A restless night as the hut mattresses were shot, offering no more support than sleeping directly on the wooden bunks. We should have used our inflatable sleeping pads. Carlos heads down the trail early while I ease slowly into another relatively short day.
It’s a beautiful morning to follow the river down the valley to Kangerluarsuk Tulleq fjord. I cross it several times, managing to keep my feet dry despite the distraction of several large fish.
A small stream runs down from the mountains. Leaping onto a rock, I teeter on the edge, before the weight of my backpack slowly pulls me back into a deep pool. Man down! I’m up to my waist in water. Thankfully, no-one was around to enjoy that.
The velcro on one of my gaiters is falling apart, so they are going back to the supplier. I squelch off along the trail, hoping to dry off in the sun.
There are two huts at the head of the 28 km long fjord. Carlos has pitched far away from the top hut and is picking berries. I wave and shout, but he doesn’t see me. I press on, wanting to spend my last night on the trail somewhere isolated, immersed in the wild landscape.
I pitch on a small heather outcrop, high on the mountain slope, next to a gully with a large waterfall. It’s a beautiful spot, although rather exposed. There’s no wind, and the sky looks benevolent, but I secure the pegs with a few rocks in case the weather changes during the night. The view across the fjord is gorgeous. The only downside is a cloud of mozzies. Where did they come from?
As the sun sets and the temperature falls, the insects vanish, and I take a final look down the valley before falling sleep on the soft ground, comforted by the roaring of the waterfall.
Fantastic spot for your last night on the trail – suberb photos as per usual.
I hope at the end of this ( I know you have the glacier to visit) you let us all know how much weight you have lost.
I have no idea. I was a little leaner, but a few days back home soon reversed that! 🙂