Thursday 15/7 – Friday 23/7

Thursday 15/7

The following morning the clouds were finally lifting, even though many still remained, and more and more of the sky was showing. I had some of the leftover fish on my morning sandwich and then prepared for a longer day tour – finally. The Swedish man was just leaving as I went up to check on the others, and once I had related my news to everyone I could turn my attention to my own business. Now there were not many clouds left, and those that were were mostly to be found on the other side of the border. Partially as a result of this I decided that the object of the day would be the southeastern reaches, with a view of the Godučohkka and Mårma massifs as the desired goal. I checked in on the rest again, and then left after 09:00.

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It made a mark!

The cottage was empty, but some sweeping was required. After that I had a shower, and to my slight surprise the water was only half warm. The clouds were growing in number, and the sun passed into them more and more. Soon one German came from Abiskojaure, and after that the sun started to reestablish its celestial hold, but it was windier instead. I went up to check on the German, who was sitting on the bench at the short side of the house waiting for two people on their way down the slope. These were from the Flemish part of Belgium, and I thought that the male half of the couple was much too warmly dressed for the weather. They brought a whole lot of mosquitos, so I saw them in quickly, and no more had I done so than more people appeared outside in the form of three Norwegian girls. Business was taken care of in due order, and then I returned down to rest.

Now only a few clouds remained, but the air was decidedly cooler – and I also noticed a new moon. After following some athletics on the radio I went out to brush my teeth, and just then I saw two people up at the woodshed, so I turned around to meet them. They were a Swedish couple who had come from Alesjaure and wanted to tent at Unna Allakas, so I showed them the patch and then resumed my previous activity, after which I slipped into bed in a tired state.

Friday 16/7

In the morning the sky was cloudy again, and the air was both warm, still and full of mosquitos. Later on the clouds split up and the sun came out, but conditions were unstable. The German left for Alesjaure, and then one of the Norwegians came down to ask about how best to get to Sjangeli and back; she and one of her companions would go there for a quick visit, and then return to collect their third member for continued hiking to Cunojávrihytta. Soon after they had left I saw the beginnings of a cloud front, and it did not take too long before the sky was covered; it was also getting rather windy. The "late campers" were still present, and they shopped a bit before leaving in the direction of Abiskojaure. I consumed the last of the fish (which was a fair bit) for lunch, and then the rain came – once again from behind Nuorjjovárri/1727.

I started the heater and lay down to read and solved some crosswords until the Norwegians came back. Just after they had made a visit to the shop two Germans came, and I talked with them regarding their continued journey while the others departed for their homeland. The new ones had not decided whether to stay or not, and they were joined in their indecision by a couple of Belgians. In the end the latter opted for beds, while the former wanted to tent outside. It continued raining for some time yet, but later in the afternoon it finally ceased, and the air was fresh and pleasant. I spotted a trio of walkers standing on the Norwegian trail; as I learnt later they had lunched up in the main cottage, and after fiddling a bit with their packs they went on westwards. Since the weather was decidedly better the German couple had changed their minds, and now wanted to go a bit further before putting up their tent, so we went back into the shop to sort out the monetary issues thereby created. Soon a new shower approached from the west, but by the time I had dinner it had passed.

Another short rain followed, but then it seemed to be over for now. An older couple then came from Abiskojaure, complaining about the plethora of mosquitos in the valley/forest. I talked some with them outside, but typically enough they had brought uncomfortably many of those little critters with them, so there was some flailing of arms. They were Swedish, but the woman was originally Italian, and she was positively horrified that the only freeze-dried food my little store had to offer was pasta. Then the Germans finally left (after I had pointed out the way), and I sat down to talk with the Swedish-Italian and the Belgians. As I was preparing for bed after reading a bit in my book the clouds were starting to break up, and there were some spots of sunlight. Some time after I had gone to bed I heard voices outside, and after a while there came a knock on the door. There were five young guys outside, and the one who was at the door spoke shaky but sufficient Swedish – first he asked about bed prices, and upon learning them he announced their intention to spend the night in tents. Not many clouds remained in the sky by then, and it was a beautiful evening, but I would have preferred to sleep...

