Ever since my first visit to Pieskehaure way back in 2006, I've been enamored with the place and have wanted to return. There's just something about the openness of the landscape, with the large turquoise-green lake beneath the imposing alpine grandeur of the glacier-covered Sulidälbmá massif, that is largely unmatched. The location is also rather remote, or perceived as such, so only a few hikers tend to come that way – and those who do actively seek out the isolation and remoteness. Add to that the comfort of a cottage equipped with both a sauna and provisions and you've got a singular place in the wild.

I've tried to get a warden assignment in Pieskehaure for years, but the closest I had previously managed to get was Vaimok, and I also passed through the area on my way to Kutjaure, but that was on the other side of the massif. As such, it was with great satisfaction that I now, 19 years hence, was granted the opportunity to spend a month in that so coveted a spot.

The usual point of origin for tours in this area is Kvikkjokk, but since Pieskehaure lies so close to the border to Norway it is easier to start on the Norwegian side, specifically in the old mining town of Sulitjelma. That is something I had done once before, but now I would be passing south of Sulidälbmá instead, spending a night in Muorkihytta before crossing back into Sweden.

I spent quite some time figuring out the best way to get to Sulitjelma from Östersund nowadays, where train shortages and mismatched timetables threw some spanners in the works, but I eventually arrived at a plan that would take me first to Trondheim and then after a hostel night there by train to Fauske and another overnight stay, before finally catching the morning bus to the trail start. It looked good on paper, even though it involved some extra walking between points of transportation and accommodation to keep costs down, but how would it work out in practice? One late afternoon at the end of July I embarked on the first train to find out.

Some pictures from the initial leg of the journey:

Passing Meråker

In Trondheim

Old town

Here, then, follows an abridged account of the events during the four weeks and change I spent in and around Pieskehaure, illustrated by the usual range of pictures. Day tours have been placed in their own reports, which are linked to from the relevant pages.