Monday 14/8 – Sunday 20/8

Monday 14/8

When I got up after 07:30 the clouds were low all around and it was raining, something which intensified as I had breakfast. Most people were leaving despite the wetness, but the two Finns in the dog room were waiting it out. Upon looking through the storage shed once more I found a couple of wellies, which was great timing.

Later in the forenoon a couple of Swedes came from the west, one of whom was on the final stretch of the Ribbon, and they only stopped to use the privy before pressing on. I read inside while the outside grew somewhat lighter, but soon another haze rolled in from the south. There was a lunch visit from a Finn who was headed for Koltaluokta, and I soon had lunch myself as the rain moved on.

A short shower later the dog room occupants were finally ready to leave, paying a visit to the waterfall first, and now it really was getting lighter with a bit of clear sky and sun. After they had left for real a group of five Finnish fishermen walked up the ATV track and then headed towards the fall, aiming to make camp at the stream. Next up were a Czech/Dutch pair who came from the north and went to the west, later followed by a pair of Finns who were staying. Another short shower later another two booked Finns arrived, followed by another pair who were going to camp out.

There was a pretty light show over at the massif, and it was quite pleasant outside. After dinner a northerly wind picked up and the clouds reestablished their hold on the peaks. I followed the progress in the sauna and when everyone was done I went in myself for the first time; it was too bad with the long distance to the water, but just standing outside in the wind worked well for cooling purposes. When I was done the clouds had sunk further but it was now windless and still pleasant. While nice, sauna does not make for alertness, so it was a drowsy warden who climbed into bed around 22.

Sun with rain

Sun without rain

Chamber of heat

More clouds

Less clouds

Tuesday 15/8

When I awoke the clouds were high with a fair bit of blue in between, but a shower was just passing. Two people walked right on by westwards and all the people already present were up and about. I was going to do laundry today so I put on two large kettles, eventually getting down to business out on the suitably placed shelf outside my cottage; it was quite warm in the sun, so it felt good when it was clouded.

I was just finished when Sweden's semifinal started, so I sat down to follow that inside. The fishing quintet passed by towards the north in the break, but other than that there was no movement. The match ended in disappointment after an eventful last few minutes – damn! – and once it was done I had a summery lunch inside. I had prepared to go fishing myself, so when I had eaten I did just that, leaving around 12:30.

I followed the westward trail at first, breaking off southwards after the dry ravine of Bollošjohka, going up onto the marked gravel hills there. I then followed natural openings in the low shrubs to the cloudberry mire, where I picked the remaining ones. The sun was mostly clouded and there was a weak wind blowing, but when neither of those things were true it was warm indeed. I started casting right where I reached the stream, and got a bite almost at once, but the fish got loose out in the current, and after that there was nothing.

Departure

Across the ravine

At Bealčánjohka

Gone fishin'

I continued upstream, finding it difficult to judge the depth, but when I could it was usually on the shallow side. Near the bridge it was too swift and shallow for comfort so I went on, and at the first inflow from Bealčánvággi there was a nice calm section where I tried my hand for a while. The sun was coming out more and more, increasing the temperature. I walked around a side channel on the northern side through a thicket, and then had to pass another shallow strech before I found a suitable place again. There was still no sign of life, however, so I decided to call it quits at 14:30.

Empty campsite

Shallows

Bealčánvággi over yonder

Wider Bealčánjohka

Inflow

Side channel

Calm

Brink

I made my way up onto the adjacent hill from where I walked in the direction of the marking crosses, following a narrow path which led to an ATV track which was more easily trodden. As I passed non-Bollošjohka again I found a nice patch of grass in the shelter of a small hill, which I realized must have been the place where a couple of tenters had spent a couple of nights a few days before. From there I returned to the trail and took the direct path to my cottage, returning to an empty site after 14:45.

Up the hill

On the plain

The spot

The laundry had dried well in the sun, and I shifted it around for increased efficacy. Two Finns came from the north and wanted to see the fall before continuing eastwards, and then I had another super cold wash in the pool. After a small snack another two Finns showed up, and these wanted to stay, albeit in a tent. Next up were another five Finns with the same plan, and they ended up right outside the guest cottage. A darkness had been building at the massif for some time, and now it finally materialized into a shower which rapidly approached and created another strong rainbow. When the sauna was underway I retreated to have dinner, fortified by an improvised cloudberry dessert.

