Silver Road THE ARCTIC CIRCLE
M A G A Z I N E W I T H F O C U S O N A R J E P LO G 2016 PRICE 40 SKR / 4 EURO
Discover an unique alpine environment with us! Page 18
Sandra has a tavern at Kungsleden Pioneers took their dream above the clouds Page 22 Mountain butterflies Page 14
King’s Trail waiting for you
Violett Blåvinge
Days in Laisdalen
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1937
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Welcome to our restaurant
VUOGGATJÅLME
BODØ VUOGGATJÅLME
HOMEMADE FOOD ON THE ARCTIC CIRCLE
ARCTIC CIRCLE
ARJEPLOG ARVIDSJAUR
e for menu Visit our webist urs and opening ho
www.vuoggatjolme.se
+46 (0)961-107 15
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WWW.VUOGGATJOLME.SE
INFO@VUOGGATJOLME.SE
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Why Silvervägen? Take a look at a globe. Just a glance at where the Silver Road (Silvervägen) is located will let you understand that this is a unique place! We get questions like: “Are there polar bears there?” “Do you live in igloos?” These are not unreasonable questions, but thanks to the Gulf Stream, which reaches the coast of Norway, we have a climate that makes the summer pleasant. During the summer the sun never sets – we have daylight round the clock. And, what is the Silver Road? The name refers to the transports of silver ore and lead ore from Nasafjäll to the harbours, following rivers and lakes along the Laisälven and the Skellefteälven. Mining started at the Norwegian border in 1635. It was usually Öjebyn (Piteå) or Kåge outside Skellefteå that served as the outports. Transport was mainly done by Sami with their reindeer-drawn sledges. The ore was reloaded at places such as Gråträsk, on what was then the border of Lapland. There the coastal farmers took over with horsedrawn sledges to bring the ore to the harbour in Piteå. The Silver Road is the only Swedish highway above the treeline, reaching an altitude of 740 metres above sea level. l
ARCTIC CIRCLE
Arjeplog
T H E S I LV E R R O A D
View of Silvervägen, Silver Road, from Mierkenes, close to the Norwegian border.
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Water is the new oil It is easy to take water for granted. If you have grown up among lakes and rivers where it has always been possible to drink the water, it can be hard to realize how unique that is. Fresh water will soon be in short supply. It is our most valuable natural resource and is described today as the new oil. Fresh water can already be expensive to buy in bottles, and it looks as if things will not get any better. In the Sami language we are surrounded by words for water: jaure for lake, jokk for stream and luokta for bay. The Silver Road originated as the routes for walking and transport on and beside the rivers leading to the Gulf of Bothnia. This has always been essential for development here. In Arjeplog there are 8,727 lakes and rivers. This makes it richer in water than any in Sweden. The theme of this year’s magazine is water. We have reports on a hotel built of snow and ice, on the pleasure of kayaking, and plenty of hints for activities involving water. We tell of the first flying adventure in 1937 in the Arjeplog mountains, where it was possible to land on frozen lakes. Ringing in our ears is the Swedish children’s song by our idol Lennart Helsing, The Water Song. Here are three of the verses. How long will we go on saying that water is just “ordinary”? What is it the clouds hold so high up in the blue? What is it that sailboats float on too? It’s water, water, ordinary water. What is it we swim in when we want to bathe? What is it that flows in wave by wave? It’s water, water, ordinary water. Water, water, ordinary water. What is it that freezes and turns to ice and snow? What is it? I think you surely know. It’s water, water, ordinary water. Thanks to all our readers! Thanks to all advertisers and other partners who make it possible to publish Silver Road! Maria Söderberg
Marianne Hofman
Marianne Hofman‚ born in the alpine village of Jäckvik. Lives in Arjeplog. Runs the web newspaper www.arjeplognytt.se info@arjeplognytt.se Maria Söderberg, photographer and writer. Responsible editor. Do the graphic design. Combines her curiosity about history with mountain walks. Grew up in Arjeplog, lives in Enskede Gård in Stockholm, and spends one third of her waking life in her home municipality. +46 70 3500555 info@mariafoto.se www.midsommarudden.blogspot.se and www.silvervagen.com The translation from Swedish to English: Alan Crozier. We are grateful for his keen interest in the project! Printed February 2016 at Norra Skåne Offset. We would absolutely recommend them to others! This magazine has appeared since 2008, then under the name Magasin Laisdalen. In 2011 the first issue of Magasin Silvervägen appeared together with Magasin Laisdalen, but since 2012 we have gone in for an English/Swedish edition, which you are holding in your hand. This year’s cover: Nenne Åman (Swedish) and Maria Söderberg (English). S I LV E R R O A D 2 0 1 6
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Days in Laisdalen 2016 Welcome! It all happens on 30 July–2 August 2016: Sport, culture, music and excursions, together with all the other things you can do in Laisdalen in the summertime. Saturday 30 July n
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Gamla Malmvägsloppet, the Old Ore Road bicycle race, starting in Slagnäs 9 a.m., Myrås 10 a.m. and Båtsjaure 1 p.m. The Laisälven Run, from Adolfström Hällbacken, starting at 10 a.m. Finish in Laisvall. A 36 km run along the most beautiful stretch of road in Sweden. Info: Lisa Angberg 070-564 73 03. The mountain camp in Laisvall is open from 11 a.m. to midnight. Refreshments served during the day. Airgun shooting and darts. Popular competitions with Laisvall Sports Club. Laishallen field hockey tournament. Four in each team. Start 4.30 p.m. Register with Magnus Sundström 070-294 40 67. Laisvall mountain camp: Music evening with food & pub. Entertainment by Janne & Co and national folk musician Daniel Wikslund. Start 6.30 p.m.
