Sunday 31/8

I awoke during the wee hours due to, hm, undesirable sounds of proximate origin, and eventually I took the opportunity to go out for a nature call. The eastern sky was growing lighter with the advent of dawn, and on the ground there was the fresh frost of a cold night. The next time I awoke was when the others were getting up, but I remained tucked away until they had finished their breakfast, which was at 08:15. It was a clear and sunny day but the westerly wind was back with a vengeance, and the frost had already melted. I had breakfast myself, packed up and then went outside to talk with Emma and the other man who were already engaged in conversation. The weather was if anything getting better, save for the keen wind, even though in the inner parts of the valley some low cloud or other was to be seen. Around 10:15 I walked with Emma to her cottage where the final farewell took place, and then I was off to Abisko.

Bright morning

Hoigančorru

Local cloud

Emma outside the Kårsavagge cottage

I passed the Latnjajávri stream rather easily where it spread out in several courses, but then I found the path I was walking on ever fainter in the osier, and after a while I saw that I had drifted onto a side path as a much clearer one lay a bit further down. At times I felt warm in my jacket, but mostly the wind kept such sensations at bay. After only a couple of kilometers I caught up with my roommate from before, who had left a bit earlier, and some speech and photographic assistance followed. I then walked on ahead, and it struck me how much of summer still lingered in this valley – the difference to, for example, Leavášvággi was profound. When the trail reached a region of trees it split into two paths, and at first I followed the one that went in among the foliage, but then I came to question this and took to the other instead, as it ran out in the open where all the nice views were.

After a bit the trees grew more sparse and the terrain took on a dry, meadow-like character. A somewhat wetter stretch followed, and then I almost stumbled upon the trio who had left even earlier, and were now sitting with their backs against a small hill enjoying the sun. After speaking some with them I continued on, soon coming out onto heathland at the bridge over Gorsajohka. As I was now exiting Gorsavággi the views started to broaden, and the clouds that had hung around Abiskoalperna all day were now beginning to lift. A sizeable hill shortly before the start of the forest caught my attention, and walking over to it I found another, smaller one immediately behind it which I proceeded to scale. On its top the wind was suddenly considerable, but just below the crest on the other side it was almost calm, and there I took off both rucksack and boots well before 12:30.

Having left

Water crossing

Cottage dwindling behind

Look, a reindeer!

Look, three reindeer!

Look, four reindeer!

Another look back

Some autumn colors

He who writes this

Colorful

The end of the valley

Abiskoalperna emerging

Out of the valley

Ballinčohkka

Fjelds north of Torneträsk

Abiskoalperna and Gorsajohka

From there I had a very pleasing vista in front of me (the advantage of going east as the wind is usually westerly), and the southeastern clouds continued to grow lighter. The wind around and atop the hill also remained strong, but where I was sitting/reclining the sun warmed me with great prowess, and I took it very easy. Before leaving I rearranged the pack somewhat and did away with the wind jacket; I knew full well that the few hundred meters before the trees were to surround me would be freezing, but once into the woods I would be out of the woods, so to speak. The rearrangement had had the desired effect, and it was with easy steps that I strode along the well-trodden path in a forest that had a nice look to it.

Around the place I had had lunch last time around I bumped into the trio again, who had passed me while I was hidden from sight behind the hill and were now having another small break. Once again I went on ahead, but it was not long before I noted an interesting side path leading out to a bare patch offering wide views, and during my visit to it the others passed by again. Yet another overtake therefore followed shortly, which was in turn followed by yet another observation point off the beaten track, but this time I just managed to sneak back in front of them.

Lapporten coming into view

Woodland once more

Ballinriehppi closeup

Mini-panorama over Torneträsk and Abisko

Ballinvággi

Panorama over Abiskoalperna: Váimooaivi, Čuonjáčohkka, Nissončorru, Ballinčohkka, Čoamohas and Giron

Now all of Abiskoalperna were in the clear, but as the trail started going downhill for real the sun took to hiding behind light clouds now and then. Below the slope the undergrowth which had thitherto been of the dry heath type was changing into high herbs and grass. The stream Rihtonjira was at the moment not a stream at all, consisting as it did of nothing but dry rocks (which is fitting seeing as how the word njira refers to a stony stream that mainly carries water during times of thaw or heavy rain; even though it is not named thus the stream from Bádurgårsså between the Tarrekaise and Såmmarlappa cottages in Tarradalen is another good example).

Where the trail made a sharp turn to the left shortly thereafter I went straight ahead, coming to the brink of Ábeskoeatnu where I could get a good look at its growing rock canyon. Back on the trail I soon emerged on the car road to the Njullá cableway, and if not this and the nearby railroad were enough to drive home that I was now back in civilization, the quantities of people going about were. Around 14:45 I walked onto the yard of Abisko tourist station, where the rucksack scales outside revealed that I was now carrying 15.5 kg.

Lapporten closeup

Abisko tourist station

Ábeskoeatnu in...

...a shallow canyon

Ábeskoeatnu...

...from the bridge

Rihtonjira

Entrance

I went in and acquired a key to a room in the auxiliary building Keron, and after reserving a seat for tonight's dinner I went over there to install myself. Then it was time for a much needed sauna, which was both empty and not too hot when I entered, but both things were changed in due time. The time was not yet that of dinner, so I went out for a little walk; the weather was still pretty nice but windy, but on the other side of Torneträsk it looked like rain. I looked through the station's store and settled on a bag on candy, the contents of which I munched on while reading a bit in the library.

Then, finally, the restaurant opened, and I proceeded to have a tranquil and very good dinner – especially the entree herring was excellent – leaving me in a full state. At first there were not that many people, but as time went by the seats filled up, and I got some company at my table around dessert time. Across the lake the clouds were getting lower, but above the sky remained clear – the blue hole of Abisko is an acknowledged concept in Swedish meteorology – and the resulting natural light was most spectacular – and this, too, is an age-old hallmark of Abisko.

After the meal I returned to the library and read for as long as this light allowed, and then went back to Keron in the growing dimness. Due to the muchness of the recent food intake I contented myself with a biscuit or two as an evening snack and then went straight to bed before 22, feeling decidedly tired.