Mårma revisited

I get up late. Like most days. My legs hurt and I needed that sleep. Had to use earplugs because the river was so loud. “Maybe I’ll take a day off at Visttas”, I keep thinking. But once I started hiking I felt strong and energetic. I could have also taken an easier route, just up Visttasvággi and then through Unna Allakas somehow over to Abisko (without Kungsleden???) or to Riksgränsen? Or maybe Norway even? … too complicated and I feel strong enough to take the steep pass. When I arrive at Visttasstugan the host is doing their chores, a friendly woman tells me. I notice a small box with freeze dried food. “Oh-oh” I think already. I go search for the host and she lets me know that there is no shop anymore and all they have are a handful freeze-dried meals to chose from. Okay. Gotta get going then, I guess. I buy one package as an additional dinner, if I keep going I might be left with some energy bars as breakfast for the last day in case I don’t make it all the way to Abisko tomorrow. “Fill in the guestbook” she advises, “the pass is steep and not totally free from dangers, this way we know who you are and your itinerary”. I concur.
The trail is wet but marked. I knew that already. It’s marked until it isn’t. I discover cairns just to lose them again. The way to the pass is steep and long. I’m sweating. At least yesterday’s sweat isn’t with me anymore. Weather changes. What started as a humid, warm and sunny day turned into sth gray with occasional cold drizzle. “Please don’t make it too slippery!”, my shoes are crap when it’s wet. You might as well just put bars of soap under your feet. Just before the pass I lose my beloved cairns again. GPS tells me I’m on the trail, heading the right way. But there it’s boulders and not just rocks. The size of SUVs. That can’t be the trail. And if so they are out of their mind. And now I remember, five years ago I came down far to the east from where I’m now. I also circumvented that hill I just came from. Much easier. I’m bummed. I look for a better path to the right and after a while I find cairns again. Easy! When it gets really steep I think “it’s not that steep after all” and go for what looks like scrambling. I regret soon but then it’s too late. I scramble my way up and over the pass. Just when I’m past the highest point I see one hiker, two, three, four! And a dog! Is this a party up here? Only one of them greets me, not the cute guy that came first. Bummer. I’m warned “take it slow on the way down, it’s steep!”. “Yes, yes, I know!”. To people who have been to the alps or similar it’s not that steep after all. And it’s easy to find a zigzag route down. The way to the cabin (under renovation) is well marked and from there even with red paint. Easy!
I meet some Germans “how far do you want to go, there are great tent spots just around the corner”. Well, what I don’t do today I have to do tomorrow and I’m running out of food. So I torture myself and do another 5km or so until I find a great place to camp. I pitch my tent the wrong way so I keep rolling off my pad the whole night. Also I needed earplugs again. Well, well.Read more