Having been absent from the wardenship thing for as long as I had it felt rather good to get back into it, and although some things were new others were not, and I slipped back into the role with little or no effort. This period also marked another couple of returns, namely to both Vaimok and Såmmarlappa, where I wish that I could have had more time for the latter. As for the former, the area was largely as I remembered and expected, with the impressive precipice of Vájmokbákte as a constant companion, and any discrepancies fell on the positive side. The location of the warden's cottage up the slope bestowed a feeling of looking out over a small and remote kingdom – albeit one with very few subjects...

Now, the start was of course not expected, but everything appeared to work out in the end, even though of course a fatality – witnessed or otherwise – can have a lingering influence on those affected. With regard to the deceased man's true identity I am still none the wiser, for there appear to have been no reports of the event, in any shape or form, in domestic media – neither during my stay nor afterwards. In any case I note that this is the second time that a wardenship period of mine has started with a call to rescue services and a visit by the police, the first being in Såmmarlappa. I hope I'm not making a habit of it...

What was expected, in full, was the peace and quiet that Vaimok bestowed upon both warden and guests, cottage-dwellers and campers alike. Several of the latter, which were distinctly more numerous, clearly stated that this played a large part in their having chosen to walk that trail (or in that area) in the first place – or the experience had made them realize how good it felt – while others expressed surprise at how desolate it was, but usually not from a position of disappointment. All in all there were only a couple of instances where I was truly alone, and I wasn't bothered by it. In fact, the general feeling in the area was that there were a few more visitors than usual, which in absolute numbers must however still be labelled low.

The end of the most pressing drought did indeed coincide with the start of my period, which was all for the better; it was still warm, but hiking in 20–25°C is far preferable to doing so in 25–30°C. Rain finally arrived, too, and even though I had to endure quite a lot of it on that day to Såmmarlappa it was fine on the whole – for moisture was very much needed, everywhere. During the rest of my stay I had weather of all kinds, from glaring sun to tempests, and I can't say that I feel cheated in any way – my prevailing memory is of a calm (albeit seldom perfectly flat) lake and emarald slopes under a radiant sun. The ample rain and wind during the second half were at times rough, sure, but not enough to mar the experience. Contrasts FTW.

As for the infamous rocks, I've always thought Vaimok's reputation as a stone inferno (or whatever) is exaggerated and undeserved. Again, the immediate area is green and welcoming, and the trail along the lake mostly runs between the rocks. Higher up and during the first half or so along the trail to Pieskehaure there are numerous rock fields, sure, but in my experience it is often possible to find more easily trodden ground close by – and when not, said fields often consist of light, flat rocks that are also easily trodden. Furthermore, there are smooth havens in both expected and unexpected places, even high up – you just have to raise your eyes a bit and have a look around. Myself, I think a large part of people's experience – which varied quite a lot between my visitors, I should also say – stems from the fact that both trail stages to and from Vaimok are fairly long and involve a fair bit of vertical distance, making fatigue an important factor.

Going into this wardenship I had, as usual, made a mental list of possible day tours, and I got to do the ones I found most promising – and they did not disappoint. I would name Tsähkkok and Bajep Skájdásj as my favorites for the spectacular views they offered and the intriguing landscapes the respective treks went through, and I cannot recommend them enough – and Sulidälbmá made as impressive an impression as envisioned during all of the outings.

Two of my beforehand options never made the cut, though. The first was Stájggá, which simply felt too long, and between all the other ascents I did make I felt that my desire for far-reaching vistas in all directions had been more than met anyway. The second was an overnight visit to Pieskehaure, which never felt quite right, and then there was simply no time, but had my stay been a week or so longer I would surely have done it.

Apart from all the above, my main feeling from the trip was that I had, in many cases, had terrific timing. Starting with the period's fitting with my work in the first place and the less-than-blazing temperatures that had just taken hold, the preceding more-than-blazing temperatures had done away with many of the usual mosquitos, so the forests of Tarradalen were a cakewalk this time. I was then able to take the Såmmarlappa/Fierrovágge detour on the way out, which enabled me to reach Kvikkjokk in two days on the way back, which in turn meant that I could catch the last tourist bus at 09:00 on the last Sunday of its schedule – had I arrived one day later I would have had to make do with the school bus at 05:20 the next morning.

The weather also decided to treat me favorably on my return, releasing its wet'n'windy grip just as I left Vaimok and giving me (most of) two days' worth of pleasant hiking conditions and clear views before returning to rain once I reached Kvikkjokk. And speaking of Kvikkjokk, I was very happy to note the positive feeling of that place nowadays, having had a much more deserving bad repute of semi-late, so if the tendencies I saw continue it may well be on track to regain at least some of its former glory.

Finally, I was very pleased to find that my body appeared to have returned to a state at least approaching my former days of vigor, as opposed to recent physical impairments suffered at Sylarna and Lunndörrsfjällen, and I felt strong both on the tougher stages to and from Vaimok and during the day tours. High five, self!

Well, that's about it. A good trip for sure, with expectations met or exceeded in most respects. And whither then? I cannot say.

Finally, some pictures from the departure day in Kvikkjokk:

Morning over Gamájåhkå and Vuogá...

...and the station

Kvikkjokk's church

Church + bus

PS. For those who missed them: all headings in this report are Tolkienian references. Look 'em up.