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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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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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07:15 Camp at the most northern small lake in the valley west of Unna Ruskkas
It’s been a cold night, I’ve been wrapped up in my sleeping bag wearing t-shirt and socks and still never got really warm. The wind and rain stopped at some point during the second part of the night and it all went quite up here. This got me some deeper sleep which feels amazingly good this morning!
Right now there’s some wind, no rain and a few specks of blue sky are visible through the clouds. I even caught a tiny little ray of sunshine right of the
bat when going out first thing in the morning.
Hopefully these are signs that the weather is changing preferably, yet still I made the decision to spend the next night by the cabin in Hukejaure.
I had this weird dream of entering the changing room of a gym I trained at years ago, still wearing all my hiking gear. After undressing I went to the sauna and the moment I opened that door, I woke up here in my tent…
Not really being into dream works at all, I still interpret this one as a clear message from my subconscious to go somewhere and get warmed up!
Actually I’m gonna make this day as easy on myself as I can. I’ve been hiking every day for 18 days without a rest day, averaging almost 20km/d over mostly rather rough ground. The last few nights I haven’t slept my best due to the rough weather, having to get out in the middle of the night to secure the tent with rocks against the wind didn’t help at all, and I feel more tired than I would like.
I know that the next few days after tomorrow are gonna be physically tougher than anything I’ve done so far this tour and so I just want to be as well prepared as I can.
21:00 Camp at Hukejaure cabin
Today in the afternoon we had a shift in weather and right now the sky’s blue, the sun just went behind the mountains and the temperature is still at +9C. Last night down here it was +4, which means two or more degrees less at the additional elevation I camped at. No wonder that, with the impact of the wind, I had a hard time getting warm.
I got started just after 10 this morning, for the first time with a rather moist tent in my backpack. The 10km down to Hukejaure were as easy and smooth as anything can be up here, wind still rough and cold and a few pretty decent rain showers hitting me on the way.
In just two and a half short hours I’d made the trip and went inside for a coffee before putting the tent up to dry in my favorite camp site here.
After coffee and a chat with the cabin host I started taking care of my equipment, wet rain gear got hung up to dry, socks and underwear washed and shoes cleaned and dried. Then some wood chopping and water hauling for the sauna before I fired it up and spent well over an hour just relaxing in the heat. Wow, was that good after literally being cold for two days and nights!
My left calf is still slightly swollen yet much better than the days before.
Olle, the cabin host had gone fishing and was successful, bringing home a huge trout. Having half of it himself left the other half to be shared between myself and two other guests at the cabin. Around 100g of super fresh trout file fried in ghee became an awesome starter for my dinner!
The extra protein seams to have kicked me slightly out of ketosis, though, which was perfectly worth it. I’m pretty sure I’ll be right back there when I wake up tomorrow.
Not much more to report from this day, it’s a tired and very content hiker sitting here in his tent ready for a good night’s sleep. Air is pretty warm and it is quite, no wind shaking the tent and no splashing from raindrops falling. There’s been a few nights since I had an equally peaceful evening!
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08:00 Camp at the eastern lake in Sanarvaggi
It’s been a very windy night with some rain and, for once up here, I did not sleep very well. The wind made the tent shake heavily and though I have total faith in it taking a beating like this, the noise and movement still disrupted my sleep again and again.
So, after waking up at 06:30 in the morning and taking a look outside, I actually went back into my sleeping bag and went under for another hour.
The good thing is that my left calf looks almost back to normal which is reassuring after the slightly rougher hike yesterday.
I have to see how the weather develops today, right now there’s no rain and the wind is still strong. If it keeps up I probably go towards Hukejaure to get away from Fjällräven classic yet still have shelter if the weather goes really south.
As long as I don’t get really wet today and need to dry stuff, especially my boots, inside, I’d prefer to camp away from the cabin and get another night for myself.
Still I want to pass by Hukejaure as I heard rumors in Vakkotavare about the cabin host, Bosse, gotten sick and having been replaced. Would be good to know what actually happened as I got the distinct feeling something was off with him as we met.
For now I’m very content and happy having a PF coffee in the tent, wearing double sweaters, one down and one fleece, and keeping my legs in the sleeping bag!
That said, it has become rather chilly up here already…
19:45 Camp at the most northern small lake in the valley west of Unna Ruskkas
Wow, what a hike – I’ve now spent 3.5 hours in the tent just trying to get reasonably warm again… Seldom feel as alive as out there with the elements!
Let me take it from the start!
The rain finally took a break around 09:30 and I wiped the tent and packed all my stuff together pretty swiftly. Got everything down dry and started hiking right about 10AM.
First I followed the northern shore of the lakes westwards and kept slightly to the north to gain some elevation. Wind was hard and icy and it soon started raining again, I was quite happy I started out wearing my rain jacket and some gloves.
