Saturday 23/4 – part one

I awoke early in an even warmer room, and lay slumbering on and off until the others arose. It was about still outside, and it was a glorious morning – and the lemmings were also out and about. After breakfast I listened in on some tips regarding the Helags route from one of its employees, who had arrived very late. Pretty much everyone was about to leave, and I took care of some curiously overlooked tasks in the kitchen before doing so myself at 08:45.

The snow had hardened nicely during the night, but the surface was getting mushy already in the blazing sun. This made for perfect conditions for going downhill at speed, giving both an immense glide and some traction when it was needed for steering. I therefore caught up with several groups of people in short fashion, and halfway up the slope on the other side of Gåsån I had passed them all. The snow was still perfect for climbing, and with my light pack I had a definite advantage. It was rather warm, but the nice wind was still in effect, so I could keep the jacket on despite the effort. I mostly kept to the east of the trail markers, and increased the distance when I neared the crest, looking for better snow conditions. These I found, but a bit later I saw that the others followed the markers just the same, which meant that they had to carry their skis. Up on the crest was a herd of reindeer, and no more had I spotted it than a snowmobile rushed in from the east, ushering the animals northwards.

Downwards!

Sylarna in full

Gåsen behind

Upwards!

Snasahögarna emerging

More of Sylarna

Looking back...

...at Gåsen

Reindeer...

...being herded

Going down into the next vale was easy enough, but at its bottom there was an obstacle in the form of an open stream. There was, however, a passage which still held a short distance upstream from the trail crossing; the latter looked like it might have been just possible, albeit involving a hop of some sort. I stayed on the eastern side as I went up the next little rise, and soon saw that – as I had heard – Miesjhkejohke was also wide open. I therefore aimed upstream at once, but soon had to go straight down due to lack of snow. I followed the water upstream, finding a well-utilized passage which had just been claimed by the thaw, and another one where a snowmobile had passed was now a tad on the wide side for a leap to work. However, close to Miesjhketjahkentjåånnh the snow and ice still held sway, and soon I was ascending Soenehketjearra.

It was incredibly warm when there was no wind, but once the air started moving again things got much better. Approaching the shallow pass between Miesjhketjahke and Soenehketjearra I was pulled closer to the trail by bare rocks, but as soon as I could I turned eastwards again as I started descending. I followed the track of a snowmobile that had just passed, which led me to a group of four who were sitting on a bare patch. They had come from Helags and we exchanged advice on how to proceed, and then I moved on along their tracks. When I reached a bare patch larger than most I took off my skis and walked over to a suitable rock, where I sat down at 11:15.

Helags in view again

Mini-panorama over Sylarna

At the first open stream

Ekorrhammaren

The others coming down

Yet another view of Sylarna

The Hulke shelter

Northwest

Not going to the shelter

Not going here either

Nor here

Mini-panorama over Helags

Härjångsfjällen rising

Snusestöten

The summit of Helags

I sat still for a while before digging into my lunch; the sun was powerful, but there was still a bit of wind. The latter soon died down, however, and I remained in place enjoying the warmth for a while longer. Back on track I was indeed back on track, but when I came to a bare ribbon intersecting the route I took a detour to stay on snow. In so doing I narrowly missed meeting a pair of pairs going in the other direction, but from there on I mostly kept to the tracks. The snow was soft but carried, and I made my way to a larger field going up the lower reaches of Jalkedsåajja, close to the cairns of the summer trail – reportedly the lower route was much too wet for comfort.

After the crest I had a full view of the Helags station, but also of large areas of bare ground which could not be circumvented, so I carried my skis for a bit. The next grassy patch I simply stepped across with the skis on, and was soon back on snow again, soft as it was. Everything was very springlike, and the snow was just barely enough to cross the stream close to the buildings. The time was 13:00 when I arrived at the main one, outside which were both an impromptu cafe in the snow and a good deal of people relaxing against the wall – including most of the staff.

Sylarna from my lunch camp

Upon the scant snow

Climbing beside a brook

First sight of the Helags station

Winter, much?

Helags and its glacier

Newer buildings

Older building

Snow bar

I stood outside for a while, and when the others had finished their lunch I checked myself in at the "outdoor reception". As it turned out, since I had arrived as early as I had there was still one bed left in a room of four, which I accepted with pleasure. I went inside and dumped the pack, finding the room as sprinkled with paraphernalia as usually happens when on believes oneself to be alone; the other occupants were elsewhere at the moment. I took it easy for a while and then set out on a tour to the peak of Helagsfjället proper, carrying only some water and chocolate – another reason why I had wished to arrive early.