Dog sledding course in Saltoluokta
Together with STF (the Swedish tourist organization) we organize dog sled courses in Saltoluokta mountan lodge. Jokkmokkguiderna and STF have been cooperating since 1996 when Matti for the first time drove guests by dogsled in Saltoluokta under their management.
On the first day of this year’s course we got a nice day tour down to Björkudden where we ate lunch at family Öbergs restaurant. The following two days we went on a two day tour over to the Sitojaure cabins along the creek in Autsvagge. On the way back to Salto we drove east over Ultevis snow-covered wide open spaces. Marie, Anna and Tomas followed on the tour as well as Henrik and Åsa who were with us to photograph and write reportage. A nice tour in good company!
/Matti & Stina
Publicerad: 30 April, 2010 i Aktuellt.
Mountain guide, safety and ice-cold baths
To work as a mountain guide means that you have a big responsibility for a group’s safety in a sometimes extreme environment. The demands on certified guides increase constantly not only from customers but also from consumer associations. We have now got a so-called Mountain guide standards (Fjällledarnorm in Swedish) that is a guideline for the lowest level of knowledge.
This mean for us that we have to get most of our knowledge verified on paper. We are also going to increase our knowledge in some areas like wilderness first aid and avalanche knowledge. To get further education is always positive. We have always taking the safety serious and have always put the “safety thinking” in focus.
This day we got basic skill education in ice knowledge. We also got the bonus to see how the rescue brigade in Jokkmokk works. And what didn’t make the day less fun was that we during the exercise got the first swim of the year.
/Matti & Stina
Publicerad: 23 April, 2010 i Aktuellt.
Volcanic eruption, economic losses and Mother Nature’s powers
We have got two groups cancelled because of the ash clouds from the volcano on Island. Unbelievable such a chaos nature can cause in our sensitive world. In Sweden the media are talking about how the big air companies could get compensation for their economic losses. Nobody is talking about how much we small tourist companies lose. Many colleagues to us have lost 5 and 6 figured amounts of money but nobody asks for government subsidies. We who work close to nature know that we have to cope with Mother Nature’s powers.
From every fall you learn something and we have learned that it’s both safer and more environment friendly to travel by train. Most of our guests this season have travelled with the night train from Stockholm up to Lapland. A choice they have praised many times.
/Matti & Stina
Publicerad: 20 April, 2010 i Aktuellt.
Dog teams along the Northern Kings trail in Sweden
Ritsem became our starting point for this year’s tour along the northern Kings trail. We had to change a bit in the program to make the first day a bit easier for the dogs that had have kennel cough the week before.
My companion through the Kebnekaise Mountains were Steve (England), Nora (Switzerland), Tommy and Lars (Sweden).
Ritsem, Sitasjaure, Hukejaure, Ivarsteinen (border cairn to Norway), Sälka, Ladtjovagge, Tjäktja, Alesjaure, Abiskojaure and then down to Abisko was the route for this week. The weather gods gave us drifting snow, sunshine, drizzle and wind.
In Sälka the news about the volcanic eruption at Island reached us. Steve who had flight booked took the news with a cheerful mood even if he didn’t know how or if he could come home to England.
The peak of Kebnekaise was sadly covered by clouds during the days we were near. Hopefully we will see the peak next year.
You are all welcome back dear companions!
Read more about our dogsledge tour along the Northern Kingstrail.
/Matti
Publicerad: 18 April, 2010 i Aktuellt.
Big dog teams, heavy loaded freight sledges and off-piste skiing in Sarek National Park
Our mission for this week was to carry luggage with dog sleds in Sarek National Park.
The tour was made in cooperation with Mountain Guide Travel and the guide Magnus Strand who is an authorized mountain guide.
During last autumn we got a request from Magnus to arrange with transportation, accommodation and food in Sarek National Park.
Advanced mushing with heavy sledges in tough terrain, glassy ice, steep downhill driving, bare ground, more glassy ice and deep ravines where some of our challenges.
The ski group consisted of Fredric, Otto, Larsa, Nicolai and Fredrik that where guided by Magnus. They crossed the Ähpar massif from north to south and slept in bivouac on high altitude, went down the “Sarek classic”, Sarektjåkkos mountain peak, sailed with the wind through Ruotesvagge with the wind sacks and ended the tour by crossing Ahkka from south to north and with that got Sweden’s biggest vertical in one run.
Nice done boys, hope to see you again!
/Matti & Stina
Publicerad: 10 April, 2010 i Aktuellt.