As I wanted to check out Battajavri and look for camp sites around that lake for future purposes, I kept my elevation after reaching about 950m and went around the mountain. Soon I had to go down some again to get off the super slippery wet rocks higher up on the mountain side. There were a few snow fields I could utilize to make the hike softer on joints and ligaments.
The lake lies beautifully kind of in a bowl and on the northern side I found a ton of good camping grounds on soft and level grass.
Originally I planned to stay east of Rusjka and merge with Neasketvaggi at its northern end, yet the wind was to strong to safely hike a steep mountain side I didn’t know from earlier experience. So I turned west to go pass Ruskajavri on its eastern side.
As soon as I faced west the wind, that I’d had against my back while rounding Battajavri, now hit me full force heads on again. Very fast I felt it was too cold for my clothes, yet not until I was almost up in the valley I found a protected spot where I could dig into the backpack for an extra middle layer sweater and some liner gloves. After changing I immediately felt a lot better and also the sides of the valley broke of the wind now and then and provided some protection.
I found several suitable spots along the lake, yet still didn’t really feel like stopping and call it a day. I already knew I wouldn’t go to Hukejaure, just wanted to cover a little more ground before setting up camp. I also already spotted this small lake on the map and wanted to give it a shot, knowing there are sites farther down if this one wouldn’t work.
Anyway, I found a nice spot for my tent and the rain stopped for long enough to get everything set up and ready.
Though the weather is still rather rough and the wind really cold I’m so grateful to have one more night off the beaten track to just unwind my mind and thoughts before returning to more populated areas tomorrow. Looking at the map I’ve been planning a route to Hukejaure that takes me away from the marked trails and over a more remote area.
Unless the weather changes considerably in my favor chances are that I will camp at the cabin again and enjoy the benefits of being clean and warm. Next planned cabin visit would be Vistas and that’s another seven or eight days down the track. And chances are that, except while having breakfast at Keb, I won’t meet to many people on that tour!
Well, that’s all for now – time to get ready and into the sleeping bag for real, I need to get warmed up again!
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Hope You take me up on the offer, there are 10 spots and 10 only, once they´re filled it´s too late!
Peace // Claes
08:35 Camp 1km northeast Teusajaure cabin
What a wonderful morning, I woke up after 9 hours in the sleeping bag by the sun warming my tent. The night has been rather chilly and my breath has left some condensation on the outer tarp that is now drying of in the sun and light wind.
When undressing yesterday I found my left calf pretty swollen down to the rim of the boot. Don’t know if I somehow tightened it too much when leaving Vakkotavare, yet today the leg looks about normal again and I’ll just have to keep an eye on it.
Looking at the map yesterday night I found a possible route to explore once I passed by Kaitumjaure cabin. I’m gonna ask them if they know the area and probably I’m gonna try the idea anyway as it keeps me well out of the way of Kungsleden and the ‘Fjällräven Classic’ event. This is an event organized by Swedish outdoor equipment manufacturer Fjällräven and they have about 2000 people hiking from Nikkaluokta to Abisko, usually during the second week of August. This year the event started yesterday and I really want to stay clear of all these people.
This tour should also give me perfect timing for getting down to the Kebnekaise area with enough days in reserve to manage everything I still want to experience!
For now I’m just enjoying my coffee with coconut oil and the nice cold air of the morning. For some reason that I don’t know (yet whatever it is, I’m grateful) the peak in mosquitoe activity seems to have passed and it’s possible to have the inner tent opened up and indulge in the view!
18:50 Camp at the eastern lake in Sanarvaggi
I got going just about 10am and the first 8km to Kaitumjaure cabin were done with in little over two hours. Kungsleden is not that inspiring to hike as it is very eroded, yet it is fast and the surroundings are really beautiful!
Today I also got to see an elk cow with two calfs, 1 from this year and one from last year. The latter surprised me a little as I didn’t know they stay with the mother that long. They seemed to be used to people, standing just 20m from the trail and not showing any direct shyness.
At the cabin I didn’t get much information about the area I was looking to hike, I did get another interview for ‘The Cabin Host Series‘, though!
And in the cabin a met a girl, Anna, doing her 56th day on the ‘gröna bandet’ hike, covering the entire mountain chain from south to north. Looking to fining her tour within two weeks she is going for the fastest way up through Abisko and on. I really don’t envy her passing all the ‘Fjällräven Classic’ people.
Anyway, another girl coming from the north told me that the birch forest grows really thin north of Kaitumjaure and I decided to head west and away from Kungsleden.
Turns out that just about a km from the cabin I find a trail leading west up to the summit of Sanarcohkka. So I followed that trail until I was well clear of the tree line before turning northward and returning to follow reindeer tracks.
After some time I found a very well defined trail, probably originally a reindeer track that has been used extensively by the indigenous Sami people, that I could follow for quite some time. It still takes so much more effort to hike outside the ‘real’ trails, yet it’s so much more pleasant for the soul and heart.
