Sitojaure - Bastavagge - Snavvavagge - Rapadalen - Skierfe -
Aktse
There is enough people moving around in the valleys to produce
trails in the most frequented parts, and there are also reindeers
roaming inside the park, making their own trails. Sometimes the
tracks crisscross each other and it is difficult to decide which
ones to follow, and occasionally they disappear altogether, to
resurface again somewhere ahead.
Our journey begins with a boat ride from the Sitojaure cabins
up to Rinim, a Saami camp at the northwest corner of the Sitojaure-lake.
The distance is about 15 kilometers.
Maybe a few words of advice, and off we go. We are now inside
the National Park.
Bastavagge-valley ahead. The first 3 kilometers are quite easy
to walk on a grassy plain.
When we enter into the valley the terrain gets a bit rocky and
steeper.
Some parts are little bit greener. At this point we have climbed
about 100 meters starting at the beginning of the valley. Here
the trail goes up and down small ravines.
If you are concerned about not to wet your shoes, and changing
into wading gear is not an option, then some of these streams
could pose a serious challenge.
Looking back, the scenery has been a little different for some
time now. Large, barren piles of stones and gravel.
Here we have passed the highest point of the valley at about 1000
meters, and now the trail is going downwards again for a while.
Five kilometers later we will be 200 meters lower.
At the end of Bastavagge-valley we start our u-turn left and wade
over to the other side of the creek, if we haven't already, and
enter an absolutely lovely, grassy hillside with a fantastic scenery
with valleys, peaks and glaciers. Here the nature is really doing
it's best to make you feel good.
The Bielavallda plain. After having carried back packs up and
down small, stony ravines for two days, this is really like entering
the gates of heaven.
Here we have left the upper parts of the grassy plain behind us,
and entered the southern slopes. In the photo it may deceivable
look like a pleasant walk, but here we need to wade thru knee
deep willow, possibly with gnats and mosquitoes.
Imagine a trail following this mountainside, and up to the valley
at the upper left corner. That's where we are going.This could
be the most cumbersome part of the hike.
The beginning of Snavvavagge, a small valley at an elevation of
about 1000 meters.
The edge of Snavvavagge seen from a slightly different angle.
Rapa-valley and Rahpajåhkå 300 meters below.
Here we are standing at the above mentioned edge looking northwest,
the direction we came from.
Snavvavagge. From here we can climb peaks on both sides of the
valley to get an even grander view of the glacier dotted alpine
area around us.
Here we are looking south from the other end of the 3 kilometer
long Snavvavagge. The 1591 meter pyramid-shaped peak of Stuor
Skoarkki is looking back at us. From here we are going to descend
down to the river.
This is a popular route among hikers, and a pronounced trail has
evolved. Bielloriehppe in the background.
This is one of the steepest parts of the trail. Nothing extremely
difficult to get worried about, but the loose gravel makes this
a slippery slope.
Down by the river, white-birches and herbs now edge the trail,
giving us a different, greener experience of Swedish Lapland.
This is a very park-like environment. An easy to walk path winding
between miniature trees up and down hillocks, right by the river.
And a few large rocks thrown in for good measure.
A few kilometers of very easy to hike trail. As flat as it gets.
It is necessary to cross a couple of small, but very deep, ditches
though. Depends on the water levels how big of a nuisance that
could be.
Soon after we have left the riverside and gone into the forest
again, there is a little bit wider stream to be forded. If it
has rained recently, there could be water everywhere. A pair of
long shafted boots should be enough for us to clear this one.
A nice horsetail forest.
Here we have to change into our wading gear. A pair of sneakers
and tucked up trousers will do fine.
Two hundred meters above the river. There is a trail to follow
at the beginning, but soon it will disappear.
We shouldn't see many other hikers up here, if any. We could walk
on this soft surface of blueberries and crowberries, or a little
higher without any vegetation.
Lulep vassjajågåsj. If we chose earlier to hike down
on the greener area, then this is where we are going to ford this
stream. There shouldn't be any problems.
This is going to burn some calories. 300 meters of elevation in
1 kilometer.
On the high lands between Alep Spadnek and Suorkitjåhkkå.
The table mountain straight ahead is Tjahkkelij. This is a very
nice part to hike, here at an altitude of about 1100 meters.
It feels good to be alive.
Little by little the stones start to invade our trail..
...and before long, we'll find ourselves in a stone desert.
We have now reached Skierfe, and have turned our heads towards
northwest to look back at the mountains where we just hiked. The
stony terrain in the photos above is right behind the first mountain
3 kilometers away.
The 400 meter vertical steep of Skierfe is a well known landmark
of Sarek. In the picture above this one, we are very near the
top. Have a look at more photos from Skierfe.
There is a marked trail between Skierfe and Aktse. Now we are
only a few descending kilometers away from finishing our hike.
This is the rock that has given the name to the home stead Aktse.
Aktse means "nine" in Saami, and it derives from the
story that the home stead owners killed a total of nine bears
close to this rock. With rifles or spears. We are now outside
the national park.
Aktse. After 10 days of close contact with nature, it is time
again to enter the ordinary world. A helicopter transfer will
take us to the Saltoluokta mountain station from here. We'll stay
one night in Saltoluokta,
have a farewell dinner in the restaurant and a good scrubbing
up in the sauna.
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