Thursday 24/7

I started out by taking the drier path across the heath, but soon broke off and headed towards Visttasjohka. There were a few shallow dips and copses that I needed to go around, but then I followed the shoreline where walking was easy. At least at first – when I came to the first sharp bend in the stream the vegetation got dense and cumbersome, but since I had only a small pack I managed alright. Another open area was followed by another dense one, but there were usually narrow swaths here and there to make use of, and I continued to keep close to Visttasjohka where possible. Wet areas started appearing, interspersed with narrow strips of trees, and eventually I had to go up a bit in order to get through/around the latter.

Traversing the heathland

Calm

Islets

Dense

Open again

Downstream

Upstream

The view towards upper Visttasvággi had begun to open up, and now I came out onto pleasant heathland, which grew stonier as I approached the glacier stream from Siehtagasglaciären – this being an old alluvial area from the heyday of that ice mass, which has retreated markedly (and visibly). I passed several dry courses before reaching the actual water, which was easily passed where it poured widely over heath, although this had made the ground attain partial quagmire status. After that it was even wetter as well as bushier, but I soon reached the next stretch of forest where an animal path led me through it. I turned down towards the delta of Unna Vistasaš, crossing a dry heath with lots of juniper, and then came to the stream itself. It was rather swift, so I scouted downstream, and could cross with ease after it had divided into a multitude of branches.

Stony

Siehtagasglaciären

Crossing the glacier stream

More of the valley in view

Bossosčohkka rising

Hollowed-out Bogičohkka across Unna Vistasaš

I walked straight up the heath-covered hills from there, which was fairly steep and taxing, not to mention warm, but the wind grew as I gained height. A bit further up I drew close to the edge of the deep canyon of Unna Vistasaš, which sported a long waterfall. The view back down over Visttasvággi and Vássačorru was stunning, and Bossosčohkka right up ahead was also an imposing presence. I climbed up to the first crest and then went on a bit further up to the next one, which landed me on an intermediate flat area before the last rocky rise (and canyon) that leads up to Unna Visttasjávri and the main stretch of Unna Visttasvággi. Here I decided to turn around, and having returned below another waterfall I sat down against a rock at 11:45.

Climbing up beside Unna Vistasaš

Steep Vássačorru

Panorama over Bossosčohkka

Twin glacier streams

Turned around here

Pointed Šielmmáčohkka

Pointed Vássačorru

From there a partial view of Visttasvággi was restored, and I had my lunch in the warming sun, which was however in the process of being somewhat diminished by thin veils coming in from the northwest. After sitting still for a while I packed up and left, keeping to a higher route as I neared the lower crest, which gave me a spectacular view of the valley. I sat down again on a larger slab of rock – pretty close to where I had paused in spring – and waited for the sun to grow in power again.

Lunch view

Western side

Low one

The delta of Unna Vistasaš

Panorama over Bogičohkka, Vássačorru, Visttasjohka and Visttasvággi

Having thus extended my lunch break a bit I finally started the real descent, and this time I walked over some lower rises at the bottom of the slope to come out to the stream at a higher point, closer to the canyon. As expected it was not particularly fordable here, and I returned downstream to the fan-out where passage was again simple. I walked a little higher in the forest, coming onto a clear elk path, and followed that as closely as I could as I proceeded back down the valley, which made the passages of the various forest strips and bogs easier. I passed the glacier stream higher up as well, where it ran over stones rather than heath, and since it had already started to spread out it was easy there too.

Down again

Retreating

Lower formations

I continued to walk the high path – more often than not literally so – going around and above the wetter areas. The path then dove into the dry and nice forest immediately below the cliff drop of the "phone hill", and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy this bit was compared to the lower route. On the other side I came out onto a wedge of bushy heath that opened up onto the main expanse, and since I knew that things were a bit more burdensome closer to Visttasjohka I set my aim for Bálggástakčorru as I crossed the plain. Eventually I came onto the Nallo path which I followed back to the cottages, reaching them around 14:15.

Into the forest

Out of the forest

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