Day 22 – 11 Jul, Cikrjavarri lakes to Meekonjavri Hut

(37.5 km, total 539 km, 11 h 55 , 0700 to 1855)

Video: Video Day 22

I woke up this morning to the sun streaming in my tent and hence the early start. I was packed and off by 0700. The trail continued sidling around the hill with small ups and downs but nothing to extreme. The trail was a bit more rocky today and was a bit slower to walk on but the scenery was still pretty impressive and the weather was blue skies and very warm.

The trail started dropping. At one stage there was still a snow patch so I had to take a selfie with the snow in the background.

The trail dropped to the lakes ad came to a signpost. It was then on a vehicle track and I was afraid that would be it for the day but thankfully not long afterwards the trail took off to the left. The lakes were very pretty sparkling in the sun and there were quite a few ducks on them. Still no wildlife but heaps of birds trying to keep me away from their young.

The track re-joined the vehicle track for a while and then veered away. I missed the turn off but saw a lake in front of me with the track going around the left and I knew I had to go right so I cut across and the trail was right there.

Now the trail started climbing a bit and then dropped down to a river. This river was really wide and there was no way I was going to be able to jump stones across so I went right through. It was actually really nice to cool my feet down. I had been worried that my socks were worn out on the insteps and that I would get blisters. Yesterday I put blister patches as protection but they did not stay put with sweaty feet so today I left them and thankfully they are not rubbing or hurting.

Once across the river I came across the most aggressive mosquitos I have come across in the last few days. They were swarming my shoulders but thankfully only a couple were actually biting. Maybe the salt from repeated sweating and drying was putting them off. It was only a km of these aggressive mosquitos before they withdrew. I have been surprised how many mosquitos are in the mountains. In New Zealand the biting insects tend to stay lower and usually you can be insect free up high (of biting insects anyway)). Thankfully I am still not reacting to the mosquitos so I don’t mind them biting. I have only put insect repellent on once and that was just before Nedrefosshytta Hut.

From the river it was a gentle rise and then in a neat area of small hills that felt like I was on a golf course. The trail went up and down and around the sides of these little hills. The hut was in view just above a beautiful lake that was shaped differently with interesting edges.

Somashytta Hut

At the hut I had a very early lunch (it was only 1100), and a OSM (One Square Meal bar from New Zealand) as I was still hungry. Today is the first day I have been hungry and this was to continue for the rest of the day. The hut was free and was cute with a loft to sleep in as well as another sleeping room and a central kitchen/dining room. There were a few reindeer horn decorations and reindeer skins as blankets. If filled in the hut book with my intentions and then moved on.
Now the trail was on a vehicle track for 10 minutes before veering off to the right and shortly later crossing the boarder into Norway. This was marked with a stone cairn and a board saying Norge on one side and Suomi on the other. No passport control or customs. The only real difference was that the red ‘T’ markers finished and now it was short wooden posts with a dull orange top. These were ok to see in short grass but I struggled later in the day to see the amongst the rocks.

The border crossing

This is the marker I am following now

The reindeer fence was also a bit more robust that the ones I had seen and there was a fancy stile to get over the fence.

Now the trail left the lake and crossed a river before approaching a hut, the first Finnish Hut. I was very impressed. There was the usual toilet and main hut, though it was more modern than others I have seen. What impressed me the most is it had rubbish bins and recycling bins so you could dump your rubbish – pure luxury. It also had a gas stove provided. And it was free.

Kopmajoki Hut in the distance

Kopmajoki Hut

After recording my intentions in the hut book I was off for the steady 5kmm climb along a river up to some lakes. The terrain started to get rocky and there were many boulder fields to jump across from rock to rock, judging as you went which rocks were stable before landing on them.

Here was a new type of bird, it was white and almost looked like a parrot. It was being very obvious in trying to distract me from its nest. There were also a few snow patches and I could not help but playing in the snow for a bit.

At the top pass it was 935 meters which is the new highest point. Now it was a 5km descent which was pretty rocky. A couple of times I was very briefly on the track but most of the descent was on single track. In the distance, not marked on my map, was a settlement of Sami with some huts and many tents.

The heighest point is the ridgeline above the lake

Spot the marker

This is the marker zoomed in from the above photo

For the final drop to the lake I was having a lot of trouble with the trail markers. Even standing beside a marker it was hard to see the next marker. The track dropped to another modern and nice looking hut in a fantastic position beside a beautiful lake.

Pihtsusjarvi Hut

Inside was two Swedish guys who had just climbed Halti Hata and Jan who was doing an 800km hike along the Nordkalottleden Trail. He left Kautokeino the day before me but had spent a day going up halti Hati and I think he is a quicker hiker than me.
The Swedish guys kept offering my biscuits and as per my policy I couldn’t say no. It was nice tasting something difference.

As it was only 1600 and the next hut 11km I decided to push on. The trail now was very rocky and hard to get momentum on. It followed a river and there were some impressive waterfalls and rapids. There were a lot of boulder fields which required jumping from rock to rock which was fun at first but became tiring as I was nearing the end of a 38km day.

The trail crossed the river by a solid bridge. Just before this was a group of three and the lady was looking absolutely exhausted, and there was at least another 8km for her to get to the hut. At the bridge was another group of three cooking dinner on a rock. The trail continued beside the river, climbing lightly to go over a small spur.

Finally the huts were in sight and I just had to go around a lake to get to it. Here many of the boulder fields had bridges over them which was nice but there were still many which required jumping.

Finally I reached the huts only to find them all locked. A group of four turned up and the lady let me know the open hut was 1km away up the trail. I thought that was strange but headed up the trail away from the lake. After a few hundred meters I decided to go cross country and look down on the lake and there was the other hut. I dropped down and crossed the wide river, getting wet feet just before finishing which is not great but the sun will dry them off quickly.

Meekonjavri Hut

In the hut were two finnish guys, Patrik Kortet and Jani Takalo-Eskola. Thy had just climbed Halti Hadi and were on their way home. They were interesting to talk to and became friends for life when giving me coffee and a spare gas canister.

Shortly after Jan Handrejk, who I had met at the other hut, arrived.

The Hut had a table and a long bedspace we all shared. I was hungry so had soup, Chicken Tika Masala Freeze dry, and chocolate chip instant pudding that went well with the coffee. We spent the evening talking abut gear, hiking and our countries, with me as usual being completely unbiased about how great NZ is. Jan had done Te Araroa Trail the year before me so there was heaps to talk about.
The hut was really warm inside but it was nice to have space to spread out.

As I am getting further south the sun is getting lower. This photo is taken at 2330. Note my walking poles being used to dry my socks

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