Evening...

...light

Not a crease

Saturday 17/7

On a nightly outing I saw that the group was sitting outside, and this was also the case in the morning (presumably they slept sometime in between). The clouds that had been present during the night were now entirely gone, and the air was pleasantly warm. Obviously this called for a day tour, but first I needed to check in on the cottage guests. The Belgians were just arising, and I let them use the shower before wasting the already warm water in order to fill up my bucket. It was now very warm, but there was also a nice wind that kept the temperature down somewhat. Just before 09:30 I was ready to leave, and since I felt felt (pun intended) would be too warm I chose my thinner bucket hat as protection against the sun.

Clear day

My li'l place

West

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After quenching my thirst I went up to the shower and looked into the guest cottage on the way. I actually had to work a bit to get it in proper order, and I was especially annoyed at finding a large bag of unsorted garbage directly inside the outer door – the sorting bins were only a couple of meters further inside! I could then have my shower, and I had to let it run for a while before it got warm; evidently the sun was only effective on the part of the hose that lay exposed in the slope, and not the section below it. As had become my habit I sat down on the adjacent bench to look out over the tract, and then went inside where it was nice and cool. Dense clouds were rolling in from the south, and it was also rather windy.

Following dinner the bank moved on, and it took much of the wind with it. I went out and sat down on the large rock halfway up the slope to the woodshed, from where I observed the arrival of four new Danes from Alesjaure. They were to tent outside but wanted to shop first, and in case of bad weather the next day they might stay for two nights. I rested some more and then went out for a walk, seeing the quartet set up their tents on the little hill between two of the nearby tarns; that hill I had walked over/past quite a few times by then, but it had never occurred to me that camping would be possible/preferable there. The west was growing darker, and before too long a heavy shower obscured peak 1727 and its surroundings. It was slowly approaching, splitting up as it did so, and when it finally arrived it was quite powerful – and once again there was a fair bit of wind.

Towards the end the sun broke through, making for an interesting light, and after that it was cloudy for the most part. Soon I heard voices outside, which resolved into a father and son who expressed a wish to camp somewhere in the vicinity, and once I had told them about the alternatives – battling hordes of mosquitos – they decided to try for the spot at Allagasjávri as they were headed for Alesjaure the next day. The sun showed itself every now and then until it disappeared behind Ruovssuk, after which the sky grew mostly clear. It was calm and nice outside, but the mosquitos were a huge hassle, and the "rain" on the tarns was strange to behold. I was feeling tired after a full day, and when I turned in there were only a few high clouds left – and the mosquitos, of course.

Shining

Rain on 1727

More light

Fairness

Sunday 18/7

I slept really well until 06:45, at which time there was a light rain going on. I went back to bed and stayed there until 08:15, and now it was raining much more, with lower clouds to boot. I did a bit of work up in the guest cottage and then set about baking bread, resting with the radio while the dough rose. Outside it was raining heavily, but visibility was somewhat better than before. After I was done there was a brief period of lighter conditions, and I went outside to check them out.

It grew lighter still towards noon, and after lunch even the Norwegian peaks were coming out. The wind had turned and was now growing strong, and it brought more raindrops. The Danes had finally arisen, and a bit later two of them sought me out to gain access to the shop. They had decided to make use of that plan to remain for another night, and this time they also intended to make use of the cottage for food preparation. They were interested in my bread, and I showed them the simple recipe I use. I then turned on the gas oven and prepared another cake, while a new rain came borne on the wind. While the cake was being baked I copied the recipe by hand, and then read some more in my book. The finished thing looked splendid, and smelt accordingly, so naturally I had to try it with my afternoon tea.

