A set off at nine. I stroll around at the tent site in the beautiful weather. Photographing lichens on rocks, no clue about what they are called, and blueberries on the ground. Now that I am well-educated, I try to study the difference between bilberry and blueberry. Blueberries has leaves with sawteeths and green branches. Lichens I do not know much about, only that they are a partnership between fungi and algae. Beautiful they are. Just before lunch, I stroll back towards the bridge.

A person is walking on the trail from Ritsem at Staloluokta, he seems familiar. It is my friend K. Nice to see him. He met with A earler, so he know that I am here. We have lunch before he continues. Follow him a bit on the trail. He asks me to call J when I come back to Kvikkjokk and say that everything is fine. I leave him where the trail pass the rapids in Kieddejåkkå. Every time I passed here on the trail, I thought that I should go out and study the rapids. Now I take the opportunity to do it. It is not so far away.

I have to struggle though a 50 meter wide strip of male-high willows and marshes. After that it is a short distance across a heath. Then I stand by my long-awaited goal. It is powerful. There are no major falls, but the rapids are long. I sit down and enjoy the rapids and the view of Virihaure. Time passes, storm clouds starts to hide the sun. Time to return and get the helicopter back tonight. I fight my way back through the willow. One bad step, and my bad back is screaming. Walk up on a hill with a view of cliffs and the rapids over its entire length, behind it rise the mountains Alatjåkkå. Another of my goals, which I have not reached yet. Walk slowly to Staloluokta. On a footbridge rests a beautiful dragonfly. Quivering the wings and it flies away gracefully.

In the cottage I am talking about old men in the mountains with the company of three. They tell about the powerful drink some old men drank each day, vitamin C effervescent, gin, and mountain water. It kept them going. Something for me with my ailments, all I have but gin. The back feels bad, the willow struggle was probably not so good. The company of three is partying with whiskey.

The Danish couple with two children, who were in the same boat as A from Kvikkjokk, is also waiting for the evening's helicopter. In the meantime, they have a school lecture with the children. Clouds thickens. There is a drizzle when we are waiting for the helicopter, which is on time. A tour in sunset  just below the clouds. The children love looking out. Trying to find K's tents. He should camp at the bridge over Pållaurjåkkå. Perhaps I see it, take a picture of the area. (K said later that it is not his tent as I thought). We fly over Fästajaure, down over the river Riggåivejåkkå to Tarraluoppal. I can see the place where we camped in 2003 near the river. From Tarraluoppal we this time take the way over the lake to Puoites into Tjuoltvagge. In the drizzle, I see Tjuoltakårså. Mountain birch trees start to get their automn palette.

From the helicopter pad, it is a boring asphalt hiking to the mountain station. Hard surface for my back. Get room number 8. After a simple supper, I have a beer and potatoes chips in the lookout "Utkiken". Have a nice chat with hikers and the boatman. Outside it's raining, it is pouring down. Kamajåkkå rumbles, the volume is growing, soon it roar.

Links