MyWanderfulLife
  • Home
  • About
  • NPL Diary
  • Long Distance Hikes
  • Day Hikes
  • Gear
  • Hiking with Dogs
  • Deutsch
MyWanderfulLife
MyWanderfulLife - Trekking Stories | Outdoors with Dogs | Tour Planning
Gränsleden

Hiking in Lapland – Day 13: Gálavárddo shelter – campsite at Sievgok

by Katharina 14. August 2021
by Katharina 14. August 2021
941

The darned 13th day: it’s the first day when the sky is cloudy in the morning. What a luxury problem! However, already at breakfast it clears up and when we start walking the sun roasts us again like every day. After a short but crisp climb to warm up, our path is more or less flat until we descend to Västenden, where Akkajaure begins. 

  • Lando at the shelter
    Lando is still sleepy this morning
  • Cloudy sky on Gränsleden
    Clouds? We haven’t seen them for a long time
  • On the way to Västenden
    On the way to Västenden

First destination: Västenden, the western end of Akkajaure

We reach the west bank of Akkajaure and the shelter Västenden after a little more than two hours. This wind shelter is similarly dilapidated as the two huts before and the toilet is also full to the brim. We make only short rest, to renew our mosquito protection. Directly around the shelter Västenden it is difficult to camp, since it is surrounded by forest. However, a small distance behind the hut you can pitch your tent on the beach of Akkajaure when the water level is low. 

From Västenden on, it gets rough. Be it because we are just a bit tired after twelve days of hiking outside or maybe because the trail is really difficult. The fact is that we really struggle through the following part. We walk over the headland between Akkajaure and Sievgokjávrre through a dense birch forest. The trail constantly winds up and then down again. However, it does not lead very far above the shore of the Akkajaure.

  • On the way to Västenden
    Great atmosphere this morning
  • Västenden shelter
    Short break at the Västenden wind shelter
  • Västenden wind shelter
    However, the mosquitoes quickly chase us away
  • Great view on Gränsleden
    Once again we enjoy the great view before we head into the forest

Things are getting rough behind Västenden today

The path winds through the forest and we keep getting stuck with our backpacks on low birch trees or stumble over roots. Time doesn’t seem to pass at all and our goal, the fourth shelter on Mount Sievgok just doesn’t get any closer. After a seemingly endless time, however, we leave the forest again and climb high above the tree line.

Around 16:30 we meet a person again after more than two days: an approximately seventy-year-old woman is in good spirits on the trail and seems to enjoy the path more than we do. However, she still has the worst part of the forest ahead of her. She tells us about the dog between Røysvatn and Vaisaluokta, of which we have already read at the hut in Røysvatn. We will definitely report the matter in Ritsem, because we are not only worried about the dog, but also about the owner. The woman was out there three days ago and she has washed away in the ford herself. Nothing happened to her, but she lost a hiking stick. 

  • River Ubmasjåhkå
    Finally some fresh water again
  • Ubmasjåhkå
    This river is right by Västenden
  • Bridge over the Ubmasjåhkå
    Easily passable bridge over the river Ubmasjåhkå

Suddenly Manuel sinks into the bog

After the chat we walk a little further. Light birch forests alternate with damp and boggy open areas. All of a sudden Manuel finds himself stuck in the mud up to his knees. I have never seen anything like that before. The sinking in happened within seconds! Manuel describes that the bog around him felt like concrete. Only with great difficulty he can free himself again. Socks and shoes are soaking wet and dirty and he has to change clothes.

  • Sievgoktjavelk forest
    The forest actually looks quite idyllic
  • Lakes at Sievgoktjavelk
    And lakes like this also lie along the way
  • Muddy feet
    Manuel’s legs after sinking into the bog

Back on the trail, we cross a small stream at about the 600 meter elevation line, behind which we pitch our tent. Up to the shelter it is probably still 1.5 kilometers, but today we’re simply not in a mood to hike any further. We enjoy the silence once again on this last evening and I get a little sentimental that we slowly have to say goodbye to the wilderness. 

Goal for the next tour: take more rest days!

At dinner we reflect that we probably want to explicitly plan rest days on the next long tour, so that we are not quite so tired at the end. On this tour we had calculated rest days, but then – apart from our rest day at the Sitashytta – we have not taken them. Maybe it will help us to tie rest days directly to places in the future. Or at least we manage to become a little more mindful of when our bodies need rest. With these plans we go in our tent for the last time.