Low

A new angle

Privy building

Critter

Naked glacier on Nuorjjovárri

The rain went back and forth in intensity, but did not end, although the wind had all but died down. Suddenly I thought I heard an approaching helicopter, and moments later it touched down on the mire behind the woodshed. Sensing its purpose I went up, and just as expected found Jesper the caretaker getting out, together with two other people and a dog (plus the pilot). He had just been in Vistas to clear some bushes; he had intended to do that around the warden's cottage at Unna Allakas as well, but unfortunately was out of time (a bummer, that, as it really would have helped the mosquito situation). He did bring some supplies for the shop, however, and I helped carry the stuff inside. He then turned to testing the integrity of the gas systems, and I took the opportunity to mention some things I had noted maintenance-wise thus far.

Before he left I quickly prepared some packages of money and the like, which is always nice to get rid of properly, and then the chopper took off in the direction of Norway. Myself, I returned inside the shop to sort through the new stuff, and the Danes, who were inside the common room, saw what was happening and bought some of what had not been available before. After succeeding in getting everything neatly arranged and labeled I went to get the recipe copy for the Danes, and then returned down to my place. It was pouring down again and the clouds were low for the most part as I sat down to have dinner.

These depressing conditions continued through the evening, and the wind was increasing anew. Later I saw movement on the western trail, which turned out to be a group of six approaching rapidly. I went up to meet them, finding that the vanguard consisted of three Norwegian children, and they were soon followed by their respective mothers plus another kid, completing the group. They had driven up to the Norddalen dam and walked via Cunojávrihytta, where they had paused, and would now be staying inside. The Danes were just leaving for their tents, and the mothers set about preparing hot dogs for the kids (who were very pleased about the shop). They had not decided whether to go to Alesjaure or Abiskojaure the next day, and I informed them about the characteristics of both stages.

It was still rather bad outside, and the usually gentle flow in the pipe brook was now a veritable torrent. On the whole water levels seemed higher – the stream coming down the ravine next to the Sjangeli trail was clearly visible as a white band across the slope, which was not something I had seen before, and even a smaller rill going straight down that same slope stood out against the ground. Evidently quite a lot of water had fallen from sky to earth this day, and when I hit the sack at 22:15 it was rainier still, coupled with a strong wind.

Monday 19/7

In the night

The rain had stopped in the morning, and the wind was not as strong, but the clouds were low still. The pipe brook seemed slightly lower, but the streams across the valley had definitely shrunk back, which was fortunate for those aiming for Abiskojaure; otherwise Ruovssokjohka might well have been difficult. I went up to relate this piece of news to the Norwegians, who were going in that direction, and I gave them some other tips regarding the trail as well. During a shower the Danes entered to do the last of their packing, after which they sat down for breakfast.

Now the sky was partially clear, and off to the south there were no clouds at all. I emptied the garbage after the Norwegians had left, and then mended a broken hanger in one of the guest rooms. The weather was now so nice that I had to stand outside for some time, even though it was windy. Then the Danes left as well, with a flawless cleaning record, and I went over to investigate their tenting place; it was acceptable, I suppose, but I wondered if they hadn't had to work a bit to get the pegs down because of the thin soil layer upon the rocks. Soon dark clouds began rolling in from the west, and when they passed in front of the sun I went in. Sure enough, more rain was on its way, and at lunchtime it had reached Unna Allakas.

Naked glacier below peak 1727

Distances

The view the Danes had

It felt good being inside, but I had to turn on the heater since there was no difference between the temperatures on either side of the walls, and the outside one wasn't too high. I took it easy, turning to my usual pastimes, and when at length things improved a bit I went out. It was rather chilly, and soon the wind grew stronger again. A bit later it was close to hard, and clouds were drifting by at high speed. I could see quite a bit of rain in Norway, but only minuscule amounts of it reached me in the wind.

After dinner and another shower things were looking up, and when I walked up the hill to fetch water I noticed that there were people inside the cottage. These were two Swedish men and a large and initially loud but quickly subservient dog who had started in Nikkaluokta three days earlier, and now aimed to reach Narvik by Wednesday. Along the way these plans had caused a few raised eyebrows as well as several statements of impossibility, but it had worked out thus far; for example, they had managed to cover the distance between Kebnekaise and Tjäktja in a single day. To aid their continued attempts I told them about the trail on the Norwegian side and then left them to their dinner.

