Thursday 24/6 – Wednesday 30/6

Thursday 24/6

I got a good night's sleep and awoke at 8, but stayed in bed for half an hour longer. The morning was a fair one, with a sky holding only light clouds, so I went out for a short pre-breakfast walk; it was really nice and decidedly warmer than the previous couple of days. I then had a calm morning meal as the clouds dissolved, and at length I went up to the guest cottage to do some work. This turned out to be fairly extensive, for whoever had been there last had not done a very good job of cleaning and putting things in order.

The small room that is open around the year serves as the in-season shop, so I concentrated on that – and found a couple of non-refundable train tickets some poor souls had forgotten a few days earlier. I then went out to the storage compartment to have a look at the water hose and its connections – a summer feature of Unna Allakas is a self-pressure system that moves water from a tarn above the nearest slope down to a shower booth – but there were many parts and not much to go on. Since time was getting ahead I took a break in my figuring-out and instead prepared for a short lunch tour.

Fair morning

Snowy Rádječohkat

Mighty Storsteinsfjell

Nuorjjovárri...

...and peak 1727

I started out by walking across the mire behind the incinerator, following a faint path along the edge of the bushes, and then I continued up onto the first small hill. The view from there was beautiful, with the cottage site and the tarns before the grand Norwegian fjelds in the near distance. I went on upwards, passing several traces of the mining operations of the olden days, and after a steeper portion I came up to the crest of the slope beneath Unna Allagas proper. Here the ground mostly consisted of flat rock, and I found myself a nice patch of to-be-green to sit on for my lunch. It was now rather warm, and I stayed for a while; I surveyed the land with my binoculars, but saw nothing of note. I then went over to the would-be source tarn, where I put the upper end of the existent hose into the water, and followed it straight down from there; it ended immediately above the mire behind the cottage, which was where I was to make a connection.

Panorama over the cottage site and the tarns

Northeast

Another cottage shot

Mining no longer

Yet another cottage shot

I turned my attention to the problem at hand, and after a good deal of fiddling I had a passable contraption ready. After calling the police on the assistance phone to announce my presence I connected the hose and went up to the tarn with both the pumps I had found. Unfortunately, none had a nozzle that fitted with the end of the hose, so getting any kind of pressure up was difficult to say the least, and I worked myself warm without achieving anything. After several fruitless attempts I made a change to the lower end and tried again, but had no more success – and the newer of the pumps broke in the process. After some more fiddling I gave it one last, long go, but all the time the water rushed back out of the hose at a higher rate than I could pump it in, and since I had to hold the ends together at the same time the whole thing was doomed to fail.

Admitting defeat for now I went back inside the warden's cottage, which the sun had warmed up nicely, and listened to an interesting game in the football World Cup. When it was time for dinner I went to get water in another small brook to the west, but the way there was too long and muddy for comfort, so I really needed to get that hose working. I ate to the exciting conclusion of the game, and then relaxed for a while.

Glistening glaciers

The common room

A bit later I went out on a cleaning round, picking up various pieces of garbage and the like that had been uncovered with the melting of the snow, and I found quite a lot. The veils which had weakened the sun during the afternoon were now themselves weakening, and it was very comfortable outside. After doing some sweeping in the guest cottage I went back down to my place, where I finished going through papers, and then I made a full channel search on the radio, writing my findings down for future reference; the final tally was five clear Norwegian ones and two or sometimes three more or less noisy Swedish ones.

After the weather report and a snack I went out for an evening walk, following the trail to Alesjaure, and almost immediately I found a suitable campsite in the shelter of a small cliff, next to more of the mine rubble strewn about the landscape. I continued a little ways up, but when I reached a small brook running on the path I turned around, since I was only wearing the sandals. I stood still for a while outside the warden's cottage before going in, enjoying the tranquil evening and the weak light upon the Norwegian peaks. Back indoors I was stricken by sudden drowsiness, and crawled into bed before 23:30.

Storsteinsfjell...

...in the evening

Friday 25/6

I got up at 08:45 after another good night's sleep, and now it was warm outside (~20°C); the sky was clear in part but there were threatening clouds in the west. After breakfast I put up some notices in the guest cottage and then fixed a partially broken plastic nozzle thingie to the fully functional pump with adhesive, and when that was done I went back up to the tarn for another go at getting the self-pressure working.

