Tuesday 28/8

It was rather chilly at first, so I set a good tempo as I walked along the northbound trail; the weather was improving all the time, but whenever the forest opened up I was subjected to winds which kept things cool. On a small patch beside a small brook shortly after Holmbom's spring there was a tent, and I surprised one of its occupants by suddenly appearing on the path. Being well trodden said path – which is frequently complemented by duckboards over mires in these parts – made for easy walking, and I covered the distance to the Slihtajåhkå bridge in short fashion.

There I found a few reindeer, and despite my efforts to approach slowly and cautiously one of them was so absorbed by its grazing that it did not discover my presence until I was pretty close. It was so startled that it froze for several seconds, but then it made a frantic attempt at fleeing without looking where it was going – with the effect that it tried to climb a tree, failed, and fell down with half a somersault, but it got up immediately and did not seem hurt. I then crossed the bridge, entering Padjelanta National Park a hundred meters thereafter, and after looking at the vast open expanse of upper Tarradalen for a while I followed a footpath upwards along the park border.

Passing Vuoksák

A common sight – mire and duckboards

Vuoksákvahta

A glimpse of northernmost Tarradalen

Snowy Stájggá behind

The bridge over Slihtajåhkå

The southern end of Padjelanta National Park

Upon entering the forest I came upon another, older and fainter path which I could follow for a while before I lost it, but then I found another, clearer one – and lost it. It did not matter much as the forest was not particularly dense, and after a short portion of dwarf birch shrubs the trees ended. I now had a very nice view of the valley below, and turning my gaze up the slope I decided to follow the small ravine formed by the tributary brook that comes from Buokkek rather than entering Slihtavágge proper.

I did so, passing a few places where some care needed to be taken, and while I was climbing I also noted something that looked like rain to the north, where there were also more clouds than where I was. Having reached the saddle between Buokkek and the intermediate rise between that mountain and Slihtavárre – or some distance above it – I sat down at 11:15 behind a large rock which offered full protection from the keen wind, bringing out my midday meal with a great outlook over the curiously confined lake Buojdes.

Going up

Looking back

Following a small ravine

Slihtavágge

Distant peaks

Another distant peak

Fierrovágge

Part of Sulidälbmá

More of Slihtavágge

More of Tarradalen

Tjuollda

Buojdes

The clouds that still hung over the higher peaks were gradually lifting, even though I observed a few snowflakes sailing in on the wind. I remained in the shelter of the rock for a long time, just looking at the beautiful land before me. Eventually I got up, leaving my pack behind and starting off on a short walk to the summit of Buokkek, following the eastern edge at first. When the wide areas of Badjelánnda came into view I revised my earlier interpretation of the northern "rain", changing it to "haze" instead; more low clouds were moving into the little pass of Bajep Buojdes close by. I went over the top itself on my way back, coming down west of my little campsite, which I had to locate from an unfamiliar direction.

Clouds over Darregájsse

Avian presence

Some reindeer...

...also about

Clouds leaving Darregájsse

Stájggá (notice small bird)

Slihtavárre

Clouds over Sulidälbmá

Panorama over southeastern Badjelánnda

Vuoksákvahta et al

Sivvátjåhkkå and Juŋgátjåhkkå

Stájggá and Tarradalen

Some more of Sulidälbmá

More clouds had appeared in the sky, but they were all high and of the fair-weather type. I picked up the pack and then departed, following the length of the uneven ridge to the top of Slihtavárre, which offered nice panorama views in all directions. From there I turned down towards Slihtavágge, walking on nice grassland and feeling warm despite the wind. I crossed upper Slihtajåhkå easily above a larger pool, after which I went up the slope on the other side at an angle, rounding the steeper part. It was getting less stony all the while, and when I was nearing the crest the sun passed into a cloud and the wind subsided. I never went up onto the actual summit, instead passing south of it and then starting to descend into the next dell. Getting across its central stream was a very easy affair just below a tarn, and then I went outwards to a weakly defined edge overlooking Tarradalen.

Darregájsse free of cloud

Låptåtjåhkkå

Vallespiken all white

Clouds still touching Bårdde

Tsahtsa

Tjuollda with Bårdde behind

Looking towards Badjelánnda

The hilly landscape east of Sarek

Panoramas from Slihtavárre: west to northwest...

...north to east...

...and southeast to southwest

Jiegŋáffo rising

Down in Slihtavágge: west...

...and east

Ascending out of the valley

Bårdde in the clear

Other Sarekkian peaks

More of Bårdde

Tarradalen coming into view again

Closeup of Bårdde

Tjuollda and Sarek

Going down again

I followed this edge in on-and-off sunlight; now veils had started stretching across the sky behind the cumuli. After a while the terrain changed to more up-and-down and the low vegetation increased in size and complexity. I wound my way to the brink of Såmmárgårsså, from where I traced a very faint... well, trace down through the woodland; the slope was sheer and going was difficult, especially due to the ubiquitous grass which offered little in the way of friction. I had a slip or two, but mostly the descent went well, and when the inclination grew less I found my own way, passing across the slope into a region of more shrubs and the like. A suddenly appearing precipice of the smaller variety posed some minor problems, but soon I emerged onto a mire, and shortly thereafter I reached the "camping ground" just beside the cottage at 15:15.

Panorama over Tarradalen from the vicinity of Såmmárgårsså

Looking down at Darrhaädno

Down Tarradalen

Narrow Såmmárgårsså

Some ferns

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