Saturday 27/7

I slept well despite the warmth, but had to go out during the night, at which time a new moon gave a cold look to the landscape, an effect strengthened by the chilly northerly wind. I arose next time at 07:30, and the sky was – as expected – still completely clear, but the wind had lessened. I made breakfast inside and then ate in the shadow on the western side of the building, as it was already quite warm. Having later packed up I cleaned the li'l place, and bade a very fond farewell to it at 09:45.

I had again selected the wind trousers, which felt light and cool as I descended the slope with a southwestern heading, following weak traces of a path that soon disappeared, but the terrain was very easily trodden anyway. I walked atop a low gravel ridge around a wet area and then found myself at the slowly flowing Jijrajuhka again, which I could easily cross by simply stepping across a narrow section. The ground on the southern side was bumpy as I continued my oblique heading in still and very warm air. Eventually I reached the path, which was in better condition here, as were the cairns, so progress was quick and easy.

Passing Grubbuovajjá

On the ridge

At Jijrajávrrie...

...and the beach at its eastern end

I followed the winter markers close to Jijrajávrrie, coming to much clearer cairns after a steeper passage just beside the water, and after going up to a crest-bend I caught sight of Jirestugan ahead. Having reached it I looked inside and found it to be quite similar to Glimmerstugan, but a bit more deteriorated (or, rather, lacking the refurbishment bestowed upon its sibling). I was now once again in mobile signal land, so I checked the weather forecast and found it to be excellent for my upcoming plans, and then went dark again, so to speak.

Leaving Jijrajávrrie...

...and approaching Jirestugan

Entrance

Entered

Exited

From Jirestugan there is a marked trail down to Umasjö, and I followed this just far enough (which was not very) to cross the reindeer fence again, this time by way of a gate. I then turned south around a large wet area and after negotiating some low shrubs I neared Guevtelsjohke, which was quite large. I therefore followed the shape of the terrain upstream, walking mostly on nice heath, gradually coming into a shallow ravine formation with a pronounced upward slant parallel to the main stream. I passed several smaller tributaries without problems, being cooled by a good southerly wind, and eventually emerged onto the flat expanse of Voehpejeguevtele.

Departure from cabin and trail

Praahkoenjuenie in the distance

Upwards

Jirestugan dwindling

Large Guevtelsjohke

Undulating

Tjuolantjåhkka behind

Över-Uman just visible

Almost at the "top"

I walked between the little pools on the plain and then aimed straight for the place where several streams merged into Guevtelsjohke in a wide confluence, offering good fording conditions as there was still quite a bit of water present. As expected it was an easy crossing, where I could simply walk to and fro out in the water on a solid gravel bottom. I then followed beside the stream coming from up Skraahpeåelkie, which was also fairly swift, treading on bumpy grass and scaring a small rodent of some kind before reaching the next stream, which offered no obstacles either. As it was now almost noon I decided to stop for lunch there by the water, and sat down on the grass.

Down at Guevtelsjohke...

...where it was easily crossable

The next stream, where I lunched

From my perch I could see the marked trail a short distance above, and I remained seated for a good while in the sun and wind. Back on my feet I walked across lovely grass meadows upstream, and then cut across more bumpy ground until I reached the marking cairns of the summer trail. Said cairns were large and clear but the path was neither, often not visible other than as a faint implication between said cairns, especially since the ground was fairly wet for a bit. Eventually the route developed an actual path, albeit a weakly defined one, when the ground turned to heathland. Having reached the highest point north of peak 1418 both the path and the wind made themselves better known, and what followed was a nice stretch tracing a very pleasantly green marsh. There were quite a lot of reindeer tracks on and off the trail, but I detected none made by human feet.

On the trail

Northwest

Approaching the little pass

Last look back

Round the bend

Marshy

Only me here

I broke off the trail before reaching the last little pool between peak 1095 and Skijránjuönnie, crossing the stream between a couple of smaller waterfalls, and then maintained my altitude as best I could as I proceeded southwards. At the foot of the slope were large wet areas, but it was still fairly wet at times where I was as well, in part due to melting snowfields higher up. I followed reindeer paths where I could and then ended up in an area of larger rocks, but they were spaced well enough apart that progress was still easy.

Time to leave...

...for the opening of Måskoesvaajja

Valley below

Wet and bumpy

More of Svärfarbäcken's vale

Melting

The sun was clouded more and more as I started to ascend up to a large snowfield above me, which I then proceeded to climb diagonally, putting on the sunglasses against the sharp light. After that I climbed the next somewhat steep slope up to where the ground flattened out, and I thus stood looking into the impressive niche of Måskoesvaajja, framed by looming cliffs on all sides but that whence I came. I proceeded over to the stream coming from the hollow east of 1292, close by which I found a good spot for the tent in the slope at 15:00.

Going up to...

...the niche valley...

...of Måskoesvaajja

Camp stream

The wind was both weak and shifting, so I used the slight inclination as a guide instead when pitching. Having finished I went over to the stream for a wash, which was markedly colder than on previous days what with this being almost exclusively meltwater. On the morrow I planned on trying to reach Måskonåiveglaciären, which I had heard would be something special, and now that I was close enough to reliably judge the surroundings it was clear that scaling the western wall of Måskoesvaajja would be completely impossible.

There might have been a possible passage to lake 1195 up the steep grassy slopes beside the stream there, but there looked to be at least one passage that could turn out to be too dangerous or downright impassable. The main alternative was the hollow above my campsite, but the large snowfield there looked too steep for comfort, so plan C was to be the southeastern outrunner from 1418, which would circumvent said field and looked quite straightforward from my vantage point.

Having ascertained this I set my phone to charge and relaxed outside, swatting a bit at insects which were persitent even at this height, and then had dinner on a nearby rock (there often is one). The temporary repair of the sunglasses had finally given up, so I set about applying a new fix as a westerly wind picked up, and then read for a good while on the rock until the sun passed into a large stationary cloud that had taken up position above the glacier.

I could then move inside the tent, and as I did so I noted that the wind had shifted to northerly and was noticeably cooler now that it blew across the snowfield, which felt really good after another hot day. I did some crosswords and read in the tent, and then had my evening snack. It was another very pretty evening, and now most of the clouds had dissipated or moved off again, but the high mosquito content soon drove me back inside. I went to bed just after 22:00, lying comfortably on the soft heath.