Now I have finished a lovely igloo season. How many were built ? … Want to count to 15 “block igloo” and 10 Quin Zee’s. No record, but a very nice winter. A winter not yet over. Still cold outdoor and still one iglooproject in Kvikkjokk left, a photo project … maybe a new magazine story. This time with focusing on just the building of an igloo!

The only self-supporting building, built entirely of snow. The only equipment required: a snow saw and a shovel … and a lot of knowledge of course! 

Many thanks to everyone who came to my variuos igloo tours, now awaits ”soon” a new and different winter season 2012- 2013, welcome!

Skidåkning på skogsskidor- Hitta egna spår i orörd snö

What are you thinking when you hear the word of skiing .. blood taste in the mouth, hard-wearing sports? Let us instead see it as an experience that creates a sense of freedom and also a superb ancient mode of transport in winter. Especially when the skis can be guided straight into the wilderness – in the rough terrain. Nothing is like finding your own paths in a untouched snowy landscape. If you want to intensify it more I am ready to call it poetry!

To read more about skiing – with long wooden cross country skies. Read swedish page and use google translate. 

 A “taster” trip into the mountains and forests of Lapland. Comfortable and gentle, yet will still stretch you to your limit. Ski techniques, fire lighting, animal tracking and bivouacking are just part of the rich palette of training you receive as part of this winter tour. The coolest challenge will be a night out in a snow bivouac, which you will dig yourself. You cannot come much closer to nature than this.

For the first two days we travel in the area on skis, learning basic skiing techniques in the mountains and forests. Lunch by an open fire. Day three we travel to a thick snowdrift for some bivouac digging. A good “bivouac drift” is formed in special locations where extra snow has accumulated and packed together, sometimes to a depth of several meters. Here you will learn how to dig your own snow bivouac, as well as what is important to think about regarding safety issues and how to make an emergency bivouac. This is a great way to quickly build protection against “unexpected weather” in the mountains. Dining outside under a starry sky and overnight in a bivouac.

On the last day we return to the mountain station. After a warming sauna, a slide show that teaches more about living in the snow and mountains in the wintertime. Finally, some “me time”, or the possibility to take a short trip on skis / snowshoes. Every evening we eat a three-course dinner with ingredients found in the surrounding mountains and nature of Lapland.

Price: 7530  SEK

Date: 12-16 March 2012.

Good to know:

Additional cost for car transfer to Jokkmokk on Saturday may apply. Packing list and clothing advice sent on booking.

Tack Marcel Köppe på servingMIND för hjälpen med min logotype.

New company name -NatuLife had now recived the national quality label for nature tours- “Natures best”.

“Nature’s Best is designed to offer the traveller an unforgettable nature experience. It combines responsible nature conservation with more environmentally friendly ways of travelling that care for cultural heritage, local community and the environment.”

Labelling Committee´s motivation (16 June 2011)
Natulife could perhaps become one of Lapland’s distinctive companies in the future, with good chances of becoming an internationally-known icon like the Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi and the Tree Hotel in Harads. Behind Jokkmokk’s igloo village is a strong female entrepreneur, who is not afraid of breaking into traditionally male territories such as whitewater rafting, fly-fishing and bird hunting. Read more on nature best website.

Läs hela artikel här: Utemagasinet nr 10, 2009  Destination Norrbotten-bilaga NSD o Norrbottenskuriren 2010

Fler artiklar alldeles snart…

Ohh this is in swedish but you can translate it with google translate..

-… Before and after the mosquitoes arrive…
 
During our hike into the forest, we walk along a beautiful ridge. With open swamps on both sides, we have good chance to see some animals along the way. Mostly birds of many species, but also larger animals such as moose. We will even feel that bears are somewhere in the swampy landscape… We will also be looking for all types of animal tracks along our path. The ridge we walk along sits next to the edge of course, mature pine trees. The bright summer nights are spent in tents / shelters here in the middle of Laponia’s wilderness.
 
