Sunday 8/9

The night was clear and somewhat chilly – the temperature in the morning was 4°C, but as soon as the sun appeared above the heights across Bolnoluokta it started to rise. The tent was doused with condensation on the outside, and the shadow side was still covered by frost. It was a great morning and I sat on the beach before having a calm breakfast there; I was in no hurry and thought I could just as well let the tent dry as much as possible. The hunters were long gone, so I snoped around the premises with impunity, at long last feeling ready to leave in the strong sun at 09:45.

I met a couple of people halfway up onto the first rise, upon which I went out to a hilltop, but there was much forest in the way. Not long thereafter I found myself at border cairn 272 – Pålnoröset – where I took a break. I was now close to Lappjordhytta, which had been a possible stop on the route from the get-go, but since I was actually headed west and there was a hefty slope up there I eventually decided that looking at the place from afar would be enough this time. Instead I entered Norway on the trail, broke off after a tricky portion of slanting rocks, and soon found that it would have been easier to walk straight from the cairn.

Through the grass

Spotting Pålnoröset

Looking into Norway, ...

...up Njunis...

...and towards Lapporten

Lappjordhytta

National park on this side

I was now on a cleared swath marking the border line which I followed up for a while, and even though there were no trees the undergrowth was high enough to impede my progress somewhat. When I came to a brook I went into the forest, finding my own way, which was a slow and very warm business. I walked where the terrain made it easiest (or least difficult) to do so, crossing the brook at a suitable point, all the while ascending. Finally I reached the tree line, and came out at a very nice little waterfall by which equally nice blueberries grew. Now a grand view spread out all around me, having been blocked by the forest, and a pleasant wind brought the temperature down. Spent from the wooded ascent I now walked on nice and comfortable ground along the upper reaches of the brook, stopping at the top of a wedge in the terrain where there were still small amounts of running water some time before noon.

On the swath

Upper forest

Almost out

Autumn approaching...

...but not yet here

Splash!

Panorama over the forest and Torneträsk

Norwegian side

Njunis above

Last trees

Following the stream...

...to its upper end

The wind was fairly strong so I put on the jacket straight away, and while I had my lunch a bunch of reindeer approached and apparently had theirs nearby. As mentioned the views were great, so I remained seated for a good while before donning the pack again. Once I had done so I continued up the slope a bit and then walked along the southern edge. As the view ahead expanded to another wow-worthy vista I picked my way across the steeply slanting slope, eventually having to gain some more altitude to get around it. The Čunuluoppal delta was displaying a host of autumn colors which I had before my eyes as I descended into Čunuvággi, at the mouth of which there lay a very impressive ravine.

Above the lowlands

Border fjelds

Pretty delta

Crossing the slope

More of the delta

Approaching Vádvečohkka

Glittering

Čunuvággi

Ravine ahead

Down in Čunuvággi

Vuolip Njuorajávri

This I just had to check out, so I climbed down for a closer look. It was deep and narrow, and just totally cool, and from the sides small waterfalls fed the stream at its bottom through lush vegetation. What a place! It was, of course, also quite impassable, so I walked upstream for a bit, and a short distance above a carved-out fall (which I also investigated) the ravine widened and offered a simple ford. On the western brink – now inside the national park – I found a heath plateau at the end of which there was a nice spot, right next to a brook, but since the view south was obscured from there I left the pack and went on a bit ahead to look for options. At the crest overlooking the valley below I found exactly what I was looking for, and returned to retrieve my stuff, in the process finding a mire of still-present cloudberries.

Whoa

Wow

Ooh

Crossable

Falls

In the park

Vádvečohkka proper

Can't beat this view

Nor this

The time had only just passed 14:30, so it was fairly early still, but this place was simply too good to pass up as a campsite, and with my recent sickness in mind I did not want to exert myself overly either – and that climb through the forest had taken its toll. So, I pitched the tent with the opening due south so that I could sit inside and have the full view before me. The wind and the sun quickly took care of the remaining wetness from the morning, and it was a glorious afternoon. After sitting still for a good while I went to pick cloudberries at the adjacent mire, and even though half of them had gone bad I could easily get a cup's worth of edible ones which I had for dessert after the subsequent dinner.

The evening sun was a joy to behold, and eventually I went for a walk a bit down the slope, looking at the ravine and the delta below, now tinted orange. I surveyed the tract with my binoculars and saw many an animal path, but no movement whatsoever – it was just me and Nature. At long last I returned to the tent via a loop, and sat outside reading in the last direct rays of the sun.

Sun at the brook

Sun on the ravine and delta

End of the ravine

Delta again

Closeup

Lapporten and Abisko

Tint

Steep

Great evening

Multi-colored

Vuolip Njuorajávri and peaks

More colors

I used the failing light to good effect during a couple of photo rounds, and all the while it grew steadily chillier. After my evening snack I went to find a couple of rocks to secure the guylines in the wind, and it was now dim enough that I had to take care lest I stumble. The lights of civilization were shining both at Abisko and at several places further west as I entered the sleeping bag around 21:15 after a terrific day.