offthegrid

Tour of 2018 – Day 27, August 22nd 2018

Camp at the eastern shore of Cunojaure
What a joy to wake up without the sound of rain on the tent, it had been a few showers during the night, the last in the early morning hours, and none of them even close to the ones yesterday.
I woke up already at 5:30, getting into the cabin 30min later to make a fire in the stove and then broke down my tent to hang it inside to dry. Turns out it would have dried just as well outside in the wind, yet why take a chance when having access to a cabin, right?!

The wind had turned during the night, not longer coming from the west and bringing the weather from the Atlantic Ocean. Normally here that means an improvement in the weather conditions, and today was no exception!
After a few cups of coffee and tea with my neighbor, everything was dry and I packed all my gear to be ready to leave.
8:45 I said goodbye and left Gautelishytta until next time, and now, after finally trying out the sauna they built here a few years ago, that will probably be next year already!
The weather was so much more pleasant, no rain and a pretty mellow breeze, that also was quite a bit warmer than previously. Shortly after I left I had to stop and take of my jacket, later changing quite often between wearing it or not, depending on wind and the intensity of the hike. I’m happy to say that I must have hiked about half the day wearing only my t-shirt.
The trail northwards from Gautelishytta is wild and beautiful, quite easy to walk in the beginning, then, getting closer to the pass, very rocky and desolated. Frankly, if You don’t like jumping on rocks, this is the wrong tour for You. Unless You’re considerably good at moving on rocky ground, You could spend hours in frustration hiking this stretch.
That said, the marking of the trail is enormously better than I remember, someone has really put in some effort making the trail clearer and more visible. There are stone pillars at very close distances from each other throughout the entire pass!
Once on the other side of the pass there are two river crossings, both could be done without changing shoes this time. Always look for a wide spot in the river, remember that some stones can be stepped on under water with perfectly maintained safety, and, once again, get high shafted hiking boots!
I arrived at Caihnavagge in clear sunny weather and decided to take a break and have some tea and snacks as I still had some ground to cover.
Getting out of the wind really amplified the warmth from the sun and the place was really pleasant. Besides, I finally got a decent shot at charging my phone again as the sun was out so bright.
A good hour later i started the second part, as different in character from the morning stretch as night from day. Being so much lower in elevation the trail was mostly soft, leading over grass or low scrubs, mixed up with wetter areas. Shortly before the bridge over Caihnajohka there is a short distance that is rocky, muddy and bushy at the same time. Just take it easy and slow down and all is good!
The bridge is as reassuring as any of the Norwegian ones, I totally recommend to let one person pass completely before the next stepping onto the bridge!
The trail continues over the flat valley floor of Gallanbuolda, again mostly scrubs and grasses, some wetlands and bushy areas. And one real river where You might to have to change shoes, this time I got over there dry once again. It took some skills, experience and, once more, high shafts on the boots, to get it done, though!
Finally there’s another bridge to get to the north side of Cunojaure where the cabin is located and the trail continues around the lake and into Sweden and towards Unna Allakas.
About halfway between the Cunojaure cabin and Unna Allakas You find the beautiful beach where I chose to camp tonight. The weather was finally good enough to get back into solitude. As much as I love the comfort and warmth of the cabins, I missed being by myself in my tent!
Turns out that the Norwegian weather forecast workshop right, I just managed to get everything set inside the tent when I heard the first drops on the outer tarp. So far nothing alarming and very mellow compared to previous days and weeks. I’m kinda curious what tomorrow brings!

The journey continues, please leave a comment to tell me what You think and share this with friends and loved ones who might benefit or be interested!

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Peace // Claes

Tour of 2018 – Day 26, August 21st 2018

Camp at Gautelishytta

Another day I woke up early and snuck into the cabin at 7 am when I had heard that the only other guest also was up already.
Picking a break between the rain showers to wipe my tent and bring it inside to dry ensured that I could pack everything the way I want it this morning.

Having an extra cup of coffee, talking to the cabin host, Leif, and taking my time packing my stuff, left me with a departure time at 10 am and I headed northbound on the trail back towards Norway.


Depending on the circumstances my plan was to either do a short day and stay at Gautelis or push on to Caihnavagge. There’s virtually no real good campsite in between these cabins.

