Singi to Sälka, Kungsleden - September 2019

Today was one of those days where the walking gods smiled on me....

I woke fairly early again this morning. Not being accustomed to staying in a stuga I’d had a bit of an interrupted sleep last night and as soon as other walkers started shuffling about this morning I found myself wide awake. It turned out to be a pretty good morning to be up and about though, heading outside for a bit of fresh air I witnessed a fairly stunning scene as the rising sun kissed the tops of the mountains lining each side of the valley. After a couple of days of pretty average weather the mountains around me were covered in a fresh coating of snow and this morning they were under a clear blue sky.

Stepping outside first thing this morning this was the scene that greeted me.

I've got a good feeling about today;)

After staying outside for a little while in my thermals eventually the cold forced me back inside. Without a wet tent to pack up I soon had everything shoe horned into my pack, pulled on my boots and headed out the door. I was now continuing my journey up the Tjäktjavagge Valley that I’d started when I left Kaitumjaure Stuga yesterday afternoon. It was a slow old journey first thing this morning though, although it was slow in a good way as opposed to the more frequent ‘slow because I’m old, fat and unfit’ way. Yes this morning was slow because I couldn’t seem to progress more than 50 metres northward on my Kungsleden adventure without pulling the camera out and trying to do justice to the absolutely stunning scene around me. Yep I’m afraid this post is a bit of a photo dump!

It didn't take me long to pack up and head off this morning.

Looking back toward Singi - I'd already stopped a couple of times to take things in.

I'm thinking that this is Mádir Mountain.

There is a Sami settlement down in the valley near Singi.

After passing to Sami settlement down in the valley beside the Tjäktjavagge River I climbed over a low saddle. Now while this saddle was pretty low, crossing over it meant that I suddenly had some extensive views further up the valley, it was a bit like a theatre curtain coming up for the great reveal, as I shuffled my way to the top. Reaching the high point I stopped to awhile, chatting to a local Sami man who was out on his motorbike helping to herd up the Reindeer before Winter arrived. The Sami were herding the Reindeer down the valley using a helicopter and occasionally some motorbikes and I spent a little while talking to this bloke about the similarities with how we round up our cattle on the big cattle stations back in Australia.

I was climbing over that ridge in the shadows.

Once over the low saddle the valley opened up ahead of me.

With the Kungsleden staying fairly high up on the right side of the valley and the helicopter herding the Reindeer down the valley closer to the river it was safe enough to continue on, however if you came head to snout with the on coming herd in a narrow bit of the valley I’d be looking for a big rock to get behind (or on top). Continuing on I started to walk past a few side valleys that gave me even more glimpses of the rugged snow capped mountains, with Sweden’s highest mountain only a few kilometres away as the crow flies the mountains along this section are among the biggest on the Kungsleden.

Glancing up the side valleys revealed an alpine wonderland.

Kungsleden

The Sami were herding there Reindeer using a helicopter and motorbikes.

By second breakfast time I’d arrived at the Kuoperjåkka Emergency Shelter. As usual on the Kungsleden it looked like some walkers were using the hut for accommodation so I didn’t go in this morning. The open grass around the hut provided a nice spot to sit for a bit and have a break, and the helicopter weaving it’s way up the valley below me provided the entertainment (yeah I know - it doesn’t take much!). Leaving the emergency shelter my northwards journey continued, if anything the mountains getting higher and more rugged and the scenery correspondingly getting even better.

Kuoperjåkka Emergancy Shelter.

While enjoying my second breakfast I was able to watch the helicopter action down near the river.

Guobirjohka River

I was very close to the highest mountain in Sweden now.

After crossing the substantial Guobirjohka River the valley opened up a bit and the Kungsleden once again started crossing some reasonably level river flats. I was now heading for the Sälka Stuga where I was planning on a long stop for lunch, although with a beautiful blue sky above and plenty of wonderful mountain scenery all around me my journey northwards continued to be a slow one! Eventually I passed through another Reindeer fence and started to skirt a few decent sized tarns, before shuffling my way into Sälka in the early afternoon.

Boardwalk on the Kungsleden heading up the Tjätjavagge Valley.

Another day...another Reindeer fence.

The Sälka Stuga is another spot that has a small shop onsite. Now this was always a good thing in my Feral world as it meant I could substitute out my traditional walkers freeze dried and muesli bar diet for something a little more palatable. My go to on the Kungsleden turned out to be Swedish meatballs with ramen noodles. I know that meal doesn’t exactly sound that appetising if you are sitting at home reading this next to your fully stocked fridge, however when you’ve walked 400 kilometres carrying everything you need to survive on your back then Swedish meatballs were tasting pretty good!

Approaching the Sälka Stuga the Kungsleden passed by some nice tarns.

The young lady in front of me is from Belgium - we'd actually end up finishing the walk at more or less the same time in a few days - not that I knew that now.

Sälka Stuga

It tasted better than you'd imagine....honest!

My plan this afternoon was to continue my journey northwards up the Tjäktjavagge Valley for another hour or so and then find a spot to camp before the last climb up and over Tjäktja Pass at the head of the valley. Emerging blinking into the sunlight after lunch it was probably a good thing that the afternoons walk was going to be an easy one, as with my stomach bulging with meatballs and noodles I was more inclined to curl up for a sleep than I was for any hard trekking. While the walking was pretty easy the scenery was still pretty good, I now had the quite a few beautiful waterfalls cascading down the mountains lining the side of the valley.

There was quite a few impressive waterfalls cascading down the sides of the valley this afternoon.

The easy walking continued this afternoon.

Tjäktja Pass at the head of the valley, I'd be crossing it early tomorrow morning all going well.

After passing by a couple of decent sized lakes I started looking in earnest for a spot to pitch the tent. While yesterday I’d been battered by the wind and the rain this afternoon the conditions could hardly be more benign. On finding a nice flat shelf just off the track I decided that this spot, which was around 4 or 5 kilometres north of Sälta, would do my for the night. In short order the tent was up, the thermarest inflated and sleeping bag spread out to loft. With my restless nights sleep last night it wasn’t too long before the temptation of the sleeping bag was beckoning me and I was in the tent a snoozing well before the sun disappeared, only being woken once as a short but heavy shower passed through, before I once again drifted off to sleep.

Arriving at some lakes I figured that it was about time to start looking for somewhere to pitch the tent for the night.

The view from camp wasn't too bad....!

The Dirt.
I walked around 17 kilometres and climbed 361 metres on what I’d call an easy-medium grade days walking on the Kungsleden. Over the 18 days of my Kungsleden stroll so far I’ve walked 395.9 kilometres and climbed around 9966 metres. Today’s walk was probably one of the easiest days that I’d had on the my journey and arguably probably the best day that I’d experienced as far as scenery goes I think. There were numerous spots today to camp and the stuga at Sälta would be the spot to stay if you needed a bed for the night. Once again I used Cicerone’s Trekking the Kungsleden guide book along with my GPS topo maps.

Relevant Posts.
Day 1 on the Kungsleden, 2019.
Previous Day on the Kungsleden, 2019.

The mozzies are big and dopey up here....the Midgies on the other hand....

The view back down the Tjäktjavagge Valley.

I was safely ensconced in my tent by the time this heavy shower passed through.