Monday 21/8 – Sunday 27/8

Monday 21/8

The third Pältsa week started with a dense fog which grew even denser during breakfast, but then very slowly began to lift. I started taking inventory of the various stuff in my room, filling out a pre-compiled list, ending up with much better order in the "office cupboard". The two bikers out in the tent intended to go on a day tour to Norway (Gappo) and then stay for another night, and wanted to use the sauna this time.

As I continued counting pencils and paper clips and whatnot four people from the west stopped by; the first ones were foreigners of unknown origin who just wanted to look inside, and the latter two were a couple of Swedish Ribboners who were quite excited to learn that they could replenish their chocolate stores. I talked some with them before they continued towards the Cairn; they intended to stop just before it, so that they could defile to their goal on the morrow. Another two people from the west passed by on their way north, and then it was finally time for lunch.

Yet another westerner, this one with a very small pack, then passed by towards the Cairn (not a Ribboner, though). It was growing lighter as I continued with the inventory, but the cloud base didn't rise. When I was done with a certain part of it a single Finn came from the north, and now visibility was actually starting to improve somewhat, but only slowly. There were two more Finnish arrivals from the north, and then I turned to afternoon tea.

I completed my inventory task, which was but a part of the whole list, and rearranged stuff on the other indoor shelves, with a result much to my liking. Things were now really improving outside, with a veiled sun and increased warmth. There were an additional two Finnish pairs who all were to tent, and just as I was lighting the sauna a couple of booked Swedes arrived from the boat. These latter turned out to be Lasse, who had been the winter warden in Pältsa a couple of years ago, together with his wife Ulla. A single Finn stopped by for some food, out on his annual tour through the area since some 20 years, and then there were another four Finns two of whom would sleep inside and the other two in a tent.

I now had my hands full with the evening's sauna schedule, which was further complicated by the return of the bikers who said that yet another four people were approaching from Gappo, with publically stated sauna wishes. I almost had time to finish dinner before the newbies showed up, and after inquiring about the present occupancy level they decided to stay in tents. I returned up to finalize the sauna plan, and then spoke with Lasse followed by the Finn for a long while – he certainly had stories to tell!

A single hiker then came from the west, and as expected this was the Ribboner the two in the morning had told me to expect. He had walked around 28 km from Dærtahytta via Storrostahytta and Steinhytta – not the easiest of routes – and now wished for a bed. He took up residence in the dog room, which was currently empty and suited his present social state of mind well after so long by himself on the road. Chatting for a good while with me was within his comfort zone, however, and we compared notes on the Ribboners who had passed by thus far, most of whom he knew.

I talked some more with Lasse and checked on the progress in the sauna, concluding that the Ribboner could have a turn before too long, so I returned down to report this. After my evening snack I noted for the first time that the indoor light was starting to get weak in the evenings, so autumn was clearly on the way. I spoke some more with the other resident of the building after he returned from the sauna, and then turned in at 22:15 after a day more management-heavy than usual.

Tuesday 22/8

The morning came with very low clouds, but there were lighter patches above. As I was working the clouds started to lift, and the sun shone through in places. I talked for quite some time with the Ribboner until he embarked on the last stage of his long trek, and then prepared for another laundry session. As I was about to start doing the deed a couple of campers arrived from the west and took a break outside, having walked from Vakkotavare (not in one go...). I had started to note some early signs of the approaching autumn in the vegatation, and now I saw them also in the forest off to the northeast as well as here and there in the low shrubs and higher up the eastern heights, so I maintained my hope that the turn would be complete by the time I had to leave.

After lunch two booked Finns came from the north, and I spoke extensively with Lasse who had visited the fall with his wife (as had most other visitors, for that matter). There were another two northerly Finns who planned to camp out, and after some more inventory I had one of the fresh apples I had received from Lasse earlier with my afternoon tea. Two more Finns followed later, and after some deliberation they decided on the tent service package. The clouds had spread and the wind increased, with more of the former taking up position behind the horizon lines on either sides of the massif. Three more Finns came from the north and wanted to stay two nights, and a bit later there was another one from the east who was also mulling further plans. Two more people appeared on the crest above the forest along the eastern trail, but surprisingly enough they actually set up camp there instead of coming down, so I took the chance to have dinner.

