks were attracting more clouds again as the sun came and went, and it was actually not that warm when it wasn't shining. A couple of people were approaching along the northern trail, arriving just as my dinner was ready; these were two Dutch women who had walked all the way from Stáddájåhkå.

After dinner I spoke some with them, learning more about the condition of said trail section, and soon another woman came from the same direction, this one being another Estonian. While the sauna heated the weather improved again, and I observed a tent being pitched on the "bend patch" I had visited just the day before. The wind was back to weak, which meant that the mosquitos were also back out. Around 21 a French trio arrived from the east, having suffered quite a bit (and bites, presumably) from said insects, and now they elected to forego the sauna and just go inside, after a shop visit. Things then settled down for the night, which I commenced around 22:30 bed-wise.

Sunday 10/8

This night was a partially windy one, and there was still quite a bit of movement in the air in the morning. It was also quite fair, but the clouds on the western half of the sky were somewhat low. The wind soon increased, giving rise to white-crested waves on the deeply green lake, and later in the morning the two nearby campers, who were Germans walking Nordkalottleden, stopped by the shop. The French were the last to leave, as expected, just as another bout of light rain started.

Two people were approaching from the north, and by the time they arrived the rain had almost petered out again. These were more Germans who after some deliberation decided to take (half) a rest day and an indoor night, as one of them was feeling a bit worn from their recent long stages. The weather was then very unsteady, with rain and sun after the other, up until lunch.

After the aforementioned repast Nuortta Sávllo suddenly appeared, but shortly thereafter a heavy haze approached from the southern end of the lake, and I stayed inside reading during the subsequent rain. Through the mists I observed five people making their way across the ford, and they spent quite a bit of time at the trail split apparently debating what to do before finally moving in my direction. Even though it was raining again visibility was full, but it was now quite cold.

The quintet eventually arrived spread out, and I found out that they were a group of Swedes who were on a tenting tour counterclockwise around the massif, but given the weather they had decided to avail themselves of Pieskehaure's beds and sauna. The weather was, however, improving again at the moment, and even though the chill remained it was fairly nice outside. While the sauna heated later on I spoke with the Swedes inside, and I spotted another two people coming on the northern trail, but taking their time doing so.

As the quintet went into the sauna the latter two finally arrived, by which time I had ascertained that they also had a dog with them, which is unusual from that direction since there is a general ban on dogs in Padjelanta National Park the southern border of which lies about 18 km away along that trail. These two (or, rather, three) had helicoptered in to Råvejávrre and walked westwards from there, staying on the right side of said border, and would be heading back towards Kvikkjokk. Having seen them in I could finally sit down for a later dinner myself.

The sun made some more visits during the evening, and there was a bit of westerly wind. I spoke for a long time with all my various guests inside, while outside it was rather chilly. No late arrivals this day, which still ended with a season high of a whopping nine overnight guests.

Monday 11/8

Both the night and the morning were still, but it was no more than 8°C when I got up. It was also quite fair although the massif was partially obscured by some of the clouds present. The dog couple had decided to stay for another night due to a problematic (human) knee, but the rest were leaving, and before doing so one of the Germans filled up the firewood supply – another one of those who explicitly enjoyed doing so.

The clouds couldn't quite decide what to do as I went through my tasks, one of which was doing laundry as I was running out of clean clothes. This I executed on the sauna's porch, and while there I found a cap that one of the quintet had lost the day before, but it was now too late to catch up with them so I put it away in case I could figure something out later. Having hung everything up to dry I serviced the others for a bit before they went for a walk with the pooch, and I sat down on the steps of the little porch of the warden's cottage to have lunch.

The clouds were now in the lifting part of their cycle again, and despite the lack of wind the mosquitos were few. I left for a walk myself after 13, passing by the brown cabin and then following the faint path close to Varvvekjåhkå downstream. Once at the outflow I now continued along the shore past a canal, jostling through an osier thicket, and then suddenly found myself at another wet "outflow" from a mire which barred my way.

Keeping my distance...

...above Varvvekjåhkå

Confluence...

...of streams/hues

Rounding the bend

The canal

Shrubby

I therefore followed the edge of this mire back until I could cross it, and then walked on dry heath out to a moist shoreline where a circling seagull tweeted at me. I continued along this shore for a bit, startling a flock of larger birds in the next cove, and then turned up onto the heath again. It was now warm enough that I removed the wind jacket as I passed a cloudberry mire with more ripe berries on it, so I couldn't resist munching my way across. After cresting a low hill I crossed an area of rather bumpy ground to reach the duckboards on the old path which brought me back to the cottage an hour after I left.