Programs
Arrival: Welcome Dinner and overnight stay in Porjus.
Days 1-2: Walking into the heart of Muddus to “Urskogsberget” which is a mountain forest. Here we find the oldest pine tree in Sweden, which is nearly 800 years old. In addition, we have now reached one of the most remote places of all Swedish forests, ‘road-less country’ and it is about 15km in all directions to the nearest forest road.

Days 3-4: We walk back along the forest ridge continuing our Wildlife Safari and finish with a tour of the mountain top (if time and energy permit). From there we can look back over our route. If we can move our eyes away from Muddus and look in the other direction, we will be able to see (on a clear day) the Sarek mountain tops and even Kennekaise. Maybe your next adventure?

Number of participants: 2-6 persons.

Time period: June – weeks 23, 24 and 25 and in August – weeks 33, 34 and 35 in September.

Make your journey getting here to a great experience:  We recommend you to take the inland banan “(special summer train”) from Östersund. Daily departures from June 6 -27 August 2011. Book here: http://www.grandnordic.se/

Getting there: Trains (SJ) to Gällivare from Gothenburg / Stockholm.

Airport in Gällivare (NEXT jet) and Kiruna (SAS) by bus to Porjus – first night in a hostel (hotel available at additional cost). We can also arrange local transfers from / to train / flight Porjus / Gällivare (Jokkmokk) at additional cost.

Includes: Accommodation for one night in a hostel, three nights in a tent / shelters, dinner the day of arrival, all meals in the field, local shuttle from Porjus to the hike’s starting point, local wilderness guide.

More information:

Participants carry their own equipment in a backpack, shared equipment is carried by all of the group. Packing list and detailed tour information is forwarded to you when we receive the booking fee of 500kr.

Price: 7500 SEK per person.

Welcome to c / o Gerd’s opening ceremony of it´s new beauty factory. Destination Jokkmokk shows in connection with this opening up it’s new brand platform. A number of member companies show you a taste of their product offerings with focus on the sustainability tours in the beautiful nature of Jokkmokk, a part of Swedish Lapland. The showroom is open every day at the market from 11:00 to 18:00.

In the showroom you find our new product! Igloo Course in Kvikkjokk mountains-Spend your nights in igloos and mountain cabins together with samples of local delicacies such as reindeer, elk and Artic shar fish!

Also welcome to Strukturum on Friday the 4^th of February and Saturday 5^th to hear different lectures by and from the many Jokkmokk activity companies.

 Especially welcome to hear a lecture about snow-a topic that arouses many emotions!

On February 5th 13.00 – 13.45 With a feeling for snow. Cecilia Lundin, Illua

Welcome to Jokkmokk and the 406:nd Winter Market !

Igloo building in Lappeasuando-Swedish Lapland

Two times I been building igloo with guest in the final end of 2010. Location-Lappeasuando, Swedish Lapland. Lappeasuando almost  like a second home for me, I love working there!
So now I have not only one- but two igloo villages!

One “wildness igloo camp” in “the land with out roads” on the Arctic Circle, Jokkmokk
-and one more.. on the wild frozen kalix river close to  the warm and cosy lodge in Lappeasuando.

The first tour started with only one guest but he was brave and also a very good in cutting  snowblocks…. Later on we got more help from the great couple from Australia… And Greg finally put up the kings brick, the last snow block. They fulfilled their dream from childhood, to go to the snowy Lapland and see the other side of the world. My dream in childhood was the opposite.. to go to Australia.

Next time a group from Great Britain, with late support from two Americans… You can´t image the feeling be out there on the frozen Kalix river….and experience a Northen light in the early evening…building igloo in a temperature 30 degrees below zero!
The day after my team come from Belgian, four strong ones completed the belgian/english igloo… a bright white beauty of snow!

I hope I go to Lappeasuando soon again -building more igloos!

Cecilia