Speaking of Norway, the clouds there were lower and more numerous than those on the hither side of the border, but the wind brought many of the former far enough to obscure much of the sky. I spotted two people approaching on the Riksgränsen trail, and at long last they arrived just as a shower came over Rádječohkat. The newcomers were also two Swedish men, but without canine complement, and I went up with them to talk about their continued plans. They were especially interested in whether said plan was doable time-wise, and to me it seemed very much so, even though they gave the appearance of not being too experienced. Myself I was interested in learning about conditions along the way they had come, and apparently the Valfojåkka ford had been waist-deep at the time of their passing. They had a tent with them, but decided to stay inside to dry up and rest properly. I then read in my book as more rain came, but soon the sun showed here and there. The cloud state was pretty much the same as before when I went to bed after 22, but the wind was not too bad.

Tuesday 20/7

When I arose at 07:45 there was some rain falling, and only a little of the sky was visible. The dog-people were up and about, and I related the weather report to them as well as some last-minute tips; the other two Swedes were still in bed. I then sat down to sort through the collection of old guestbooks, looking through some of them in search of familiar names (and I found a few). As the rain had stopped I thought I'd go for another fishing tour, and having readied my gear I went up to find the others out of bed. I spoke some with them, and since they also had fishing equipment with them I showed them my map of allowed fishing waters along their route. As they sat down to a late breakfast around 11 I changed clothes and set out in the wind, which was gusty and moderately strong.

I followed the little path beyond the closest tarns in a light rain, stopping at the western bay of the longer body of water I had rounded on the second stage of my previous attempt. Here the rain increased, and what little sun there had been was no more. After casting for a bit I continued northwards to the tarn closest to Ruovssuk, coming to it near its western end. The rain was decreasing, but the wind was fairly strong, which made the spinner drift laterally in the air. I made my way around the tarn clockwise, and often I had a free line of sight back to the cottage. I passed a minimal brook through some bushes, and then proceeded up a little hollow where I found shelter from the wind, and sat down to eat by a rock at 12:15.

Tarn passing

Too small/shallow

Larger/deeper

Farthest one

Rivulet

Giron shower

I sat still for a while, watching a shower upon Giron dissipate, and then changed to a heavier spinner to better combat the wind, which seemed to be growing in strength. It got lighter for a short period, but then it was back to more of the same, but the rain still held off. I went round over the outflow at a suitable place, and then started back along the southern side. Looking towards the cottage I saw the two Swedes finally head off up the slope, and then it started raining again. I found a nicely deep area where I remained for some time, but still to no avail. When I finally gave in the rain was lighter, and there was some sunlight to the east in the valley. I followed the path back, and then broke off to the same tarn where I had caught the last two fish.

While I was casting I observed two people walking up to the cottage, but after consulting their map and resting for a bit they went on towards Norway. I did see smoke coming from one of the chimneys every now and then, however, but since it was that of the same room that the last Swedes to leave had used I thought it might well be a smouldering fire of theirs rather than a new guest. Despite seeing a large fish break the surface with a splash and immediately letting my spinner troll the spot I caught nothing (not even the bottom), so at length I went home. I then saw someone exit the cottage, so obviously there was a new guest, and after coming back at 14:30 I went up to check.

Temporary light

Heading back

Instead of fish

It turned out to be two Germans from Katterjåkk who were taking a break while considering what to do next, and I talked with them for a while. Soon after returning down to my place I had another visit, this time from two Danes who wanted to have a late lunch inside, so I sent them up to the others. During my afternoon tea a heavy shower passed by, and then I went up myself to see what the foreigners were up to. By then the Germans had decided to go on, and I spoke rather extensively about the trails and areas ahead before they left. Then two young Swedes came from Cunojávrihytta, and they did decide to stay the night. They were originally supposed to go from Riksgränsen, but had failed to disembark from the train in time and so had had to start in Narvik (or rather Beisfjord) instead. The girl was actually German originally, so she entered into a conversation in that strange tongue with the others of that nationality.

