Thursday 14/4

The train was running somewhat late, but once I was on it travelling westwards the morning clouds began to break apart, giving way to clear skies around Åre. At Duved the transfer bus was also late, but it soon arrived to pick up quite a few waiting people heading for Storulvån. The road from Handöl had been closed for five days the previous weekend due to a snowstorm, and had only recently been cleared – and the height of the drifts gave a clear indication as to why it had taken so long. The parking at the fjeld station was chock-full, but having no errands there I wasted no time in getting going, departing without the cap in the radiant sunshine around 11:15.

I followed the extant winter trail towards Gåsen, where there was a good track at first, but when it turned around I found my own way across unbroken snow until I reached another. I crossed Handölan at the remnants of the bridge there and then followed the tracks along the shore out on the snow-covered ice, which made for very easy skiing. As the stream bent sharply I took a "shortcut" across land, where the snow was deeper, ending up in a shallow gully before reemerging at a somewhat steep brink that brought me back to the frozen water.

Leaving Getryggen (Goat's Back)...

...and the station

Sylarna appearing

Last bit before reaching Handölan

Quick visit on land...

...before returning to the ice

The sky was entirely clear the whole time, and thankfully a weak wind was cooling me off. Just as I thought that I should go up on land to the actual trail, so did the tracks, but it was not too long before it was back to the stream again. As I reached the first buildings of Tjallingen I came back to the trail markers, and right thereafter I passed a group of people who had dug down in the sun out on an open area. I paused for some chocolate at the Tjallingen bridge, noting that these 8 km had taken me precisely one hour this time as well owing to the perfect conditions (and my light pack).

On the trail

Handölan and Helags at the bridge

The tracks leading to the inflow of Tjallingån were fairly deep, and then I followed the trail upwards for a short distance before breaking off eastwards. I saw another group further along said trail, but in my direction of travel I appeared to be entirely alone, save for the occasional ptarmigan. The snow carried well and I made easy progress in the slight incline, keeping my distance to the ravine gorged out by Tjallingån. This landed me in an area of low tree-strewn hills I navigated between and/or over until I went down a short slope as the ravine started to flatten out.

Crossing Tjallingån

Where I left the trail

Tjallingklumpen and Gåsen ahead

Tjallingdalen up

Tjallingdalen down

Sylarna rising

Down there I found another set of ski tracks, and judging from their depth their originator had carried a considerably more heavy load than I did, so I often found myself skiing beside them instead. The ravine went on for a ways still, being both wide and nice, and eventually brought me out onto flat, open land with bare-crested hills on the side. As I was growing rather hungry I aimed for one of these and sat down for a break atop it after 13:00. From there I had a perfect view over Sylarna and the plateau in between, and I enjoyed a quiet lunch in the blazing sun.

Following the tracks

Low hills above the ravine

Lunch site view

Back in motion again I started out up among the hills, but soon returned down to the track. Tjallingdalen is rather an "uneventful" valley, and I just skied on without pause. On the flat expanses the snow had started sticking to my skis every now and then, but this got better as I started climbing the slope to my left at a shallow angle, having passed out from the imposing "shadow" of Västra Bunnerstöten. At the crest I had a grand panorama of peaks ahead of me, beyond another large flat expanse where the snow was also impeding my motion at first. A chilly wind had arisen, but the further I got the more it died down again.

Just a few hills

Passing Tjallingklumpen...

...and Västra Bunnerstöten

Exiting Tjallingdalen...

...rounding Västra Bunnerstöten

Expanses ahead...

...and behind

At the end of the plateau I stood atop a long slope leading down into Stor-Stensdalen. I put the cap on and started the descent, following softer patches of snow that provided better grip for breaking should I need it. Once down I removed the cap again and skied across the flat valley bottom, crossing a (multiple) reindeer track. The snow cover was scant at places, but nothing that merited consideration. I went around a large snowdrift with an overhang and descended another step, passing through some trees before another open flat area followed, towards the end of which there were gravel hills off to one side.

Above Stor-Stensdalen

Further down the slope

Östra Bunnerstöten on the side

A look west from the valley floor

Snowdrift passage

Snowdrift passed

Lill-Stensdalsfjället in view

I soon caught sight of the cottages embedded in decidedly brown-looking forest still an appreciable distance ahead. Another short descent brought me out onto the snowy ice of Stensån, which I followed when it wasn't meandering too much. There were older ski tracks as well, and I followed these across the last bit of land to the new cottage, breaking off for the final few tens of meters as I approached the porch directly around 16:15.

Forest in reach

On Stensån

Arrival

There were people outside on said porch, beside which the grass was in full display (as it often is). I went inside and announced my arrival, and was allotted a bed in the new cottage. After dumping my stuff in the room I returned outside and sat in the sun for a while, speaking a bit with a few other guests while a couple of members of the fjeld rescue service briefly stopped by. More people were arriving as well, but as of yet there was no crowding. I made dinner and then went back outside again to eat, wolfing down the meal after a long stage.

Shortly thereafter it was time to go down to the sauna, which was operational again after the pandemic restrictions, and I had a good session. The sun was setting with lower temperatures on its heels, and after resting some inside I went out for a photo round in the beautiful but chilly evening. When I had my evening snack in the kitchen most other guests were also there, including two late arrivals who were just preparing dinner. Thus ended the first day of the tour as I drifted off to bed at 22:00.

Moonrise over the moor

Sunset over the sauna...

...and bridge

Residential buildings

Last light on Lill-Stensdalsfjället

Dusk over Östra Bunnerstöten

Good night