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Minigolf tournament in Laisvall from 12 noon. Prize ceremony 3 p.m. Refreshments & grill. Arranger Laisvall Sports Club. More info from Annica Lundgren 073–844 06 78. Visit the Hällbacken glass shop, “Glasboda”, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Inger Lundström exhibits her glass. Items on sale. Read more here: www.adrimo.se. Top of Arjeplog: Climb Gautoberget with us! Start 10 a.m. at Gauto Camping. 2 km walk. Take part in a quiz at the top. Special prizes for everyone under 18. Rack hay in the Yraf delta. Welcome to all those who want to see haymaking in the delta as it has been done since the 1770s. Jan Thorfve and Tom Viklund take you by boat. Assembly 5 p.m. at the quay in Adolfström. Time approx. 2.5 hours. Book by tel. 0961-230 41. The restaurant in Gauto is open during the day until 10 p.m. Sauna songs and other amusements with national folk musician Daniel Wikslund at 6 p.m. Book here: 0961–280 30.
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Adolfström cabin area – guided tour 2 p.m. Bäverholm Inn. The Nasafjäll era and its routes. Picture show by Maria Söderberg, 5 p.m. Dinner & lecture SEK 200. Boat transport available to Bäverholm or walk along Kungsleden.
Tuesday 2 August Visit Majorsgården, Adolfström. Open from 1 p.m. The struggle over the Laisälven and Vindelälven rivers. Kjell Johansson and Majlis Granström in a conversation about how the plans for a hydroelectric dam were stopped and what happened afterwards. Venue: Majorsgården 4 p.m. Admission SEK 50 (includes coffee & bun). n Top of Arjeplog: Walk with us to Dádjábakkte, near Granselet, Laisälven 695 m above sea level. Start 7 p.m. n n
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We hope you have a pleasant stay in the alpine world of Arjeplog! We are the Arjeplog Mountain Safety Committee and our task is to spread information for better and safer use of the mountains in our municipality. Spending time in the mountains makes great demands of you on account of fluctuating weather and accessibility. Although there is a rescue service, the responsibility is ultimately yours. To assist you we can give you the following advice: n Emergency telephones are located at Laisstugan, Nasafjäll, Peskejaure and Vaimok. n Plan your excursion carefully and never go alone! n Leave a message for the host at your cottage or your neighbour in the camp site, stating
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n n n n n n Feel free to contact us! Arjeplogs Fjällsäkerhetskommitté Laisvallby 1, 938 93 Laisvall Thord Westerlund mobile 070–551 01 52 e-mail: totte.westerlund@arjeplog.com
details of your route and when you expect to be back. Don’t forget to inform them that you have returned. Always use a map and compass. The Mountain Safety Committee and the National Land Survey have drawn up a map of the Arjeplog mountains showing trails and dangers. This can be bought from all existing map sellers and covers the major part of five ordinary maps. Always be equipped for the worst conceivable weather. Don’t forget your safety equipment. Listen to the local people and those with experience of the mountains. Show consideration to the person in your group with the least experience. Stay together. Visibility can deteriorate quickly. Turn back or seek shelter if you are uncertain. Do not disturb reindeer or other animals, and always clean up after you. Sealed first aid kits are available in Adolfström, Miekak and Vuoggatjålme. Open only after contacting a doctor at the health centre in Arjeplog. They also contain prescription medicine (N.B. No narcotic drugs). Otherwise contact the health centre for advice, tel. 0961–148 01.
