Into the Arctic

By Pete
We spent over an hour in Trondheim before finally getting a new sim- then decided to head into Sweden where we could top up our old cards anyway!!.... that’s how unplanned this trip can be at times!
Heading east we left the jagged coast through the rugged beauty of the Scandes and into the softer, rolling hills of Sweden. Arriving in Östersund in the early evening I illegally parked while Bea ran in to top up our Swedish sims... you can never have too much data these days!
We camped that night at a large campsite with free WiFi so we didn’t need to use our sims!
Dinner that night, Pollock ceviche followed by crumbed Pollock... Pollock meal 3... getting over it.

The next morning we turned north and, while listening to the second test slowly ebb toward the inevitable draw, meandered through the rolling hills and lakes of central Sweden. After lunch, leftover crumbed fish sandwiches Pollock meal 4... totally over it!, we crossed 66*33’47.8”- we were now in the arctic circle.

Not that we knew it at the time, it wasn’t until the next morning we realised we were in the arctic, there was no sign or acknowledgement. Maybe Bea’s first reindeer sighting, and her ensuing excitement, should have been a clue! We camped that night down a forest track next to a lovely lake and Bea spent all night dreaming we were going to be murdered in the wilderness by the psychopathic, hoody wearing, walking dead!

Still alive the next morning we continued north through grey skies and light drissle toward Abisko. Northern Sweden isn’t heavily populated and doesn’t have the developed infrastructure of Norway or Finland so it has a real frontier vibe, even the ski resorts are a little more than caravan parks with a couple of ski tows.. these were for die hard skiers not the apre ski crowd! Abisko is one location in Northern Sweden that has some tourist development as it is one best places to see the northern lights.

The adjacent mountains trap the clouds creating clear skies.. in winter! It is has some great hiking and back country skiing.. in winter. The weather, and the lack of snow, did not deter us from donning our thermals taking the chairlift to the top of the mountain for an exceptional view of the white out and a hearty, warming lunch of homemade soup and hot chocolate. We then walked back down through the misty forest, picking blueberries along the way.

Turning east again we dropped back down through the dramatic, ragged, mountains of the northern Scandics rejoining the Norwegian coast at Narvick, the gateway to Lofuten. Almost everyone we spoke to in Norway, both local and tourists, said the Lofoten islands were a must. This jaw-dropping chain of islands, jutting from Norway’s western arctic coast, is characterised by its raw jagged mountains, plunging cliffs, sheltered inlets, fishing hamlets, sandy beaches and... surfing!

Yes, if Klitmoller (Denmark) is cold Hawaii then Unstad is bloody freezing Hawaii. We laughed when we saw a van hiring surfboards and offering lessons, we were stunned when, on our way back, we saw a lesson being held in the rain, in 7 degree water ...with no waves! It turned out to be a school group and this was their outdoor-ed, they would be doing it every Wednesday for 6 weeks- they breed them tough in the Lofotens.

In fact the archipelago has a relatively balmy climate considering its arctic location with summer temperatures soaring as high as a sweltering 14 degees! This relatively mild weather, the great fishing and the safe anchorages is possibly why it has been inhabited for over 5,500 years, with towns established during the Iron Age and early Viking era. The Lofotr Viking Museum creatively that displays the history of one such settlement and tells its history and that of some of its early inhabitants. Much of the information and artefacts came from 38m longhouse who’s remnants were found at the site, a replica of which forms part of the museum.

We drove the ‘Lofoten’ tourist route through changing weather wind whipped rainstorms then breaks of sunshine, it may have been nicer on a beautiful clear day but some how this weather felt appropriate for such a rugged and variable landscape. We then turned north east again toward Tromso, the furthest north we would get on this trip.

On the ferry towards Tromsø I found myself, as usual, staring into the water and I realised that their was no rubbish, at all, nothing, just a wonderful array of jelly fish, seaweed and bird feathers, and it had been like this since reaching Scandinavia, what a marked change from Asia and China where all you see, even in the most remote landscapes and desserts is the plastic excrement of human population. Is shows that humanity can care and respect nature, I just hope that those gulf streams never bring Asia’s crap to this most pristine environment.

Anyway on to Tromso.