The precise moment I was done the single Finn announced their decision to keep moving, so I provided some trail tips. I then went up to the guest cottage to make a plan for the sauna; it was a bit tricky with all the different groups present, but I thought it turned out well. I could then sit down and have a belated dessert and read some old warden letters. There were drops in the wind on and off, and there were drifting clouds around the massif. I kept a watch on the sauna progress, and after 21 I could get another turn for myself when everyone was finally done. It was much darker this time around, both owing to the later hour and to the fading of summer, but good it was. An owl circled close above me as I brushed my teeth – not impaired by darkness, those – and after I had cooled down a bit more outside I finally turned in around 22:30.

Wednesday 23/8

There were thick clouds lying across the land in the morning, with Bealčán sticking up above. A weak wind was blowing, a weak sun was shining, and it was no more than 10°C outside. More reservations for the day had been made, and it looked to be more or less a full house. A couple of hikers passed by from the west while I was cleaning the sauna, and after some more tasks the stay-behind Finns went out on a day tour to Bealčánvággi, touching on the fall first as per usual.

While I was working the campers from up the eastern crest came down, and as expected they had had to walk some 500m to find water up there. After some questions they then continued northwards, and now the clouds were breaking up for real, so I took the opportunity for an outside lunch. Just as I was done a helicopter flew in low from the northwest, made a circuit and then landed between the buildings. It was a small machine with only two seats, one of which was occupied by a Finnish man who zipped around in said chopper fishing. He looked around and we talked fishing for a while, and then he flew off towards Gobmejávri, saying that he might return in the evening.

At 13 I went out for a walk in the vicinity, wearing the wellies to save the boots. I started out along the path to the fall and then followed the edge of Bollošjohka's ravine downstream, noting an increased prevalence of autumn colors. I went over to a small hill and then to another slightly larger one, finding lingonberries everywhere, and at the latter were traces of an old subterranean structure of some kind – maybe having to do with Pältsa's time as a base for the Norwegian resistance towards the end of WW2. The sun was partially clouded as I made my way out to the southeastern edge of the heights overlooking a large mire below, where I turned around and headed upwards again.

On the other side

Hobbit hole?

Red!

Nearby military cabin

Wetness

Highness

I passed the path and walked atop the various gravel plateaus in the area, eventually turning towards the cottage again, going over more hills. I then walked down to the upper parts of the ravine in search of a secondary water source, since the stream already had water in it where the main spring fed into it, coming across a fair bit of shrubs. The sun was now out more and more, with increased temperatures as a result as I progressed upstream. There were a number of small pools the water of which looked anything but healthy, and eventually the last one of these was just a dry pit before I reached the trail, so no other spring as such. I then took the regular path home, returning before 13:45.

In passing

Thick

One of a series of...

...small pools

The weather was now mostly fair but the clouds wouldn't let go of the peaks. I took it on myself to repair the hole in the swill disposal unit which threatened the guests' toe dryness, and did some more maintenance work I needed to get done before the end. A bit later two cyclists panted their way up the ATV track; they were Finns who wanted to stay, but the accent of one of them led me to believe that he was actually of British origin, which was later confirmed. Next up were three Finns (of definite Finnish origin) from the north, the vanguard of a booked group of six.

After I had had another afternoon apple another three Finns came from the east, but these were going to camp by the stream, their fishing rods betraying their intentions. Another very jovial Finn came on their heel, and after some tips regarding the northbound trail she also walked on. The trio headed back along said trail to check on their companions' progress, and I myself observed a total of three people approaching from the west. The first two of these were Germans who went for the tent service package, and the third was a booked Swede (of Dutch origin) who took the dog room. The northern trio had now grown to the expected sextet as they returned, and once they had done so it was time to light the sauna for another busy evening.

