SJ Nattåg

As I sit here waiting for the night train to Stockholm. My mind wanders between the following topics...

1. Will the volcanic ash clear in time for my flight home?
2. What a strange little adventure... Too much baggage to enjoy the travelling. Not enough snowboarding to be a winter sports holiday... That said, it was a lovely introduction to Scandinavia.
3. I also pondered the paradoxical nature of writing a blog about an obscure paradise like Narvik. In doing so I may bring a degree of publicity to the location, and in the process, I may advance the destruction of the very qualities of tranquillity and solitude that make that location special. Maybe, it would not happen... After all, Narvik is so remote. Perhaps only a few curious adventurers and powder fanatics will make the effort to visit. Maybe, the non-commercial grassroots charm of this ski area will remain unaffected... Especially as the only person to read this will be my Mum :)
   

Linken

As we walked through Narvik towards the ski slopes, the grey skies dissolved and Fagernesfjellet appeared. At the top of the gondola, we discovered the top chair lift (Linken) was going to open for the first time during our trip :)

Matt and I started the day with a few pisted runs, which had a fresh covering of snow. By the time the Linken lift had opened, the weather had closed in. This didn't matter too much as there was now a lot more of this mountain to explore :)

As we surfed down the mountain, leaving tracks where there were none, the clouds occasionally parted splashing vibrant colours across the landscape.

Our final run of the day started at 1002m (the top of Linken) and seemed to take us through all of the seasons... Deep powder, followed by compacted Schußes, next the sticky snow and finally slushy snow with pools of water. All good fun and very tiring!

Sticky Snow!?

Snow was still falling when we pulled back the curtains, which meant another day of snowboarding in the poor vis. Luckily there were still plenty of routes to explore, rocks to jump and trees to dodge!

When we were on the slopes we experienced a bizarre phenomenon... Towards the bottom of the slopes (as it was a little warmer) the snow became sticky and slow us down!

As the day progressed, the sticky snowline crept higher and higher, so we decided to save our legs for tomorrow - our final day on the snowboard...

Wise Words

The day started with a sumptuous breakfast and some wise words from our fellow diner...

"life is not about collecting money, it's about collecting experiences - that's what you will always have with you".

With these words still bouncing around my head, we headed to the lift. The snowboarding experience in Narvik is quite unusual. Matt and I had the mountain, 900 vertical meters of snowboarding, pretty much to ourselves :)

Fagernesfjellet offers good pistes and excellent off-piste snowboarding... It's just a shame that we could not see anything! Fresh snow falling reduced the visibility and made route finding challenging. Snow conditions on the ground were strangely wonderful - kind of like a creamy mashed potato :)

Matt and I covered a variety of terrain from well groomed pistes to wooded off-piste trail (including a toboggan run!) Just as we were preparing for our final descent, the clouds parted and the sun glistened on Rombaksfjord far below our view point. For the first time today we saw Fagernesfjellet in all it's glory. There is still plenty more for us to explore tomorrow...

Norumgården

The storm that had been forecast for the past few days had finally arrived, which strangely came as a relief, as we hopped on the bus back to Narvik. The scenery took on a more harsh appearance in the midst of the storm.

At 68.5 degrees North latitude, our final destination of Narvik is situated about 250km north of the Arctic Circle. The location is where a snowboarder (and skier!) can combine excellent snowboarding (and skiing!) with gorgeous sea views and landscapes that are uniquely Norwegian. I am guessing it is this remote northerly location that makes for operating hours that are quite different from most other ski resorts (11am - 8pm), but before we hit the slopes... Time to check into the highly recommended Norumgården Bed & Breakfast.

Varden

I awoke this morning with a small grey cloud was over my head :( Not to worry though! It's nothing a day in the mountains cannot cure...

A quick weather check out of the window and off we set yo climb the classic Varden. At 700m in height, it is not the highest peak in the region, but it has a good mix of terrain to sustain interest.

