Akka 1989 - Stora Sjöfallet national park
| Date: | July 1989 |
| Duration: | 5 Days (because of bad weather it was cut short to 4 days) |
| Participants: | Johan Andersson, Karl Larsson, Torbjörn Lidin and Tord Olsson |
| Route: | Around the mountain Akka in Stora Sjöfallet's national park (see map below) |
Stora Sjöfallet's national park. The red line describes the approximate route we took, and the green and red dots show the starting and finish points resp. The numbers indicates the night camps (the blue dots at the red line).
| (Day -1) | Departure from Göteborg by train to Gällivare, via Boden. |
| (Day 0) | At Gällivare, we take the bus to Ritsem. Camping at a lawn. |
| Day 1: |
Early start. Took the boat from Ritsem over the lake Akkajaure to Akka-cottages where we had breakfast. Soon after we started walking, rain started to pour down. That night we camped on a ridge overlooking a small lake. |
| Day 2: | Very late start due to intensive raining... The clouds were very low, with low visibility as a result. Especially when crossing a large snowfield, everything was white, whatever direction you looked. For the second night's camp, we choose a very bad spot for the tents - in a depression! This depression did not have sufficient drainage; hence, our tents (well at least one tent) became "flooded" from the night's rain... |
| Day 3: | Fortunately, the weather was decent this day; there was some sun, so we were able to dry some kit... We also moved the tents slightly, out of the depression. We left our tents to dry, as we packed lightly, with only some bread and water, and climbed one of Akka's peaks. A magnificent view, worth every minute of the four-hour ascend. Descending from the peak only took half an hour; we climbed for a while, and when we reached a snowfield, we dressed up in our waterproof pants and rode down on our bottoms... Great fun - as long as you stayed clear from the stones protruding from the snow! |
| Day 4: |
A very long day's march; we took two planned legs in one go... We started early and arrived at the Akka-cottages just after midnight, very exhausted - especially Torbjörn. For the last kilometres, Johan and Karl had to take some of Torbjörn's kit, because he was too exhausted. Unfortunately I could not contribute, because my own rucksack's hip-belt had broken, so I was carrying the entire weight of the rucksack on my shoulders, which was bad enough. The main incident this day occurred earlier that evening, trying to cross a rather wide and current, and in some places, quite deep stream... In order to find a good spot where we could cross the stream without wading, we spread out looking. Johan and Torbjörn found a spot quite soon, and jumped across. Then showing the spot to Karl and me. However, Karl and I deemed the place to wide for us to jump, so we continued to look. Then Karl came up with a great idea; throw the rucksack over the stream, and then jump across, unburden. So it would be! However, Karl's throw failed completely! He threw his rucksack into the middle of the stream, floating quite rapidly down stream! Therefore, he threw himself after the rucksack, catching it! Emerging on the other side all soaked, but with his rucksack - which contents was all dry! Now only I remained on the wrong side. I got my waterproof pants out from the rucksack and dressed up. Sealed my rubber-boots and waterproof pants together with some tape. Then I jumped, coming a bit short but seal held... |
| (Day 5) | Took the boat across the lake Akkajaure. Then by bus from Ritsem to Gällivare, where we chickened out and checked in at a hotel, and we spent an exciting day in Gällivare - NOT! |
| (Day 6) | For lunch - starting a tradition - we ate at the Hamburger Kiosk at the railway station. Then by train from Gällivare to Göteborg, via Boden. |
| (Day 7) | Back home in Göteborg. |