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Sarek 1987
Ritsem - Sjnjuftjutis - Ruotesvagge - Sierkavagge - Ritsem, 60 km
Day1: 28 July, Ritsem - Vuojatätno, 4 km
It is late afternoon. The bus turn left down to the small harbour in Ritsem. We have after a short discussion decided not to stay at Ritsem over the night, but to take the afternoon boat to Änonjalme. From there walk the four kilometers to Vuojatätno. We started our journey at nine yesterday morning, it is now five in the afternoon. We still feel fresh and the weather is good, the reasons for the decision. The lake Akkajaure is part of a water power plant, i.e. it is regulated. Therefore are the shores dead, visible especially this time of the year. In Änonjalme is the dead part hundred meter long. Ugly, energy is needed. The varying water level require moveable landing stages. We get our equipment and struggle up to the "true" shore. Änonjalme consists of a few houses, used by the lapps during summertime, and spread out in the area. In the distance can we hear a dog bark.Day2: 29 July, Vuojatätno - Sjnuftjutisjåkkå, 9 km
I do not like bridges which vibrate when you walk in them. This is one of those. I get dizzy, the balance is not the best. Prefer to walk alone on it, then the bridge is more peaceful. We walk one by one. The sign on the bridge say that at most two persons should be on the bridge at the same time. On the other side is a thirty meter high steep slope, feels more with 25 kg on the back. The view of Vuojatätno is an excuse to take a break on the top. I have always liked the view and sound of streaming water. Now we have a few kilometers through a birch forest. Not really a forest, the birches are small and sparse. We pass the brook from Akka, the small brideg is broken and looks dangerous to use. The brook is almost empty, we walk through it. Then we must start looking for the small track towards Sjnuftjutisjauratj the small lake between Akka and the hill Sjnuftjutis. The track is not marked on the map, but I roughly remember where it is from last year, when we walked in the other direction. Somebody has laid out stones on the ground, in the shape of an arrow, where the track is. We do not miss it.Day3: 30 July, Sjnuftjutisjåkkå - North Ruotesvagge, 5 km
The morning is late today. We walk slowly down the slope to where Suottasjåkkå from Kukkesvagge in the east meet Niakjåkåtj from Ruotesvagge in the south. Here they get a common name, Sjnuftjutisjåkkå. It disappears in the west to meet Vuojatätno. The clouds are high up, behind are the peaks of Akka seen. In front of us is now the river Suottasjåkkå. We have to cross it to reach Ruotesvagge. At the shore do we hesitate for a moment, the river is wide and the water swift, but it does not seem deep. We try without switching to fording shoes. What a mistake, it get suddenly deep in the middle of it. Where we stand in the water does it happen to be a large flat stone nearby. We crawl up on it. Niak (1922), the steep mountain at the corner between Kukkesvagge and Ruotesvagge, laugh at us. Didn't you see that it was deep? We take of boots and trousers and ford barefooted. There is no danger, but it is not comfortable to walk on stones without shoes. To lazy to unpack our fording shoes. The water is cold.Day4: 31 July, North Ruotesvagge - Ruotesvaratj, 5 km
We sleep well. The morning is grey, humid, and no wind. For the first time do we have mosquitos as our guests. This will be a short day, our goal is the hill Ruotesvaratj (1004) five kilometers away, in the middle of the valley. We expect a 360 degree view from the top of it. We have no hurry, after lunch do we leave our temporary home together with our guests. The east side of the valley is an unbroken wall of mountain, empasized by the cloud ceiling. The clouds hide the peaks. We pass the brook from Niakvagge, through this valley is it possible to walk up on Niak (1922). Not today, to cloudy. In the west is the landscape more open, with the valley Sierkavagge between Kisuris (1664) in north and the low mountain region of Låutak. South of Låutak are the higher mountains of Ruotes. The few kilometers to Ruotesvaratj pass by quickly and effortless. North of the hill are small rills and ponds.The rills have their origin from the lake Ruotesjauratj, southeast of the hill. We place the tent at a brook that join from the mountains in the east. The rain start to fall, and we give up our evening excursion. Make a short tour in the surroundings, wet. Stay most of the evening in the tent, reading a book.Day5: 1 August, Ruotesvaratj - Ruotesvaratj, 4 km