The wind that kept my camp free from mosquitoes last night and this morning increased steadily throughout the day. Coming from northwest and being rather chilly it made this day feel a lot more like early fall than late summer. Also I saw some yellow leaves on the birches already so it seems Lappland got a quite short summer this year.
Then again, no one knows how the weather changes up here, tomorrow might be warmer again!
It seams like my breakfast frenzy yesterday got my hunger signals triggered again, I’ve been eating a lot more today than I did the days before. First a snack at the cabin and then a huge dinner after finishing here. We’ll see tomorrow if this balances itself out again.
My left calf swelled up again during the hike, not as bad as yesterday, thought. No pain involved at all and I’m not too concerned, more curious what is happening as I’ve never experienced anything like it. I guess as long as it doesn’t hurt or effects the hiking it’s not a big deal.
Gotta do some research back home and see if I can find a cause, though.
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Thankfully I found two rowing boats on my side of the lake, which meant I could just take one and get over. So I rowed the 1km over the lake and knocked at the cabin hosts door looking for video nr 2 this day.
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Peace // Claes
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!
By leaving Your name and email in the box below You get notification of futures posts and news!
Peace // Claes
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!
By leaving Your name and email in the box below You get notification of futures posts and news!
Peace // Claes
09:20 Camp 1km East Alggajåhkå in Alggavagge
It’s been raining and quite windy all night and I rested/slept/stayed in my sleeping bag more or less twelve hours – I feel amazingly rested and recovered!
Now, for the last half hour or so there has been no more rain and I made tea and have some jerky and coconut oil for breakfast. Actually feeling hungry in the morning for once.
My plan for the day was to move on up the valley and turn east through Guohpervagge, yet for now it’s totally dependent on how the weather develops. Not having had a real rest day so far I’m actually ok with staying here, should the rain start pouring again. It’s just one of the things we can’t control, yet we can chose if we want to start a days hike in a rain storm or wait it out. I’m very grateful that I am in no hurry at all!!!
For now I’m happy having my tea and breakfast, when done with that I’ll just start get my stuff sorted and then see what it looks like outside. I’m rather positive that I’ll get back on the trail today as well!
19:40 Camp 300m east of Tjågnårisjågåsj on the mountain side above the trail
It turned out there was no more rain today – after finishing breakfast I wiped off the tent and the wind did the rest. Just before 11:30 I moved on with everything packed dry, just amazing how well things work out!
The actual trail runs rather far down the bottom of Alggavagge and that area was way to wet for my leather boots due to all the melting snow and the rain. I’m sure it’s wonderful and easy to follow at another time, yet today I was back at my reindeer tracks and the first part of today was through wet bushes again. Not my favorite, yet what a great metaphor for having to go through some trials and tribulations to get to the boon!
In this case, the wonderful soft and smooth mountain grass under my feet!
The higher part of Alggavagge is beautiful with huge plains o green grass and an abundance of camp sites, you could basically put a tent down almost anywhere up there.
This changes rapidly when starting to descend on the northern side, much rougher ground, more stones, yet still very pleasant to hike.
Crossing Guoperjåhkå was the real thing, murky water from the glaciers so I knew it would be cold.
It was impossible to see the depth so I chose a part with less strong current and left my pants off in case – turned out the water was never more than knee deep and the whole thing turned out to be just fun.
After walking a couple of hundred meters to get warm I stopped for coffee and a snack. At the same time renewing the tapes on my feet, they had become wet too many times to still stick.
Sitting there I saw two people with blue covers on their backpacks start up the hillside and turn the direction I was heading.
Turns out I catch up on them, two Swedish guys named Carl and Fredrik, a few km’s onward and we hike together to the next river crossing. Passing the emergency cabin at the bridge over Mihkajåhkå we stopped and looked inside – definitely a place to remember if ever in need for shelter in this area!
Also passed a German party of six people on the trail, I’m really quite surprised how many people move around here. I thought everyone was doing Sarek through Rapa valley and Rouhtesvagge.
Anyway, after the first river crossing over Mahtujågåsj, I continued by myself again and, once again, went for the reindeer tracks as the trail pushed through the wetlands lower down on the mountain side. Also I had my first close encounter with a reindeer herd on this trip, really nice to see them close up again. Especially the ones born this year are so adorable!!!
Little later I get to the next river to cross, Tjågnårisjågåsj, and find a nice snow bridge over the stream. Now, let me get one thing straight here, I don’t normally use snow bridges for crossing rivers and I certainly don not endorsed doing so! It’s potentially very dangerous as one can never know exactly how strong or thick the snow is or when or why it might break.
My decision today was built on two facts, first that an entire herd of reindeer had come this way before me and their tracks were all over the snow (and they probably didn’t cross one by one…) and secondly that I could see from both sides that the snow was over 1m thick and I had no reason to believe it would be thinner towards the middle.
That said, every situation like this has to be analyzed separately and one better be very sure, or else go downstream and wade!
This time all went well and I’m off to another night with amazing view and great, fresh air!
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Peace // Claes