Friday 19/4

I slept well until nature called at 06:15, at which time thick veils covered all of the sky, but visibility was full save for more distance haze towards Helags. I went back to bed until 08:00, not managing any more sleep, and then arose "together" with many of the others. After breakfast, which went pretty well considering the numbers involved, the sun was starting to break through the veil, weakly at first, and patches of blue sky could be seen. As I was ready to leave at 09:45 it was back to cloudy, however, and it was not particularly cold.

Sun breaking through

Skiers departing for Sylarna

Water retrieval in progress

I followed the Vålåvalen trail until the first crest, noting that the top layer of the snow had already grown soft with the increasing temperatures, and then broke off to the left, heading round the western end of Härjångsdalen aiming north of Lievkiesåajja for more variety. The clouds were now parting again, and as I went obliquely up the southern slopes of Kleavetje a veiled sun made more appearances. Before long I reached a line of older tracks going in the direction I wanted to go, so I followed them from there. It was somewhat chilly in the air when the sun was hidden and/or a weak wind was blowing, so the cap went on and off several times.

Leaving

Stora Härjångsstöten

Lievkiesåajja and Stråahpatjaerhvie

Sylarna in the distance

Bunnerfjällen rising

Helags and cairn

Härjångsdalen before me

Gåsen behind me

Lone avian

Härjångsdalen below me

Sylarna, Gåsen and my tracks

Stora Härjångsstöten sideways

Reaching Lievkiesåajjantjåånne

I crossed Lievkiesåajjantjåånne more or less in the middle, still close to the existing tracks, but as I was passing Lievkiesåajja itself I took a slightly more northerly route to get better views. In the little pass between Lievkiesåajja and Vuelie Livkiesåajja I had a rather spectacular view of the fjelds south of the Vålådalen basin, so I decided to stop for lunch then and there even though it was only 11:30. I found myself a good rock for back support and put on the down jacket against the cooling wind, and read for a bit before digging into the food pack. Unfortunately a large, dense cloud had taken it upon itself to block the sun for the entirety of the break, even though it was light and nice further off.

About to lose sight of Härjångsfjällen...

...but gaining sight of Västra Bunnerstöten...

...and Lill-Stensdalsfjället

Approaching Vuelie Livkiesåajja

View from the pass

Lievkiesåajja from the lunch site

When I left I continued eastwards at more or less the same altitude, keeping a respectful distance to a group of reindeer down in the hollow – no calves among them as of yet – who ignored my passage. There was a single old ski track up where I was, and I kept parallel to it most of the time, going halfway around the hollow and then aimed up towards the next pass between Smällhögarna and Gruvsmällen. By then snow conditions had shifted enough to necessitate some zigzagging between bare patches – and now the sun was out in full. The view from the pass was great in itself, and very clearly illustrated the difference between the heights and the lows as there was fairly little snow left to the east, but now that I was so close I wanted to reach the summit of Gruvsmällen as well for an even better one.

Reindeer group

Lievkiesåajja at the rear

Härjångsfjällen in view again

From the next pass: view east...

...and towards Härjångsfjällen (southwest)

As such, I started climbing, straight up at first, but then round to the west to find snow between all the bare areas that had appeared higher up. At a few places I had to step across heath, but all in all it was not a difficult route and I came right to the top cairn after 13:15. Since the lunch break had been a shadowy affair I decided to make another go at it, as it were, and sat down right at the top for some chocolate – not to mention, as expected, even greater views. Nice indeed!

At the top

Västra Bunnerstöten from whence I came

The Vålådalen basin

Lunndörrsfjällen

Härjångsdalen up

Finally I decided it was time to start the descent, and I did so by passing east of the summit rise, where a shallow ravine had collected enough snow to resist the melting power of the sun. In fact, the snow cover was deep enough that making turns was difficult due to the heavy nature of the warm snow, but I managed to get down to the next hollow east of the pass without standing on my nose. Some winding motions took me between bare patches towards the center, where I skied around several large areas of ice that the stream there had formed, and then I aimed straight for the Vålå cottages which had appeared in my line of sight.

Vålåvalen proper appearing

Came down there

The basin ahead

Slippery

The last bit down was good and I telemarked to my heart's content. Once down on level ground it was very warm and very still, so it was all I could do not to faint from heat stroke as I crossed the final few hundred meters through a land to which spring was clearly come in earnest. Two snowmobiles passed by on the trail heading south, and I could see people out on the porch by the main cottage, together with more snowmobiles on the nearby parking area. Just as I climbed the final bit from said parking at 14:45 two people arrived from further up the hills – and these turned out to be the wardens.

Vålåvalen again

Gråsjödörren to the southeast

Leaving Gruvsmällen behind

Smällhögarna from the side

Crossing the Helags trail

Arrival

I took it easy outside for a bit, as three more snowmobiles from the south stopped at the parking, and then went inside to talk with one of the wardens. Having had a wash and change of clothes I went out for a walk, ending up on the porch where it was very hot against the wooden wall under the full power of the spring sun. However, as I talked to the same warden as before who had also taken refuge there, a thin cloud bank brought the temperature down somewhat – phew. A total of 13 people and two dogs arrived from various directions in short fashion, and after some more intra-warden talks I retreated to my room to rest.

The trail to Lunndörren

New cottage

Old cottage

I had dinner out on the porch, wearing the down jacket because the sun was now veiled and a light wind was blowing, after which I had to change rooms to better accommodate new arrivals. I finished reading through a book I found in the common room out on the porch, listening to the mating calls of the local ptarmigans all around, and it was now very comfortable outside. An STF snowmobile carrying goods came from the south, which was the last external event of the day, so I read for a while before it was time for an evening snack. The setting sun painted the extant clouds in warm colors to the west, and the full moon rose above the hills to the east, so it was really a great evening – again. 21:45 marked bedtime also this day.