The taxi dropped us off at the start of the Løype, which we followed to the base of the ridge. We used the ridge to ascend to the top of the snow field (at approximately 600m). With our snowboards strapped to our backs, the windy conditions on the ridge were sometimes helpful - giving us a push up the hill. More often it was a hindrance - regularly knocking us off balance! From the ridge, Matt and I were able to pick out a safe descent route through the trees.

We were more sheltered once we dropped off the ridge and ascended to the summit col, where impressive views across the Lofoten Islands greeted us.

Here we stashed our rucksacks and snowboards as we attempted to climb the final rocky icy outcrop that is the summit. Roughly five meters below the summit, we were faced with a dilemma... Our snowshoes were not suitable for the final section and our snowboard boots were too soft to kick into the compacted snow and ice. We, therefore, retreated back to our snowboards, strapped them on and began to descend.

At first the snow conditions were very tricky... Weight on my front foot, the board would dig in and over I go. Weight on my back foot, the board would sink and over I go. Weight evenly distributed, the board would not turn very easily and I would pick up speed (quickly!) and throw myself to the ground in order to stop :)

Soon I got the hang of it and we snaked our way down the mountain. Three hours up and thirty minutes down :)

That evening we enjoyed the local delicacy of Stockfish at the charming Børsen Spiseri.

Tourist Trail

Our plans for today fizzled out one by one as the local guide dismissed them... Tjeldbergtinden - not enough snow; Kongstinden Alpinanlegg - closed for the season on Monday;... :(

The guide did suggest some alternative routes, which we will have to do tomorrow.

So today we hit the tourist trail... First, we chose our method of transport - the humble town bike. We then headed to Svolvaer for the Fisherman's Festival. Next stop was the start of our favourite route for tomorrow. After a spot of lunch, we cycled along this dramatic coastline to Kabelvåg, Ørsvåg and almost to Hopen before the rain forced us to turn around.

Back at our Rorbu, we got the log fire roaring and prepared for tomorrow...

Resting in a Rorbu

Once we crossed the border into Norway, the scenery changed... How does it know to do that!? Things all of a sudden became much steeper! Our train whizzed past balancing rocks, hanging glaciers and jaw-dropping vistas... I think I'm going to like Norway :)

Matt and I spent most of the journey with our noses pressed to the window, like kids against a sweetshop window, trying to take in every ounce of detail.

Descending to Narvik, the train clung to the side of the mountains as it snaked it's way along the edge of the fjord. In Narvik, we changed our mode of transport. The Lofotenxpressen Bus would take us on our final leg of our journey to Svolvaer. Like the train before it, the bus weaved it's way between the serrated mountains, the mirror-like fjords and the sun drenched coastline.

From Svolvaer, we crossed, by footbridge, to the tiny island of Svinøya. Our accommodation was a rorbu cabin. Ror from the Norwegian to row and bu means small dwelling.

A rorbu, then, is a house where the fishermen lived when they rowed out to the fishing grounds and it's our home for the weekend :)

Where has everything gone?!

I pulled back the curtains to reveal nothing but whiteness as far as the eye can see. The poor visibility meant the planned off-piste hike was abandoned. We, instead, opted for a day of free riding on the Riksgränsen fell. The fresh snow gave the pisted runs a bit of cushioning.

In the afternoon, the silver disc of the sun burned through the clouds. Since the visibility had improved, we chose to head to Bjørnfjell for a few off-piste routes. Picking a route between the steep rocky outcrops was tricky, but the snow was light and fluffy, which made it all worthwhile :)

Nature is as much a part of snowsports as the board (or the skis!). Similarly, the love of nature is as much a part of a rider as his (or her!) love of cold, fresh powdersnow sprinkling his face and caking his goggles as he tries to negotiate powder turns by radar. A rider can hardly feel any closer to the mountains and the nature that are his home than he can feel amidst the Arctic splendour and remote tranquility of Riksgränsen.

We finished the day by snowboarding back to the hotel. Time to pack, as tomorrow we head to the Lofoten Islands...

Brant

I am always rather impressed (not to mention jealous and relieved) when Swedish skiers hurl themselves, like lemmings, off a cliff, only to bounce back up and ski away. Matt and I tried this (off much smaller cliffs) as we continued to explore the ski area of Riksgränsen.