The Arjeplog Mountain Safety Committee is part of a network including twelve other safety committees, one for each mountain municipality in Sweden. Work with mountain safety is organized through the National Environmental Protection Agency. To support them there is a council consisting of 18 authorities and organizations.
Metals steal the show Oslo’s grand Opera House dips its toes into waters that were once part of Bjørvika dock. This is where Mother Nature meets hi-tech components. So now Figaro can celebrate his marriage before a real life – or cyber – audience. Our needs change. Ideas and materials are renewed. No-one knows what the future holds. But we do know that it will still require metals.
Zn
Cu
Ag Au Metals for modern life 8
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Experience the magic of the mountains where it’s best!
A cabin village in roadless land by the Arctic Circle
Modern cabins of different sizes.
The Vuonatjviken cabin village is in the mountain world of Arjeplog, just south of the Arctic Circle. Here you are in a land without roads, beside the Kungsleden hiking trail, surrounded by lakes teeming with natural stocks of Arctic charr and trout. For those keen on fly fishing we offer the exclusive Bartekälven, a river with its outflow right beside the cabin village. Whether you are interested in fishing, driving a snowmobile, hiking, or just enjoying nature, come to us, any time of year, and experience the magic of the mountains where it’s best!
A restaurant that uses the best ingredients of the mountains: reindeer, trout and elk (moose).
www.vuonatjviken.com
Tel. +46 730-358673
Svaipa Sami Village offers stays in the mountains.
Listen to the silence. Do you long for the mountains where neither birch nor willow grow? Do you long to catch char, to hear the dotterel? Do you long just to be? We can offer a fine four-bed hut by the mountain lake of Luspas (917 m a.s.l.). Do you long to walk along the King’s Trail between Adolfström and Ammarnäs? And to stop for a few days in the mountain birch forest? Do you long to see and hear the rich bird life? Then we can offer accommodation in a nice big eight-bed hut beside Lake Solojaur (735 m a.s.l.).
Svaipa Jakt och Fiske Contact Fjällflygarna in Adolfström to buy a fishing permit, rent a cottage or arrange helicopter transport. Tel. 0961-230 40 info@fjallflygarna.se S I LV E R R O A D 2 0 1 6
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By the Kungsleden trail in Vuonatjviken, just outside Elin and Tage Johansson’s house: A goahti which can sometimes be seen with its cloth covering. Tage was given it by his uncle Carl.
Vuonatjviken village is in the Arjeplog mountains. This is where Kungsleden intersects the Arctic Circle. You get there either from the north via Kvikkjokk or the south via Jäkkvik / Sautel. Vuonatjviken is on Lake Riebnes, known for its very fine trout.
Boat from Riebnesluspen to Vuonatjviken.
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History is alive in Vuonatjviken Vuonatj is a Sami word meaning “fjord”. There is a place of that name by Lake Riebnesjaure which has been receiving visitors for nearly 120 years. T E X T / P H OTO M A R I A S Ö D E R B E R G
Elin and Tage Johansson continued the tourist service that was started in Vuonatjviken in the 1930s. That was when the Johansson family stopped herding reindeer and switched to fishing and tourism. Today it is their son Jan and his wife Eva who run the cabin village and the restaurant. Now their ssdaughter Sandra is wondering if she should carry on the tradition.
