Thursday 17th June
5cm of snow lay outside my tent, but overnight the snow had died out leaving the weather dry with only occasional showers. I was now eager to head onwards. Today I would cross into Sweden after first visiting Katterat. A track headed northwards down Sørdalen to Katterat. It's a train station completely isolated from the road with only a 2 - 3 other dwellings and a hydroelectric power station occupiing the land.

The map showed no way of getting across the river I had just followed, but a signposted path to Katterjåkk and Bjørnfjell took me down the ravine and across a well contructed bridge across to the other side. The path has information posts at regular intervals telling people about the railways history. The principle function of the railway is to take Iron Ore from a mine in Kiruna down to Narvik where ships export the Ore to all parts of the world.

Rising up the other side of the valley, I left the trees and was back into the land of snow. The whole scene looked like a chilly Scottish December rather than a warm summer June. I eventually reached the frozen lake of Gatterjavri where an exhausting plod across old soft snow banks took me onto the Swedish Hiking Network. Despite being below the 700 metre mark, the snow was very extensive and a deep ....... exhausting ......................... plod! I descended down the path back into some more green and found a patch of grass next to the ski centre and just 2km short of the railway.

The showers this evening merged together into longer spells of rain and it didn't really stop until it was time for me to get up the next morning.

Friday 18th June
It was still cloudy, indeed I hadn't seen blue sky since Sunday evening! The showers still came on fairly frequently but became less and less intense. I continued down to the road. Apart from the straighter road and some signage, there was little to tell this part of Sweden apart from Norway. The architecture was practically identical to that in Norway. I walking beside the railway line from Katterjåkk to the ski resort of Riksgraånsen where I stocked up on food before heading north back into the wilderness.

Passing back from
Sweden into Norway -
a sign greeting
me at the border

The path was initially good, with planks across bogs and bridges across streams and hollows. The weather was drying up now and even brightening up a bit. The improvement in the sky however wasn't matched on the ground. The path rapidly thinned out and soon degenerated into snow crossings, moss covered boulder fields, tree roots and shrubs getting in my way and marshland along conspiring together to make for 6km of slow utter hell! After weaving around the lake of Balip Njuorajavri the path finally rose out of the shrubland into more cropped vegetation.

I branched off the Swedish path to intercept the path taking me back into Norway. The weather remained cloudy and as I gained altitude, a cold wind made its presence felt. The snow here lied a lot lower with large patches at 500m. Lakes at 450m still had ice remaining on them while lakes about 550m were frozen over.

I reached the Norwegian border. The "path" was nothing more than a series of cairns without any erosion showing the way. The cairns became more distant and I lost the path as I made a rising ascent across the slopes of Reavrrevauru. Eventually I intercepted the path as it reached a high point before descending down into the confluence of two streams. It was here that I camped and lovely it was too with a nice grassy patch and excellent view southward to the hills just visited. Again, some spots of rain began as I settled down into camp. The weather forcast was for much improvement.

Saturday 19th June
Finally, bits of blue sky appeared for the first time since Sunday. My intention was to continue on the path to Øse passing the summits of Beassetcohkka and Leigastinden. There was a fair bit of snow where my tent was at 580m but as I discovered, there was a lot more just a little higher up.

Looking southeast to the Rikgransen mountains

Snowy outlook west from the 820m highpoint towards Gussabavttit

The snowy summit of Beassetcohkka
seen from the southwest

My walk proceeded northwestwards below the slopes of the 1420m high summit of Beassetcohkka. By the time I reached 700m, I had 100% snow cover and quite a few more kilometers high up. I reached a saddle point at 820m and the westward view was spectacular - a very white plateau lay ahead of me. Large snowdrifts merged the slopes with the snow covered Lakes and with the cloud now breaking up, it was time to break open the suncream for the first time this trip!

Looking south to the Storsteinsfjellet group of mountains

It was only once I walked past Kubergvatnet's outlet at 684m did any significant patches of grass start reappearing. Given the warmth, the wet snow and the size of the stream's catchment area, the outflow from the lake was very slow. A line of cairns took me down to a confluence with another stream where the map showed the path as crossing the stream. I crossed the stream, but the path remained on the other side. There were odd cairns my side of this stream, but it was evident that the path had been 'moved'.

