Northern Lights and Bivouacs
Ok you get it by now. Winter trips, cross-country skiing over untouched snow, it's amazing and all that. But now that our winter season has wrapped up, we wanna hone in on some other aspects of the trip also. We do whatever we and the group feel like on these trips, you see.
Snowshoeing
It's evening in our cosy cabin. We've been skiing all day, slipped into our chilling clothes, had dinner, the fire in the furnace is crackling and flickering. Time to relax, no?
But it's a clear night, the moon is beaming. Anyone game for snowshoeing to the top of the highest hill outside our doorstep? Oh, everyone is. Cool, let's pack some whiskey, some snacks. It takes about an hour and half to reach the top. The higher we get, the more weighted down by snow are the gigantic spruce trees enveloping us in the darkness. We realise we don't even need the head torches, the moonlight illuminates our path through the deep snow just fine. The silhouettes of the towering trees get even more pronounced. Fantasmic troll-like shadows surrounding us in all directions...
Northern lights
We were really lucky on a few of the trips to see the Northern lights! No need to ramble on about it. We're gonna let these Iphone pics speak for themselves. Normally not allowed, we do run a tight ship in the graphics department. But Rob & Thomas did work their li'l behinds off during these trips, so no time for as many high-quality photos.
Digging bivouacs
Cut to our 3-day camping expedition on the Fulufjället alpine plateau and digging bivouacs! We bring along our beloved Hilleberg tents of course, but on, say, half the trips, we also decided to dig bivouacs. The whole process takes about four hours.
First up, find suitable snow! This means packed wind-pined snow. It's usually a westerly wind up here. So we look for a crest, and on the eastern side, the snow will have gathered all season.
Second, we use a long-ass avalanche probe to make sure the snow is deep enough.
Third. We dig...and we dig...and we dig. First a tunnel – this will be our entrance. Then we start hollowing out a large cave. We leave a little plateau on each side, our beds! Roll out our insulated Expeds, light up some candles, voilà a very cosy bedroom indeed.
The temperature inside our snowy abode will stay consistent, around 0 degrees. It doesn't matter if it's 25 below outside, or 5 below. But an even cooler feature – it's silent, as in dead silent (maybe not a word ya wanna use when surrounded by snow in all directions, but it is safe, we promise). The winds can be howling outside. If you're in a tent they'll be ripping at the fabric, raising a flappin' ruckus. But where you're at...a tranquil night at the edge of a wintery world.
Sauna and an ice hole
Our base cabin on the banks of lake Navar is off-grid, as in no electricity, no running water. Fireplaces are going in each room, lanterns and candles light up every little corner. But whatabout a shower?
Enter the sauna and a hole in the ice! Sounds brutal? It's actually not, at least not for very long. The sauna is right by the water, and everyone got used to our daily bathing routine real fast. Most loved it, even. Lather up in the sauna, a quick dip, and then right back to the warmth. It's super invigorating, the contrast of the hot and cold and then hot again. Ya never felt so clean!