Monday 19/8 – Sunday 25/8

Monday 19/8

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I went inside and found Hans in the office where all my things were stuffed in a corner, and after a short talk I brought them all down, fetched the key to my room in the staff corridor from the reception – introducing myself to my to-be-colleagues there – and then headed over to the wing in question. My room lay on the top floor, facing east, and included a tiny toilet, which was more than advertised. I unpacked most of the clothes and suchlike, and checked out the kitchen – the whole place felt like an old student housing, comparable to the one I lived in in Umeå ten years ago – where I met Anna-Lena who gave me a crash-course in how stuff worked around here.

I then proceeded to visit the Keron sauna, where I was joined by a couple of other people later on. When I came out again the weather had taken another turn for the worse, and there was a light rain falling. After settling in some more I went down to the restaurant to have dinner, which came in the form of a very good lamb that was however lacking in quantity. Outside the clouds had parted, and the usual Light was upon Torneträsk. After catching up on the news in the library I returned to my room to finish the unpacking project, and then went out for some evening photo as there was a nice light to the northwest. I did another catching-up round, but online this time, and then went to have an evening snack, meeting my room-neighbor Lotta in the process. I read for a bit, and then climbed into bed in a tired state at 22:45.

Tuesday 20/8

I slept soundly indeed, remaining in bed for some time in the morning, after which I went over to the restaurant to have a very sturdy breakfast. The weather was cloudy but still, and there had only been a few drops in the morning. After resting a bit I tried to figure out what I would be needing/wanting provisions-wise, and then set out for Abisko Östra where the supermarket is located.

I followed the wide path past the camping site, eventually coming to the tunnel under the E10 at Abisko Scientific Research Station. A street past some residence houses followed, and then I found myself outside the store, which had the "cheap feel" – which was not, as I discovered, reflected so much in the actual prices as it was in the quality (or lack thereof) of the goods. I proceeded to explore the entirety of the offerings, collecting quite a large bulk of basic foodstuffs, and ended up meeting Björn from Unna Allakas at the cashier. I barely managed to bring all the stuff with me, having to repack along the way and take pauses to rest my arms, but I managed.

Lapporten (Lapp Gate)

Returning

After cramming everything into my allotted spaces in the kitchen I relaxed in my room, and apparently my little excursion had been well-timed for now it was both windy and rainy. I had afternoon tea in the soon-present company of Marielle and Anna-Lena, and after observing a strong rainbow I went over to Marita to finalize the paperwork, which turned out somewhat better than I had reckoned with beforehand. Back in the corridor I prepared dinner, meeting some more of the other staff, after which it was back to rain and gloom. Later in the evening as I had my snack I was invited to an extra dessert with the cableway staff, who had had a common meal amongst themselves, and I met Anna, another newbie.

Wednesday 21/8

Window view

The morning came with sun but also strong winds. Now that I had my own food I didn't need to use the restaurant – which cost money, albeit markedly less than for guests – but I still needed to get down there in time for the first part of my first shift. I was to be guided by Daniel in the procedures, and he soon arrived as well so we could get busy, even though things were a bit unclear. At the forenoon coffee break there was cake, because a long-time employee was quitting, and I got to meet some more people.

After that I was free until the evening shift, which I mostly spent with my phone and by reading. Said shift started out with preparations for the dinner session, which then commenced after a short break for us to catch something to eat ourselves. Having done this before at Kebnekaise I was simply thrust straight into the action, and I mostly found my pace without hassle, and it was a calm ending to the night. I brought up some leftover bread and had a light snack by myself, since it was rather late, and then jumped into bed at midnight.

Thursday 22/8

Not surprisingly my dreams centered around work, but today I had a full evening shift rather than the split one, so no need to get up early. The weather was windy and shifting, and did not invite walks, so I spent the time softing and talking to my present colleagues.

Staff kitchen view

Failing candles

It was a calm start of the day's work, and we could begin dinner preparations earlier than what had been the case the day before. Outside it was getting worse, with heavy rain, but the work itself progressed well enough, and I could slip away ahead of the scheduled time since I had a (very) early start the next day, because of a slightly later but still early start of the participants in the Kiruna Extreme Mountain Marathon.

