Sunday 17/4
I snuck out during the night to go to the privy, and was rewarded with a strong moon shining through thin veils, and its light was more than enough to walk by. It was also perfectly still and quiet, and as I had brought no recording device with me this ethereal moment will remain a personal one.
Back in bed I slept until my alarm woke me at 7, at which time the sky was mostly clear with a few high wisps of cloud, and the light was exceptionally strong now that the sun was once again unfettered. I was among the first to make breakfast, but more people arose as the morning progressed. I packed up and left after 9, wearing the cap against the wind that had picked up.
I started out along a set of tracks leading westwards up the southern ridge of Gåsen proper, finding snow conditions good, and turned right when the inclination so allowed. I soon came upon tracks again, following these higher over uneven but mostly fairly soft snow as I aimed straight for the summit. My tempo was calm but steady, and the wind kept my working temperature comfortable. The flatter intermediate portion was more uneven, but things got softer again as I started the last ascent, eschewing the tracks for a more direct route. The final bit up was harder again, but then I stood at the top cairn...
Nice abode
Leaving
Sylarna about to be hidden
Härjångsdalen from higher above
...and looked out over the same absolutely splendid vista I have seen many a time, but never tire of. I spent some time photographing and just enjoying the feeling of height, and eventually started the descent in the direction of the northwestern outrunner. This was rather tricky at first, with unshaky wide serpentines over packed waves and polished hard snow. Things got gradually better further down when it was just hard, but the unsteadiness continued, and some veils had also started passing in front of the sun. I noted that at some point a small piece of the steel edge of the thitherto undamaged ski had now also disappeared, so I just hoped the rest would hold together until I was down.
From the summit: north...
...northeast...
...east...
...southeast...
...south (Helags)...
...and southwest (Sylarna)
Closeup of Snasahögarna
Zooming across...
...Bunnerfjällen
Closeup of Helags
Closeup of Ekorrhammaren et al
Closeup of a Norwegian massif
At last the snow got softer and progress was easier as I aimed for the northern side of the outrunner. I maintained my altitude around the corner, passing between larger bare patches, and then went diagonally down the slope to the start of the gulleys I've often followed upwards before. I utilized several of them now as well, just in the other direction; the snow was soft and buttery, but as of yet induced no extra friction. It was rather warm when the wind was not blowing, which thankfully was not all of the time. I ended up in a particularly large gulley which led me to the top of the hills I have also frequented for lunch breaks on previous tours, and then reached the trail just above the crest overlooking Tjallingån.
Some turns at the end
Tjallingklumpen with Västra Bunnerstöten behind
Rounding the outrunner
Tjallingklumpen sideways
Down again
Helags back in view
Sylarna across the vale of Handölan
In a small gulley
In the large gulley
Flat
Back on the trail
I had made good time thus far, so I decided to go with my original plan and climb at least some distance up Lill-Ulvåfjället rather than just following Handölan back again. I therefore crossed said stream and made my way along the reindeer fence on the other side, just as three other people came down on the trail. On the far side of the enclosure there was a small but deep ravine with an open brook in it, so I skied upstream to a place where it had been filled in, which coincided with a turn in the fence where the mesh was buried. A snowmobile also passed by out on the trail and I could hear barks on both sides of Handölan, but I was quite alone on my heading tracing the poles slowly upwards, exiting the enclosure at another convenient break.
Crossing Handölan
No passage here
Climbing again
I proceeded diagonally up through the upper parts of the sparse forest, heading for a group of copses just at the tree line further north. From there I continued slowly gaining altitude across an unbroken white landscape, but when the small but eye-catching side summit I had noted on my way up came into view I adjusted my course to hit it. It was further away than it looked at first, but once I reached it and walked to its bare crest at 11:45 I did not regret my choice for the views it offered.
Above the trees
From the li'l summit: Helags...
...Sylarna...
...and Snasahögarna
The wind was back in force, however, so I had a seat in the heath a bit down the northern side where it was calmer and had lunch there, so no looking at Sylarna this time. It was quite a lovely place – on a lovely day – and I remained for a good while. When I started the descent I headed straight for the outrunner immediately north of my position, but soon crossed the adjacent reindeer fence at yet another oversnowed spot. This brought me into a shallow stream gulley leading down the slope, and the further down I got the warmer it became. I aimed a bit more to my left as I approached the fence once more, and to no one's surprise the ample snow made for another simple crossing. I was now right next to Lill-Ulvån, which was also easily crossed above the ravine formations it has gouged out further downstream.
Västra Bunnerskalet across the valley
Where I sat
Same, further off
The slope ahead, fence included
Lill-Ulvåfjället above
At Lill-Ulvån (notice buried fence)
On the other side it was entirely still and very warm as I made my way between the sparsely wooded hills. After a while I came upon both snowmobile and ski tracks in the buttery snow, and I could see people upon the trail some distance to my left. Eventually I came upon the trail myself just before the old station buildings, and now that I was close enough I observed large quantities of people going both up and down Getryggen. I skied up to the entrance of the station proper before 13:45, noting that the road and walkways had all turned to slush under the relentless sun.
Looking back
Sylarna's heights
Tracked
Almost there
Getryggen all white...
...but spotted with skiers
The route to Blåhammaren
Finish
There were quite a few people outside, and I also quickly noted a sign on the door addressed to travellers on the 14:30 bus – such as myself – which said that the time had been changed to 14:00 and involved a walk on foot. Since the new time was only a bit more than a quarter of an hour away I made a quick visit inside to refill my flask and then quickly rearranged my pack before walking over to the meeting point, where I had time to adjust said pack some more. One of the station's caretakers then arrived to drive people's baggage down to the place where the bus would be waiting; apparently there were so many cars parked on the road along the last bit that the larger vehicle simply could not pass what with all the snow on the sides.
A few more people also came and then we started walking along the road while the caretaker waited for stragglers, or those who had not been as fortunate as I with their timing. It was indeed a narrow passage the first bit, so I quickly saw why this unexpected logistic arrangement was necessary. The next portion also saw car after car along the side, but here the free space was larger. The bus was already waiting at an auxiliary building perhaps half a kilometer down the road, and those of us who were in the first group waited patiently for everyone else – and our stuff – to arrive; everyone had a train (the same train) to catch, so there was an upper limit on how long we could delay. It all worked out in the end, though, and we pulled in at the Enafors train station with a good 10 minutes to spare, thus extending this stay in the fjelds as far as possible.
