Thursday 14/9 – part two

...namely the ascent of Rierruogájsie. This was something that had been a part of my plan from the very beginning, and the excellent weather allowed it to come to fruition. I started out by going up the gentle slope on my current side of Måskuosjuhka, as there were some shrub thickets on the other side, and stepped over it a bit further up. There the ground consisted of nice, easily trodden heath, and I proceeded upwards parallel to the brook. Then I caught sight of a large brownish "lump" a few hundred meters up; I thought it might have been a rock or something, but it just didn't seem to fit in the image of the landscape.

I brought out the binoculars to get a closer look, and discovered that this lump was in fact a large elk! Normally a creature of the deep forests and valleys, it was surprising to find one there, up on the barren expanses of about 1000 m. I had heard a couple of bangs down from the vast basin of Tärnasjön earlier in the day, so perhaps it had been scared off by hunters and sought refuge halfway up a mountain. In any event it seemed to take no particular note of my presence as it lazily moved to the south, pausing for long periods as if to let me admire its majesty.

Myself, I aimed for the highest visible crest at first, but then I returned to the ravine-parallel course as the ground was easier there. It was growing stonier anyway, of course, but I still had a bit to go before I entered the actual rock fields. Then I veered away from the ravine again, winding my way up, finding a trickle of water which I could drink. The incline was a bit steep, but the rocks were mostly small and flat, so ascending was no problem. There was a not insignificant wind blowing, but I kept the jacket tied around my waist, drawing heat from the climbing effort. After a while I came to a plateau of sorts; a large stretch of rocks which in comparison to the slope below seemed almost level. Having reached the top of a small hill up there I took a break, and finding that my phone could acquire a signal I made some progress reports.

The elk at a distance...

...and a fuzzy close-up

Norra Storfjället

Same view, higher altitude

From where I stood it was still about a hundred meters or so in altitude to the summit, and more horizontally. Having rested and absorbed the views currently offered, I felt fresh enough to continue all the way up, so I set off the final slope above the "plateau". After the initial portion the rocks turned into something akin to pebbles, and further up there were low naked cliffs transecting my course, and in both segments I found more trickles. Around 15:15 I caught sight of a large cairn on a crest ahead, and upon approaching it I realized that I had reached the top.

By then all clouds had moved off far enough so as to only be a haze at the southwestern horizon, so my vision was completely unhindered; Rierruogájsie is the highest peak in the Ammarfjället massif, which is why I had wanted to climb it in the first place – not so much for its status of highest, but because of the excellent observation point quality that status entails. What immediately strikes any mountaineer reaching the summit from this direction is the substantial vertical drop directly to the east, with a sizeable glacier underneath, and the flat central parts of the massif spreading out below it all – the sense of elevation is extraordinary despite Rierruogájsie's rather modest height of 1611 meters above sea level.

Having recovered from that sight I turned my gaze around, seeing an undulated lowland broken by a marked rise here and there to the east and south, sharp distant peaks to the north, and snowy jagged ranges to the west and northwest – Norway trumping us as usual... I walked around taking photographs in the glaring sun; the wind had died down to a whisper, and it was pretty hot up there.

Top cairn(s)

Cliff face with glacier

Cliff face without glacier

Glacier without cliff face

Majestic Okstindan in Norway

Other white-capped Norwegian fjelds...

...in the distance (mainly northwest)

Sharp formations to the north

Panorama from north to southeast, spanning most of Ammarfjället

Skånjan and Jireskalet behind

Lowlands to the south

Me admiring the breathtaking views

Panorama centered on Tärnasjön to the southwest

Southern mini panorama

When I was "done" I started descending in a more straight fashion, keeping closer to the ravine right from the start. It was still warm, and the wind remained light; going was fairly easy as well. There were a number of reindeer about when I came back down to the heath, and there the wind started picking up as well; by the time I had reached my patch at 16:30 it was rather keen. I immediately started preparing dinner, and while the freeze-dried lumps were absorbing the hot water I went in search for anchoring stones for the tent's guylines, and then spent some time caring for my feet. I put on some more clothes before I sat down to eat, as the wind had quite a noticeable chilling effect.

Fjelds and lakes to the northwest

Looking down into the valley

Tärnasjön glittering in the sun

The ravine of Måskuosjuhka

After dinner, and after some finishing touches of foot care, I pitched the tent, and then had some impromptu dessert in the form of blueberries that grew on the northern fringe of the patch. The sun momentarily dimmed as it descended past the high, thin wisps of cloud that still hung in the southwestern sky, but other than that the weather was unchanged. I rested my somewhat weary body inside the tent, continuing to work on the crossword as the evening coolness began to set in. Then the sun disappeared behind Målkkietjåhkka and the temperature dropped further, but not as much as could have been expected. The wind had turned slightly, but the sky remained clear and the tinted mountainsides all around were awfully nice to look upon. I read in my book curled up in the sleeping bag and then rested some more before having a sturdy evening snack, and then lay down to sleep at 20:45, after a long but very rewarding day.

My tent...

...beneath Rierruogájsie

A warming sun...

...coloring the ground cover