The sun had been out in full for a while, but it now passed into the massive massif cloud. Another two Finns from a Swedish-speaking part had arrived, and would be staying inside. Outside the temperature had dropped appreciably, but the wind had died down. A bit later two Finnish cyclists came up the ATV track, having spent an arduous ten hours despite electric aid, and now wanted to spend the night as well. There were low drifting clouds as the light faded and I hit the sack myself.

Wednesday 16/8

In the early morning there was fog all around, but it later rose enough to only be called low clouds. I talked for a long while with the Swedish-Finns, and then started another bread baking session as my last remaining soft bread had started to grow moldy. Outside a rainfall quickly started, soon after which a six-wheeled ATV came from the west and stopped outside, carrying an elderly Sámi man and his dog. We talked for a bit as he put on his rain clothes – and good timing too, as the rain was just intensifying – and then he continued towards Kummavuopio.

Canine

Mobile

While the dough rose I went up to check on the guests who hadn't left, and found that the Swedish-Finns were still debating what to do and that one of the Finnish-Finns (with the bikes) had lost a tooth and was suffering a fair bit of discomfort, and so was researching the quickest way out. In the end all of them resolved to stay another night, and once we had concluded our business I completed the first set of rolls. A single German walking Nordkalottleden had arrived, and he too would be staying. Outside the rain continued unabated, and once the second set was done I sat down for lunch and the end of the second semifinal.

In the early afternoon it grew lighter but the rain did not hold up. Another two Finns arrived from the north, and by the time we had done business I was also done with the last set of bread, so next up was some extensive washing-up. A bit later the rain had petered out to just a few drops, and the clouds on the peaks were slowly letting go.

Spot the hikers

Sauna is lit

After dinner (and dessert) there were more drifting clouds in the wind, which was rather cold, and a fog off to the northeast was spreading. Visibility shifted throughout the evening, and I felt the need to put on the down jacket when being outside due to the chill. Everyone had already gone to bed, so I did the same some time after 22.

Thursday 17/8

It was rather a chilly morning both outdoors and indoors, but it also came with a good deal of sun – and large drifting clouds around the peaks as well as a strong wind. Everyone was leaving – the cyclists by leg power alone as their battery packs were empty – and I considered if and where to go on a day tour, eventually deciding on one on lower altitude and with shorter reach. Before setting out, however, I did some mandated cleaning, but just when I was about to leave I discovered that my regular walking stick was nowhere to be seen, so I took a shorter hooked one and a longer thin one which I found outside with me as I walked down the winter trail from the guest cottage at 10:30.

Go to day tour report »

I tried out a different method of handling the coldness of the bathing pool, which was at least a marginal improvement. When I was walking back up the hill I heard the squeak of a water bucket handle and, sure enough, ran into a couple of fresh guests at the crest; they were booked Swedes from Rostahytta and I joined them for a long talk up at the guest cottage.

The sun was clouded more and more as the afternoon progressed, and it was getting chillier in the air. A trio of Germans stopped to say hi – and to relate the story of how one of their friends had contributed to the place's infrastructure some 25 years ago – and then went on towards the bridge. As I sat down to repair the loose sole out in the gable chairs I suddenly found the missing walking stick against the wall there, so apparently it hadn't been appropriated by a guest, but rather I had somehow managed to misplace it myself – probably after the last day tour.

A group of three older gentlemen – one Swede and two Finns, in the age span 65 to 78 – then came from the east, and they were to stay two nights with the aim of summiting Bealčán on the morrow. After dinner another trio arrived, this one all Finnish, and they were missing their fourth member due to recent-onset illness. Another two Finns later arrived from the north, and they wanted to camp and join the evening's sauna sessions, which were already underway. It was a fair but cold evening, and with the loss of the sun the wind also mostly died down. When I called it a day at 22 the sky was completely clear and the temperature had dropped to a mere 3°C, so a cold night was in store.

Friday 18/8

It was, but the temperature appeared to have remained just above freezing, and when I got up at 07:15 it was already up to 9°C. The sky was partially clear with high clouds around the peaks, the sun was veiled and there was only a light wind. The mountain climbers had already left, but the eldest member of the group had stayed behind. He spoke very little except Finnish, but with a few shared words and signs he managed to get across that his knees wouldn't manage it, and that he was now going to the fall instead. I decided to go for another fishing-centered day tour myself and left at 10:00, aiming for the heights this time.

