Thursday 26/7 – part one

I slept well and arose refreshed at 07:15. The sky was partially clear and clouds were touching both Darregájsse and Vuoksákvahta. The outside temperature was decidedly on the cool side and there was a moderate wind blowing. As the morning progressed the clouds slowly lifted, but they still covered large portions of the sky. Having eaten and packed up I pulled myself across Darrhaädno in the boat, which in contrast to my last time in Såmmarlappa was now pointing along the current, which meant that it travelled sideways – and I remain doubtful that this arrangement was actually better, as it still required substantial muscle force to get across.

I left the western shore at 09:45, taking my heading through the dense forest and shrubberies from memory and noting that the paths there seemed to have deteriorated appreciably in the last decade. Still, the route I selected through the bush labyrinth on the open expanse north of the crossing worked out well – it is best to take a westerly detour first to get around the impassable thickets immediately next to the boat landing and then head back towards the water, following animal tracks closer to the brink. Nearer Vuoksákjåhkå there were a few rocks with age-worn paint and after crossing it also some marks on the trees.

The cottage seen...

...from the labyrinth

Further off

Tracing Darrhaädno

Having reached the first mire after the fishing place I turned hard to port, crossing the main course of Vuoksákjåhkå again in a verdant forest ravine, and then picked my way up the extensively vegetated slope in a manner quite reminiscent of the ascent onto Njunis from Pålnoröset way up north, employing swaths and gulleys where available. Soon I cleared the forest and was rewarded with a great view of Tarradalen, and now the sun was coming out more and more to boot. I kept to the north as I passed the crest, finding the ground in the little vale between Goahtnjunjes and Vuoksák to be pleasant albeit somewhat uneven. Soon the ground turned more wet and I moved more to the southern side where it was drier, scaring up a flock of ptarmigans in the process.

Climbing out of Tarradalen

The wall of Vuoksákvahta

The bulk of Darregájsse

Further up

Closer to

Rise after rise

I kept to my left as I ascended into Fierrovágge, going up onto the little outrunner immediately south of Vuoksákvahta, from where I could see more of the valley ahead. I walked close to the elongated tarn that followed and then climbed up onto a small rise past the larger Vuolep Vuoksákjávrre. The southwestern bay of this lake turned out to be longer and more curved than the map indicated, so I had to backtrack a bit to get around it. As the time was now 12:15 I saw fit to sit down for lunch just after I had done so, and the sun was coming out again after having been clouded for an extended period of time.

Panorama over the undulating lands of/around southern Badjelánnda

Bårdde in the distance

Fierrovágge before me...

...with Tsähkkok as the center of attention

Having passed Vuolep Vuoksákjávrre

The next portion was stonier and hillier, and soon I came down to the upper reaches of Goahtnjunjesjåhkå, which was host to a large congregation of seagulls. Crossing this stream was fairly easy, but I was still somewhat surprised that it held as much water as it did that far up its course. I proceeded to climb the northern side of the rise north of Tjievrakjávrásj between the cliffs that dominated the slope there, after which the ground turned stony – as I knew it would. There was, however, still ample dirt and moss between the stones, so progress was easy. Having passed the small saddle between the rise and Unna Tjievrak proper I maintained my altitude for a bit but then thought it would be better to descend into the hollow on the southern side, which I crossed mostly on rock fields.

Fierrovágge behind

Fierrovágge ahead

On the other side of Goahtnjunjesjåhkå

Stonier

Going over

Tjievrakjávrásj and Darregájsse

After that it was back and forth between rocks, dirt and moss, and after I had passed lake 1054 I aimed directly for the Vaimok cottage's position, as far as I could judge it. As I did so I noticed another hiker coming down the trail over Vájmokbákte, but it was fairly obvious that I would arrive first. The ground was now starting to slant downwards, and also grew grassier with each step. The view over the rather large lake Vájmok also grew in tandem, and it was getting sunnier all the while. The slope suddenly got steeper, and I had to track closer to the swift nearby stream to circumvent a couple of fields of larger rocks. I saw no movement down by the buildings, so I headed directly for the warden's cottage which sits a short distance up the slope from the guest cottage. The ground here was great to walk upon, especially after all the stones up on the heights, and after 15:15 I reached my new home for the coming weeks.

Nuortta Sávllo appearing

Sunnier

Vájmok coming into view

Stony ground before Tsähkkok

Cottage spotted

Fall series

Warden's residence