The Quiet Picture

Since I had such a productive week last week, I dedicated a whole gallery to the pictures I took during my holiday in the mountains. Some of the them are already familiar from the blog, but most of them are new. It’s not possible to comment directly in the gallery, but this blog post is open for commenting…!

EDIT 2009-08-27: I’ve removed the Autumn 08 gallery referred to here, and moved the pictures to other galleries (Autumn, Mountains and Waterfalls).

Since it had been a clear night, we now had frost on the ground. Once again I couldn’t resist it but got out with the camera while waiting for breakfast to be ready – now there’s another luxury for you. Wonderful!

We were out on the trail before 9am and the frost was still thick on the ground, but the boots held steady and we made quick progress with some frequent photo stops. It turned out that this 12 km stretch from Blåhammaren to Storulvån is actually the most scenic one of the Triangle. There are small tarns a-plenty, and once you start the descent from Blåhammarfjället towards the Ulvåtjärn wind shelter, the trail follows a lovely creek with numerous small waterfalls. Under the right conditions it would be absolute heaven for a waterfall enthusiast like myself, but now I had to just settle with seeing the potential as there wasn’t much water and I prefer my waterfalls in overcast conditions anyway, with just a touch of rain if possible. The creek is doable as a day hike from Storulvån… worth keeping in mind. After the halfway point (Ulvåtjärn wind shelter) the trail started following the tree line, providing all the more photo ops with beautiful autumn colours.

Before you think that we’ve done all this hiking without seeing any reindeer, here’s one – the grass was greener on the other side of the trail and the fella was a bit put off with us for getting in the way. He pretended not to care and butted heads with the juniper bush until he finally realised that he could circle around behind us for his chosen pastures. The mountain in the background is Getryggen, the one we climbed on Saturday.

If possible, the weather was even better today than yesterday. Maybe just a touch more wind, but warm enough in the sun. Hiking in the mountains just can’t get any better than this! Making reservations for a hike in September can be a risky business because there’s no telling what kind of weather you’ll get – three years ago I got a snowstorm, and when it hasn’t snowed it has rained. We got a lucky break and we enjoyed every minute of it, aching muscles and all!

When I woke up, the first thing I did was to take a look outside. When I saw the morning light on the mountain opposite the lodge, I just had to go out with the camera and get some quick pictures before breakfast. We wanted to get going early because the 19 km from Sylarna to Blåhammaren is the longest hike of Jämtlandstriangeln and we had made dinner reservations (yes, that’s right – dinner reservations) and despite all our calculations to assure ourselves that we wouldn’t have a problem with time, we still preferred a comfortable safety margin.

The first 3 km from Sylarna was down hill and we made quick time. The sky had completely cleared by then so now we had glorious blue skies all around and it was warm enough to peel off the jacket, it was just unbelievable to hike out there in the sunshine with hardly any wind at all. I ended up hanging my camera from my neck instead of tucking it in the backpack all the time, because I now had photo ops around every corner. Normally I don’t even like carrying the camera around my neck because it starts to ache quickly, but now I was able to wrap the OpTech strap around the backpack harness so that the weight was spread across my shoulders instead. Glad I got the strap, although I never thought I’d use it like this when I got it!

It turned out that the hike wasn’t nearly as hard as we thought it might be. Felt like the 19 km today were a lot easier than the 16 km yesterday and in a way it probably was so – the uphills were more gentle, the trail was smoother and our spirits lifted by the scenery around us. We got to Blåhammaren before 4pm so the problem wasn’t with making it in time for dinner, it was the idle time waiting for it!

Blåhammaren is the smallest of the mountain lodges in Sweden and it is located at an altitude of 1086 metres (making it the highest mountain lodge), but it has one more important claim to fame – dinner. Reputed to be a culinary experience with table seatings and introductions, of course we just had to try it. And excellent it was – a perfect way to finish the triangle (tomorrow’s trek is just the short 12 km to Storulvån and then a drive home) and well worth the visit just for the sake of it, as it seemed like a lot of people do. My only regret (albeit a very small one) was that I missed the moonrise which I had planned to photograph, but I did see it from the dining room window right where I was sitting. It probably wouldn’t have been any good anyway – too much light left in the sky so the full moon was too pale to make an impression. Sour grapes perhaps, but wonderful dinner.

Weather-wise it looked like we were going to have a lot of luck. No rain, certainly no snow, and calm. The photographer in me would’ve wanted some sunshine, but this was a hiking trip so the most important thing was that we were going to have just the best possible conditions for hiking, couldn’t have asked for more!

The order of the day was to hike 16 km from Storulvån to Sylarna. My thighs were definitely hurting from yesterday’s descent from Getryggen, but otherwise I was feeling good. Even the backpack which was loaded heavy with the 40D, 24-105mm f4 and tripod felt ok on my shoulders, so I didn’t have to regret taking the tripod with me. Even so, it felt better after I got to actually use it so I didn’t carry it all for nothing.

What with the dull weather, photography became an excercise in finding compositions and lines. The glorious autumn colours were dull whichever way I looked at it, and including sky in any picture was really not an option. It kind of worked as a reflection on a calm mountain tarn though, but all in all, my mind was aching for all the missed opportunities. Say for example, we saw a lonely birch with lovely orange colours. I walked around it, without finding a single way of photographing it. So it’s either the weather, or lack of creativity. I can’t argue with either.

