Kärkevagge, or Geargevaggi in the local same language, is suitable
for an excursion for a day or half a day. The name means the stony valley,
a name that describe it perfectly. I have visited this interesting valley
twice, in 1987 and 1988. Many do this excursion, and it also the
reason why we (me and my girlfriend) this day in August 1988 get off the
train at the Låktatjåkka stop. The train do not stop unless
one tell the train personnel in advance that one want to get off. The weather
is perfect, which means sunshine, a comfortable temperature, and a refreshing
wind. The forecast promised it to stay like this all day. Kärkevagge
is a 5 km long valley, with a dead end at a small lake, Rissajavri which
is also called the "Troll lake" (Trollsjön). The valley is known for
the many giant stone boulders, that the ice during the latest glacial period
spread around in the valley.
We slowly walk up the slope towards the valley. Many flowers do their
best to emphasize the feeling of nature when it is from it's best.
If one turn around and look towards north do one see a far reaching view
consisting of small lakes and with the mountains of the national park Vadvetjåkka
at the horizon. We are of course not alone, several others have the same
goal as us today. Kärkevagge is a popular place for an excursion,
and the track is well used all the way to the lake. The line of people
walking up the slope to the entry of the valley stretch out, it is a height
difference of 200 meters during 1 km, and everybody walk in their own pace.
We are soon alone. Halfway up do the track we follow divide, one part turn
left and continue up to the Låktatjåkka cabin, the other one
which we follow continue towards the valley of our interest.
When we have walked up the slope do the valley appear in front of us.
Large stones are scattered around in the valley, some lie down, some are
standing up, there is no order at all. When the track turn behind
one particularly large boulder, do we see a flower we have not seen here
before. I lie down on the ground, I do not realise that I do it across
the track, to take a photo. Hidden as I am behind the stone do a man and
a woman almost step on me as they turn around the stone. They avoid it
in the last fraction of a second. It was probably meant to be like this,
since he is fortunately working with botany and can tell us that the flower
is an alpine saw-wort (fjällskära in swedish), a relative to
the dandelion. We excuse me for being an obstacle on the track and thank
them for their understanding and information.
The track continue to wind between the stones. The ground suddenly start
to shake, we can hear a thunder. Earthquake up here!? Can't be! It can
not be a thunderstorm either, the clouds that rest on the mountains along
the sides of the valley are not of the correct type. Do the mountains fall
down? We stand still and wait. Klippedeklippedeklick, the explanation,
a large herd of reindeers appear at full speed, spread out around us, ignore
us, and disappear. Silence.
The valley is not long, only about 5 km, and it do not take a long time
to reach the small lake at the end, Rissajavri. The mountains form a wall
around the lake, most pronounced on the right side. The left side may be
possible to walk up on. The outlet from the lake is hidden under ground,
and do not appear until after some hundred meters. It is said that one
can see more than 30 meters down into the lake, the lake is almost sterile
and without the small particles that normally decrease the depth of sight.
The depth of sight is roughly the depth of the lake. Today we can not see
that deep, the wind disturbs the surface too much. We eat our lunch at
the lake. We have walked slowly, all the others have already left the lake
and returned the same way back, leaving us alone together with the lake.
When we finally walk back do we have all the valley in front of us. There
is a large grassy flat area, a contrast to the rest of the valley of stones.
This is created by floods from the mountain side. We make the return more
interesting by taking a long break in the sunshine and the green grass
halfway back to train stop.
If one have time can one, instead of taking the train back from the
Låktatjåkka stop, walk up to the Låktatjåkka cabin,
and from there down to Björkliden. This is 16 km extra, which makes
it more suitable for a (long) one day excursion. When I was here 1987 did
I do these 16 km extra. It turned out to be a very long day. From Kärkevagge
do one walk on the flowering slope eastward, with the same nice view towards
north, until one meet the track that further down join the track to Kärkevagge
and now follow the brook Luoktajohka through the valley that lead up to
the cabin at 1150 m.
The track is broad, it remind me about walking in the alps. I walk alone
without meeting anybody. At the bridge over the brook, do I make a halt
for lunch. Suddenly is there a strong wind, it takes my hiking hat
and gently drops it into the streaming water, that rapidly carries it away.
Since the hat is a very dear thing to me, do I make a new world record
on 100 meter, and manage to rescue it before it dissappear down in between
the stones in the brook. I put it back on my head, happy but wet. Me and
it will soon get dry in the sunshine. It is really a nice weather, and
one can see the flat peaks of the mountains around the valley, the peaks
are about 1400 meters high.
Further up, before reaching the cabin, do the track become almost invisible
among the rocks. The cabin is placed on the saddle point beneath the Luoktacohkka
mountain. In the cabin is a small restaurant that among other things serve
waffles. I sit down at the window and order one. A good fuel for the body
before starting the descend to Björkliden, 9 km away and 800 meters
downhill. The first part is on a large snow field, I miss my skis. Further
down does it get warmer, and I'm sweating which makes a few mosquitos to
like me very much. On another snow field on one of the mountain slopes
are many reindeers escaping the mosquitos and trying to get some cooling.
The valley is wide open, and in the north do the lake Torne Träsk
show up. It is getting late and get I worried that I will miss the last
train. I speed up, and when I pass the hotel Fjället in Björkliden
do I almost run. I arrive at the railway station just in time for last
train back to Abisko. My legs are very tired. |
Geargevaggi
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