second half of sweden trip...a bit rammbely

We got up relatively early around eight and after a relaxing breakfast in the kitchen of one of the sleeping dorms we began our ascent of Kebnekaise the highest mountain in Sweden which at just over 2100 meters is arguably more like a large hill. Nothing quite like beginning the morning with a large steep hill. We headed back the way we had come the day before and about 30 minutes later took a hard right and headed straight up out of the valley. The first hill came out into a large boulder filled bowl where we could get our first glimpse of the summit. From there we climbed up about 500 meters to the base of the next ridge where we could see over into three more glorious valleys and from there up another 400 never-ending meters to the top of a hill I thought would bring us to the summit. On top of the hill was a rock city built by climbers. The entire hill top was covered in small rock piles built so that it appears to be a fairy village. From there we had to descend about 700 meters before climbing the 1000 meters to the top. We eat our pitiful lunch of tube cheese and wheat crackers at the base of the mountain and then struggled our way slowly up the sheer boulder filled way to the top. About 260 meters from the summit we reached an emergency hut where I seriously considered stopping and calling it quits but then after a bit of a rest we all kept going. The final 200 meters climb we had to walk through knee deep snow which given the blazing afternoon sun was very was slow going. The summit was set up on a nipple of snow at the edge of an expansive snow field and from the top you can look over something like 20 percent of Sweden and I think also on into Norway. The was a flag planted on top that just said Sneaky Steve and had a silluette of a man wearing sunglasses and generally looking very sneaky. Given the level of exhaustion that has already set in for me the glissade down the nipple really invigorated me. From the edge of the snowfield things got more difficult as tired knees and ankles had to navigate ´the steep and often unstable or nonexistent trail. About half way back down into the high valley I fell as the rocks I was standing on slid down the mountain. I was surprisingly ok, bruised in many places with hurt pride but no broken bones, after doing a complete summersault and landing pretty much on my feet. At the bottom of that valley we decided it would be a good idea to walk through the snow rather then around as we had done on the ascent and found out that underneath that snowfield was an icy lake. The numb feet took some of the pain out the 700 meter climb up the next hill and by the time we had gotten to the top our feet were warm again. After leaving the summit we had split up into two groups Adam and Bianca, the must stronger and faster group, left us somewhere shortly after the emergency hut so that they would be back in time to buy snickers for everyone before the shop closed. When I fell on the first hill the faster group was already half way up the second climb. We, the slow group, got back a full hour and half later then Adam and Bianca. From the bottom of the second hill we glissaded down a massive snow field into the bowl saving ourselves about half an hour of walking and lifting our spirits immensely. The next day we lazed around at the station and took a really nice sauna. In the morning we said goodbye to three of our companions. Anna, Todd, and Geheert walked out to Nikkuluakta and Daniel, Adam, Bianca, Jeff, and I continued onward. After a teary goodbye we walked 10 kilometers back through the valley we had come in through and then south up into the mountains where we found a glorious campsite on the edge of a lake. The weather was a bit stormy so we spent the night playing music and cards in Bianca’s tent. In the morning we walked down back on the Kundsleden and followed a brilliant blue river down into forested land seeing trees for the first time since the second day of the trip. We camped that night on the edge of a wildlife preserve at the bank glacial river and had a much needed campfire. Day three of the second leg brought us all the way through the nature reserve and across a massive lake that we had to row across using two boats and bringing them back across. On the other side of the lake there was an emergency hut where we ended our day at lunch spending the rest of the day baking in the hut with the woodstove going. For Dan and I that was the last night out on the trail. The next day we hiked up about 800 meters before descending down to Vakkoluakta where we would spend our final night camping on the banks of a massive lake. We had run out of fuel for the stove the day before and had then used the woodstove in the cabin and the last night since the hut did not carry the type of fuel we needed, we cooked on a big open driftwood fire using a grill we found near the campsite. Saying goodbye the next day was quite painful and full of promises and dreams of reunion trips and photo exchange. Honestly it felt like leaving a piece of myself behind with each person.