This nozzle did fit the hose, but I had only been pumping for a short time when the tape started coming loose, so it was back to trying to hold it together with one hand while trying to pump with the other, and just as before this simply did not work. The western clouds were also approaching, covering up the sun, so I would not have much time before rain would come, but it was still warm. Back down I went through the box of spare parts, putting the grey cells to work, and when I emerged again I had constructed a makeshift "adapter" that would allow me to fix the hose with a screw cap, thereby leaving both hands free to work the pump. I tried it out at the "pipe brook" first, and finding that it worked as expected I went up again, hopefully for the last time.

Pumping was now easy, and from the sounds and motions of the hose water was flowing as it should. I kept at it for some time (better safe than sorry), and when I removed the adapter and put a finger to the hose end I was very happy to feel a strong suction. After anchoring the hose as best I could I quickly returned down to the shower booth and was greeted by the sight of water running from the open tap. Success at last!

View from the crest

Beautiful sight!

The Norwegian peaks had now disappeared in cloud, and a dark bank was stretching into Sweden. I made a provisional fixing of the tap, since I expected to be moving it back and forth between "bucket mode" and "shower mode" every now and then, and then turned my thoughts to food. These thoughts resulted in the customary omelette after which a substantial westerly wind picked up.

I then went up to the guest cottage and started going over the provisions inventory, finding a number of errors in the list I had been given. There were also a bit more goods than I had expected, so I had to give some thought regarding how best to arrange them in the small space allotted for the purpose. With a plan in mind I started moving things, and after a good deal of time and figuring-out I attained a good outcome, with the spare products on the floor underneath the off-season bed and a corner with older items offered at a discount. I also found some things I had been missing in a drawer, and finished up my little project save for the marking of prices. I then cleaned out the bedroom in which the provisions had been stored, and now the rain was just starting.

Back down I relaxed inside, watching the rain and listening to the increasing wind, but as I prepared my dinner'n'dessert (this was Midsummer's Eve, after all, even if the land did not look it) the former moved on. Later I played around some more with the spare connectors and hose segments, but found that there were not enough of the appropriate types to fashion something useful – not without leaks, anyway. The rain was now back, but the clouds were high. I read through the report that had been filled out during the winter and rearranged my piles of papers, and then settled down to read in the book that I had sent up earlier. The wind had died down and it was fairly pleasant outside, but it was chilly enough that I turned on the heater. More reading followed, and while I was having my snack the rain came back once more, and it was still at it when I turned in at 22:15.

Coming...

...rain

Saturday 26/6

Nightly view

Birds on the water

The rain stopped during the night, and it was fairly warm – 16°C in the morning. I was feeling tired so I stayed in bed for a while, and when I got up the sky was semi-clear, with clouds extending around and beyond Storsteinsfjell, but other than that it was sunny for the most part. I went out a bit before having breakfast, enjoying the nice morning, but the clouds were slowly spreading. After doing nothing for some time I started to bake bread, as I had run out of what I had brought with me. As I did so, rain passed over Nuorjjovárri and peak 1727, and conditions worsened as time went by. Soon also the nearer peaks acquired clouds, and the wind was increasing. Having finished up I had some of the result for lunch, and now it was really getting windy.

I went to get some things from storage and then set about marking prices in the shop, during which the first drops started falling. I then went out to the garbage room with some empty cartons, and there I had to redo some things that had not been done in the proper way/order – and I also had to go through a large bag of mixed rubbish which someone had been nice enough to leave behind. It was now raining in full from low clouds, but it was a good thing – already I thought that I could see an effect on the leafing process all around.

I took it easy in my cottage, listening to the radio and having afternoon tea, and I also looked through some information material. The weather was really boring, so there was not much else to do, but one thing I did do was to try out the gas oven, which seemed to work well. After dinner visibility improved somewhat but the clouds were still low. I read in my book for a long time, and when it started feeling cold I turned on the heater. The clouds lifted more and more during the evening, and the rain petered out, but the temperature was only 5°C at the time of the late weather forecast. When I went to bed after 22:00 it had started raining again, but more of the sky was showing, so I thought that the morrow might be better.