Much of the afternoon was spent riding a relatively short, steep and gnarly section known as Branten. Brant is Swedish for steep, and steep in this case, means up to 55 degrees in places! Late in the day, Matt hit the wall (literally!) and I slid the full length of the run on my bottom... Twice!! We decided to finish early and find some food...

Heliboarding

The sun rose and burst through our flimsy curtains. I check my watch - 06:40 - I'm not getting up yet! After a filling breakfast, we bought our skipasses (£60 for two days) and headed into the hills...

Our two hour warm up started on the pisted area. Despite its short vertical drop of only 460 meters, there is plenty to do. The absence of trees on the slopes allows for almost unlimited off-piste snowboarding, as you can descend wherever there isn't a rock! Perfect practice for heliboarding...

Riksgränsen's remoteness and extreme northerly location that give this ski resort its charm. It also offers heliskiing (or heliboarding!) at some of the cheapest rates in the World.

After the briefest of safety briefings, we took to the skies in search of our first run. The helicopter touched down on Giron, we quickly strapped on our boards and headed South across the summit plateau. The sastrugi bounced us all over the place, but once we got into the gulley the riding was smooth and enjoyable all the way to the waiting helicopter.

Drops two, three and four were all around Kåtojåkka - the snow was even better here! And after rescuing my snowboard (the guide took it off me and then dropped it down the mountain!?!), we flew to Tjåmuhas for the final run of the day.

The flight back to base, across the Swedish, fells was stunning. We celebrated this wonderful experience with a few beers and a great meal at the Meteorologen Ski Lodge.

Wandering back to the room, we were fortunate enough to witness the "best Northern Lights Riksgränsen has seen all season". Great end to a great day!

Arriving in Riksgränsen

Jan woke with a start. His eyes struggled to focus. He casually tossed a cigarette into his mouth, said his goodbyes and got off the train. We got off at the same stop, dragging our heavy luggage across the platform for our final train of the journey. Next stop: Riksgränsen, Sweden.

With six ski lifts overlooking the grand Lake Vassijaure as well as a panorama of low-growing birch trees and rounded mountain tops, Riksgränsen is vintage Lapland.

Riksgränsen is virtually on the border with Norway, some 200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle and after forty hours of travelling, we arrived!

We quickly dumped our bags and went to speak to the guides for ideas of what is in condition - it all sounds very exciting! We then wandered around the town to get our bearings...

Five minutes later :) we were back at our room to unpack and freshen up... Followed by burger, beer and then bed!

Four trains in forty hours...

01:17
Matt and I board the City Night Line 40447 Borealis, which starts our thirty six hour journey from Bielefeld to Riksgränsen. Any hope we had spreadin out for the night quickly vanished when I pulled back the door to reveal four other bodies! One of which was occupying Matt's bed :)

After cramming our two holdalls and two snowboard bags into the tiny cabin, we settled down to what, somewhat surprisingly, was a very good nights sleep.

08:24
Passport control and the news that the train is now delayed by approximately an hour. This means plan A and our safety margin to catch the next night train has disappeared. Plan B is still in play, but with only five minutes to spare...

12:58
We arrived in København one hour and forty five minutes late. With all possible permutations exhausted, we headed to the ticket office. Anne Marie tapped furiously on her keyboard to find a way of avoiding a twenty four hour extension to our journey, which she kindly did. There was one snag... The train was fully booked!

14:10
We returned to the ticket as requested. Stefan - some sort of manager - will attempt to talk us on to the train. The conductor was über accomodating - allowing us to travel in First Class and even booking the remainder of our journey. Time to sit back and watch Sweden roll by... [on fast forward!]

20:30
All seems to be running smoothly now :) We were ambling along the platform, looking for vagn 33 when Matt was acosted by a v.drunk bloke who was demanding to know where his train was!?! Needles to say, we made a sharp exit and located our cabin... Result! It was empty :) Just as we had finished unpacking, who should show up, but that v.drunk bloke from the platform!

As our train rattled on into the night, Jan sobered up and we were joined by Ahmed. The four of us chatted away the evening over a beer or two...