Pictures here http://s293.photobucket.com/albums/mm49/OttoStover/
map here http://www.stfturist.se/ Click on the english flag, an choose lapland area. Or http://www.inatur.se/ click on "Sök via karta"
Description.
1. day, starting 9am in Sulitjelma Norway we used 2 hours up the steep hill. Our dog pulled about 30 kg in the pulk, we had 12 and 15 kilos on our backs. It was hard work till we at 2pm came to the snowmobile track. Then the dog did not go throug the ice-crust on the snow, and the speed increased. We came to Pieskehaure hut at 6pm, distance 30 km, good weather, -4C no wind. Many snowmobile people at the hut, but this was the only hut on the trip where we were not alone. We + two swedes were the only skiers. Nice sauna facility at the hut.
2.day. Starting late at 10am. Weather worse, but not bad. Some snow and at times low visibility. +1C, some wind. Basically a long uphill slope and a short down-hill to a lake where the Vaimok hut was our goal. 25 km. Came to the Vaimok hut at 2pm, we were the only visitors there.
3.day. Better weather, -4 and partly sunshine. Started for Tarradalen and had a stop at a resting shelter before the downhill to the valley. Long and icy slope. Hard on the tighs. In the valley, the skiing conditions were more icy. After two rewaxing sessions I used the skins I have. They are of a type that covers only 1/3 of the ski. My wife had to rewax tree times more. The winter track is mainly on the river ice. We came to Sommarlappa hut at 4pm, 31 km.
4.day. Same good weather. Started early, and had a nice stop at Tarreluopal. Met a french young man pulling a pulk. Some snowmobiles passed with building materials. These were the last people we saw until we came back to our starting point. Tuottar is a typical hut for most of the huts in the Padjelanta National Park. Simple, but OK. The huts in the park is without woodovens. Only propane for heating as well as cooking. We managed to find running water in a ravine where the river runs. Better than melting snow. 30 km this day also.
5.day. Weather was worse, +3C and some misty rain, but visibility was ok. It is sloping slowly down to Staloluokta. This is a big hut by the south end of the big lake Virihaure. Slowly weather got better. No rain at least, and no wind also until we came to Staddajakka. Here we had planned to stay, but as we came there so early (3pm) we pressed on to Sorjushytta in Norway. Passing the swedish Sorjusjavre hut the wind increased, an we had a rather hard time on the lakes up to Sorjus-hytta. Arrived at 7pm, but we had been skiing almost 48 km in one day, For us that is a new personal record in an area without skitracks to follow.
As you can see from the pictures the Sorjushytta is of a better standard than Tuottar. It is quite new, erected after the former hut was demolished by a storm two years ago. The next day we waited for the weather to slow down a bit, but at 11 we were off. The trip was hard, we almost decided to return to Sorjushytta because of strong wind straight in front. But after 5 hours and 17km we were back in Sulitjelma. We had both got sunburned in the face, and I had god two blister. Our dog had no problems at all, but I believe he also was glad the trip was over.
/Otto