Footsteps along the shores of Kubergvatnet

Looking northwest to Leigastinden seen from near Kubergvatnet

Looking across Bukkedalen to the snowy tops of Bukkefjellet and Rivtind

I descended into thin birch forest into Bukkedalen, a beautiful valley, where I met the main river. Of course because I wasn't on the "path" anymore, there was no bridge crossing it. So I chose the widest point on the river and got my feet wet crossing it. The crossing was easy, the water never more then shin deep. Once on the other side, I intercepted the main path - where there was actually a faint path now.

Looking upto the head of Bukkedalen

Næverfjellet seen from Bukkedalen

Looking up Grasdalen towards Grasvatnet

I walked down to the confluence with the Grasdalen river where a bridge took me across the torrent below - thank god for the bridge! I was now on my way up to the Lake of St Leigasvatnet. Upon reaching the crest of the plateau, the sight before me was outstanding! Despite the lake being at a lowly 576m, the Lake was completely covered over in snow. More amazing still, the outlet at it's eastern end flowed straight into a huge cave.

Leigasvatnet seen from the rim of the valley near to its outlet

Looking back to a panorama of Rivtind, Bukkefjellet and Beassetcohkka

The path passed along the north shore of this lake below Leigastinden (1332) - where a large cornice rimmed the top of the summit. The slopes by the shore were gentle with just patchy snow. However the cornice, 750m above, felt menacing - would it break away? I just had to walk a bit quicker, however the sight of avalanche debris ON THE LAKE was a little worrying.

Along the shores of Leigasvatnet

Camp photo, me looking a little tanned

Midnight sun shining on Beassetcohkka

The last bit of the lake shore was quite steep for a short section but once past it, all I had to do was find a camp spot. The sky remained clear all afternoon with stunning views - especially across to Narvik but tonight was even more stunning when I got out to photograph the mountains bathed in Midnight sunshine.

Sunday 20th June
With an easterly wind picking up and cirrus cloud marching in, it seemed like the good weather would be all over pretty soon. I got a move on, and continued down the path to Øse. Above the treeline, the path deviated again and it didn't seem to want to go down, I reached the last cairn and couldn't see the next cairn so I stopped wasting time can made my own way down to the road. The forest was thin and so getting to the road was easy.

Looking down Labergsdalen - the direction I was headed for

Looking southwest towards Herjangsfjord and beyond

The snowcapped summit of Nonstinden seen from Øse

This was the E6 - the only road connecting the north of Norway with the south. It was busy enough but nearly as busy as the A roads in England. I didn't hang around, I proceeded on a westward track that took me round Øsevatnet to the start of the path that would show the way to the next road. The path wasn't marked on the map, but I did my homework and knew it existed in real life. The "path" wasn't so much a path as a series of red paint marks going through a forest. Often the path would follow an old cart track but that was often lost in the bog fields.

The path descended into Labergsdalen before deviating from the cart track to ascend into the hanging valley of Beadvalahku. Here the fun began, it was not straight forward. I followed paint marks up a steep slope with cliffs ahead and low sunshine. When I could not go up any further I looked across a gulley to see the next paint mark. NO WAY! I wasn't going there, the grips on my boots were complaining so after much hesitation I turned back - facing the prospect of abandoning my walk.

The way up to Beadvalahku from Labergsdalen

But as I descended I look across the slope to see a big red 'T'. Another Way! I investigated, this route wasn't well marked but went much closer to the tumbling river. I ascended steep grass slopes again, getting my axe out for peace of mind. Once cliffs barred the way up, I slowly edged right towards the ravine - not knowing what was round the corner. The way ahead was now clear & easy right next to the river and then up a steep snow bank. This short section of slope saw me waste 2 hours trying to find the safest route.

Looking back towards Leigastinden from Øsevatnet

The lake of Beadvajavri looking towards the peaks beyond Herjangsfjord

Dudalstinden and its glacier seen from my tent

Despite early warning cloud, the weather remained fine but now showers threatened to spoil the day. It remained fine for me as I walked south along the valley amongst spectacular peaks to camp at lake Beadvajavri. The camp was superb with a great view across Herjangsfjorden to the Narvik mountains. The surrounding showers died down and a great night prevailed.