Day 1: Gränsleden Ritsem – Sievgok
Finally back in the north!
At 14 o’clock we finally start our tour!
We take the road towards Sitasjaure and soon turn left to Gränsleden, which is hard to miss with a big sign. Today’s stage takes us to the Sievgok resting hut, where we will pitch our tent. According to our plan this is 8 kilometres, we expect to be there in 3 – 4 hours.
We take the road towards Sitasjaure and soon turn left to Gränsleden, which is hard to miss with a big sign. Today’s stage takes us to the Sievgok resting hut, where we will pitch our tent. According to our plan this is 8 kilometres, we expect to be there in 3 – 4 hours.
The path is, at least here at the beginning, well marked and well beaten. The four-coloured wooden plates can also be seen from a distance. It goes, at first steeply and then more leisurely, by light birch forest, past many small lakes and swamps. The view back towards Ritsem and Akkajaure is also impressive.
We enjoy the view of the river Akkajaure, the Áhkká with its many peaks and glaciers and the first reindeer. Juhuuuuu, finally we are here again!
Die ersten Rentiere!, © Markus Proske — Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM, 300mm, 1/640s, Blende 5.6, ISO 640
Zwei neugierige Rentiere blicken zwei schwer bepackten Wanderern entgegen, © Markus Proske — Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM, 300mm, 1/500s, Blende 5.6, ISO 125We meet two Swedes and two German day hikers as well as a hiker who hiked here from Abisko, so he is close to his destination. They all rave about the beautiful landscape, the autumn colours and the beautiful weather that has prevailed over the last few days. Well, that’s how it could stay 🙂
Also today it is warm and sunny and we walk short sleeved.
Also today it is warm and sunny and we walk short sleeved.
Lustwandler Panorama: Ein Klick öffnet das Bild und man kann sich umsehen!
Akkajaure mit Áhkká und Rautåive, © Markus Proske — Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM, 35mm, 1/80s, Blende 8, ISO 160
After a short break (the backpack is quite heavy) we enjoy the view, the landscape and the life with salami, crispbread and Twix, then we go on.
“Are we soon there?” 😉
The answer: unfortunately no. Once again we recognize that training hikes on forest paths in Austria (with the same high weight of our backpacks) are not comparable with the conditions in the Fjäll. It’s funny that we underestimate this again and again. Actually not so funny at all.
It is a constant uphill and downhill, a lot of mud and wetness, stones, rocks. We stop more often to enjoy, to look for reindeer in the distance, to take pictures and to smile at one another. It’s sooo great up here!
The answer: unfortunately no. Once again we recognize that training hikes on forest paths in Austria (with the same high weight of our backpacks) are not comparable with the conditions in the Fjäll. It’s funny that we underestimate this again and again. Actually not so funny at all.
It is a constant uphill and downhill, a lot of mud and wetness, stones, rocks. We stop more often to enjoy, to look for reindeer in the distance, to take pictures and to smile at one another. It’s sooo great up here!
Soon we leave the birch trees behind us, welcome to the Fjäll! We cross the slope of the Stuor Sievgok at about 800 m altitude and then walk downhill to the resting hut.
Am Hang des Stuor Sievgok, Querung auf ca. 800m Höhe, © Markus Proske — Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM, 20mm, 1/60s, Blende 8, ISO 200Lustwandler Panorama: Ein Klick öffnet das Bild und man kann sich umsehen!
Die letzten Meter im Abstieg zum Rastplatz Sievgok; links der Ruotjajávrre, rechts der Sievgokjávrre, © Markus Proske — Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM, 35mm, 1/80s, Blende 8, ISO 1600
For the 8 kilometres we finally need 6 hours and at 8 o’clock – it is already quite dark – we finally put up our tent.
The resting hut is actually only a weather protection with a table and two benches, as you can see on the picture. We eat, meanwhile wrapped up warmly, in the resting hut and then we quickly get into the warm sleeping bag.
The resting hut is actually only a weather protection with a table and two benches, as you can see on the picture. We eat, meanwhile wrapped up warmly, in the resting hut and then we quickly get into the warm sleeping bag.
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