Sunday 17/8

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As usual at Kebnekaise, people were up and about early, and I got up at 06:30 myself. There were quite a few low clouds, but the lowest of them appeared to be in the process of slowly lifting. I packed up as much as I could and then went to have breakfast, finding it to be perfectly suited for energy-intensive alpine activities – but perhaps not top-level appealing for people with other standards – and I filled myself up soundly. I bought a few freshly baked bread rolls and then finished the little package I was to send home via mail, making sure that it stayed below the weight limit. As I was finishing up inside a shower hit, and I waited for it to pass before setting out at 09:30.

During the bit past the first little ridge I passed many a tent, also here mostly pitched on spots that looked rather uncomfortable – and often too small. The sky ahead of me was half clear, although clouds covered the peaks. The trail was very stony from being walked on so extensively, and I took some smaller side paths here and there. After I had passed a couple of other hikers the sun came out, and it got a bit warm in the wind jacket. I took the semi-new bridge over Jökelbäcken, and passed another two people at the meditation spot after the next bridge over Giebmejohka (Kittelbäcken).

Hikers on a crest

Hikers on the track

Track without hikers

Jökelbäcken...

...and its bridge

Clearer

Passing over...

...Giebmejohka (Kittelbäcken)

Kaipak behind

I stayed on the Singi trail for a while longer – longer than I should have – and broke off after yet another bridge, just where the winter trail markers joined the footpath. The area I now crossed was an old alluvial region, now covered by heath and bushes, and walking was nice. My goal was to get into Siŋŋivággi beside Silverfallet (Silver Fall), a route that is notorious for its difficulty, especially in rain – I had surveyed the passage with my binoculars before leaving the trail and it looked doable, so I thought that I would at least go to the fall and check it out. I crossed Šiellajohka again with ease at some erratic blocks, and after bustling through some osier came upon the path leading to Silverfallet. This I followed to its end overlooking said fall, which was high and impressive, and then turned back a short distance to a place where the northern slope looked easier to scale.

Well-trodden

Beneath Duolbagorni

Towards Singi

A glimpse of Silverfallet

More people

Láddjuvággi

Following Šiellajohka

Passing Duolbagorni

Drawing close to...

...Silverfallet

A short bit further up I came onto another, smaller path, but due to the terrain I did not stay on it all the time. Climbing was somewhat tricky here and there, but it got better as I passed the fall. That wasn't the end of it, however – far from it – for now the real challenge began. Šiellajohka's ravine is deep and steep, and the next portion was no easier – on the contrary. I took a somewhat lower route to a grassier area, which was fine it itself, but it also meant that I ended up with no choice but to go straight up the slope when continuing on that level turned out to be impossible. Now I was actually climbing, with all four limbs, and even though I at no point felt insecure or out of balance, it was a very tough stretch – especially with a full pack – and I breathed a sigh of relief when I reached the cairn-marked path once more.

Climbing

The steep ravine...

...of Šiellajohka

Finally on the path again

This I followed without problems, losing it after a rock field which gave way to flat stony heathland. I then came to a curious thing: the stream poured forth from underground passages over a whole area of rocks covered in bright green moss. As I passed the larger of Siŋŋijávrrit there was a light shower, with intermittent sun, and I adjusted my altitude for a better path across the rock fields that riddled the slope more and more. As the clouds lifted behind me I descended again to the end of the lake, where I followed close to the stream where the ground was better. The next smaller lake was easily passed, and I soon came to a little delta on its western side. Here the ground was moist grass for the most part, and it took me a few tries to locate a spot with dry enough conditions for a lunch break, which occurred just after 12:30.

Siŋŋivággi opening up

Passed that!

On flatter ground

Neon moss

Some snow up there

Siŋŋijávrrit

Passing of

Color!