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In roadless land beside Lake Riebnesjaure and in the middle of the historic Sami mountain landscape: this is where Elin and Tage Johansson live. A meeting with them quickly becomes a journey through memory. From the livingroom window it is ten metres to the Kungsleden trail and a few more steps to the restaurant of the cabin village. They are proud that they are now the fifth generation living and working in the place that was chosen in 1892 by Anna-Brita Persdotter Gunnar and Abraham Johansson. “Abraham was born in Tollådalen in Norway, at Beiarn, and he found the little ‘fjord’, in Sami it’s called vuordna, right here,” says Tage. “He had brought 120 reindeer from Norway and through time he became known as a skilled wolf hunter.” At this time Sweden and Norway were united, and the Sami lands spread from coast to coast, including a wide area in what are now the municipalities of Arjeplog and Sorsele. Why was he called Abraham Johansson? Anyone who has done genealogy knows that
names were usually “reversed” in the next generation. In this case Abraham’s father was Johan Anton Abrahamsson, born in Sorsele in 1817. After a time in service with the priest in Sorsele, he married and moved to Norway. His wife Sara Magdalena Andersdotter was supposed to be “the richest Lapp girl in the parish,” Erik Norberg writes in his book about the Sami school in Arjeplog. The parents of the Vuonatjviken founder Abraham Johansson had close contact with the Swedish side, however. They had their son Abraham confirmed in Arjeplog and later he was catechism teacher (kateket) in the parish. Abraham Johansson was therefore called “Katjes-Abram”. Today Vuonatjviken may feel like a very remote place. There are no motor roads here. But in the 19th century and a few years into the 20th century the central place was not so important. It was especially reindeerherding Sami and their families that stopped, missionaries and emissaries of the state. Tage Johansson tells how his grandfather Abraham was Sami inspector in Arjeplog
Parish. For a time he was also a lay assessor and interpreter in court. “Just think that Anna-Brita and he had thirteen children. And three foster-children too. They were forward-looking!” he declares. “He urged them to see the world. They had to study and develop their interests.” Wolf hunters were important in the past. Tage and Elin have preserved an old wolf spear from that time. The large number of wolves in the 19th century were a nuisance to the Sami and the settled livestock farmers. Statistics from 1839 show that 555 wolves were killed in all Sweden, most of them in the north. In Arjeplog Parish alone, wolves killed an average of 1,150 reindeer each year between 1889 and 1893. “The wolf hunters were highly skilled at tracking wolves and getting them out on to loose snow.” Today a long time can pass between wolf sightings in Vuonatjviken. But it happens, a very special experience. The antler-decorated wolf spear, however, hangs where it is. l
Oskar Johansson, Tage’s father, takes over the herd at Vuoggatjålmeluspen.
Anna-Brita Persdotter Gunnar and Abraham Johansson moved to Vuonatjviken in 1892.
Oskar Johansson with reindeer at winter grazing in Myrheden.
Vuonatjviken – the 1920s.
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“It’s exciting to work in the kitchen and I like serving”, says Sandra Johansson.
Sandra is mentally preparing to take over Good weather and satisfied guests. These are the two wishes for the summer that Sandra Johansson thinks of first. “We are really dependent on the weather here. There are no roads here. Visitors come by boat.” Or on foot. Each summer there are two or three hundred hikers who pass on Kungsleden, straight through the cabin village. “That’s very nice,” she says. “We get to meet so many different people. We have had ramblers from China, but the biggest group of walkers come from southern Europe.
The antler-decorated wolf spear besides the fur of a bear.
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Vuonatjviken’s catches and serves its favourite char. When Riebnesjaure was regulated in 1974 it was decided not to plant out any fish. “That was wise. The natural stock had to adapt,” says Sandra’s father, Jan Johansson, who is not only janitor and skipper of the cabin village’s big boat but also a professional fisher.
They rarely spend much money. They mostly sleep in tents and bring their own food. “We can offer them transport across Riebnesjaure so that they can continue to Jäckvik or in the other direction, to Kvikkjokk.” Sandra Johansson works in Arjeplog, but she is in Vuonatjviken as often as she can together with her partner Geir Westerlund. She toys with the idea of taking over the business one day. She particularly enjoys the restaurant and wants to develop it. “It’s exciting to work in the kitchen and I like serving. We focus on fish we catch ourselves, primarily char. I also want to learn more about wines and how they should match our food.” Besides fish, some of the most appreciated dishes use elk and reindeer. Sandra’s sister Sofia works as a cook in Stockholm, but just now she has no plans to move north. “Sometimes she is with us and then it’s extra nice,” says Sandra, who often works with her mother Eva in the kitchen. She hopes that the tourists will continue to find the special fjord of Vuonatj. “And it would be good if there were more of them!” l 13
When Skärrim became “Scare him” With the Top of Arjeplog you never know exactly how an evening, turning to night, will end. It all started with a posting on our Facebook page, which is followed by five hundred members. Did anyone want to come along? P H OTO J O H A N FJ E L L S T R Ö M