  • View to the Áhkká massif
    View to the Áhkká massif which is coming closer
  • Campsite at Gränsleden
    Our campsite for the last night

List   

Information
Click following button or element on the map to see information about it.
Lf Hiker | E.Pointal contributor

Gálavárddo   

Latitude: 67° 51' 17"
Longitude: 16° 59' 23"

Description


Immediately behind the Gálavárddo shelter we find a flat and level meadow: an ideal camping spot. For breakfast and dinner we can comfortably use the shelter.

Day 13: Gálavárddo - Sievgok   

 GPX

Profile

50 100 150 200 5 10 15 Distance (km) Elevation (m)
No data elevation
Name: No data
Distance: No data
Minimum elevation: No data
Maximum elevation: No data
Elevation gain: No data
Elevation loss: No data
Duration: No data

Description

The thirteenth day: From the campsite at Gálavárddo shelter to the Sievgok campsite.
Until Västenden the path leads mainly downhill. Soon the trail continues through the forest, which – the deeper we get towards Akkajaure – becomes denser and denser. At the westernmost tip of the Akkajaure lies the shelter Västenden in the forest. However, there are no good campsites and the mosquitoes feel very comfortable so close to the lake and protected from the wind by the forest. We move on quickly.
From Västenden the trail runs mainly through dense forest. We find this part exhausting; especially mentally. About 1.5 km before the shelter the terrain becomes flat and offers many good possibilities for camping. Since we are tired and there is also a small stream here, we decide not to walk any further. The next day we discover that there is only a small lake but no running water at the Sievgok shelter. We do not regret our decision to stay here.

Sievgok   

Latitude: 67° 47' 29"
Longitude: 17° 16' 34"

Description


About 1.5 km before the shelter flows a small stream with fresh water and the flat terrain offers many opportunities to pitch a tent.

<< Day 12
Overview
Day 14 >>

Avatar photo
Katharina

Hello! Glad you found this blog. I am Katharina and with my articles I would like to give you an impression of my tours. If you have any questions about planning your next tour, about my equipment or about hiking and travelling with dogs, just contact me!

Related Posts

Hiking in Lapland – Day 14: Campsite at Sievgok –...

Hiking in Lapland – Day 13: Gálavárddo shelter – campsite...

Hiking in Lapland – Day 12: Røysvatn – Gálavárddo Shelter

Trekking tour in Lapland: Crossing borders on Nordkalottleden and Gränsleden

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Hiking along the border between Norway and Sweden

Overview: our tour at a glance
Traveling: How to get to the trailheads?

 

On small trails
Day 1: Travel, Abisko – Campsite at Kårsajåkka
Day 2: Campsite at Kårsajåkka – Campsite at Hoiganjohka
Day 3: Campsite at Hoiganjohka – Unna Allakas
Day 4: Unna Allakas – Cunojávrihytta
Day 5: Cunojávrihytta – Cáihnavággihytta
Day 6: Cáihnavággihytta – Campsite above Čoarddajávri

 

Nordkalottleden
Day 7: Campsite above Čoarddajávri – Sitashytta
Day 8: Rest day at Sitashytta
Day 9: Sitashytta – Paurohytta
Day 10: Paurohytta – Campsite at Skuogejávrre
Day 11: Campsite at Skuogejávrre – Røysvatn

 

Gränsleden
Day 12: Røysvatn – Gálavárddo Shelter
Day 13: Gálavárddo Shelter – Campsite at Sievgok
Day 14: Campsite at Sievgok – STF Ritsem Fjällstation

Subscribe to our newsletter

Keep in touch

Facebook Instagram Pinterest

Visit us on Instagram

Popular Posts

  • Barefoot shoes long-term test – One hiking boot for all conditions?

  • Trekking with a dog in Sweden – What do you need to keep in mind?

  • Project NPL – Norge på langs

Welcome!

Welcome!

About this blog

On this blog we are telling our stories about trekking with and without dogs. Thereby we always put together the most important information about the tour. We are sure you will find new inspiration and helpful tips for your next tour. Enjoy browsing and reading!

Popular Posts

  • Barefoot shoes long-term test – One hiking boot for all conditions?

  • Trekking with a dog in Sweden – What do you need to keep in mind?

  • Project NPL – Norge på langs

  • Traveling to Kungsleden: From Germany to Sweden, Lapland and the trailhead

  • Kungsleden: From Abisko to Vakkotavare through the wilderness of Lapland

Keep in touch

Facebook Instagram Pinterest

Subscribe to our newsletter

Visit us on Instagram

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Email
  • Rss
  • Legal Notice
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

©2019-2022 MyWanderfulLife