The wind was rather mellow for the first hour or so, then it quickly picked up and reached the same strength as yesterday, just considerably colder and accompanied by ice cold rain showers chasing each other until midday. Suddenly the sun started to fight its way through the clouds and the rain stopped for a couple of hours.

The trail is easy to follow and mostly easy to hike, just a few stretches with the rocky ground to consider. This season the streams hold so much less water than normal, allowing rivers, that normally need a change of shoes, to be crossed by just walking over them. On the other hand, the ground was still very wet from all the rain, again making a point for high boot shafts!

The wind continued to be a challenge the entire hike, and to be frank with You, these conditions with cold wind and rain are not just unpleasant. They’re potentially dangerous as it, for one, is very easy to underestimate the cooling effect of the wind (it’s definitely possible to get both frostbites and hypothermia at temperatures well above the freezing point), secondly, the conditions invite to rush, and make poor decisions to get to the goal sooner. Just be aware!

During my descent to Gautelishytta, I got hit by another rain shower, and that, in combination with the sauna at the cabin, made me decide to save the 12km to Caihnavagge for tomorrow instead.

I’m still well on schedule and the next stretch is just not as easy and so I’d rather do that one after a good night’s sleep.
I’ll just hike all the way to either Cunojaure or Unna Allakas tomorrow instead of hitting the pass between here and the next spot this afternoon. Safety first!

 

Side note: The weather starts getting at me, and some of the plans I have for the rest of the tour are just not safe to do under these conditions. So I made the decision to consider breaking the tour early, depending on the weather forecast for next week that I can access on Friday.
Hoping for a positive weather change so I can safely do what I came here for!

 

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Peace // Claes

Tour of 2018 – Day 25, August 20th 2018

Camp at the Hukejaure cabin
The day started like yesterday ended, rain and wind. During most of the night, the rough wind shook the tent and there were several long and heavy rain showers, making it hard to sleep well. So grateful for the separate gear shed that let me keep all the wet stuff out of the inner tent.
In the early morning hours both wind and rain calmed down and I slept really good for a few hours until around 8 am when the next wave of weather hit the tent hard.
Around 10 am the rain lessened and I decided to break camp and do my best to get the tent and gear shed reasonably dry.
Half an hour later I started the hike and it turned out that if I’d stayed an hour longer, I could have packed everything more or less dry.
Besides a few short showers the rain cleared up completely during midday and only the strong wind remained. Part of the hike was a constant fight against the wind and every time the landscape blocked the gushes for some time was a real relief.
I moved on a pretty direct route towards Ruskajavri, staying north of Ruskajogas, following some pretty clear reindeer tracks all the way over the pass leading into the valley.
Once down by the lake, I stayed close to the shore, trying to be as low as possible to avoid as much wind as I could.
The hike along the lake is beautiful and I, once again, felt a longing to camp at quite a few spots along the stretch!
Just a little bit north of the lake I crossed the river feeding into it and continued along the western mountainside, after some time passing the small lake where I camped last year.
Passing Raktasjavri on it’s south and west side I soon crossed Raktasjohka and cut over the southwest side of Raktas before coming down on the trail leading from Sitasjaure to Hukejaure and following that the rest of the way to the cabin.
Because of all the rain that fell the last few days and weeks, the ground was soaked with water and the wetlands were wet for real. Once again I cannot emphasize enough the value of using boots with high shafts and putting in the effort of keeping them watertight!
If You’ve been following this blog for some time, You already know that this is one of my favorite cabins to visit and I always enjoy coming here. This time I also got to see the same cabin host as three years ago, always nice to meet again and catch up.
After putting the tent to dry in the wind (time to make some use of it at last…) I had some tea inside and warmed up a little, before chopping wood and fetching water for the sauna. I also fried some mushrooms I’d found along the trail on the way here!
The weather has been still unsteady with some decent rain showers, yet also some sun coming out between the clouds. All in all a lot better than yesterday and I definitely hope for it to clear up even more overnight. Anyway, camping at a cabin guarantees that I can dry everything in the morning regardless of the weather, and that’s always awesome!

The journey continues, please leave a comment to tell me what You think and share this with friends and loved ones who might benefit or be interested!