The day-touring trio came back while I was having dinner, and I was interrupted by two new Finns who were part of yet another booked trio which had been reduced in size due to illness. Once I was done I went up to check on things, and to speak with the Bealčánvággi people; they had gone up to the higher lake I had also been to and actually swum in it, which was above my own ambition level. Two more Finns then arrived from the east, and now the cottage was starting to get rather full.

Some chocolate shopping later I started going through various left-behind food items, some of which I could place in the common room for public consumption, and then went out for a photo round as the evening sun came for a pretty visit after having been clouded for some time. I spent the rest of the evening reading and listening to the radio, noting that people were sitting outside more than usual, and when I went to bed at 22 it was fully back to cloudy – and with that passed the halfway mark of my period.

Thursday 24/8

I slept well despite some complicated dreams and awoke to a cloudy morning, but there were patches of blue above and patches of sunlight on the massif. This state of affairs continued as people were readying to leave, and once I had things under control I started baking more bread. Everyone left in various directions while I was at it, and some light rain approached from the southeast. I had just swept the guest cottage when three Finns came from the north, and they spoke of more people on the way. There were some drops in the air outside, but the main rain remained at a distance.

A single Finnish hiker stopped by on his way to the Cairn, and as I had lunch a booked Finnish quartet made their way over on the northern trail. They were followed by another eight of the same nationality (surprise!), who made up a tent group who wanted to stay outside and use the sauna. The weather was now improving again, and I did some work here and there until another group of four came from the north; also booked Finns. A single hiker also stomped on by westwards without stopping, carrying quite a large pack. I talked some with various guests outside, and it was now quite warm in the sun.

Two more people came from the east, and these were booked Swedes for a change. After some more extensive chats it was time to make a sauna schedule to fit everyone in, and having communicated this to everyone and gotten the ball rolling I sat down for dinner. Another Finnish hiker came from the north, and he opted for the dog room; I could also fit him into the schedule together with some of the other Finnish men.

It was a fine evening but more clouds were on the way, and soon a shower hit the massif. Most of the cottage dwellers were drifting off to bed, leaving the sauna to the tenters as the evening grew chilly. A final pretty light later I was the last one to turn in at 22.

Friday 25/8

During the night a fog enveloped the land, but it was still light and a weak sun could be detected behind it. The dog room man left just as I got up at 07:30, and other people were also up and about. The fog was slowly lifting, but the clouds remained very low. I had my work cut out for me what with all the guests and sauna utilization, especially since the last ones in had neglected to fetch more water, but I got everything into shape eventually. The clouds stubbornly stayed in place so I decided against a longer day tour, and instead went out to fish after 10:15, again wearing the wellies.

Go to day tour report »

There were a couple of hikers with a lunch camp on the other side of the ravine, and the single man (who was Finnish) soon arrived and declared his intention to stay. The other two soon went on eastwards, followed by the arrival of a Canadian woman from the west with whom I spoke extensively about her (rather long) journey thus far. As I started dinner procedures clouds threw the massif into shadow, and after a hungry meal & dessert I went up to light the sauna – the contrast to the evening before was striking, with no more than two guests this time.

As I had had to throw out the last of the cake due to mildew I decided to make use of the remaining apples and do a variant of the next one, and I did so while enjoying a still, beautiful and chilly evening. The cake turned out exceptionally well, and this time I packed it differently for better preservation. The clouds were now dissipating in full and there was smoke on the water, so it looked to be another cold night.

Clearing

Not a lie

Saturday 26/8

It was another foggy night, coupled with temperatures around 2°C and a cold northerly wind. When morning came there were still banks of fog all around, with more low clouds to boot, but both were already lifting and sunlight was reaching through. It was, however, still rather cold, but the wind had mostly abated. The Canuck had made an early start and the Finn was in the packing phase, so I waited for him to finish while the growing sun hacked away at the mists. Once everything was done and the place was empty I headed out for a much-anticipated visit to Gappohytta before 09:30, by which time the sky had almost grown clear.

