We
wake up at seven, put as quite as possible our things together, we do not
want to disturb the man and his daughter. The breakfast do we eat at the
beach. When finished do we, as agreed, walk up to the house and knock on
the door. Now we learn from our hosts that three persons were killed
when an helicopter crashed into a mountain side when trying to rescue two
persons caught at Kebnekaise due to the bad weather. Terrible, our mishappening
feels as nothing in comparison. Today is it a beautiful day, and the boat
trip to Svine is enjoyable. The weather is nice, and the lake is calm.
After ten minutes do we get engine failure. We slowly drift on the lake,
while he tries to get it going again. Meanwhile we enjoy the views, this
part of the lake is surrounded by mountains. Around the lake grow a dense
birch forest, which is it difficult to penetrate, something we experienced
1986. Svine, where we arrive after half an hour, is the place at
Sitojaure from where Kungsleden go south to Aktse. We pay our driver 300
SEK per person for the trip, it might sound expensive but fuel and maintenance
is expensive and he is also going back empty. From a lapp cot comes loud
music, they sell smoked chark, but we are not hungry and continue through
the forest towards the plateau Njunjes. The track pass a few marshes, before
the ascend towards Martevaratj (939m), and we leave the forest. The last
part is rather steep, and with a small stony area. The reward is the far
reaching view towards north, Sitojaure and Autsutjvagge. From the
highest point of Njunjes and downwards do the view of Skierfe, Tjakkeli,
and the Laitaure delta appear. To the east do the eyes see far away over
meadows covered with gullris (goldenrod) and fjällfibbla.
Just before one enter the birch forest and then further down to Aktse,
sit some persons. They only thing they say is, oh oh how nice, beautiful.
What they mean is the view of Skierfe and the delta where the Rapa river
meet Laitaure.
From
here is also a track which one follow when walking up on Skierfe. We leave
our rucksacks and follow it for a kilometer to get a better view. On the
way back do we meet a german who has come here with his canoe, one may
use a canoe up to the border of Sarek. Beneath us is the homestead Aktse.
We fetch our rucksacks, and walk down through a denser and denser forest,
down to the hay meadows at the Aktse cabins. Many people lay in the grass
and enjoy the sunshine, a man use a primitive shower. It all give a feeling
of harmony. The nice hostess help us to find out how to get from Kvikkjokk
to Gällivare, this we need to know to plan the rest of the hike. At
the homestead,a few hundred meters from the cabins, do we buy smoked chark.
This we eat sitting in the meadow outside the cabin of the swedish natural
preservation foundation. Previous weekend did they have a hay-making day,
they try to preserve the meadow for the future. We walk the 500 meters
to the lake, where the boat across the lake leave at five thirty. The same
do two men that look like the Hill Billys as described in the book
about the Apalache trail that my friend read. They sit there for a while,
and then they walk back. It is us and a young couple in the boat. The driver
ask if anybody has seen a man who has not returned from Sarek after two
weeks, negative answer. Where the boat land is a shelter, here we set up
our tent, and take a bath in the lake before dinner. A rowing boat with
two men approach. We get neighbours fo the night. One of them realise that
he has forgotten is high-tech walking stick on the other side and row back
to fetch it. He get some passengers since some hikers show up just in time.
The sunset is fantastic. We sit on the landing stage admiring it. The sun
paints Skierfe and the mirror image in the lake red.
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