Thursday 13/8

After a good night's sleep I went out some time after 5, seeing a good many clouds that however also showed blue cracks between them; there was also neither rain nor much wind. The next time I woke up it was 7 o'clock, but I relaxed/dozed until 08:15 before arising; I was in no hurry whatsoever. Before starting breakfast I spoke some with the wardens, who had just opened the reception, and they gave me a couple of letters for Árasluokta and Låddejåkkå. There were quite a few people wanting to prepare breakfast at once, but it worked out alright. After a markedly more pleasant visit to another privy I started packing and cleaning, also tending to things previous guests had forgotten or ignored. Another quick chat followed and then I was off, at 10:15.

Virihávrre...

...in the early morning

Lágotjåhkkå and Goabrek

Gierggevárre

Main cottage

As I started along the trail to Árasluokta the sun shone upon the encampment, but it soon disappeared into cloud again. Just when I was about to enter the forest a quartet of campers came down out of it, so obviously they had spent the night close by. Off to the south it had started to rain, but the view over the lake was great; the far shore was visible on and off through distant mists. There were quite a few duckboards of the longer variety, but here they were considerably older. I met another three people and then walked out to the edge of a steep slope from where I had a grand outlook; a single hiker who came from the north did the same, and we both stood there for some time in shifting wind and glimpses of sunlight.

In returning to the trail I discovered some cloudberries that I consumed, and then Virihávrre disappeared from view as the trail entered a region of hills and pools, but instead I was given nice views of Gierggevárre through Dijddervágge. Shortly after I had passed two women I felt some drops in the air, and saw that a shower was in progress further ahead, so I stopped to put on both the wind jacket, the gloves and the rain cover. It was, however, only the outskirts of the shower that touched me, and it did not take long for it to move off entirely. After meeting another two people I started to ascend Stuor Dijdder, and the many-colored Virihávrre reestablished its prominent place in my field of vision. There are several ravines hosting brooks that feed Dijdderjávrre, and after climbing up out of the first one I stopped at the crest and went over to a rock were I paused for lunch at 12:15.

Short-lived...

...sunlight

Departing

The bay Stáloluokta

Walking along

Duckboards

Cloudy over the lake...

...and to the south

Good lake view

Semi-good Gierggevárre view

More of...

...the turquoise...

...Virihávrre

Rain before Máhttoajvve

On the crest...

...with Dijdderjávrre below

I put on the fleece jacket at once since the wind was appreciable, but the view before my eyes was magnificent, and everything was slowly getting lighter at that. Having eaten I sat still for a long time, absorbing the scene, while several small groups of people passed by from both directions. A short burst of light rain passed, and out on the lake there was sunlight on and off. Visibility also wavered back and forth, but as time passed Ålmåjjiegŋa et al emerged in full. Finally I turned my back on this the most famed vista of the Padjelanta Trail and continued on my way towards Árasluokta.

Nice mix of colors

Border fjelds

Norwegian fjeld

Allak

The Árasluokta Sámi encampment

Looking west

Sun on the encampment

Steep shore

Ridges and ridges

Lighter over Ålmåjjiegŋa...

...and Árasluokta

Before long I reached a cute little brook splashing down over flat rocks, beside which the same two women were resting. In a wee bit of sunlight I passed a trio, and then it got noticeably warmer, so eventually I removed my gloves. I met two more groups of hikers and walked through another mini-shower, which was followed by more sun and increased visibility. Close to Árasjåhkå I met a single man who almost immediately turned on his heel and appeared to pursue me, but the reason became apparent when after a hundred meters or so I walked past a dropped hat. It was after 14:45 when I covered the last distance from the bridge to the cottages, and as I did so two people departed towards the north.

Moving again

The small brook up...

...and down

Zooming across the lake

The guest cottages

A glimpse of Sarek

Álátjåhkkå

Getting closer

That lake again

Arriving

There seemed to be no one about, but at the storage building there was a dog, and walking over there I found the warden inside. Just then a single German came from Låddejåkkå, and we got to reside in the same li'l cottage. I sat outside for a while as the clouds pulled shut once more, and then went in to change. Afternoon tea and talk followed, during which the warden came in with some tools and a request that I try to repair the hand pump down at the stream, as she herself could not do so due to an injured wrist, and I agreed to give it a go later on. After she had left – with the letter I had brought – I spoke some more with the German, and when another of the quick showers had passed I went out to see about that pump, noting a tent about halfway there.

I twisted and turned everything I could think of, loosened and tightened this and that, but the darn thing still refused to work, so I thought I would have the warden show me exactly what needed to be done later on; this was not the first time this summer that the apparatus had acted up. Some more people had arrived in the meantime, but everyone got their own cottage, so it was still just the German inside when I returned. I started preparing dinner, reading and signing the guestbook in the process, and then settled down to eat.

After some crossword-related activities I went out for a walk, since a light off to the west was getting stronger and closer. It was rather windy – and cold – and also minute amounts of water in the air, but when I reached the encampment the sun broke through briefly. I was just turning back when it returned in force, so I went up onto a nearby mound for a better view of the lake and all; it was rather nice, but windy. Going back I swung by the new wooden church hut, which was locked up well and good, and then I ran into the warden who had just finished her "money round".

Surprisingly enough she thanked me for fixing the pump – apparently whatever I did had done the trick, only that one needed to pour some water through the system to flush out the air. As thanks I received a large traditional Sámi bread – a gáhkko – and we talked for a short bit. It felt pretty good to get back indoors, for it was not warm at all outside in the wind, and a bit later I turned on the gas heater. I read in my book for a good while, and then it was time for a snack, while yet another shower hit; the clouds were both denser and lower, and the wind remained. I was the last one up, it seemed, and before going to bed myself after 22 I turned off the heater for the night.

Some sun...

...on the waters

More sun on the waters...

...and the buildings...

...of the encampment

Modern-looking njalla

The featureless church hut

Back