Go to day tour report »

After gulping down some drink and munching on some nuts and suchlike to get my reserves up I went up to the guest cottage to see what the present guest situation was. There I found the eight people from Gappo together with two new tenters, and no one had seen anyone else on the way except for the ones who had already passed by. As the quintet would eschew the sauna in favor of a dip at the waterfall, despite their Finnishness, I delayed the lighting of it for a while longer as the evening's schedule thereby looked much more compact. I had a dip of my own in the pool, and it was as freezing as always, but it felt very good afterwards what with the warm day.

After dinner strengthened by an extra dessert I still had the means for I took to gluing the sole back on – again – and then went up to talk with the quintet and one of the campers in the very pleasant evening. A single booked Finn came from the east, but I was still missing a Norwegian group of nine according to the reservations, and there was still no one to be seen in any direction, nor had the newest arrival spotted any movement on the way.

Just a short while later, however, I did spot movement on the northern trail – and after a few moments I realized that not only was a larger group approaching, it was doing so on horseback. This had quite the effect on the five Finns, who promptly started playing Morricone's classic western tunes on their phones as the riders came closer – literally riding out of the sunset, to complete the scene. It was quite the sight/experience, and a first for all present, including yours truly. In the end there were seven riders and eight horses, plus the guy with the border tent, and it took a good while for them to get everything ready, with the horses munching on the grass around the cottage before they put up a makeshift corral with ropes a short distance away where higher grass grew.

Spotting...

...the riders...

...arriving in...

...the sunset

Here they are

Horse-style...

...back scratching

Nom nom

Still itching...

...and rolling

Corralling

Since it was now fairly late and they would be staying for two nights they set about making food rather than making use of the sauna there and then, and I returned indoors as well as it was now rather cold with the loss of the sun. The horses were led down to drink first at the bathing pool and then further downstream along the ATV track where access was easier, and then grazed lazily in their corral as the light faded and everyone else called it a day, myself included.

Sunday 27/8

The next day was entirely clear and almost still. I went up to see how the horses were doing, finding them docile within their corral – well-behaved steeds for sure, as they could easily just have stepped out of it. I myself was also somewhat docile this day, feeling the strain of the long, speedy walk of the day before, but it wasn't too bad. After my morning work I read a bit out on the steps to my cottage while the various guests moved to and fro, until it was time for the riders to saddle up for a day tour. Two of them were actually heading back northwards, as their tenting companion had already done, but the remaining five were to visit Steinhytta.

Watering

Mounted

Into the west

After a warm lunch outside two Finns came from the west, and they would only have a break and visit the fall before continuing eastwards. I could see the horses also having a break in a grassy area a good distance up the western slopes, but saw no other movement save for a helicopter which appeared to land close to that fishing camp down by Bealčánjohka I had found earlier. A bit later no less than eleven people approached from the north, but there was no reservation corresponding to such a number. I met them outside as they started filing in, and learnt that they were a group of Finnish retirees who were going to camp out by themselves – all except one who was old enough to opt for an indoor night instead.

The sun was now passing into high veils from the southwest, diminishing its power somewhat, and it was fairly windy. Tents had sprung up all around, at various more or less unexpected places at various distances, and most of their inhabitants soon went off towards the fall (which was more expected). I took it easy for the rest of the afternoon and then had dinner just as more people were approaching.

Two of the newcomers were Finns who asked about the waterfall and then moved off in that direction, followed by another three Finns who had a reservation. The riders were now descending the rises on the west bank of Bealčánjohka, and they were soon back and were all smiles and exclamations after a terrific (or nydelig) day in the fjelds. I also finally learnt what had been bugging me about the accent of two of the Norwegians (they were clearly northern, but there was something a bit off about it), namely that they were of Icelandic origin – and now everything fell into place as I realized that this offness was precisely the same as the accent I'm used to from several Icelandic acquaintances in Sweden, only in Norwegian rather than Swedish.

I spent some quiet time inside while the riders had dinner and the others went to the sauna. When I went up to check on things a bit later I was treated to reindeer-stew leftovers with fresh lingonberries by the former, and then they went off to the sauna themselves after restarting the fire from the embers as the dinner had dragged out a bit (perhaps because it was the birthday of one of their number). It was now mostly clear and still again, and it was getting chillier by the minute. I hit the sack at 22:00, leaving the sauna handling to the horse people.