Sunday 27/6

It was indeed, but the Norwegian peaks were gone, and there was also a strong westerly wind blowing. After breakfast I went up to the guest cottage and rearranged some stuff in the shop, after which I went through the collection of books and magazines in the common room. There were a number of full-length logs outside, left over from the winter, and I started sawing them up into shorter pieces which I piled outside the woodshed. Having finished half of them I returned to my cottage where I solved some crosswords while listening to the radio up until lunch.

Fully finished

I also wrote down current instructions on how to manage the water system, hopefully giving future summer wardens an easier task than had been dealt me, and now it had started raining on and off. Conditions worsened as the afternoon progressed, and it felt nice having a kojdag as we say here. Following afternoon tea I read in my book while the clouds started to break apart; at times it was raining in sunlight. Having discovered that no Norwegian channel would broadcast the England vs. Germany game I located a noisy Swedish channel which would have to do. The game turned out to be a fun one, and I listened to the end of it over dinner.

The weather had been quite good for a while, but over the area of Čunojávri things were still looking bad, and soon enough more clouds and rain came. I spent a long while reading, and then another football game was on, this time on the Norwegian radio. The rain was diminishing, as was the wind, but it was still cloudy. There was some time remaining in the game after I had listened to the weather report, but since it appeared to be settled already I cut it short and went to bed instead.

Rain coming

Rain gone

Monday 28/6

The cloudiness remained the next morning, as did the wind, but some cracks were forming. After breakfast I considered going for a fishing tour, but decided against it due to the wind. Improvement was indeed in the works, but it was slow in coming, and when it did come I saw that there was a bit of fresh snow upon Gállanvárri/Rádječohkat. Not surprisingly it was rather chilly outside, and I fiddled a bit with the thermostat of the heater to get a better yield out of it.

Woodshed

In the afternoon I sawed through the rest of the logs and finished the pile; I felt a few drops in the air, but the wind was much lessened. Back inside it was nice and warm, and I took it easy with the radio and an English translation of a Kungsleden guidebook until it was tea time. I tried listening to another football game on a channel that was mostly static, but it was no big loss since it was fairly boring anyway.

As I was starting dinner preparations I saw two people upon the hill – a somewhat strange thing, after all those days alone – and seeing me they came down to introduce themselves. As I had half expected, these were the daughter of the Abiskojaure wardens and her partner, which I had been told would be coming from Alesjaure sometime after midsummer. Also as expected they told me that there was still quite a lot of snow up along that trail, but it was not too bad. They also told me that a couple of Germans might be coming, but as they had not seen them for some time they could not be sure.

Having finished my dinner I wrote a short note to Abiskojaure and put it together with the find I had made earlier into an envelope to be carried away now that I had couriers at my disposal. A while later I went up to the guest cottage, and by that time the other two had come – and they turned out not to be Germans at all, but Dutch. I talked some with the Swedes and then it was time for shopping and paying. More talking followed, drifting to English as the foreigners joined in, and at long last the sun broke through. At length I returned down to my place to listen to the Norwegians commentating upon another WC game, during which the sky finally cleared from the east, but clouds remained above the peaks for a bit longer. I went for a little evening stroll in the chilly air, and then went to bed around 22:15.

That was not the end of the day, however, for just before midnight I arose again, compelled by the light, and found that it was now clear and still, with a beautiful ruddy sheen upon the western peaks. I went out for a photo round to try to capture it, and while I was absorbed by doing so a fog grew over Čunojávri. After a few minutes it started to spread further, and now new clouds were forming around the peaks, so I went back inside – and it was not long before the fog arrived as well, so I drifted off to sleep instead.

Tuesday 29/6

Early

Later

It was still clear in the early morning, so I went for a little photo tour before going back to bed. I was somewhat late in arising next time, and managed to miss the departure of the Swedes, but the Dutch were still present. It was still nice and fair, so I meant to go on a day tour, even though some veils had started to appear in Norway. Having prepared to do just that I went up and kept the others company while they made final preparations as well, and then we left in different directions at 09:45.