Go to day tour report »

The two people on the porch were Finns who wished to stay the night, and there were another two inside; the latter being part of a booked group of four. Soon another four Finns came from the west, a bit later followed by a single Swedish Ribboner who would press on towards the Cairn. I espied two people making their way down to the Bealčánjohka bridge on the other side of said stream, and it was soon confirmed that these were the mountain men. They had reached a fairly high altitude but ultimately turned back due to the perilous combination of steepness and loose rocks, and readily admitted that they had tried a suboptimal route.

After some quiet time inside I went up to light the sauna and found another two Swedes out on the porch, adding to the overnight number. Additional additions soon arrived in the form av a single Belgian all the way from Dærtahytta and a group of five Finns from Gappohytta. Once dinner procedures were completed I kept an eye on the sauna procedures what with all the people present, and everything seemed to work well. Quite a few of the current guests were fishermen, and that didn't seem to work well judging from the almost complete lack of catches. By 22 it was time to turn in, while the last of the catchless people had the last round in the sauna.

Saturday 19/8

The next morning was mostly clear with substantial low clouds in the massif, which slowly lifted. After the usual morning procedures I glued the sole properly, taking care to get a good fix and using tape to apply pressure. Then it was time for the bronze match, for which I made popcorn from a batch someone had left behind. The last of the guests left during the game, and apart from my own bout of work during the halftime break I wasn't disturbed before it was done – and Sweden had the medal! Then it was just time for an outside lunch, which was mostly still and warm.

By then the clouds had left the peaks, and it was getting warmer. Later in the afternoon there were two arrivals from the north in sequence: first a Norwegian man wearing only shorts and a very big pack, who sat down audibly panting to have a lunch break, and a Norwegian woman who wanted to stay. During this there was also a single Finnish girl who was going to camp by herself and would look around for a suitable spot. Soon thereafter a booked Swiss man came from the east, followed by three Finns from the north who paid for tent service, and a couple of Germans also stopped by for a lunch break before continuing towards the western border.

It was a fantastic summer afternoon, and everyone was out and about. Later two Finnish cyclists came from the north, but they soon continued towards Kummavuopio. Another Swiss man then came from the east, and with him all reservations for the day were realized. A single Swedish guy also walked up from the west, and not surprisingly this was another Ribboner who was going to rest for a while before pressing on towards the goal. Eventually I could settle down to make pancakes, which were hungrily consumed with cloudberry jam and followed by a dessert.

Preparation

Result

The evening was similarly fantastic, but it was quite chilly in the shadow and when the sun went down this applied to the air in general. Down on the valley plain a fog was spreading as the ground cooled, and I once again had to enlist the help of the down jacket before the bed covers took over the role at 22.

Sunday 20/8

There were banks of fog in the valley during the night and early morning, and even though the thermometer showed 2°C there appeared to frost in places. When I got up for real at 07:15 it was clear with a few low clouds which looked ready to dissipate any moment, which was indeed what happened with the growing power of the sun.

After breakfast another Ribboner came from the west; I recognized him due to his red cap which the guy the day before had told me to expect, and I talked with him for a while before he went on, giving some transportation tips. The Finnish girl from the day before also stopped by before heading east herself, and as I had surmised she had chosen that grassy Bollošjohka spot I had discovered earlier. The Norwegian woman had already left and soon the two Swiss men did the same, having decided to walk together to Gappo, leaving me free to embark on another day tour at 09:30.

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I found two Finnish guys having lunch in the dog room; they were fishermen with a camp up near Gobmejávri and had walked to Pältsa "on the wrong side of Bealčánjohka" by their own admission, which had taken longer than planned so they wouldn't be staying. Another two people were up at the guest cottage, and these were Norwegians with a reservation. The fishermen soon left to follow the winter trail back, and instead another three booked Finns arrived. I continued my interrupted dinner activities and wolfed down the meal while several more people walked up to the cottage.

Once I had swallowed the last bite I went over to see what I had, and all the new arrivals (five in total) were Finns who were deliberating what to do next. In the end four of them decided to stay indoors, while the fifth opted for his tent (sans sauna). Another two tenters soon appeared on a patch near the western trail, and apparently they had arrived by bike. As the evening progressed the clouds descended, and it was rather windy at first, but when I entered bed at 22 it was back to light.