So that's what working at a fjeld station is like, eh? Well – it was both kind of like I had expected and not at all near it, mixed together in the form of daily routines and surprise developments. The workload was high at times, with subsequent exhaustion, physical and mental, and at other times the problem was the opposite – things were so slow that we needed to invent more or usually less necessary tasks just to fight off apathy. By and large, though, I did thoroughly enjoy being a part of one of STF's most renowned establishments.

As for something which did not turn out as I had expected, I was pleasantly surprised by the extensive furloughs. I had assumed that I would be able to make at least one longer tour to/between the nearby cottages, and hopefully two, but in the end I managed four four-day trips of varying length touching by nine cottages, and a number of day tours with the same variation. A quick summation shows that all the distances I covered under my own power together roughly equal the total length of Kungsleden itself, or more than 400 km put in numbers. Not bad at all.

Then there was the weather. Whether we liked it or not, we became intimate with the westerly wind – it served to thwart many an excursion, or to make those already in progress much more demanding. Several of the skiing courses we arranged were especially unfortunate in this regard – whereas others had it Just Right®. That's how it is in the fjelds, in the words of Chuck Berry: you never can tell. Another reason for mild despair was, of course, the premature withdrawal of the lowland snow, which created problems both logistic and economic, but it was all we could do to adapt. Now, just because the bad stuff was at times really bad, this is not to say that we weren't blessed with fair weather too – we were indeed, and a large number of people could draw a large amount of joy from it, especially when things had been looking bleak for several days.

Since the station had come under new management there were understandably some changes in how things were done – some large, some small, and those who had worked there previously could point out the differences to the rest of us. One thing in particular that H&M chose to lend precedence was a rise in standard in the restaurant, both in terms of service and of the dishes being served. This and a general update in every department really did have the desired effect, and we were time and again forced to endure commendations, coming both from old-timers who felt that improvements had been made, and from new visitors who were "taken in". Of particular note was a fellow who said to me with great confidence that while Blåhammaren is rightly famous for its dinner, the one he was served at Kebnekaise had it beat by far. Now that's nice to hear!

What really made everything worthwhile, though, was the people – there was the amiable atmosphere among fjeld folk, with some specially memorable guests, but primarily I'm thinking about my fellow Kebbers: those whom I shared work and living with. A fine mix of personalities and origins, everyone contributed to the spirit of the place, and I've made many a new acquaintance, which I am sure will not succumb to geographical separation. For while several of them are staying for the summer – both oldies and ex-newbies – I will not be joining them. As mentioned I have been assigned a period in the Såmmarlappa cottage this autumn, and before that I hope to go on another tour – just to warm up, see...