Grassy shore

Fleeing

Heading back

Nothing appeared to have happened in my absence (surprise), so I just took it easy inside, having an afternoon snack. Suddenly an appreciable northerly wind came into being, which had a similarly appreaciable chilling effect even though it was now mostly fair again. I read out on the steps as the sun passed into a large veil, and then it was time for dinner & dessert.

Later on a couple of foreign hikers arrived from the east, and they opted for a tent+sauna combo so I lit the latter at once. They were planning on going to Lomihytta via the northern route on the morrow, for which the forecast appeared favorable. While they went into the sauna I went for a stroll in the fantastic evening, talking some with the Swedes, and when the sun was swallowed by a cloud bank I took in the laundry. Another outing followed as the sun returned underneath said bank before passing behind Lájrro for real, and once I had had a chance to look over the (vacated) sauna I went to bed earlier than usual.

Tuesday 12/8

The next morning was chilly but still, and mostly clear with some high banks of cloud, and the massif had a cap. After breakfast I spoke for a good while with the Swedes who had just finished theirs, and then went on with my other morning tasks. The clouds were increasing in quantity and density, and after consulting the weather forecast I decided to postpone my planned day tour to the next day, instead aiming for a shorter run today.

Nice weather in the morning

Massif cap

The canine

Before that, however, I spoke with the tenters who had now also arisen, and when I learnt that they were to continue clockwise around the massif I asked them to bring the left-behind cap as there was a very good chance that they would meet the Swedish men along the way, setting up rather a fun encounter. I then changed into running clothes, observing a small tornado(!) on the southern side of the lake, and after the dog people had left I went out at 10...

...only to see two people just arriving on the eastern trail, so I waited to see what they were up to. One of them turned out to be STF-affiliated, combining a tour of unvisited parts of the fjelds with producing more photo material of the various cottage sites, and they would only be having a short break before continuing northwards, aiming for Sårjåsjaure and eventually Stáloluokta. I gave them some tips and we chatted for a while longer, and just when I thought I could start my run a helicopter approached, turned around and landed outside the main cottage...

...delivering Tobbe, the STF caretaker in the Laponia area, so naturally I had to speak with him as well, going through the place and pointing a few deficiences out. While we did so the tenters left, and then I could finally leave myself after 10:30, while Tobbe continued looking over the place and fixing some things.

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I dumped my stuff inside and spoke for a long while with Tobbe. Then it was high time for lunch, after which another chopper stopped by to pick him up again. I had a cold wash in the stream and then started baking bread, as I was all out of fresh such again, and now the sun was peeking out once more. Three people came from the east while the dough rose, who had spent the night at Vistekjávrre and would now have a break and shop a bit before continuing in the direction of Ny-Sulitjelma. I formed rolls and set them on another pass of rising, and after both afternoon tea and a light shower had passed I shoved them into the oven.

A (north)westerly wind rose rather prominently, and off to the west the sky was dark, with more rain off in the far south. When the bread was done I went out to pick blueberries along the water path, finding better quantity as well as quality closer to the sauna. There was no sign of visitors apart from the trio and their two tents over at the outflow of Lájrrojåhkå as I sat down for dinner, using the blueberries for an impromptu dessert.

After some extensive washing-up I grated off some burnt edges from the bread and then put away most of it into the earth cellar, which required some Tetris skills as the little space was now very much filled. By then it had grown very pleasant outside, with only a few clouds remaining, which boded well for the morrow. A bit later I spotted a single hiker making his way across the plain, and this was the man who had made one of only two(!) reservations during the whole month; he was listed as Swedish in the system, and although he lived in the country he was actually from Slovakia and spoke English.

Regardless of nationality he had walked all the way from Stáddájåhkå and was very pleased with the day – trail, weather and all – and now opted for the wash-with-a-kettle method in the sauna given that the time was around 20 and a full heating would require another hour before he could go in. While said kettle heated we spoke extensively in the main kitchen, and then it was time for my evening snack. The wind was on-and-off, and there were lower clouds around the peaks, but the rest of the sky was mostly growing clear. I hit the sack at 22, hoping that the forecast would be delivered upon.

Wednesday 13/8

It was a clear and cold night – 2°C – but when I arose it had warmed considerably in the unhampered sunlight. It was also still as I had breakfast and prepared for a longer day tour, checking in with the Slovak once he had emerged from his room. I observed the campers over at the bridge striking their tent while my guest was having breakfast, and after ascertaining that he was in no need of further assistance before leaving himself I set out for the glacier just before 09:30.

