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2019-07-12
2019-07-13
2019-07-14
2019-07-15
2019-07-16
2019-07-17
2019-07-18
2019-07-19
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JULY
TITLE: THE STEEPEST CLIMB
LOCATION: SOUTH OF VUONATJVIKEN
MISSION: BE IN TIME FOR THE BOAT
DATE: 2019-07-16
I spent the morning resupplying in Jäkkvik and doing meal-prep. Due to very insistent raining all morning I opted to have lunch before leaving at 12:30 when the rain finally let up. That did not magically turn the woods dry though and made hiking the first 5 km to the rowboats soaking wet anyway. I was in luck as this year each side of the lake now has two boats available and I had two on my side, so I did not have to go an extra round just to tow one back. On the other side I met two Danish gentlemen looking forward to the sauna in Jäkkvik. I was fortunate enough to realize that I left my poles leaned against a tree on the other side and caught a ride with them. So much for avoiding additional rowing. From the boats to the mountain ridge where I would stay the night it was just 7 km, but it was all woods and the climb up the mountain was the steepest on this section: 160 m in 800 m and a total of 260 m. And the rain was pouring down just as the climb began. When I finally hit the ridge I was so wet, tired and low on morale I sat down on the first large rock to "dry" out my socks even though it was still technically still raining albeit not very much. Forty minutes later I had gathered up the pieces of my resolve and found that the last stretch to the end of the ridge only took another half hour. Since I had to catch the boat at 10:15 the morning after I chose to do a short hike today and leave only the descent down to the beach for tomorrow, just to be safe (the other boat is 18:15). Not very long in either distance or time, but this part was a bitch with the climb and the weather; I give it one wet sock out of five possible. 17 km, 29051 steps, 6h.