Tuesday 12/8

I turned up immediately after the bridge and followed the heath between patches of wetness, brushing through a bit of low shrubs here and there. The sun was now clouded in full, and there were drops in the air carried by the wind from a shower to the east. I quickly got warm but I kept the wind jacket on for the time being because of said drops. I passed over a few areas of wetter grass, and then I got close enough to that shower – or vice versa – that the drops turned into actual light rain, so I stopped at a conglomeration of flat rocks and put on the rain jacket; I had the day tour rucksack on with that and a few other items in it, so I thought I could just as well make use of it.

Rain over there

Not over there

Getting closer

Stuor Varvvek laterally

About to hit

Pink

Before long the shower passed and the sun played on the lake once more, so I removed both jackets and set out again. I ascended at a shallow angle as I slowly turned around Stuor Varvvek, and now the wet grass was more prominent. I stopped for water in a little brook and noted that I was now in an area strewn with flowers of many kinds. The condition of the ground shifted as I made my way upwards, eventually turning more directly up the somewhat steep slope, bringing me to a drier region as the sun came out in full.

The brook

Adámvallda spreading out

Green slope

Drying

More of those

And these

Plus them

I zigzagged my way up using natural passages in the jagged slope, seeing clear traces of reindeer movement, and I was fairly winded by the time I reached the crest. I now found myself on a large plateau with perfect dry heath that was a joy to run upon, and the weather was greatly improving all around. I made my way up onto a nearby flat rise for a better outlook northeastwards, and after consulting the map I turned back over the plateau before zigzagging again up the next slope, eventually heading straight for the nearby summit.

On the plateau

At the edge

Adámvallda below

Next bit up

The massif rose and the wind grew as I reached the top, where I also found a small pool, and the weather was now very nice. I sat down for a snack and looked about, finding Jiegŋáffo still in cloud and distant Darregájsse and Stájggá still affected by showers. The wind was chilling, though, so I soon started moving again.

Next plateau

Top pool

Lake and cottage in the distance

All of Adámvallda

Clouds around Jiegŋáffo

Eastern peaks

The massif rising behind Labbá

Far to the south

I made my way down into a very pleasant grassy dell between the two summits, being careful about it since there were naked rock faces in the upper slope. Once at the bottom I proceeded over to a rivulet dripping over a cliff which I had both seen and heard from up high, and drank water there. With the brook meandering through the grassland immediately beside it and Bieskehávrre shining green in the background this was a great place.

Down again

Cliff drip

Green green grass (and lake)

Winding brook

I continued downward a little bit and then went over the next outrunner, from where I had a great view over the massif and the multitude of tarns before it. The ground was also dry and great for running, so it was another very pleasant stretch down towards the water. I spotted the two people I had met at the cottage upon the trail on the other side of the tarns, but nothing else was moving. I passed between the two larger tarns, finding no connecting flow and therefore no obstacle, and then emerged upon the trail myself.

Lake and tarns

Massif and tarns

Further down

Stuorrajiegŋa

Nuortta Sávllo

Again, across the water

More water

Even more

Dry trail

Said trail was in good shape and offered continued good running conditions, but from time to time I chose to run upon the heath to the side as well. The sun was now passing into clouds on and off again, and showers were appearing south of the lake, but no more rain upon me. My legs were now starting to feel the exertion of the tour, so it was good that it was all gently downhill now. There were large areas of heath close to where the trail makes a sharp bend, and around there I broke off to the closest stream for more water, which I brought over to the crest of the subsequent more marked slope and sat down for another snack break in the sun.

Lake in view again

Well painted

Sulidälbmá reappearing

More showers...

...across the lake

Ford stream

Next up was a simple rock passage of a side brook and then I found myself in an area of cloudberries right before the trail split to Muorkihytta. The path from there was also good for running, albeit somewhat deeply cut in places, and some of the duckboards were rotten. I made small detours around wet patches as the sun passed into shadow once more, and my legs were feeling rather tired as I covered the home stretch, finding Tobbe out picking cloudberries too around 13:00.

Most of the massif

More rain

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