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Peace // Claes

Tour of 2018 – Day 24, August 19th 2018

Camp just north of Viddjajavri
Wow, I’m so grateful to be dry and warm, this day was really rough weather wise.
Started out being quite nice, I had to wipe the tent twice in the morning due to a short rain shower, yet then I could start the hike just shy of 9:30 wearing my ordinary hiking pants. About an hour later I changed into rain gear and that was it for the day.
During a short coffee break in Kaitumjaure cabin, I learned that the forecast promised random rain showers throughout the day. That didn’t sound too bad and I continued in the direction of Hukejaure, leaving Kungsleden behind and finding my trusted reindeer tracks on the mountainside.
Shortly after I left the cabin the rain started falling again and then only stopped for briefer periods of time.
Additionally, the wind was really strong and actually pushed me around at times, which is alright when hiking on solid ground, though it gets a little sketchy when on loose and wet rocks.
I hiked north pretty high up on the mountainside parallel to Kungsleden until passing a group of beautiful small lakes on my right and then turning westward into Sanarvaggi. Now the wind hit me straight head-on, making it impossible for even the best rain gear to keep me dry. It was a relief to reach  Viddjajavri and turn northbound again along the shore.
My original plan was to reach Ruskajavri and camp at one of the sites I spotted last year, though when I was on the north end of Viddjajavri I saw a suitable spot of grass while the rain had lessened to almost nothing at all.
Unfortunately, it picked up again soon after I started to raise the tent and I had to accept getting the inside wet before managing to get the rain fly in place. Because of my wet backpack and rain gear, I also pitched the gear shed, hoping to manage to dry the inside of the tent and keep it dry after that.
After a few cups of hot tea, dinner, and coffee while covering myself with the sleeping bag, everything looks and feels a lot lighter. Though the rain continues outside and the wind still shakes the tent at times.
We’ll see what tomorrow brings, whatever comes up I know I go to Hukejaure.

The journey continues, please leave a comment to tell me what You think and share this with friends and loved ones who might benefit or be interested!

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Peace // Claes

Tour of 2018 – Day 22, August 17th 2018

Camp at Saltoluokta
Being more than half a day ahead of schedule due to the weather, I had decided on beforehand to take one day completely off here in Saltoluokta.
My rest day started with the breakfast buffet they serve every morning between 7 and 9, what a treat to have eggs, cheese, ham, and some fresh veggies for breakfast!

My plan was to intentionally and purposefully overeat and overcompensate some for the lower intake of food during the tour so far.
This plan was effectuated to perfection, now just during breakfast, I also bought some peanuts as an extra snack, and had my normal dinner in the evening.
I promised myself a real rest day and spent my time reading, chatting with other people at the station, sauna and just relaxing.
Saltoluokta is a perfect place to take a day off, comfortable chairs, generous sauna hours and great food!

The journey continues, please leave a comment to tell me what You think and share this with friends and loved ones who might benefit or be interested!

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Peace // Claes

Tour of 2018 – Day 21, August 16th 2018

Camp at Saltoluokta mountain station
Once again I woke up early to the sound of rain falling on the tent, the weather had changed completely overnight and the beautiful clear evening last night had been replaced by thick fog and rain.
Thankfully it stopped raining while I was going through my morning routine, still, the fog made it impossible to get the tent dry.
Knowing I only had 15km to Saltoluokta and there would probably be enough wind at the lake to dry out the tent before evening, I made an exception and packed it wet just to get going in the morning. There was no way telling how long the fog would stay…
Visibility was really low for the first half of the hike, yet the trail is so clear that it was super easy to follow. The weather didn’t invite to any extended breaks, still, I was in no hurry and took the time to look around for some mushrooms during the last few km, finding well enough for a good-sized snack upon arrival at the station.
My package with food for the last 15 days of the tour had arrived and was waiting for me when I checked in after pitching my tent to dry in the air.
I then kept myself busy throughout the afternoon sorting, repacking and taking care of equipment. Especially the boots needed some attention, cleaning and greasing to get them watertight again for the next part of the tour.
Finally, I got to sauna, dinner and some socializing with other hikers before calling it a day and retiring to my, now completely dry, tent.

The journey continues, please leave a comment to tell me what You think and share this with friends and loved ones who might benefit or be interested!

