Saturday 10/3 – part two
Sáŋarčohkka
| Horizontal distance: | 5.5 km |
| Vertical distance: | +600 m, -600 m |
| Time: | 2 h 30 min |
| Lunch break: | – |
| Dinner: | Sausages with macaroni |
| Night accommodation: | Cottage |
| Stage classification: | Easy (comment)
The exact routes travelled up and down were too erratic to be plotted with any degree of accuracy, so the dashed line on the map only marks the general direction.
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Around 13 I put on the skins and set about climbing Sáŋarčohkka, first passing by the water hole to refill my bottle. The initial bit through the sparse forest held some loose and deep snow but on the mountain proper going was very easy. Behind me the clouds seemed to be descending further rather than lifting, but as I reached higher I saw lights both to the southwest and the northeast, and it was still calm. I zigzagged my way upwards at not too shallow angles, passing by a group of reindeer at a respectful distance. After a while it started to clear overhead as well, with even better conditions in the abovementioned directions; to the north it was still bad, however. I eventually halted the ascent when the slope started levelling out before the steep final third to the summit – a summit which was concealed in a cloud which showed no signs of yielding.
Still cloudy to the south...
...and above the lake
Stuor-Jiertá and Liddubákti
Southern light
More of Stuor-Jiertá and Liddubákti
Even more...
...southern light
Clouds lifting over the lake
Gávgulvággi
Čeakčavággi
High up
Closeup of Čoalmi, where Bajip Gáidumjávri passes into Gaska Gáidumjávri
I stood there in a moderate wind looking things over for a short while – the view over the long lake(s) in the valley had been awesome all the way up – before starting to glide downwards, finding the first bit somewhat tricky. I crossed the slope towards the south, where I had a good view across Muorki, where things were still improving. I thought that I might just as well wait for the change to spread, and before too long I could glimpse the bases of some fjelds in Sarek. I went down a bit further and then returned to the southern "edge" – it was still clearing, and this time I remained in place for quite some time observing the emergence of far-away peaks. The ridges defining the valley below were, however, acquiring new caps of cloud, and the north worsened more.
Finally I gave in and started going down again, hitting a long stretch of very good snow and inclination, while the sky was clearing all around. I then came upon a region where sprigs and stones seemed strewn about, through which I went back and forth in long turns, eventually coming down north of the cottages. By then, at 15:30, it was actually sunny.
Breakthrough!
Sarekkian peaks emerging
Mini-panorama of such
Binocular shot of a sharp formation
Light in the valley...
...and over Muorki...
...and beyond
Clearing in Čeakčavággi as well
Descending
The summit of Sáŋarčohkka
Last Sarek shot
Leaibečeabetčohkka all alight
The sun arriving
Just above the cottages
Here it comes! Here it comes!
Maj-Lis told me that during my absence a scattered group of four Czech youngsters had stopped by for a break, but there had been no other lifesigns – not even of Henry, who she had assumed would already be back. We spoke some before I entered the larger cottage, where the recent visitors had left both snow and crumbles inside. I lit the gas heater in the drying room and put some clothes in to dry, and then took care of the usual: firewood, water and fire in main stove. In the late afternoon the last clouds finally gave way, letting the setting sun paint the surrounding peaks in pretty red shades – and Henry finally arrived too. Outside it was getting colder, and I stayed close to the radiating stove while having my dinner and reading in a magazine. Henry came in to see that all was in order – and to invite me for tea later on. I finished the magazine and then crafted a mighty but slow blaze in the stove before walking over.
Fair afternoon...
...at the cottages
(notice shadow of photographer)
Short-lived light
Beautiful dusk
Red...
...mountainsides
The service cottage
Night on its way
Livamčohkka
Panorama over Bajip Gáidumjávri and its flanking fjelds
The evening was absolutely clear, and all the stars shone upon me in the breeze. Inside the wardens' room we had a good snack'n'talk for several hours, before I noticed a strange glow in the window; I wasn't sure if it was some kind of reflection I was seeing, so I went out to check. Sure enough, the aurora borealis was putting on a show in the sky – it had been quite a long time since I had seen it, so I remained outside in the calm night to enjoy it. I then checked on my fire; it had burnt out but I restarted it from the embers and then return to Maj-Lis and Henry for some more talk.
Back in the other cottage I felt that the bedroom was a tad too chilly, so I made a fire there as well and then read a bit and had another snack. On my last visit outside before going to bed at 21:45 I noticed that there was a light shining in one of the cabins in the Gáidumgeahči Sámi encampment at Gáidumjohka's outflow into Bajip Gáidumjávri, and there were still no hints of any star-obscuring clouds. A very pleasant evening and early night, to say the least.