Then another two Swedes arrived from Alesjaure, and while I talked to them outside another hiker passed by almost without slowing down. After looking inside these two also resolved to stay, and just before the Germans left a Norwegian lady with a Dutch passport arrived from Abiskojaure in rather a wet state. When the Danes left I noticed that they were heading down the wrong path, so I scampered after them to correct the mistake before it had time to grow. A short while later another two Danes whom the Germans had spoken about came from Katterjokk, and then I could finally turn my mind to dinner activities.

It rained during, but afterwards the clouds split up and it got lighter, so out I went. There was a bit of sun-rain which gave rise to a rainbow, and the wind was noticeably weaker. Another, new Dane was walking down the hill, and when he reached me he announced the intention of himself and his companion to camp outside. He also wanted to shop, and shop he did indeed; he basically cleaned out my remaining stock of mashed potatoes, for instance. There were quite a few clouds about, some of them low, but somehow things felt light anyway. With everything done I relaxed with radio, book and solitaire. It was sunny for quite a long while, but then it was swallowed up by large and dense clouds from the west. When I was about to turn in at 22 there was still a fair bit of wind, and a western haze was feeding drops into it.

Wednesday 21/7

The next day started out cloudy, but later in the morning it got lighter with glimpses of blue sky. I needed to wash clothes again, so after reporting to the guests I put on water and waited. I went about the washing process in the same way and place as last time, and hung the garments on the clothesline which I had left up afterwards. It was not until then that the young Swede/German pair had gotten up, and I spent some time talking to them and the Danes; the rest had left earlier, save the tenting pair. There was quite a bit of blue showing, but for the most part the sun was hidden. I had not quite given up my fishing prospects, and I prepared for another, shorter outing. The weather was getting better still, but it was difficult to make any predictions regarding the clouds. All the others had left when I was ready, and after taking care of some things in the guest cottage I started along the Norwegian trail at 11:15.

It was rather muddy through the osier thickets, after which I proceeded out to the far side of the little "fish tarn", which was where I intended to concentrate my efforts. Having applied mosquito repellant properly I started casting as weather conditions slowly improved, and Storsteinsfjell was quickly emerging from its cloud cap. Soon I saw four people coming on the Abiskojaure trail, and a bit later they walked up the hill to the main cottage where they stopped. I considered going back to check, but since I had written a note on my door which gave me some time yet and that they had made no attempts to get my attention I went about my business.

Suddenly the spinner got stuck at the bottom – and it was really stuck this time. I started rounding the tarn counterclockwise, which involved some jostling through the osier on the south side. Then I just barely managed to get across the wet grassy connection with the adjacent tarn without getting my feet wet – the ground was very unstable, and the whole thing was a bit of a gamble. It was now rather fair, but I had my mind on the line, which remained tense however I pulled and yanked. The quartet did not move as I continued to round the tarn – and then without warning the line snapped loose from the reel! Without realizing it I had reached the end of it – and now I had a new problem, because I could not make out where it had gone or even if some part of it was still on land.

Just then I was given unexpected help by the sun, which glinted upon the nylon thread so that I could see where it came out of the water, and then I used my binoculars to follow it backwards until I found the end not too far from the spot where it had come loose. After fastening it again I reeled it in, and since I obviously could not complete the circuit I backtracked a bit, and stood yanking at the place where I had stood when I caught the fish before. I thought I felt something yield slightly at the other end, and after moving a bit and trying some more I finally managed to get the darn thing loose!

Beginning

It's out!

