Vindelfjällen has been terra incognita for me, something this tour was to rectify. In the early stages of planning it was supposed to happen during the late summer, but since I decided to go to Kvikkjokk at that time instead it was moved back to autumn. The most common hiking route in Vindelfjällen is the southernmost part of Kungsleden (Royal Trail), which runs between Ammarnäs and Hemavan, but as previous reports may reflect I am not much for commonness.

Instead I had chosen to follow Kungsleden north a bit from Ammarnäs, parallel to Vuodnávággie, and then continue through the valley of Vindelälven (one of but four rivers in Sweden which have not been affected by hydroelectric alteration) popularly known as Vindelådalen. I would then proceed to circumnavigate the entire Ammarfjället massif, coming onto Kungsleden at the Tärnasjö cottage. I also wished to see the archipelago in Tärnasjön and walk through Syterskalet, but exactly what else to do and which paths to take when I had gotten thus far I left open until a later time.

My packing list was as follows:

...and my 650-g birch walking stick.

Following my hot-and-fair Kvikkjokk tour the weather declined across the country, bringing much-needed rain to parched regions. This made for a natural recuperation period before the forecasts promised rising temperatures and clear air again in the middle of September, which is when I wanted to go – late enough in the season that the autumn colors would have come out in full, but still before the first snow and while the cottages were still open. Due to the location of Ammarnäs in relation to existing infrastructure, going there by bus was the only feasible option, which meant that I would be arriving in the late afternoon – too late to start the hike straight away, so I made a reservation at Ammarnäsgården for the night.

Note:
Apparently there were some issues with my camera, because when I first went through the images a worrying number of them were worryingly fuzzy. Upon closer examination, however, the damage was not as extensive as initially feared, and only very few photos were beyond redemption by way of image enhancement techniques. I have done my very best to maintain a high quality level throughout the report, and those who like stunning shots of stunning vistas – such as myself – should find plenty to ogle at.

Here, then, is the full account of what transpired during the subsequent eight (plus one) days. Each section has a header consisting of a short overview of the stage in question, complete with a map showing the route travelled. A ring marks the starting point, a square the lunch break location (if any), and a star the destination. Vertical distances have been calculated from the map and have an accuracy of 20 m. Unless otherwise defined, all breakfasts consisted of oatmeal porridge, tea and a sandwich, and all lunches of two cups of instant soup, a sandwich and water.