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Peace // Claes

Tour of 2018 – Day 19, August 14th 2018

Camp at the creek junction west of Gierdogiesjtjåhkkå
Finally, a day when the weather once more was playing nicely and invited both to a midday stop and going a little farther than I originally planned.
After the early stop yesterday I woke up already at 5 am, spending the next half hour or so in a state of meditation and contemplation before leaving my sleeping bag. Though it had rained some during the night, it stopped hours earlier and this morning the clouds looked friendly with a lot of blue skies visible between them. I started the day wiping off the tent to give it a fair chance to dry while I went through my morning routine!
Shortly after 7 am I started packing my stuff and, when taking the tent down, I found the bottom to be really wet still. Just a few minutes hanging it in the wind after wiping it off took care of that, and just after 8, I was all ready to go.
The same guy who told me about the campsite, also mentioned that there is a path following right along the river bank, and here also he turned out to be well informed. The trail was beautifully smooth and easy to follow, the only challenges being quite a few rivers that would normally have made me change shoes to cross. Today that was something I wanted to avoid as long as possible to protect the fresh bandage on my left heel. So, with fighting the bushes to get to more narrow spots and quite a few rather risky, and definitely not advisable, jumps, I managed to maintain dry feet throughout the day!
Passing through the wetlands next to the river when the time came to head uphill, I was immensely grateful for the high shafts on my boots, and all the layers of grease band wax I treated the leather too!
Following the stream Alep Vassajajågåsj uphill after crossing over, I found the expected trail. Just sooo much more distinct and easy to follow than I would have thought.
I also found an abundance of mushrooms, picking more than I actually would need for one dinner, planning for a delicious treat!
Once above the tree line, I continued high on the mountainside, aiming to cross the next major stream, Julep Vassajajågåsj, uphill from where it forms a really deep canyon. Another rather dangerous leap and some splashing of water, I reached the other side once again with completely dry shoes and socks!
From here on there is a marked trail leading eastbound along my intended route, though I still choose to stay higher up on the mountainside for the added benefit of better photo opportunities!
Lots of fun jumping on rocks and the last parts of today’s hike went by swiftly, arriving at this beautifully wild location shortly after 4 pm.
I did go a little farther today than I originally intended, tomorrow’s hike should generally be easier than today’s and maybe I add some extra depending on weather conditions and how I feel.
I still need to find out how it works out with crossing the lake to get to Sitojaure cabin and the continuing northbound trail. There’s a rowing boat system, yet the distance is about 4km and I’m not too keen on that kind of upper body exercise in the midst of this all.
Should be possible to buy a ride with a motorboat, tomorrow will tell!
Funny enough, it’s raining again now! Can’t say how grateful I am that it started only after I got settled here and can stay dry and warm inside!

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Peace // Claes

Tour of 2018 – Day 18, August 13th 2018

Camp at Rapa Ätno
I woke up rather early around 6 am after just 9 hours in my sleeping bag, no real rain during the night and I slept fairly undisturbed. Stayed still for some time to not disturb people nearby and a good half hour later I started my day with reading and a cup of coffee!
Turns out most of my neighbors were also early risers and as soon I was finished with my morning routine, I had a couple of good conversations.
Finally, I started the hike at 9 am heading southeastward towards Snawavagge and then Rapavalley. The trail was, once again, easy to walk and follow. There were a few stretches of wetlands where one has to find one’s own track, yet the trail is always there again on the other side. Just make sure You’re on the beaten track before continuing too far, there are quite a few reindeer tracks that might be a little confusing.
The first river crossing was covered by a huge step between two large rocks between a small waterfall. Looking a lot sketchier than it really was.
Coming up on the second crossing, just before the fork in the trail, there was no real alternative to changing shoes and getting my feet wet.
Shortly after I felt a slight discomfort at the back of my left heel, stopped to check it, and it showed that all the river crossings finally had gotten the better of my bandaged blister. Compeed and everything were soaked and coming off…
Great reminder to keep taking small signs seriously, especially when it’s about the feet. It just took a few minutes to get everything dried out and rebandaged, and I was ready to continue without risk of worsening the issue. This was one thing that, if ignored, could have jeopardized the entire future plan for the tour.
Now, after that second river crossing, You’ll find a bunch of different trail separating from each other. The right one is really well used and quite easy to distinguish from the reindeer tracks and soon You’ll also find the first stone marker. They are few and far apart, yet as long as You walk on a real clear trail and see boot prints regularly, You should be good.
The trail slowly turns southward after one more river crossing and after some time it gets rather steep on the west side of Bielatjåhkkå. I’d like to recommend against doing that stretch during heavy rain, rather wait for decent weather!
After that slightly sketchy part the trail ascends quite steeply up to Snawavagge where it passes by a few lakes and some really awesome campsites.
I had been recommended to camp right after exiting the valley at its eastern mouth, yet two considerations made me continue. One was plainly the time of day, it was just way too early to stop, and the other one was the rather heavy wind that made me prefer descending into the valley. A decision that was proven right by the gushes passing through the air later in the afternoon and evening.
Finding a really nice place close to the river, that also corresponded well with the description of the last descent site for the rest of the valley hike, I stopped around 3 pm and got settled. While still receiving some rain showers, I could dry some equipment outside and pitch a decently dry tent.
The weather looks a little friendlier now towards evening and I look forward to a calm night!