Ruovssuk

I figured I could just as well continue fishing from where I now was, which is what I did, and the sun shone upon me most of the time. After a while I went round the northern end and up onto a large rock from where I made some more casts. A shower was coming over Rádječohkat, but it was light and short enough that I took no action. I then returned to my little pack which I had left at the start and had my packed lunch. Shortly before the time I was to return to the cottage the quartet left in the direction of Alesjaure, so I went on fishing for a bit longer. Unfortunately also this time I was without result, and by 13:45 I returned via the trail.

After relaxing a bit inside to the sound of another brief shower I went up to see what had happened in the cottage, and had to do quite a bit to get it into good condition. Outside it was still and pleasant, but as usual the mosquitos took some of the feel away. I decided to give the rod one more go and went straight down to the closest tarn; there the mosquitos were much more numerous, but my repellant could handle them for the most part. The only thing I caught was the bottom, but it was close enough to shore that getting the spinner free was a simple matter. I kept at it for some time, but when the clouds started descending upon Storsteinsfjell I returned inside.

I spent some time with the radio, and now it was cloudy again, with hazes in the distance. Later two new citizens of the proud alpine nation of Denmark came from Alesjaure, and after bringing my drying laundry inside lest it get wet from the threatening rain I went up to see them in, learning that they were already set on staying for two nights. Now a drizzle had started and in Norway the clouds were both lower and more extensive. While I was starting dinner I saw two people on their way from that direction, and just then two older people from Abiskojaure also arrived, wishing to buy some provisions. Since I had just started frying potato pancakes I asked them to wait up in the main cottage, and then finished what I was doing – noting that the elk was "grazing" in the tarn again together with its two calves.

Cloudier

Wavy reflection

Immediately after I was done I went up and found that those two I had seen coming from Norway earlier (Germans, they were) had gone straight in and wanted to remain there until the next day. The new Swedes had also changed their plans to match, so there was no hurry. When shopping procedures had been completed there was some communal elk-gazing, and the rain shifted in power. Back down I lay down to rest, and outside it was getting rather misty especially in Norway. Later the rain increased and the cloud base sank; there were also clouds drifting low in front of the nearby slopes and peaks. There was virtually no wind, however, but when I retired at 22 the clouds were as low as I had ever seen them.

Thursday 22/7

They still were the next morning, and from them fell a drizzle. When I went up to give my morning report I noticed a (Swedish) woman I did not recognize, and as it turned out she and her daughter had arrived sometime during the night after a tough walk from Katterjokk. The others were also up or arising, and the Germans had decided to stay for another night since the man was suffering problems in his hip. The latercomers would also be remaining for a day of rest, and since I already knew that the Danes would do the same the other two Swedes would be the only departing ones.

The Danish couple left for a day tour in the direction of Sjangeli while I talked to the mother; she had been a winter warden in Såmmarlappa and Abiskojaure before, so we had some experiences to compare. She also told the story of a former Unna Allakas warden the dog of whom had borne no less than twelve pups, all of which resided in the tiny warden's cottage – and she herself had come to get one of them. After the other Swedes had left I returned down and took to tranquil pursuits up until lunch, noting that the clouds seemed to get even lower on the north side of the valley.

Creeping

Lowest yet

A peek of peak 1727

When I had eaten the Danes came back, and having looked at Ruovssokjohka they had some questions regarding the crossing of it as well as the continued route to Abiskojaure. After a shorter visit in the guest cottage it started to rain more, and even though the clouds were slowly getting higher they were replaced by heavy mist as well as a bit of wind. Later in the afternoon a single woman came, having spent two hours battling with the fog up on Snárapláhku before finding the trail when the couple who had left Unna Allakas in the morning passed by. She was also a warden, albeit a freshly educated one, and now she was out walking between the various cottages to acquire first-hand information before applying for a wardenship somewhere.

After dinner the rain had mostly passed, and I went up to the main cottage where I talked a bit and opened up the shop. During this two campers arrived, and shortly thereafter I noticed another two people standing outside. These were Finns who had camped on the near side of Alesjaure, but now they wanted to sleep in beds. A lone Swede also came from Abiskojaure, and he too was to sleep indoors, so the place was now getting more "crowded" than it had been thus far.

