I mentioned our Day 5 several times. It was by very far the most gruelling and dangerous day of our hike, and took us 12 hours to cover just 12km. The day before a horrendous thunderstorm system ravaged the area, we were forced to run for cover to the Singi hut. Still we continued the day after, maybe not a good decision. The downpour was so intense that rivers had tripled in size, plank bridges across most stream had washed away and planks lay somewhere downstream. A stream that was 20 cm before now was 50 cm deep.

That sounds shallow but if you fall in such a fast flowing stream carrying a huge backpack, that is life-threatening. Water is 3 degrees, the backpack flips you over and if wet weighs much more, it will be difficult to stand up and hypothermia is around the corner. We had an example of that while in Salka.

We had to cross 2 main tributaries to the Tjaktja river. We deliberately chose the delta area of these tributaries. These are gletscher valleys, flat bottom. Upstream you have one water channel, deep and wild. Near the main river it forms a delta, braided channels each with much less water and lower streamspeed. Still in both tributaries the main remaining channels were very, very tough to cross.

Every stream is a project. You must scout carefully for a wadeable place. Once selected the ritual starts. Take off your backpack, shoes, socks and trousers, sometime also your coat and sweater. Put on shorts and sneakers. Tie boots to the back of the backpack, stuff all other clothes in a plastic bag and put it in the backpack. Obviously we had prepared and other vital equipment was already packed watertight (food, stove, first aid and above all your sleeping bag).

Then hit the water, freezing cold, flowing fast, carefully scout every step, check the riverbed. When you reach the other bank the whole ritual goes in repeat, with 1 extra step, unpack a towel and dry your feet and legs. Mind you, at the next stream you have to put on ice-cold wet sneakers, a fun experience… The biggest stream took us well over an hour.

When we had cleared both larger tributaries we were wasted. Then keep you brain working, you must reload, get warm, eat something. So we put up the outer tent, threw everything underneath, cooked a warm soup and a hot chocolate and wrapped ourselves in our sleeping bags for 2 full hours.

In hindsight, this could have ended very badly, we should never have gone that day.