The journey continues, please leave a comment to tell me what You think and share this with friends and loved ones who might benefit or be interested!

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Peace // Claes

Tour of 2018 – Day 17, August 12th 2018

 Camp at Skarja
Wow, what a night! It started raining around 4:30 pm yesterday and kept pouring down more or less intense the entire night and morning. Finally, shortly after 11 am the rain started to subside and minutes later I could wipe off the majority of the water from the rain fly.
Just after noon I had everything packed up more or less dry and could continue my journey after spending 20h inside the tent. I guess God wanted me to have another rest period!
Starting on a downhill slope towards the river I soon found myself on the trail again. From here on it’s very clear and easy to follow, it just blurs out into several separate ‘suggestions’ a couple of times during the day and it’s always effortless to find the main trail.
I pass two rivers, swollen by the heavy rain, that normally would be easy to cross without changing. Today it was an adventure and I chose to gamble a little, betting high boot shafts, skills, experience, and good balance against, maybe, better judgment. It worked out, though, and I saved a lot of time – besides, getting one’s feet dry when it rains is not an easy endeavor.
Soon after the second crossing, I arrive at the reindeer watcher cabin marked on the map. Turns out it’s being kept open as an emergency cabin, and people left it in a depressing state, full of trash piles and with the outer door removed. Kinda makes me sad…
Now, entering Ruohtesvagge, I come to the one major river crossing of the day, being fed by a large glacier in the southwest and swollen by the rain, it’s wide, murky and super cold. One guy I met yesterday told me the water went halfway up his thighs, and that was before all the rain…
Turns out he must have picked the wrong spot to cross, I never got wet above my knees. The main challenge was the cold and I admit it took me maybe an hour afterward before my feet felt normal again.
The rest of the trail was a breeze, nice and soft for the feet and super easy to follow. A couple of rather easy crossings, and soon (well a few hours later) I reached the emergency cabin here at Skarja. Due to the weather, there were quite a lot of people choosing to camp here and have the option of dinner inside, leaving a total of eight tents on the ground.
I had dinner early and left for my tent to make space for others, looking at checking out for the night around 9 pm.
Super special view around here now due to the clouds and rain all around us!

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Peace // Claes

Tour of 2018 – Day 15, August 10th 2018

Akka cabin
This has been a real rest day for me, slept in until almost 8am and, after taking down the tent, spent most of the am inside the cabin. Taking care of equipment, chatting with other hikers, drinking coffee and tea, and just resting. I totally needed this!
The boat left at 2 pm and I kept my promise to myself even after getting to the other side of the lake. Akka cabin is only 2km from where the boat lands, and that was as far as I went!
Turned out there were no other guests at the time and after chopping some wood I fired up the sauna and spent over an hour switching between the hot sauna and cold shower.
After dinner and some reading inside I’m going out to the tent early, there is a really strong wind blowing from the lake and falling asleep might be a challenge!

The journey continues, please leave a comment to tell me what You think and share this with friends and loved ones who might benefit or be interested!

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Peace // Claes