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No one seemed to have stopped by during the day, so off I went to the stream at once. By now the clouds covered all the sky, but at a high level, and the wind was back at it as I relaxed inside. Now showers started approaching, so the margin of the day's tour was no more than an hour, but in the end they mostly just passed by at a moderate distance. Three Norwegians soon arrived from the north, and they were quite glad that I could confirm the rumors of sauna and beer that they had picked up along the trail.

Eventually the rain did come for real, together with more wind, and while the Norwegians enjoyed themselves in the sauna I wolfed down dinner and dessert. Once they were done I went in myself, feeding the fire quite extensively to get things hotter than last time, and I too enjoyed myself, using the light rain to cool off between passes. When I was done it was back to still, and the mosquitos swarmed around the buildings, so I stayed inside as it was still raining for the most part.

Then one of the Norwegians knocked on my door, and it turned out that one of the others had suffered a grievous chafe wound all over his heel, which meant that he couldn't wear his boot. They had an idea that it might be possible to arrange boat transport across Eidevatnet, Lomivatnet or both, and we used the cottage phone to try to reach the DNT custodian in the area, but only got his voicemail. The afflicted man himself came in a bit later to see what medical supplies were available in the shop, and I also gave him some stuff from the first aid kit for more immediate needs. I then spoke for a while with the whole group inside about this and that, and in the end we decided to try the phone again in the morning. After a period without rainfall the precipitation started again as I prepared for bed, and then an appreciable wind picked up too.

Thursday 14/8

In the morning it was mostly still and there was no rain, but the clouds were somewhat low. The forecast for the coming week looked very much less than favorable, but as of yet there was only a bit of a chill in the air. We tried the Sulitjelma fellow on the phone again, and this time he picked up, but no luck boat-wise. Some other calls to potential benefactors were met with similar results, so what we ended up doing was taping one of the on-site slippers that was large enough to the man's foot, which left the injured heel bare; it would be a fairly cold, wet and unsteady trek, but at least he could walk out.

It was now quite fair outside, and the temperature was up, with only a bit of wind. After the Norwegians had left I went out to pick cloudberries, now that I judged that the majority of them would be ripe. I started out around the duckboards along the old path, fending off some mosquitos, and when I observed a single woman coming to the cottage from the east I went over to greet her. This was a Swede who had spent the night on Adámvallda and was now headed north, with Akka as the eventual goal. I then got back to picking, making my way westwards from where I had left off, and here I found a good streak so I ended up with a couple of liters once I had circled back. The sun was coming out more and more, making things rather warm, but a pleasant wind soon picked up to alleviate the effect.

A hole!

On the mire

Gold

Lighter

I proceeded to have lunch out on the steps, using some of the cloudberries to fortify it, and then stood outside for a while. Another single hiker then came from the east, this being an Asian guy who was clearly in some kind of hurry, or at least under a self-imposed distance quota, so he only asked for some info on the westbound trail before trotting off. I then turned most of the cloudberries into jam, the majority of which I intended to carry home just as I had done in both Pältsa and Anaris. Some sauna firewood cutting later I set to putting the remaining dry logs outside into the woodshed, before the promised rains were to start, and the space looked quite filled up when I was done – quite the contrast to how it had looked in Pältsa last time around.

To be jammed

Stores

Cloudy again

It was quite comfortable outside in the wind, and the rain had not yet arrived apart from a few drops from the lake. I was feeling a bit tired so I lay down to rest, and nearly dozed off for a bit, being roused by a strong southerly wind. The clouds were now clamming shut and sinking, and eventually a light rain came, at least for a while. A bit later a German man came from the east; he had started in Vuoggatjålme and then walked past Miekak through Sarddávágge to Vaimok, and now he decided to stay inside due to the rain before continuing towards Stáddájåhkå and eventually Sulitjelma. After he had visited the shop I made pancakes with fresh cloudberry jam – mmm.

I then spoke with the German in the common kitchen, and apparently this was the first time that he had actually lived in a cottage such as this while out on tour. I spent some quiet time in my room until there was a knock on the door at 20 from a Swedish woman living in Bodø who had walked all the way from Ny-Sulitjelma. She had met the three Norwegians and could report that the makeshift shoe solution seemed to be working well, and that it looked like they had taken advantage of the better-than-expected weather of the day to cover the whole distance to Fagerlibukta, from where one of them had gone to fetch their car a few kilometers further down.

Since it was fairly late she too, like the Slovak a couple of days earlier, also opted for a kettle wash in the sauna while I went back to my quiet time. The dusk was now starting to be noticeable, and I lit a candle for the first time. There were mists in the distance throughout the evening, but mostly no rain at the cottage, although if the forecast held the next day would be a very bad one in that regard.