Vuonatjviken to Tjäurakåtan, Kungsleden - August 2019

Looking back towards Riebnes Lake on my gentle climb this morning.

Today turned out to be a Feral favourite.

Now I’ve got to say straight up today was a good one, my favourite day so far on my journey north on the Kungsleden. The day didn’t start out exactly that way though. After a fairly warm and humid night I packed up this morning with a heavy dew covering everything, quietly shoehorning my ringing wet fly into the outside pocket of my pack. With Matt and Alex walking a more relaxed itinerary than I was we’d said our goodbyes the night before and I didn’t want to wake them this morning. As with a lot of friends I meet on these little adventures I’m not sure that we’ll ever cross paths again but I’d really enjoyed our time together and they’ll always be in my memories.

I had a warm and dewy night down at Vuonatjviken.

With my wet tent safely stashed on board I shuffled up through the random scattering of buildings that is Vuonatjviken, the Kungsleden being particularly vague here. I basically had to pass just to the right of the restaurant before I picked up the familiar red paint markers heading off into the forest. I’d set off just after 6am this morning and it wasn’t long before the rising sun started to paint everything in a golden glow. With the track passing the usual selection of beautiful lakes and rivers as well as having Riebens Lake slowly receding behind me I found plenty of excuses this morning to stop and take things in.

Leaving Vuonatjviken meant passing just to the right of the restaurant.

Once in the forest I soon found my red markers.

It was a beautiful morning.

As was fairly standard the Kungsleden was a little rough and rocky again today, not too bad but you certainly have to concentrate, although with no rain for a couple of days at least things weren’t wet and slick. Maybe it was because today was again turning out fairly warm, or maybe I’d got lazy after yesterdays fairly easy day, whatever it was I seemed to lack a bit of energy today and with the first half of the day climbing the whole way I was feeling it a bit this morning. By late morning I’d just about climbed above the tree line again so when I came upon a beautiful tree lined creek I decided that it was time for a long smoko. Oh yeah, it was all bit surreal considering the weather I was walking in however it was along this section this morning that I crossed over the Arctic Circle, now that is something that doesn't happen on every walk!

There were plenty of beautiful lakes and tarns around this morning.

After a couple of days without rain the boardwalks were pretty dry today.

Have I mentioned the lakes...?

I've already mentioned it but the infrastructure on the Kungsleden must cop a pounding over winter. 

The Bartek River, I was glad this one was bridged.

Looking at my map it appeared that I could walk a fairly long day and camp low by a lake tonight or I could walk a shorter day and camp high. With low camps beside lakes pretty well guaranteeing insects and a high camp guaranteeing views I was pretty keen on the high option today, especially with the weather looking good, so consequently I’d already decided that there was no real urgency to push on this morning. The beautiful weather only encouraging me to stop and linger even more now. After my fairly long smoko I climbed off up onto the open fells and if anything the day got even better.

The weather makes such a huge difference to my day when I'm living in it.

I took an extended smoko at this beautiful creek before climbing onto the open fell.

Climbing onto open rocky country the views today were probably the best so far on my Kungsleden walk, with lakes, tarns, snow speckled mountains and sheer crags visible wherever I cared to look. Once I’d staggered up to the high point of today’s walk I once again decided on an extended break, a beautiful little creek providing water for lunch while my tent dried in the light breeze, life on the Kungsleden was really in slow motion now. Eventually, and with some reluctance, I shouldered my pack again set off again. I was now passing across a wide rocky fell. When the large Tjeggelvas Lake started to appear way down in the valley in front of me the Kungsleden soon started it’s long descent down to it.

The pay off for this mornings climbing.

Easy fell walking.

Water for lunch was sorted.

My tent dried out while I basked in the sun eating lunch.

It wasn’t the still fairly distant Tjeggelvas Lake that was holding my gaze now though, I was more interested in a large rocky plateau that I could see in the middle distance. This rock and tarn covered plateau was where I hoped to find a camp spot tonight, the distant lake could wait until tomorrow. Like the climb up onto the fell, the descent, whilst long was fairly easy, the track never getting overly rough or steep. After crossing another nice creek I arrived at one of the more photographed spots on the Kungsleden, the traditional wood and turf kåta at Tjäurakåtan. This old kåta is listed as an emergency shelter in my notes, however on prying open the heavy door I could see that some walkers have decided to use it as a rubbish dump (which just goes to prove that there are dick heads all over the world!).

The rocky fell.

I wasn't totally alone. 

I was dropping down to that rocky plateau to camp.

The Kungsleden dropped down onto my rocky plateau immediately after leaving the old kåta and I started looking for a likely camp. Being only mid afternoon there was no real hurry to find a camp spot this afternoon however when I arrived at the first creek I found the perfect camp…day over! My camp on the rocky plateau had a bit of protection from the surrounding rocks but they weren’t that big that they blocked out my beautiful views. Apart from the views I also had easy access to a medium sized creek where there were plenty of rocks to sit on while the ice cold water massaged my calfs and feet, sweet! To say that this afternoon was relaxing is a bit like saying Donald Trump could be a bit shifty, I was so relaxed that I was in the tent and asleep before 6pm. Laying on my back, on top of my sleeping bag, in my sun warmed tent was a very pleasant way to end the day.

Thankfully I was in no hurry this afternoon.

I managed to find another walker to give the photo some scale.

The Dirt.
According to my GPS I walked 27 kilometres and climbed 856 metres, looking at those figures maybe the day wasn’t as easy as I remember! I suppose I’d rate this as a medium-hard grade days walking. Over my 9 days of walking the Kungsleden so far I've walked 224.2 kilometres and climbed 5,852 metres. Once again the camping options are plentiful again today although once up on the open fell things are very exposed. The track today was typical Kungsleden - a bit rocky and rooty down near the lakes but pretty good up high. The camping on my rocky plateau was stunning and there were a lot of places up there to camp too. Once again today I used Cicerone’s Trekking the Kungsleden along with my GPS topo maps.

Relevant Posts.
Day 1 on the Kungsleden, 2019.

Previous Day on the Kungsleden, 2019.

The traditional turf and wood kåta at Tjäurakåtan.

My camp on the rocky plateau below Tjäurakåtan was probably my best yet on my Kungsleden adventure.

I was snoozing in my tent on top of my sleeping bag by 6pm tonight...yeah I'm hardcore!