It starts with an awfully long train trip. The train is 2 hours late, but SJ have buses prepared for everyone. Nikkaluokta greets a full bus of over 40 people with sun and clear sky. Autumn colors are already prevailing - yellow, orange, red, occasional green. The winding trail offers beautiful views of hills showing above the birch trees. The still waters of lakes small and big mirror everything to make it twice as colorful. People pass by me and I pass by others. We walk together with some for a while, and then with others. A stop at LapDänalds, where a lot of people take the boat to save 1 hour of walking. I decide to save 250 SEK. After 5 hours in a steady pace, I am at the mountain station. Time for dinner and shortly after that - bed, as a long day awaits. 5 in the morning and I am up. Quick preparation of the backpack and we're off at 5:30 - a group of about 20 Swedes and 1 Bulgarian. The first sunlight shines over the hills. Higher peaks are still in clouds, shy to show themselves to us. The trail starts flat and it's breakfast time right before the steep slopes begin. As we make our way up, clouds scatter and we get a really wonderful view of Duolbagorni. The trail turns into a path across stones and creeks. An occasional mist engulfs what's ahead, but after that sun prevails again. The best weather we can get here, the Swedes explain. Up and down across boulders and pebbles, here we are at the wind shelter below the top. It's lunch time, and soon we are off for the south peak. At this height, it's clouds and wind. Suddenly, a snow pile appears right in front of us - the south peak. A steep climb, but we're there. There's really not enough room for everyone up there and the wind is strong enough that after a photo or two, you are back down on the rocks. The way down is kind of tedious - stone after stone, you make your careful steps. Weather is going worse and no sun shines through the clouds. At 17:30 we are back at the station. There's nothing better than a beer in a sauna after such a long walk. The next day the weather is bad (clouds and rain), but I decide to go to Tarfalastugan, as it would be rather boring to spend the whole day in the station. It starts well down the valley of the river, but as the trail goes higher and into the clouds, you can barely see everything. There's no one around but the rocks and they tend to look really creepy in fog. Twice I get back to check if I am on the right way, with the help of the map. Two Swedes accompany me for a while, but afraid of getting lost, head back to the mountain station. Almost on the verge of getting back, the buildings of the hut appear as a mirage in front of me. It's warm inside, but after a chat with the hut warden I need to head back. Wind is blowing against me, making me all wet. I get a faster pace and not long after I'm back down in the valley, where it's drier and not so depressing. Back in the hut, there's nothing better that a sauna with a beer after such a wet walk. Like it or not, it's time to get back to Nikkaluokta. With a slow pace and a lot of stops for photos, I walk down the trail, stopping for a reindeer hamburger. It's cloudy, but the rain waited for me to reach Nikkaluokta before pouring itself over. It's time for another long train trip. Overwhelmed with everything I've seen, I fall asleep, dreaming of stones and creeks, valleys and peaks, birches and lakes, and a white reindeer.
If you want to see some pictures from my trip you are welcome to simply click on the link bellow:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.111785412259075.14227.100002828507977&l=54a36a1405&type=1
