Sunday 4/4

The upstream track was hard and good, and a chilly wind was blowing to complete the atmosphere. Shortly I met three snowmobile drivers, and just after they had passed me they stopped and started examining the mountainsides for some unknown purpose. I kept to the track following the eastern brink for the most part, but when the ice grew too bare and extensive I switched to the other side, where it was easier to find snow along the edge. When the ground on that side turned grassy I left the stream altogether, passing over the thin snow cover heading straight for the ravine of Unna Vistasaš.

Having reached its base I made my way up the first slope on the northern side, crossing a snowmobile track, and once I had reached the first crest I stopped to put the climbing skins on. I also removed the jacket, for now it was still and very warm. The continued slope was fairly steep, so rather than following the straight track I mostly zigzagged on the side, where I also noted the first wolverine tracks of the season (my season, that is). In some places the underlying heath had emerged, but it gave no problems. As I got higher a remarkable view was revealed, with two glaciers and some very sharp and alluring peaks above them; with the deep ravine in the foreground, the scene was markedly un-Swedish.

Skiers leaving for Nallo

Going up there

Siehtagas

Reflective

Siehtagasglaciären

Upper Visttasvággi

The ravine of Unna Vistasaš

Šielmmáčohkka East

Bossosčohkka rising above the ravine

White Godučohkka

Steep Bossosčohkka

Down Visttasvággi

Swedish?

Furrowed Vássačorru

Losing sight of Visttasvággi

Sharp

Having ascended the slope I went down to the stream, since I was now above the ravine, and there I both removed the skins and put the jacket back on, as there was a bit of wind again. After passing some more ice I came onto the ski tracks of the group that had passed here a few days prior, and I followed these to the next ravine, which I passed through; apparently the others had taken off their skis and walked down past the middle section, but I managed to make the passage with the skis on.

Above the ravine I found more (older) wolverine tracks, and then I skied over an old avalanche debris field from a niche up Bossosčohkka to Unna Visttasjávri. There I followed the tracks again close to the edge of the lake, finding snow conditions excellent. At the far end I came onto the snowmobile track, where I could glide almost effortlessly, making great speed just for the fun of it. I went up the next short slope where the tracks did, and since the wind up there was quite appreciable I started looking for a rock against which to sit just before noon.

Entering Unna Visttasvággi

Passage

Crater-like

View-blocking hill

Peak 1678

Unna Visttasjávri

The wind was still a factor, though, so I did not make the lunch break a very long one. Instead I skied on to the watershed, stopping beside the rise that had blocked the view westwards, from where Gárddečohkka could now be clearly seen. I considered going further still, to look out over Alisvággi, but decided not to and instead climbed the rise beside me. Getting down was another matter, since I tried to do so on the far (north) side, which was rather steep and stony, but I managed to pull it off without breaking neither bones nor skis. The rest of the way back to the upper lake presented an opportunity for some telemark of touring ski mode, and then I proceeded off to the right to another nice slope down to Unna Visttasjávri which I had espied earlier. Here I could make more turns, upon snow that was rather good for the purpose, and then I skied out to the snowmobile track which still offered excellent skiing (even though I now had the wind against me).

Unna Visttasvággi is a peculiar valley in that the long lake which covers half its length reaches more or less all the way to the walls, and since Unna Visttasčohkka appears entirely flat-topped from this perspective one gets the feeling of being in a deep crater when looking into the rock face, bewildered by the flatness and straightness of the shapes. I followed the ski tracks back, but before reaching the end of the lake I broke off and skied out to the snowmobile track again, where I found semi-fresh lynx tracks. This made me scan the stony heights above for movement, but alas those felines are not wont to letting themselves be seen.

Peak 1702

Gárddečohkka...

...and Gárdderiehppi

Southwest from the hilltop

On the lake again

Mini-panorama from the end of the lake

Instead of passing through the little ravine again I skied out to the west of it, coming to a rock field which was just barely passable on skis – and it required a fair bit of winding to do it. The slope that followed, however, was mighty fine, and I got to practice my turns again. Down at the bottom I rounded the ice and then took the southwestern side of the stream, finding two new sets of wolverine tracks. I gained some altitude, going to and fro between some rocks at places, and then passed into the nicely cooling shadow of Šielmmáčohkka. The stream from Ö Bossosglaciären has also formed a ravine, and I came to it just at the place above which it was filled in with snow; I could see that had I taken the other side of Unna Vistasaš up, I would probably not have observed this before standing at the very brink, but now my intuition had lead me just right.

I came out to the start of the last, long slope high up, and then carefully made my way down to an intermediate crest, for there were quite a bit of stones showing, and from there I saw a couple of people making their way southwards along Visttasjohka. After struggling myself free from the stones I zigzagged my way downwards on a hard, wind-polished snow surface, after which I started gliding across the slope – which landed me among more rocks. Eventually I came out to a snow-covered stream course, along the edge of which I could go down, ending with a nice little slope bringing me to the uppermost trees of Visttasvággi.

Outlook

Pointed Vássačorru reappearing

Sun over Šielmmáčohkka

Ö Bossosglaciären

A look towards Moarhmá

Rock tower

Visttasjohka meandering beneath Vássačorru

Descent in progress

Bogičohkka

Last bit down

The crust was still hard, so I had no problems reaching my own tracks from the morning. When I came to the stream I crossed it, and then skied at the edge – or just above it, when conditions so required. After some initial wind it was calm again, and in the end I had to remove the jacket. Of course the wind came back almost immediately afterwards, but it just felt fine. At one point I broke off onto a ski track that went up into the forest on the eastern side, and it turned out to be a good little route that returned to Visttasjohka about a kilometer or so before the cottages. Just as I was approaching my goal two people beat me to it, coming from Nallo, and when I arrived before 15 I saw three more outside the woodshed.

Blue ice...

...on Visttasjohka

Sun above Reaiddáčohkka

Siehtagas and Šielmmáčohkka

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