Friday 23/8

It was a tired Abisko employee that arose at 04:45, and after a few quick sandwiches went down to the restaurant where he found Lina and Maikki. Breakfast procedures turned out to be a calm affair, as the Extremists had not yet started their exertions and therefore were not really that ravenous. When more staff arrived I could have some actual breakfast myself, and after later starting the lunch offering properly I could leave at 13.

Yard view

The weather was misty and windy, so no cakewalk for the runners. After having my own lunch I rested in bed, with the result that I dozed off for a while, and then it was time for dinner. In the evening the clouds were lifting, and I went out for a stroll, following the path closest to Ábeskoeatnu downstream. There I found a large collection of cairns, not unlike the one atop Vierranvárri, which I hadn't noticed before, and proceeded into the bird sanctuary (the protected period was over, so no worries) at the outflow delta. I walked around the islets, several of which were reachable due to the low water level, and then returned up on a different path that led to Keron.

Cloud in Ballinvággi

Ábeskoeatnu canyon

Flat shapes

Station overlook

Cairn field

More clouds to the north

Buildings of Abisko

Low water

Outflow

Worse to the northwest

I had a calm evening, photographing a bit more when the usual pretty northwestern light came, and the sky was now mostly clear. It was also getting colder, and after some fiddling I managed to get the radiator working. The comings and goings of people outside my door created quite a bustle, but eventually I could settle down for sleep at 22:45.

Saturday 24/8

Another window view

The Northwest

Njullá cableway

The next day dawned clear and still, but the first property could not be applied to the kitchen – yesterday's group dinner had apparently been left as-was. I had the morning shift in the restaurant – the usual one, what with KEMM having started and all – which progressed calmly until lunch, when both runners and other guests started coming in (and then usually out again, since it was very fair).

After I got off I went out on the yard and waited for Magnus the janitor, who was one of the participants, together with a group of others from the staff. He took his sweet time arriving, we thought, but he and his partner ended up second in their class. Hooray! Everyone then dispersed, and I took the opportunity to walk around in the nice weather.

Sun on the hut

There they are!

In the evening I played chess with Joel; it had been a while, and he beat me thoroughly thrice, although not without a fight and not by way of mate. I then spoke with A-L, who had been a quiet on-and-off observer, and didn't find my way to bed until 23:45.

Sunday 25/8

I arose after 9, and amusedly observed Anna cobble together a lunch pack in record time in order to make it to the Gearggevággi tour that was just about to leave. There was a light mist all around, and light clouds to boot, but since both were lifting from the south I resolved to take the cableway up onto Njullá, leaving at 10:30 after taking out the trash.

I passed a group with the same intent in the little slope up to the base, where I introduced myself to Lukas at the controls. The cableway itself isn't the quickest, especially not in summer where there is (usually) no danger of hypothermia, and the time to reach the top was extended even more by its frequent stops for embarking and disembarking passengers. I didn't mind much, though, looking at the views as I was; it was steadily growing fairer, but the distance haze remained.

Upstream Ábeskoeatnu

Abiskoalperna

Up I go

Down I look

Delicate Rihtonjira

Solar haze

People going up on foot

A-L was at the top station, the cafe of which I checked out before going for a walk up the mountain, an activity a fair number of other people were also engaged in. It was rather warm at first, but as I got higher a wind picked up and I put the jacket back on. I proceeded to an edge of sorts and sat there looking out over the very wide vista, and then returned to the top station. After another chat with A-L – on days like these, her place of work was second to none – I took the cableway down again, which was quicker due to fewer stops, and walked home to make lunch.

Ábeskoeatnu delta

Still hazy

Panorama over Abiskoalperna

Flat

Slanting

Civilization

Aurora Sky Station

Again, closer

Going down

Walking back

The old Ábeskoeatnu tunnel

After a much needed shower I then went down to the evening shift in the restaurant, where Maja was exhausted after a crazy breakfast with all the KEMMers and a host of other guests. Good thing I missed that one! This meant that there was quite a bit left to do before dinner, but there was ample time for it, and the dinner itself was much, much calmer, with pleasant guests. Outside it was a perfect evening, and it was a bit of a downer that I was tied up in the restaurant for the entirety of it, but the large windows overlooking the grand Torneträsk alleviated the feeling. After I got off I joined a group of people sitting at a fire outside for a while – all staff, about half of which I knew from before – and after a snack I went to bed at 00:15.