It rain the whole night, and all of the morning. We prepare the lunch, blueberry soup and sandwiches. The soup we put in one Thermos, in another one coffee. When the rain change into a drizzle are we prepared to visit Ruotesvaratj. Equipped with lunch, coffee, camera, and rain suits do we start towards the hill one kilometer away. Cross the small rills, enter a grassy area and reach soon the slope up to the top. With no effort are we on the top, there are no steep slopes. Ten minutes later at the south "viewpoint", do we have our lunch. Drizzle and chilly, the soup is warming. In the east is the mountains of Sarektjåkkå (about 2000m), below it the lake Ruotesjauratj. Ruotesvagge disappear in the south, behind Påisatjåkkå (1726). To the right is the glacier Ruotesjekna, with it's many rills that start their way as Smailajåkkå to the south. Many years ago was the mountain Ruotestjåkkå (1664) north of Ruotesjekna surrounded with glaciers, not so today.We move slowly to the north part of the hill. Niakjåkåtj guide the eye to where we came from yesterday. Somewhere should Akka be, it is partly hidden behind Niak and partly by clouds. From here should we be able to see our small home of today in the universe, a blue point. Time for coffee, and we try to find the blue point. There it is! To the right. The afternoon is leaving, evening coming. Time to return to our blue point. Thinking about blue points, we have not seen any such on the sky during these days. We take a different route back to the tent, follow the west side of Niakjåkåtj, the brook from Ruotesjauratj, to the small ponds where we cross the brook. Approaching the tent from north. We have brought with us a small amount of cognac, we taste it with the coffee.
Day6: 2 August, Ruotesvaratj - Sierkavagge, 9 km
We follow our footstpes of yesterday, cross the brook at the ponds. Try to keep the direction towards the jetlike extension southward of Kisuris, and not to loose height. The best way to reach the east entrance of the valley Sierkavagge. First one must pass the brooks from Låutak in the west, these are wide and shallow and give no problems. The weather is better today, one can almost see the peak of Kantberget (1857) on the other side of Ruotesvagge. Niak, the north outpost of Ruotesvagge, keep the hat on. From the entrance of Sierkavagge can look into Niakvagge, the small valley just south of Niak. It seems rather easy to walk up on Niak from this valley, further in is the glacier Niakjekna barely seen. Kantberget is also accessible from that valley.Day7: 3 August, Sierkavgge - Kisurisrieppejåkåtj, 8 km
Sierkavagge is one of the least mentioned valleys in Sarek. Probably sine it belongs more to the "flat land" of Padjelanta further west, than the alpine inner parts of Sarek. But I like the valley, though there is nothing special about it. It is peaceful. We sit outside the tent having our breakfast, and then the morning coffee, before we leave. In the west is the hill Luouto(1187), just in front of it is the border to Padjelanta. Here Sierkajåkkå change name to Spietjaujåkkå, and turn north. By then it has grown to be wide and full with water. First we pass the reindeerwardenhut (renvaktarstugan), on our map placed in the middle of the jåkk. In reality is it on the north side. These huts are used by the lapps for the reindeer farming. On the other side of Spietjaujåkkå are the reindeer fences. Where the jåkk turn north do we find a large area with many King Charles sceptre (Kung Karls Spira).Day8: 4 August, Kisurisrieppejåkåtj - Padjelanteden, 8 km
We did not have many hours of sleep during the night. Did all the time slide to the low end. Looking out do we see that dark grey clouds threaten with rain. It is still dry when we descend the slope down to Kisurisrieppejåkåtj. Since it is morning is there less water than yesterday evening, and we can easily cross it, and climb up on the other side. Here we sit down and study the wide delta which it form together with Spietjaujåkkå. On the opposite side can we see how the rain start to fall, rapidly moving towards us. Fascinating. It hit us with full strength. Rain suit on! We continue on the plateau north of Kisuris, the jåkk continue by its own. We have the wind from behind, which makes the rain less obstinate.Day9: 5 August, Padjelantaleden - Ritsem, 7 km
Thoroughly rested. The track takes us through the birch forest, interrupted by a few marshes. Wooden planks are laid out across the marshes. We pass the track that we took to Sjnuftjutis, and arrive at the brook from Akka. The small bridge is still broken, but now have the rain filled the brook. It is rather deep,and we have to ford it. The sound of the river Vuojatätno can be heard, we leave the track and walk to the slope down to the river. The bridge across is barely seen from up here. The weather improves, and when we reach the bridge do the sun show up.