28th day, Pieskehaure–Vaimok

The wind whistles in the chimney. Through the window, I can see the Sulitjelma glaciers. Kvikkjokk, which at first seemed impossibly far away, now feels very close. I’ve tried many times to imagine what it would feel like to finally get there, but I still can’t. Probably a little different from just driving there by car.

At first, the sun is shining, but ahead of me, behind a brooding mountain, a dark purple cloud is already rising. The wind sways the grasses in front of the cloud. I get caught up in picking cloudberries again. Behind me, rain sweeps across the open landscape in bursts. I manage to walk about five kilometers being dry. The lake shimmers an azure blue through the rainy haze until the cloud swallows everything. Me included, of course.

Most of the time, I have to climb upwards in short, steep bursts. Sometimes it’s boggy, sometimes there are streams to cross. The Germans had promised there would be a bridge, but there’s none to be seen, only some small bridges elsewhere. In short, today is not a day when my toes will stay dry.

Boulder fields begin. The rocks are covered with nice lichen patterns, but scrambling over them is still challenging and sometimes slippery. The ascent, however, isn’t as brutal as the elevation profile had suggested. Better weather approaches from the Norwegian side.

From above, I can already see the hut in the distance, but getting down to it takes time, it’s slippery. I’m also slightly worried about the roaring river with its impressive waterfalls between me and the hut, and no bridge in sight. Before reaching the lake, the river splits into several branches, and the trail markers lead me through a labyrinth of rocks, water and bushes. One of the strangest fords so far.

The hut warden is already waiting with a glass of juice and questions me thoroughly about both my route and my gear.

Although the Vaimok hut is one of the least visited in Sweden, today there’s a Swedish family, a Belgian family, and a lone Swedish guy staying here. I get a ten-bed room all to myself. In the kitchen cupboard, I find a packet of oats. Together with the dried berries I bought back in Láddejåhkå, that solves my breakfast problem for the next two days. My trail runners, however, are starting to show signs of falling apart.

Vaimok Lake is said to have the clearest water in all of Sweden. The stones on the lake bottom are as visible as anywhere.

Today: 20 km.