Monday 11/9

Wet ground revealed that it had rained during the night, but when I arose at 06:45 the cloud cover was breaking up, allowing a bit of sunlight to penetrate to the planet surface, bringing the temperature up. I packed up most of my things before making breakfast, after which a few drops of precipitation found their way down, but that was soon over; it actually looked rather fair albeit cloudy outside. I finished packing, cleaned the room, and then went down to the reception to request a key to the Rävfallet cottage where I intended to spend the next night.

I left the hotel at 09:00, walking along the roads rather than attempting a passage through the forest. It was sunny and a bit windy, and clouds were all around, even though they were farther apart to the south. By the time I had reached the start of the actual trail I had gotten warm enough, so I removed the jacket before entering the forest. Not far up the slope the sun was obscured, but the wind had also ceased, and the exertion from climbing the quite appreciable incline preserved my "warm enough" status, almost to a fault. The trail split into two equally marked courses on two occasions, and twice I elected to take the one that followed the ski slope.

Once out of the forest nice views opened up, although the higher mountains to the west were completely covered by clouds. Beyond the skiing area there was more wind, but I remained comfortable, walking at a quicker pace now that I had reached the end of the slope. The terrain was easily traversed and I made good progress, soon coming up at a bare hill just south of Mittibergtjärnen, from which I had excellent views all around, save for the features that remained concealed by light-scattering crystalline dihydrogen monoxide. For a while it looked as though it was clearing ahead, but shortly it was back to overcast. The following flat portion was easy as ever, and then there was a warming rise up onto the bare plateau that has Gieråjvvie as its southern endpoint.

There it was windy indeed, and I proceeded no further than to Gieråjvjávrátje before putting on the jacket. Some kilometers later I turned off the main trail onto another path that runs down to the old Sámi settlement Stabburet. It was then lighter to the west, and Stuvbiebákttie was mostly in the clear – not to mention Skebleskalet, the great valley that cuts right through the Ammarfjället massif. As the path went over a low crest I spotted the buildings a good deal ahead – the intervening region was populated by shrubs wet from the recent rain, and some minor detours were required when the water content grew too high before I reached dry land again. A wet mire followed, and then, after 12:15, I found myself at Stabburet.

The start of the trail

A bit of light to the southwest

Looking down on Ammarnäs and Gautsträsk

Stor-Tjulträsket

Cloudy ahead

Grassy...

...part

Näsbergtjärnen

Better view to the northwest...

...and southeast

Looking west

Tjaskáltjávrátje

Stuvbiebákttie

Distant fjelds to the northwest...

...and southeast...

...and northwest again

The path leading down towards...

...Mársevággie...

...into bush vegetation

This settlement is of an unusual kind for a Sámi dwelling, with (originally) a residence building with stables, a barn, and a njalla – a small storage shed supported on a pole – all made from wood. These structures were erected around 1880, but the site itself may have been used as a settlement before that. The main building and the njalla were renovated in 1995, and the former is now open to the public, even though visitors are asked to grant precedence to hunters during hunting season and the like. After prowling around the estate for a bit, I exercised that right of access and had lunch inside.

Arriving at Stabburet

The main building from the outside...

...and the inside

The njalla with Stuvbiebákttie in the background

When I got going again the "light" had passed and the cloud base had descended a bit in the northwest. The path leading back to the trail bore a multitude of horse tracks, both in the form of indentations and more material remains, and as I approached the trail markers after a surprisingly warm portion I cut across the heath onto the main footpath. Up on Stuorajåbba proper it was windy, but the clouds had lifted again, giving a clear line of sight through Skebleskalet. Other than the views the section that followed was rather boring, with a perfectly straight route traversing almost perfectly level ground. As if Nature perceived my thoughts, the sky directly above me cleared to a degree, and a faint sun broke through to enliven the somewhat dreary landscape.

As I neared the end of the plateau, however, the clouds pulled themselves together again, and through Skebleskalet I could see rain on the other side of Ammarfjället. The descent to the tree line was pretty warm, with a veiled sun heating the air through a cloud cover which was getting both higher and less dense. I stopped at the bridge over Vuotsbäcken to take off the jacket, anticipating no drop in temperature as I reentered the forest. There the path was broad and well trodden, which alleviated the strain I had become aware of in my legs and feet, courtesy of the rather long starting stage of the tour. Before long I heard the roar of gushing water, and at around 15:30 I arrived at Rävfallet and the bridge over Vindelälven. I located the sauna building on the opposite shore a bit downstream, and then proceeded straight to the cottage on the other side.

Panorama from southeast to west from the top of Stuorajåbba

The top cairn on Stuorajåbba

Skebleskalet

Stálluoålggie

The higher reaches of Ammarfjället

Passing the eastern mouth of Skebleskalet

Descending

Looking back at Stuvbiebákttie

Ammarfjället south of Skebleskalet

The western peaks disappearing from view

Vuoddsjávrátje beneath Vuoddsássie

Passing through the forest

The cliff above Aitenjas and Nulppa on the other side of the valley

Rävfallet from the western shore

Rävfallet from the bridge

The bridge from the eastern shore

The cottage

The cottage was large and in pristine condition, consisting of a large kitchen/common room with a pair of beds, to which entry was not restricted, and two locked rooms with more beds. I was the only one there, and seeing as how it was quite unlikely that an emergency would occur I claimed a bed in the unlocked section, which is otherwise reserved for people in distress. Therefore I obviously did not actually need the key to stay there, but as I had been told, the different key to the sauna hung on the wall inside one of the locked rooms, and I fully intended to make use of that particular facility.

I had some reindeer meat while the clouds dissipated more and more, and then went down to inspect the sauna. It was a very nice and robust structure, but I found the existing firewood supply severely lacking, so after refilling the water barrel inside I went back to the woodshed and started chopping, using an axe that was a bit on the heavy side for that activity. When I was done I went a little ways in the other direction to investigate the identity and purpose of another building I had just discovered, finding that it was presumably a storage shed for horse-food, with a paddock of sorts beside it.

Then I returned to the cottage, carried some water inside, returned the clean dishes the previous party had left behind to their intended cupboard places, and did a bit of stretching. As the sun had then gone back into hiding I brought the (ample) firewood collection down to the sauna in case it was to rain, and then made dinner. The sky had grown overcast again, with some lighter bands crisscrossing it, and the inside of the cottage was starting to get dim. I played some solitaire, during which a helicopter flew by not very high above, and then I went to fire up the sauna at 18:15, bringing the book with me to keep me occupied while it heated.

That process went well, and about an hour later I judged that the temperature in the steam chamber had reached acceptable entry levels. It was still rising, though, and it got even better later on. I was at it for a long time and made a number of runs out into the – cold! – river, and towards the end of the session I was in a state of total relaxation and harmony; really a good start of the tour. I left behind enough firewood for another session and then walked back to the cottage in the gloom of rapidly approaching night, finding the still evening air pleasant. The overhead sky was still overcast, but the covering layer was not very thick, so it was a good deal brighter than it might have been. The inside of the cottage was not bright at all, however, so I turned on the light – it is equipped with solar panels and accumulators – to prepare an evening snack. I made an entry in the guestbook and then lay down in bed to read at 21:30.

The sauna beside Vindelälven

The sun paying a visit

Lateral view of Rävfallet

Sauna interior