Go to day tour report »

I changed to fishing gear at once, and then went out again, following the trail towards Norway for a bit. Just before a large display of mine rubble I turned down to a canal between two of the tarns, where I started fishing. I now had a new rod, since the previous one broke, and it felt just fine, although the wind was growing. I worked my way back along the water, fishing where conditions so allowed and changing spinners now and then. The weather was slowly growing worse, and as I was not having any luck I soon returned home, walking up a small path just east of the warden's cottage before 14:30.

Goin' fishin'

Shallow waters

Device

A minor peak/ridge...

...of Storsteinsfjell

I went up and had a shower, and found it to be barely lukewarm, with the wind increasing the chill. Now feeling clean I took it easy inside, listening to the radio, while a darkness grew behind the western peaks. At dinner, however, the sun broke through again, and after eating I stood outside for a long time, looking at the continuing leafing. I walked a little ways eastwards along the trail in my sandals, but shortly reached an obstacle in the form of mud. I tried going up to a small hilltop, but that way was also took wet/tricky, so I returned to my cottage. There I listened to the Paraguay–Japan round-of-16 match, which had to be decided with penalty kicks, and then read in my book. The weather was getting better all the time, and later in the evening it was clear again, so I went out for another walk.

Pretty light

Increasing verdure

Bloom

I walked around the mire behind the guest cottage, coming up to the larger quarry site. The sun was setting, so I chased it upwards, soon reaching the crest of the rise. I continued to some flat rocks where I sat down and remained seated until the sun started to weaken. From there I walked mostly straight down and returned to the later football game; reception was very bad, but I followed it as best I could to the end anyway. The evening was calm and beautiful and the reflections in the tarns were amazing. I walked about or just stood looking at the scene until the light faded, and then lay down to sleep around 23:30.

Cloudberry flowers

Starting up the slope

View west

Passing behind

Attractive Rádječohkat

Unna Allagas

The sun setting behind Ruovssuk

Storsteinsfjell reflecting in a tarn

Looking

Wednesday 30/6

I stayed in bed for some time, and when I got up the nice weather was gone, having been replaced by an unbroken cloud cover. So far all the peaks were still out, but as I was about to prepare breakfast I noticed drop impacts on the surfaces of the tarns, and soon it was raining in full. It kept raining through the forenoon, which I mostly spent with the radio and the Kungsleden guidebook (I managed some minor tasks up in the guest cottage as well).

At lunchtime things began to look up a bit, and the rain ceased, but now lower clouds were starting to form around Rádječohkat. I baked a cake in the gas oven, which heated the room nicely, and it turned out really well. It was kind of nice outside, but there were quite a few insects in the air; thitherto there had been none, which had been awfully pleasant. Later in the afternoon new rains came and went, and I enlisted the help of the radio to pass the time. After dinner there were cracks between the clouds, and after some sun-rain things started improving for real. While I read in my book the clouds pulled shut again, but a bit later they broke apart anew, and when the sun reappeared from under the edge of a long, torn-apart cloud bank I went out. After standing still for a while I changed into the boots and went for a walk.

More and more lively osier

Mmm, cake

I walked the faint path behind the incinerator, and this time the low shrubs had small leaves on them. I went on to climb the first little rise and the one behind it, and after a pause I continued out to the eastern edge overlooking the valley, from where I could see a corner of Giron. After another pause I went downwards at an oblique angle, but I could not walk in a straight line because of steep flat rocks intersecting my path. I came down to a very pleasant area of springy heath which was a joy to walk and look upon, and with the setting sun and the snow-clad peaks in the background the scene was completed. I ended up on the trail just at the start of the osier, and rather than going inside I walked past the warden's cottage and continued down to the closest tarn.

The sun returns

Nuorjjovárri in the west

It's all about location

Heather

Higher up

A look in the other direction

Rádječohkat again

Returning

There I sat down on a rock in the water, looking out over the dark mirror. Tranquility reigned until the sun disappeared behind Ruovssuk, and when a weak wind picked up I went back up the eastern footpath. Back inside I sat down for a snack and of course the weather report, and since this was the last day of the month I summed up the monthly visitor figures (an easy task, that) and prepared a letter to be sent by hiker should any pass by. It was still really pleasant outside – beautiful calm – and it was getting clearer and clearer. At 22:30, however, I managed to yank myself away from it all and into bed.