When we got to Sylstationen, I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t really have any expectations of what it would be like, but finding the place warm and spacious with a grand view from the room and the dining area, we felt very pleased with ourselves and life in general. It didn’t hurt to see the latest weather forecast which promised some sunshine for tomorrow!

Seems like it has taken forever but my now almost traditional autumn holiday has arrived. Last year we tried a short return hike to Helags but now we’re ready for something a bit more meaty – the classic Jämtlandstriangel, or the Jämtland Triangle. It’s a 47 km trek between the mountain lodges of Storulvån, Sylarna and Blåhammaren and back to Storulvån. Because the trail is relatively easy and the accommodations are somewhat luxurious (considering that there are no roads that lead to Sylarna or Blåhammaren), the Triangle is often recommended as a first trip for beginner hikers.

Instead of hiking the 16 km to Sylarna on the same day as arriving to Storulvån, we had decided to do a short hike on the first day and then start the actual trek the morning after. A few years ago I had tried to get up to Getryggen but had to abandon the effort because of the weather, so now I was looking forward to finally getting up there and seeing the scenery that I only glimpsed back then between the snow gusts. This time the weather was a lot better, no snowflakes in sight and almost calm.

The way up to the peak of Getryggen is quite steep but not a problem if you’re the slightest bit determined and not completely out of shape. I was happy to notice that I wasn’t completely out of shape (but almost) and I sure was determined, and so we made it to the top of the 1382 metre mountain. At first we just took in the view and as I pulled out the camera for pictures, we saw a fog bank appear right out of nowhere. Before we even recovered from our surprise, the fog bank arrived to our peak and surrounded us so we wasted no time in getting back down below the fog. Maybe it was the sun that was starting to come out between the clouds that caused the fog but it sure was fast!

When we were back at Storulvån, I felt my thighs ache from the trek down the mountain. You’d think that going down is easy, but you do want to fight against the gravity a little bit so you don’t come down all too fast!

My main target for the trip was the Storulvån mountain station. It has a good reputation and it’s suitable for day hikers like me because the place is surrounded by mountains. The prices are a bit on the high side for something that’s part of the Youth Hostel chain, however let’s not forget that we’re almost up at the tree line. Another important thing to remember is that you get your money’s worth – I love that place! Since I’m partial to big breakfasts, I also invested in their morning feast. What can I say – breakfast for champions for sure. I was happy looking around the restaurant while eating – for once I felt at home as hiking pants and fleece sweaters were the norm, not the exception. Bliss.

But it was raining. A lot. I decided to make a brief trip to a suspension bridge over the Handölan river to feel out the conditions. It is relatively warm (no worries about snow then) but oh the rain; if there was anything good I could say about the weather, then at least the clouds weren’t very low as the mountains immediately around were visible. The bridge then, it was a bit of a disappointment, I expected wood planks and ropes but it was all metal. I crossed it over and came back and it has to be said that the metal constructions was a bit more reassuring than wood and ropes, even if one of the side support cables was worn cut.

Back in the hostel, I had to make some adjustments to my clothing because of the rain and warm temperature. There is something to be said for functional clothing – it really works and keeps you comfortable no matter what the conditions are. Out here the looks really don’t matter. Another good investment is contact lenses; I really hate it when you lose visibility because the water is running down the glasses.

So I climbed up the rather easy trail to the tree line and continued towards Sylarna. No Sylarna visible though – rain and clouds you know. At one point the rain got really heavy, so heavy that with the gusting wind, the rain drops felt almost like needles on my face and the sound they were making on my hood was deafening. I was lucky to have a crop off birches just off the trail so I found what little protection there was, but now I was starting to feel the effects of the conditions and all my rain guarding started to feel inadequate. I was not just a little worried to see that my rucksack was soaked – the camera was in there. When the worst rain dissipated, I went back on the trail and saw something move on the opposide side of the valley. Had to stop for a moment to see if it really was a person or a reindeer, and sure enough it was someone else braving the elements. He more than me, actually – he was hiking between the mountain cabins, I was just making small excursions. My short hikes in the rain and the wind might earn me bragging rights in the office, but out here I’m the novice.

By now I decided that it simply wasn’t worth the trouble anymore as Sylarna wouldn’t be visible anyway, so I turned back. I was definitely feeling less comfortable now. I was getting a bit cold, the rain somehow beat my face on my way back in like it had been walking out, and I definitely did not need the jacket side ventilation zips open anymore as I surmised that they had let in not only air, but also rain. Back in the hostel I unpacked the camera with some trepidation but was relieved to notice that although the bag was definitely not as waterproof as it should’ve been, the gear was dry – protected by the plastic bag and pack towel I had wrapped around it.

It was still only early afternoon and I hoped that the weather would turn at least a little bit so I could go out some more. But it just kept raining. A lot. And the wind was hard; the kind of wind that beats stormy waves in the surface of the smallest of puddles. Nope, just gotta hope for better weather tomorrow.

Despite all the discomforts and the slight disappointment of not having any photo ops, the day hasn’t been wasted. It does’t matter if the wind is so hard it almost knocks you off a bridge. It doesn’t matter if it’s raining so hard it cuts through your waterproof clothing. It doesn’t matter if the trail becomes a river of water and mud; what matters is that I’m out here and if only for a brief moment, I feel alive!