Turning Back Again

8:55 AM

Saturday the 1st, morning. Woke up at 1:30 AM with stomach pain. I think it was caused by the meal I tried but eventually threw away—too many peppers in it. Straight to the toilet. At least it’s handy that it’s light at night.

Got up at 9:30 and calmly made some coffee. It all depends on whether the next stage will work out. The next pass is at 1,200 meters.

1:11 PM

It’s ridiculously hard. The snow is cold and wet, and you sink in nicely again. I can see the pass, completely covered in snow. Three Germans are supposedly one day ahead, at least according to what I read in the logbook.

There I am, standing in front of a river with a huge snowfield over the pass. The sky is closing in a bit and the wind is picking up. Quickly checking the weather forecasts—I’m really not in the mood for a downpour. Hmm, it’s going to rain for three days straight starting tomorrow. Fine by me! I’m heading back to the previous cabin.

There I meet Hazzie, a Swedish man. I’d already met him yesterday in the previous cabin. We had lunch together and went over the maps. I showed him my photos and he decided to turn back tomorrow as well. Too much snow.

+3

4:36 PM

It’s tough again, turning back to a previous cabin. All the cabins here have names, but I forget them within a second. The language is too difficult to remember.

See photo of cabin names. I was in Caihnavaggi and am heading back to Cunojavri.

5:14 PM

Decided to take a detour to a bridge after all. I’m more than done with being soaked because those rivers are so deep and fast.

5:22 PM

Aaah, still crossing another damn river. I really don’t feel like this!!

There were only four of them. Soaked up to my groin in ice-cold water. Now keep walking to dry off.

8:05 PM

Finally I see the cabin in the distance. Push on!!!

Pffff, I can’t have this too often.

9:45 PM

Herbal bouillon soup with a dried reindeer sausage for dinner. Not bad at all!

Tomorrow I’ll see if I can walk back to Abisko in one go, so I can get a hotel and reorganize. The E1 is just not doable!!

At 11:30 PM there was suddenly some stomping around. Hikers arrived at the cabin. Ooooh—I quickly tidied up all my stuff, which I’d happily left lying around. A quick chat and then straight back to bed.