Saturday 8/8 – part one

After a night of many interruptions it was announced that the train was on time, and looking out the window I saw nothing but fair weather – and fjelds. Having disembarked in Fauske I walked down to the town center and the bus station, which turned out to be locked, so I sat down on a bench outside. I finished the magazine I had brought while the sun came out in full blaze, and after speaking some to a Dane who had made quite the tour of Scandinavia I relocated to the shadow. As the departure time drew near an old lady with a bike turned up, and when the bus arrived (also on schedule) we were the only ones to take it.

The road from Fauske to Sulitjelma is well worth seeing on its own merits, and the lush cliffs on either side gave a most un-Nordic impression – in fact, I thought of the Lost island or some such. Another characteristic is the many (and long) tunnels, so the "tropical sights" were somewhat far between. By request I was let off beside a cafe just below the Sulitjelma church, which is where the gravel road up to Ny-Sulitjelma (and beyond) starts. Here I made some final adjustments to my pack and then started the trek in light clothing after 10:00.

It was mostly sunny but there was also a nice wind blowing. I passed close by the church, which turned out to be the wrong way, but where the road ended a partly overgrown forest path took by, and after a somewhat steep slope I found myself on the intended road. The incline was quite manageable and walking was easy, and every once in a while a car would pass by in either direction. It was fairly warm but the wind often came to the rescue, and the rucksack felt good, too. After a while I came to an auxiliary road that branches off to the place from where Sulitjelma gets its fresh water (according to the "bathing forbidden" sign), and since I both had all the time in the world and much less than all the water in the world, I decided to go have a look and refill my flask.

Going back I took a little shortcut, and once on the road again I noticed that I had company in the form of a woman a short distance behind. Up at the next branch, where the Låmivatnet road continues eastwards, I paused briefly to look out over the fjord and everything, and during this the woman passed me by in the direction of Ny-Sulitjelma. I then covered the final bit myself, spotting first a minivan at the little parking space below the buildings and then her sitting on a bench somewhat off to the side after 11:30.

Sulitjelma church

Sulitjelma

Waterfall beside the road

Another part of Sulitjelma

Water source

Crossroads

Nuortta Sávllo in the distance

Fjord end

Last bit

Ny-Sulitjelma...

...fjellstue

Ny-Sulitjelma consists of two houses, and I walked up to the new one, opened the padlock with my DNT key and dumped my stuff inside. I then checked out the old one, which was really old; it originally belonged to the mining company that was formed before the turn of the previous century. The new place, by contrast, was nice and tidy almost in the extreme, complete with running water and electricity. This meant that there was both an electric stove and a refrigerator, and I put the cheese and butter into the latter at once. It was now time for lunch, and I sat down at a table just outside to eat, which was a fairly windy affair. Having done so I chose a bed and moved my things into the room it was in, and then set out on an afternoon tour bringing only the map and the water flask.