Tuesday 22/8

The night was one of shifting wind and rain, and as expected is was also fairly chilly, but I slept well just the same, albeit in intervals. When morning came the clouds were still low and a light rain was falling, so I stayed in the sleeping bag for some time. Just as the first morning during last year's tour I felt worried that I had misjudged the weather and that the forecasts were just plain wrong, but checking the latter things were still on track for marked improvements so the game was still on.

I arose around 07:15 to find the clouds touching the rises of the innermost valley, but they appeared to be very slowly lifting and/or breaking up. Then came another extended shower so I had breakfast inside the tent, using the very last of one of the "there's still a little left" gas canisters I had brought in order to finish them off once and for all. After that things were lighter again, with a fair bit of blue sky, even though another dense shower was passing in front of Ottfjället. Since things were obviously still on the unsteady side I elected to wear the rain jacket from the start, and having packed up in yet another shower (told ya) I left at 10:15.

More rain passed as I made my way up the valley, going over to Issjön to have a look – and as expected I found a tent there, having seen smoke from that direction the evening before, but there was no one about. After passing the lodge of the Royal Hunting Club I climbed out of the valley on the western side of the stream, and once up on the unnaturally flat plateau I saw that there were showers all around, but visibility was still fairly good. I walked out to a nearby edge to look out over Issjödalen in its entirety, which was impressive indeed, and as I was heading back towards the trail another two people showed up, going eastwards over the hills.

More rain

Approaching the hunting lodge

Issjön

Going up...

...among the hills...

...making up...

...the end of the valley

Up on the plateau

Looking out over Issjödalen, ...

...the lodge and Issjön

Covering the plateau was easy going, and the crossing of Grönan was also a simple matter, after which I made another detour to get closer to Pyramiderna (Pyramids). From then on I stuck to the Lunndörren trail, and as I started to descend the clouds broke apart for real and the sun bathed the whole basin in warm light. Mmm! It was not to last, however, and by the time I spotted the cottages around 11:45, after having munched on some blueberries and cloudberries that happened to cross my path, there were drops in the air again and the sky was back to overcast.

Crossing Grönan

Peculiar shapes

Pyramiderna (Pyramids)

Looking worse

Cloudy

Cleft

Stensdalen over there

Fair all of a sudden

More rain on the way

Approaching...

...the Lunndörren cottages

There was no one outside (save for a small weasel scurrying around), but the warden soon came out and chatted briefly. A new veranda had been fitted to the main building, but seeing as how it was not very sunny (or warm) at the moment I sat down at the regular resting table between the buildings to have lunch, thankful that it at least was not raining any more. I made no changes to my attire as I left, still wary about the weather, but it did seem as though things were getting lighter again. I met a man and a child out on the open area before the descent down to Lunndörren proper, the sides of which were now fully in the clear.

Saanta across the water

Fjelds across another water

Before the descent...

...towards the grand valley...

...of Lunndörren

Knowing that the trail was to cross Lunndörrsån (or rather the tributary from Saantandurrie) I kept watch for suitable fords, but ended up going to the official one, where with some non-linear motion I could get across without trouble. The northern part of the Lunndörren valley is unique in that it is almost completely flat, and consequently progress was easy, even though the ground was rock-bound and so I frequently strayed off the path to get a softer base. From time to time I noted small drops being borne on the wind, which was in my back, and conditions seemed to be worse in that direction. Where I was visibility was still full, however, and further ahead there was a persistent blue hole.

About to cross Lunndörrsån

Flat

Flatter

Full visibility

Tracing the water

Steep rock faces

After a few wet patches the path improved, and having just reached a low rise I met another lone hiker whom I stopped to talk with for a good while. The northerly wind was now considerable, and I was thankful that I was going south. As I approached the bend in the valley the flatness ended and was replaced by a series of hills, where the sun finally broke through again. A slightly tricky section of rocks later I saw the Lunndörrspasset shelter a short distance ahead, and I walked up to it around 15:15.

Passing Gruvfjället
(Mine Mountain)

The valley behind me

A bit of sun

Close to Lunndörrsån again

Arriving at...

...the Lunndörrspasset shelter

Somewhat sheltered

The wind was strong here, which it often is in this pass, so I looked around to see if I could use the shelter or its outbuilding for, well, shelter for the tent. The ground had a slant and was rather uneven, but there was a spot down beside the latter structure which did offer reasonable protection, so I decided to pitch the tent there. The price for that was increased turbulence, but it seemed to work out OK. The sun was out every now and then and patches of sky were visible, but the cold wind made being outside somewhat unattractive, so I soon went into the tent.

Some time later I used the shelter for food preparation and went on to eat inside as the drifting clouds lowered themselves around the nearby peaks. After dinner I went to pick blueberries, having found a good spot right next to the adjacent stream, and then it was back to the tent since the wind was getting even colder (and possibly stronger). I spent the time reading and resting, and as the evening progressed there was both more drizzle (albeit very light) and less wind. The drifting clouds had reached their lowest level yet, but as I prepared to hit the sack later they had risen again, and the sky beyond them appeared to be at least partially clear. The wind was still on the decrease, so it was not particularly cold when I finally turned in at 21:45.