After some economic tasks I talked some more about the nearby trails with the German man; he was particularly anxious about finding the correct (and best) way past the potential obstacles. The tent people soon went out, feeling a bit tense about the night which according to the forecasts would be both cold, windy and possibly snowy – they had had a rough time in Singi the previous Sunday, and apparently the wardens there had said that it had been the worst they had seen. The evening forecast issued a warning for hard winds (15–20 m/s), and even though some gales had started to form things were not bad yet. As I lay down to sleep around 22 it was raining lightly, and the wind was growing stronger, so I wondered what was to come of it all.

Friday 23/7

I slept through the night, so I don't know how windy it was then, but when I got up it was gusty and snow lay on the ground down to about 900 meters above sea level. The sky was partially clear on this side of the border, whereas the clouds were both dense and low on the other, and the temperature was a mere 3°C. The Danes just left, and up in the main cottage I found the tent people, who termed the night "OK". My new colleague had decided to remain for another night, and before the mother-and-daughter left I gave them a letter to carry back to civilization and showed them what the warden's cottage looked like nowadays. The wind was really cold, but the clouds were lifting more and more. After receiving some tips from yours truly all who were to depart did so, and I settled down by my heater. More of the surrounding rises were showing, and the snow had begun to melt a little, slowly pulling the line of white upwards. The wind intensified, with hard gales, but it was still getting lighter. I went out for a walk, but it was indeed cold and the gusts were a force to be reckoned with.

Snow on Rádječohkat

Melting

Snow on Nuorjjovárri/1727

The changes in wind strength and cloud distribution continued in the same way after lunch, and now that I could see the Norwegian glaciers I noted that they were entirely white once more, after having been partially exposed just before. I went back outside, meeting the other woman who was also doing the rounds, and even though things looked nice enough the wind was just nasty. We then spent some time talking inside the woodshed, where the wind did not reach, while she practiced her chopping technique. We then went on a tour of the place, including a visit to my cottage, after which I went back inside and turned on the radio. Cloud banks were coming in from the west, and soon the sky was covered. I read through some papers while the clouds descended a bit, and inside Norway there was a haze growing. The wind was abating, but it was still quite cold outside, so I stayed indoors and read in my book.

Lighter

Light

Powdered

Interesting clouds

A bit later I spotted two people on the western trail, and eventually I saw that it was a group of four. I went out to meet them, and once again the vanguard consisted of kids. Once the parents had also arrived we spoke a bit outside; they were pretty worn, and seemed somewhat disappointed to learn that I could not offer a sauna. They had camped in Oallavággi the past night and woken up to a land of white, so now they wanted to stay inside. As they installed themselves I talked to the son about the Valfojåkka ford, as one of their options was to continue towards Katterjokk, and they did not like the latest reports that I had to convey. There was a light rain in the wind, and the western haze remained as I started dinner, but when I sat down to eat the clouds broke apart and the sun shone through the curtain of drops.

I heard the sound of a passing helicopter, and looking out the window I spotted it hovering above the ridge extending just beyond the border. It then made some small circles, moved eastwards along the slope of Ruovssuk, and then took to going back and forth; at some point I also heard a siren and saw a few reindeer running before it, so obviously collection was in progress. Eventually a large herd appeared just shy of the border, and with the help of the siren the chopper drove it southwards, up the slope.

Now that this little interlude seemed finished I went up again and talked to my guests; the quartet had settled in to the point that they wanted to stay for two nights, and possibly use the next day for a visit to Sjangeli. The wind was now weak, but it was cloudier again, and it remained cold. As I read further in my book there were more gusts, however, and clouds were drifting by overhead. Just after my evening snack I heard voices outside; they belonged to two men who had their tent "on the other side of the valley", and they wanted to replenish their supplies before heading north. I therefore gave them a run-through of the Riksgränsen trail, and then initiated sleeping procedures in what was almost an absence of wind, strangely enough.

It rains!

Collector

The glacier white again