Day 5 - Kebnekaise to Nikkaluokta

After breakfast at Kebnekaise, we begin the gentle descent to the trailhead at Nikkaluokta. The route mostly across the frozen surface of Ladtjo Lake is hampered by strong icy side winds and dodging between oncoming snowmobiles.

In Nikkaluokta, we wait for the bus in the comfort of the small café. The bus soon arrives and our next stop is clean clothes in Kiruna!

Ski Touring on Kungsleden, the King's Trail, from Abisko to Kebnekaise was a unique opportunity to immerse ourselves in the dramatic scenery of this remote region in the full glory of a Swedish winter.

Distance: 18.6 km

Day 4 - Sälka to Kebnekaise

At the start of the longest day, the wind speed has died down and it is relatively warm. We follow the Tjäktjavagge Valley, generally downhill and across easy terrain. We revel in being totally surrounded by mountains. We reach the huts at Singi after just 13 km of skiing, which are by a small lake in an open bowl surrounded by low hills. We stop here for a lunch break and I keep a promise by becoming an Arctic Postman :)

We climb away from Singi and leave behind the King's Trail, heading over a pass between the guardians of the wilderness - Lidducohkka and Singicohkka. As we head west through the Ladtjo Valley to the Kebnekaise Mountain Station, we sneak our first views of Kebnekaise (2117m) Sweden’s highest peak. In the shadows of Kebnekaise, the icy valley floor is difficult to traverse and further west the snow begins to disappear as the tracks are becoming more numerous.

Our last night in the mountains is spent at Kebnekaise Mountain Station, which offers sauna, showers and a well-earned restaurant meal as we ready ourselves for the final day's ski touring towards Nikkaluokta.

Distance: 26.0 km

Day 3 - Alesjaure to Sälka

An early start in bitterly cold temperatures is necessary today to complete what is likely to be the toughest day of the trip. After an initial descent from the rocky outcrop down an icy wall of death, the first part of today's route follows the wide open Ales Valley and then begins a gradual ascent on easy-angled slopes which, given the icy headwind, are nevertheless quite tough to ski up. That said, the huskies make it look easy as they pass us ;-)

Snow begins to fall and the gradient steepens as we leave the Ales Valley to begin the steady climb up to the Tjäktja Pass. A snow storm closes in as we reach the Tjäktja Hut, the highest on the King's Trail, so we seek shelter in the hut and have a spot of lunch.

After lunch, the storm has not passed, so we head into out into the whiteness to find the highest point on the King’s Trail. At a height of 1240m, we cross over the Tjäktja Pass. Sadly, due to the white out conditions, we miss the magnificent views from the shelter at the col over the Tjäktavagge Valley.

Beyond the pass, we are, however, treated to easy skiing down to the cabins at Sälka. The snow storm has made things more pleasant by providing fresh, and more importantly, soft snow for the descent.

The Sälka Hut is at a crossroads of several ski tour trails and there is an interesting mix of people in residence. The hut also has a shop with beer and a sauna. The only downside is that there is a five minute walk in gale force winds to go for a wee!

Distance: 25.2 km

Day 2 - Abiskojaure to Alesjaure

My eyes open to the sound of huskies howling outside the window of the cabin. I tentatively stick my arm out of my sleeping bag to test the temperature in the cabin. Pleasantly surprised, I begin my morning routine.

Despite today being a longer day's touring, involving some ascent, we start late to maximise the amount of time my repaired boot has to set. We start out along the valley, passing peaks rather than heading between them. As we follow the Kama River westwards, we realise that we are heading too far from the low col that we need to ascend.

Rather than the soul destroying act of retracing the route, we continue westwards until we reach a small group of houses and then put on our skins, turn to the south-east to cross a slightly higher col to enter the Alis Valley, which is dominated by shapely snow-peaks.

There is now a feeling of entering the high mountains as we continue through the Alis Valley. Travelling in a hilly landscape in between the peaks on a mountain plateau. Heading south, it is pretty level all the way to our overnight stop at the Alesjaure Mountain Hut. We take the option to cut directly across Ales Lake rather than stay on the marked trail at its edge in the hope of reaching the hut before sundown.

