Saturday 24/7

The bus from Undersåker was of the larger variety and filled to about half its capacity, and all but two of its occupants rode it all the way to Vålådalen, where there were quite a few people out and about. I was a bit early for my meeting with Helena the STF manager, who was going to give me some items to carry out, so I took the opportunity to find a couple of orienteering checkpoints. A transfer of things and a conversation later I was just about ready to depart, and walked down to the large field where all the trails start at 10:15.

Crossing said field was a very warm affair in the still air, and then I ran across a representative of the county administration in the forest who was counting and interviewing people heading for Blanktjärnarna, due to the adverse effects of high visitor pressure there these past few years – so I was not the target group. After walking upon the wide path/"road" for a while I came down to the suspension bridge over Vålån, in the vicinity of which were several fishermen. On the bridge itself were two other hikers whom I passed on the other side, and then walked along another wide, dry path in the heat.

Wide

High

Vålån west

Vålån east

Going up there

Dry

Shortly after the next trail split I passed another two people and was relieved to enter denser forest. The terrain did, however, almost immediately start to slope upwards rather appreciably as the trail ascended Vålåsen. Before long I passed a drawn-out group at a somewhat muddy stretch, and after some more climbing the ground suddenly levelled out and mires started appearing every now and then, offering more and more views of the surrounding fjelds. I met another man in among the pines and also a reindeer which came right at me on the duckboards before turning off uncharacteristically close. I then encountered another larger group who must have started at Lunndörren rather early, and by now I was starting to feel the need for water, of which there had been none since Vålån.

Up

Across...

...the mires

Mere over there

Fjelds ahead

Wider view

The unworried reindeer

Fjelds to the west

Back in denser forest

I met a couple with a dog shortly before touching by Bruddan, where I immediately filled up my flask and drank greedily just as a runner came down the trail. I considered stopping there for lunch, but felt it was still a bit too early, so I pressed on. After a bit I became aware of people behind me slowly closing the distance, and I let them pass when I came out onto a mire overlooking the largest of Nedre Bruddtjärnarna just where the winter trail crossed the path; they were carrying very light packs, which explained their speed as I am seldom overtaken by the average hiker. Since I had ample water and it was now after noon I thought this was as good a place as any to stop for lunch, so I did just that.

At Bruddan

Lunndörren to the south

Above Nedre Bruddtjärnarna

I sat down on a rock, shifting between being pleasantly cool when there were gusts of wind and rather warm when not. When I had just finished my meal a trio came down the trail, and soon I was on my way as well. I kept a somewhat slower tempo now as I was in no actual hurry and had already covered noticeably more than half the distance. The forest was growing sparser, offering more views in all directions, and also got drier. As I came to Övre Bruddtjärnen, on the surface of which was a loon, I caught sight of the cottages, but there was still a ways to go. The last bit was pleasant enough, however, and I arrived at 14:00 and found the light-trio outside.

More open

Close to Bruddan again

Dry and nice

Reaching Övre Bruddtjärnen

Sudden flowers

A look back

Higher

Destination reached

The wardens were out on a day tour to Issjödalen, however, so I dumped my pack outside in the shadow of a corner of the main cottage and went down to the tarn to have a quick wash. There were a number of people around, resting or bathing, and there was also a currently unoccupied tent nearby. I then took it easy up on the large porch outside the communal kitchen, where the heat of the sun was somewhat pressing. Soon the wardens returned, and I talked briefly with one of them before she went on to tend to the "real" guests. There had arrived more of those, and I went for a photo walk before being granted room in the earth cellar for my fresh foodstuff. By now the bed allotment had been completed, and I was placed in the dog room with a dad and his two young sons (sans pooch).

Saanta across...

...Lunndörrstjärnarna

Summery

The cottages

There were now more clouds in the sky, which only felt good after a hot day. Since the kitchen area in the room was not particularly large I let the family prepare their dinner first, and then had my own at the table outside while people came and went. The temperature turned cooler when the sun passed behind the cottage roof and a wind picked up, but I remained seated for a while longer before going for more photo walks in the beautiful evening. It was still rather warm inside, despite the windows' having been open all day, so I spent as much time outside as possible, also paying a visit to the southern tarns where a whole village of tents had sprung up.

Westwards

Panorama over the Vålådalen basin

Campers by the trail

Next tarn over

Solar haze...

...in the warm evening

There were a number of late arrivals, including a group of no less than ten newbies, and now that the wind was petering out again the mosquitos started showing up in numbers. My roommates had already gone to bed so I had my evening snack outside, and after witnessing a fantastic sunset I went to bed myself at 21:45.