Duolbagorni rising

Niche on Siŋŋičohkka

Next lake

Delta

The sun had just come out in full again and I had a good time in the beautiful valley – and the Keb bread was very good as well. There was very little wind, but as I prepared to get going again it picked up, so I kept the wind jacket on. I walked across the various small courses and the grassy islets they formed, passing an orienteering control point at the westernmost pool – probably part of a contest that had just been completed. Ahead a haze was passing in front of Unna Ruškkaš, and soon another shower of the just-continue-walking type came by. On the grassy fields near the western end of the valley there were several high stone walls, but no tents – this is otherwise a popular staging area for ascents of Giebmegáisi via Dürling's route. I passed a rock field and then another underground outflow, coming to the cairn-marked path leading out of Siŋŋivággi. I passed two large tents on the other side of Siŋŋijohka, and after some more rocks came onto better ground when the terrain opened up, just as the shower was petering out.

Unna Ruškkaš in the distance

Grassy

Siŋŋivággi behind

The start of Dürling's route

Defense

Another outflow

Siŋŋijohka and Stuor Ruška

Nearing the valley mouth

I caught sight of another one of those old reindeer fences made from stone, like the one north of Vierročohkka, and went up to have a closer look; this one was much more deteriorated, though. From there I went down into Čeakčavággi on perfect heath, and a haze that had been present further up this valley was moving off as the view northwards grew. It was sunny and nice now, and I enjoyed the grand landscape to the fullest – or would have if my right knee hadn't started to complain about something. I passed a few stray reindeer and walked through the mesh-less fence of more modern make, ending up on Kungsleden just as two people passed by towards Sälka – the only other bipeds in sight. I made my way down to the Čeakčajohka bridge, which like last time was mostly whole – good thing, as it spans rather an impressive canyon.

Panorama over Čeakčavággi

Old stone fence

More of Čeakčavággi

Marked

Grazing

On the move

Stuor Ruška and Mádir ahead

Panorama northwards from the floor of Čeakčavággi

Pool

People

Pretty

The cliff of Mádir

Nearing Čeakčajohka

Čeakčavággi south

Čeakčajohka's canyon

The first bit thereafter was a bit cumbersome, with slanting rock faces with puddles between them, but a small path with the occasional cairn helped. Going up into Neasketvággi was nice, however, and the path was clear and/or marked most of the way, growing faint here and there in high grass. At those places I tried to keep out of the highest straws in order to minimize moisture permeation what with my unreliable boots. A rough-legged buzzard was circling (and shrieking) above for a good while as I made my way into the very pleasant valley – the change from all the rocks and difficult climbing earlier in the day was welcome indeed.

Goržževuolli Sámi encampment

Singi cottages before Stuor-Jiertá

Siŋŋibákti rising behind

Leaving Čeakčavággi

Entering Neasketvággi

Angular Liddubákti

Rain before Stuor-Jiertá

I came to another reindeer enclosure, and this had the mesh in place so I passed above it. My knee was operating rather well, but as soon as I stopped it was a bit painful to get going again. Just as during my previous walk through Neasketvággi, finding water was a problem – discounting the central stream down at the bottom – but I managed to locate the start of a small brook a short distance before a marked threshold in the terrain. Here the ground consisted of small hills spread out, and on one of these I found a good spot close to said brook after 15:15.

Green grass

Stuor Ruška and Unna Ruškkaš

Further into the valley

Mists behind me

Look, water

The summit of Sealggá just visible

Camped around here

Judging the wind direction was next to impossible since it kept shifting all the time, and in the end I just ignored it. More clouds and rain mist were passing through Čeakčavággi, but at my position nothing more came, so I relaxed outside for a bit. There were a number of mosquitos about, but they seemed to be on their last legs (wings) and behaved rather sluggishly, so it was no problem. I spent some time in the tent, enjoying the very soft ground underneath the floor – this was probably my most comfortable campsite to date. I prepared dinner and started to read in the book I had brought from Kebnekaise while it congealed, and then had a good meal inside the tent.

Mists continued to came and go in Čeakčavággi, and now the clouds around Neasketvággi had started to sink as well. As I listened to some music a few drops started falling, which turned into fairly heavy rain as I went back to the book, which after a somewhat shaky start had gotten rather interesting. Just as I thought it was over – and it was, briefly – another rain rushed in to replace it, and it was quite a bit of water that fell from the sky – even though the cloud cover was far from complete. A brief visit outside in the next pause was followed by even more pouring rain, and it was not until after my evening snack that it died down for real. I spent some time outside in the pleasant evening, and then went to bed after 21:45 just as another rain started.