As the sun dipped behind the peaks that line the edge of Ales Lake, the temperature dropped dramatically. We could see a cluster of huts perched on a rocky outcrop at Alesjaure and so we decide to foolishly race the final few hundred meters to the hut rather than throw on our extra layers. It is surprising how quickly the cold seeps into my hands. The short steep climb to the hut fails to bring my hands back to life, but the warmth of finally entering the hut makes the blood flow once again to my hands and with it brings the pain of the hot aches.

The hut offers simple but comfortable accommodation and an excellent sauna in a separate hut. En route to the sauna, I take a quick snow bath and then start my evening routine.

Distance: 24.0 km

Day 1 - Abisko to Abiskojaure

The King's Trail (known as "Kungsleden" in Swedish) is a long-distance path in the far north of Swedish Lapland, deep inside the Arctic Circle. Ski Touring on the King's Trail is one of the World's "classic" ski touring routes - challenging, spectacular and dramatic whilst not being too extreme.

The Abisko-Kebnekaise Trail is probably the most famous section of the King's Trail, running from Abisko Mountain Station on the shores of Lake Torneträsk south to the base of Mount Kebnekaise, Sweden's highest mountain at 2105 metres.

Our tour starts early fuelling up on the local delicacies of pickled fish, beetroot, boiled eggs,... I pity the people that shall be sharing our cabin this evening! With our flasks as full as our bellies, we head back to our room for last minute tinkering and then meet on the car park to wrestle ourselves into our skis for the first time. We then fling ourselves down the first steep icy slope of the day and the journey begins...

With the spring sun peaking above the horizon, the Arctic landscapes of northern Sweden, featuring majestic peaks and frozen waterfalls, are bathed in an ethereal light. All around is a snow-bound landscape of undulating countryside covered in birch and pine forest, with views across to the peaks of the Kebnekaise range. Lapporten, one the mountain world’s most famous silhouettes, watches over us as we pick our way between the silver birch trees, parallel to a partially snow-covered Kama River. The terrain is undulating and the route is very twisty. Eventually the route leaves the river and follows the borderline between woods and mountains. Just as we were leaving the shelter of the silver birch, disaster struck... My boot broke!

A quick decision is taken to return to the Abisko Mountain Station. One quick repair later, our group splits in two. One half head onward to the cabins on the south side of Lake Abiskojaure. The other half retrace the four and a half kilometres in search of a replacement or a repair.

The return journey to Abisko Mountain Station to yields no replacement boot and a limited number of repair options. I purchase the most promising option: a tube of glue and some more tape. We throw our lunch down our necks and head back out to the car park to the familiar launching spot for the trail.

The second attempt of the route takes us further into Abisko National Park and eventually to the frozen waters of Lake Abiskojaure. On the far side, we can just make out the smoke from the wood-burning stoves that our keeping the other half of the group warm inside the mountain cabin.

We power across the lake in no time and check into our cabin. We enjoy a warm meal that has been lovingly prepared by the other half of the group and reflect on the day's adventures. In the warmth of the cabin, I properly repair my boot and drink some whiskey with some fellow travellers. I then have a traditional Swedish sauna before climbing into bed - a welcoming haven after a long day on the trail!

Take One
Distance: 8.7 km

Take Two
Distance: 13.9 km

All roads lead to Göteborg

After a lovely breakfast, we all head down to the harbour and hop aboard the family boat. As we cruise along the fjord, the boys and I sit on the front of the boat riding the big waves. We dock at a little rocky outcrop for a spot of crab fishing and enjoy a BBQ. What a life! :D

Alas, I have to leave as my ferry departs this evening and I still have one more country to visit! I say goodbye to the gang and leave them to fill the crab bucket :)

One lane becomes two and then three as I hurry towards the Swedish border. The bridge from Norway to Sweden offers a stunning view out to sea. Just one hundred miles to go!

I follow the Göta älv into Göteborg and reach the area where the harbour is. I can see the ship. I can even see the sea! Can I find the entrance? Not easily. I turn left. I turn right. I carry on straight ahead. The result is the same; I head to the centre of Göteborg. I end up going through the Lunby Tunnel four times before I eventually discover the tiny turning for the freight harbour.

It is here, whilst waiting to board the ship, that I will finish the story of my latest odyssey. It is not that the adventure is over. No way – I am very much looking forward to the summertime escapades with my friends and family. Next time my wheels roll will be on the green and pleasant land of my home. I have ridden my motorbike all the way… The Long Way Home.

Distance: 179.3 miles

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 :)
   

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...