Thursday 24/8

It rained during the night and early morning, so it never got as cold as expected. When I awoke it was cloudy but there was full visibility and the rain had stopped. As I made breakfast inside the tent drops started falling again, which turned into intense rain with low clouds and mist. According to the weather forecast (I could just reach the mobile net from my position), however, this state of affairs would only be in effect during the mornig, followed by a mostly clear day, so I took that to heart. I packed up all I could inside and waited it out, and eventually things started to get lighter, so at the first opportunity I went out to strike the tent. Being all done I left at 10:00, wearing the rain jacket against any lingering bouts as well as the appreciable wind.

I followed what remained of the reindeer path I had used the day before, but soon found myself walking across nice grassland without tracks. Before long I passed another region with good campsites, but even though I would have seen more of the valley from there they had nothing on the striking U-shape I had been treated to where I lay, and there was no water close by either. As I crossed or rounded various wet areas the sun started breaking through and the clouds dissipated more and more. Once down on the flat expanse between the sheer walls of Storådörren proper I first kept close to the central marsh, but soon drifted westwards, crossing a couple of rock tongues.

Moving out

The valley stretching out

Weak sun, beaded flowers

Green

Behind me

Beside me

Behind and beside me

It was getting fairer and fairer as I slowly gained altitude at a shallow angle, once again ending up among hills I had to go over or around. I ended up following a stream almost straight upwards between Synder-Storådörrfjället and Blåfjället, and now it was both sunny and very windy. Also this time I was offered very wide views all around, but now more mountainous areas were visible as well compared to the day before. Up on the crest the wind was even stronger, and I put on both the gloves and the jacket's hood to compensate.

Ahead

Short shower

Climbing out

Expanses

I aimed straight for Bockhammaren, descending a bit to get around a steep gravel-covered portion that turned into a rocky ravine. Here I had to walk carefully lest I lose my footing, and I probably could have chosen a simpler, lower route, but I had no real problems. Having reached the marked corner jutting out from Synder-Storådörrfjället I was assaulted by even harder winds, so I chose a medium-sized cliff to act as shelter for my lunch before 12:15.

Bockhammaren coming into view

Falkvåltjärnarna

Next vale

Closing in on Bockhammaren

Save for the wind it was sunny and nice, and the vista was not to be sneered at, so I remained seated for a while before digging into the food. Afterwards I went down a little bit to pass another steep section, but then climbed again to get around the rock fields closer to the tarn in the pass, following a clear reindeer path. As I passed into Tronndalen the clouds amassed above, but they remained high and never connected fully. This time I kept to the eastern side, since the terrain looked somewhat easier there; it was a bit stony at times, but nothing that hampered my progress, especially since the reindeer paths were in plain evidence most of the time.

Entrance to Tronndalen

Inside Tronndalen

Water passage

The wind had decreased but was still considerable, and the sun was out now and then. I crossed to the western side at a confluence of streams, finding my way over several courses, and then the terrain turned hilly. The reindeer paths remained, however, leading me around or over them, as I and they saw fit. It was my plan to cross over into Gråsjödörren by way of the saddle south of Gråsjöfjället proper, and now that I was drawing closer the slope up seemed perfectly easy. I walked a shorter distance closer to the stream, then between/upon more hills, and finally across nice grassland before reaching the base of said slope, after which I started climbing diagonally.

Following the stream

Hilly

From whence I came

Downvalley

Nearing the slope

There was a small group of reindeer ahead of me, which did their usual circling motion, ending up back where they started once I had passed. The ground was as easily trodden as it had looked from a distance, and I made good progress. The wind increased as I got higher, and so did the views, but it took some time before I had navigated the sub-crests to reach the actual saddle. The first bit down the other side across stone-strewn ground was tough for my still-aching ankle, but then it got better (and grassier). From looking at the map the southern side of the ravine I was approaching seemed easier, but now that I had it in my sights I decided to at least start the descent on the northern side, which although considerably steeper was also friendlier in terms of the state of the ground, lacking the rock fields of its counterpart.

Reindeer on the move

Covered that distance

Patterns

Trondfjällen

Panorama over Tronndalen

In the saddle

Vålåsjöfjället on the other side

The start of the ravine

After carefully picking my way down the first slope I found another good reindeer path going along the stream at the ravine's bottom, and I opted to follow that for as long as possible. The path took me through droves of harebells, and a few moderately tricky slanting spots, and then landed me in extensive osier thickets as the ravine flattened out. Here I lost the path (intentionally) and climbed a hill to scout for campsites, and having spotted several a bit further down I set off through the bushes, crossing several arms of the stream in the process. I aimed for the closest candidates and found one of them to be perfectly fine, and the view down (and out of) the valley was of similar quality, so I stopped then and there around 15:45.

In the ravine

Gråsjödörren opening up

More of the local fauna

Further down

All the way down

Unfortunately, this "great campsite" turned out to be difficult almost in the extreme when it came to getting the tent up, for even though the top layer of the ground was soft and welcoming, there were so many stones just beneath the surface that it was nigh impossible to get the pegs in. I did manage in the end, but only with the help of rocks employed as hammers and at the price of some mild bloodshed (really). Phew. The sun had been clouded for a long time, but the light was shifting around me, and a bit later low clouds appeared around Lill-Stensdalsfjället and Kyrkstensfjället, followed by an approaching but yet very distant haze.

After dinner these low clouds spread further, and now light drops started drifting in on the wind, but portions of the sky could still be seen between it all. Eventually rain reached my position, but it remained light and was followed by lighter conditions, especially towards the northwest. This resulted in some nice evening light from the setting sun, and I naturally had to go out to have a closer look, but other than that I spent most of the time in the tent reading or listening to music on the phone. As I prepared for bed around 21:45 the low clouds off to the north held sway, with only some weak gusts of wind, and it did not take long after lights out before the rain started again.