Sunday 20/7

I took the right path on the heath, while the others who had left before me were on the left one. Just after the paths joined up halfway up the slope I passed those others, and pressed on at a good tempo. Above the crest the ground consisted of perfect flat (but slanting) heath, inviting me to walk beside the path rather than on it. I passed another two people, and then the ground started getting wetter, followed by a descent into the shallow ravine where the main stream flows. Here the path runs right at the edge of the water, and things were rather wet. Shortly after I had gotten out of the ravine again I came upon a perfect campsite beside the path – the first for a long stretch – and then the terrain turned bushy before growing stonier as I approached the ford of the stream from Nállojávrrit.

To catch up with

Open

Downvalley

Passing the waterfall

Overtaking again

Siehtagas and its tail

Grand Stuor Reaiddávággi

Wide stream

Fully acceptable campsite

At the ford

This I passed without too much trouble, and came onto somewhat stony heath of the bumpy variety. A section of very wet grass followed, but then things got dry and nice, and good spots for tenting started appearing again, especially closer to the stream. Speaking of the stream, it was wide and shallow here, so I decided to investigate the fordability of it out of sheer curiosity. As it turned out it was just deep enough towards the end to thwart my efforts unless I took my boots off – but then it would have been very easy.

Passing the Nállu spire

Kugghjulskammen
(Cogwheel Ridge)

Reaiddáčohkka glacier

Well marked now

Next up was a rock field coming down from Nállu, but it was easily passed close to the stream. After that the ground was somewhat stony still, but there were also more even areas here and there. Suddenly the Nallo cottage appeared from behind a low hill, and after passing a number of small stony rises I stood at the shore of another ford just below the building. The mother-and-daughter who had left Vistas in the morning were halfway through, but the second part was too deep for their low boots. On my previous trek here there was a sign at this spot saying "Ford 200 m", pointing the way to a much easier crossing upstream; it was gone now, but I went on ahead anyway. This ford was as simple as I remembered it, and I walked straight across, coming back down to the cottage at 11:15.

In bloom

Čeakčačohkka appearing

The Nallo cottage

Closer

The easy ford

Congregation

There were quite a few people outside, being in various stages of their respective lunch breaks, and two of these turned out to be Marco and Maja – former colleagues of mine from Abisko. Karl-Erik the warden was also outside, and after everyone else had left I sat down with him on the porch to talk and eat myself. It was hot indeed, and eventually I went inside partly to cool off, and partly to see what if anything had changed since my Nallo winter. Looking over my boots I was less than pleased to find that one of the soles had started to come off, and that both of them showed obvious signs of internal deterioration. As it was, I asked for some string from Karl-Erik to secure the loose one, hoping that it wasn't as bad as it looked.

Northwest

East

After a good deal of warden-related talks and suchlike I finally left, intending to explore the lower ford. Try as I might, I could not find a route that would not require a change of footwear, so I went back up to the upper ford instead. More and more clouds had been forming, and now they blocked the sun from time to time. Back at the rock field I followed a higher route, which turned out to be considerably worse than the one tracing the stream (note to self), but then I found a much better path leading around the wet grass further down (note to self again). I caught sight of one (1) reindeer in a hurry – the first this summer; they were all up on the high snowfields due to the heat, or in the Sámi's pens as it was calf-marking season – and then found myself back at the ford.

Stone table

Sharp!

Rocks ahead

On the edge

The single one

Unmistakable

When the path drew near to the stream again, where the vegetation was higher and wetter, a group of no less than 13 Danes who had just been at Nallo was having another break. Up on the heath crest there was a bit of wind, which tempered the very warm air, and after receiving an SMS I took the other path down. This was an inferior choice, since it involved crossing a very wet area right at the base of the slope (another note to self), but then I was back out on the open expanse. A single camper was left from the night's tent village, and I spoke some with him before walking the last short bit up to the cottages around 15:30, where Marco and Maja were relaxing in the thus intended chairs.

Visttasvággi angling into view

Vássačorru ahead

At the ravine again

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