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TEXT MARIA SÖDERBERG
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Four keen walkers showed up: Johan Fjellström, Lilian Flinkfeldt, Karin Renberg and myself. All in the best possible humour, glad to get away on a mini-adventure. And Lilian had a special reason. This would be her tenth climb and she would be able to check off all the summits in the year’s Top of Arjeplog. I had secretly brought along some pear cider and plastic glasses. We would toast her when we got up there. The evening temperature of +10 was not at all bad for walking in. The weather can change quickly. On this evening it was raining in Arjeplog, but 130 km later there were glimpses of sun. Most peaks can be reached from several directions. So too Skärrim. Others had come from the Norwegian side and attacked the summit from a western starting point. The closer we came, the more impressive was the view of the mountain. We chose a road that school classes from Skellefteå usually take. But they tend to go in September when the snow has melted. Now there were thick layers of snow on the south-east side of the eastern summit. Summer was unusually late. In the fourth year of climbing, however, we know that most things are possible. You just have to weave your way with safety as the guiding star, a mantra when the slope gets steeper and the ground can be muddy. We suddenly found ourselves above the clouds! The midnight sun glimmered through the mists that swept by the slopes. Mountain avens and Alpine gentian surprised us. We were amazed at how
reindeer had managed to get through steep, snow-covered terrain. On the summit we enjoyed coffee, sandwiches, nuts and celebrated with pear cider. Towering north of us was Bærgna, the Bear Peak. Down in the valley, water was hurled against the stones in the Jurunvágge, later to join the Junkerälven. In that area there are remains of many old settlement sites from the end of the Iron Age. For even if we do not see any movement from the top of the mountain this evening, we are not in untouched wilderness. At the starting point beside the Silver Road there is a reindeer enclosure testifying to Sami presence and even more old settlement sites. We took cautious steps down from Skärrim. In steep parts we had to slide down where necessary until our feet touched the next ledge. But the careful walk down also gave us a chance to enjoy the landscape. “One of my best walks ever!” said Lilian when we got back to the car at four in the morning. And I was an experience richer. I had managed to deal with my vertigo on a sharp snowy slope. Where my three fellow climbers had progressed without difficulty, I remained like a paralysed cat in a tall tree. But by breathing deeply and digging my fingers deep into the snow I scrambled on. “The mountain has now changed its name,” said Johan. “From Skärrim to ‘Scare him’.” l
Karin Renberg on the slope of Skärrim, July 2015.
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“I can see three hundred butterflies during a day’s walk if conditions are good,” says Leif Björk, who counts butterflies in the mountains.
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Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene).
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Mountain butterflies There is so much to see for those who want to experience our mountain world. Butterflies, for example. In Pite Lappmark alone, to which the Arjeplog mountains belong, 48 species have been noted. Meet Leif Björk, who counts butterflies. TEX T M ARIANNE HOF M AN PHOTOS VIE W AND PORTR AI T MARIA S ÖDERBERG PHOTOS BUT TERF LIES LEIF BJÖRK
Butterflies might not be the first thing you think of looking out for when you go hiking in the mountains at the Arctic Circle. And if you ask somewhat which species can be found you might get a blank look. Beautiful butterflies are often associated with sun-drenched flowery meadows, not with seemingly barren mountain slopes. “Butterflies are everywhere, and they don’t always need so much vegetation. But there must be sun and heat if the butterflies are to fly. The best chance to see them is in July,” says Leif Björk. Sweden has more than a hundred different species of butterfly. The tops of their wings are often colourful and they are active during the daytime. When resting they hold their wings upright together over their backs. In many species the underside of the wings is camouflaged to make them harder to detect. “It’s easiest to see and identity them when they are flying. Many species have a distinctive flight style,” Leif says. Leif Björk´s own interest in butterflies was aroused at a talk in Gallejaur when by Lars Pettersson from Lund University, leader of the Swedish Butterfly Monitoring Scheme. “Of course it made me curious when I heard him talk about butterflies and they way they count them. Once a long time ago I decided to devote my life to what I enjoy doing, so when was asked if I wanted to count butterflies in Pite Lappmark and Torne Lappmark I said yes.” Nature with all its experiences has always attracted Leif Björk. He has virtually given up fishing and shooting. There is not enough time. “I always want to find something, see something. If you are going to be out in the countryside it’s much more fun to have a goal: a bird, a plant or a butterfly. I want a good S I LV E R R O A D 2 0 1 6
”I want to see what changes are happening, and try to help show it, and maybe influence development”, says Leif Björk. Arran brown (Erebia ligea)
picture and hunt for motifs.” But there is also a deeper meaning in Leif ’s commitment. “Our environment is changing and certain species are finding it hard to survive. I want to see what changes are happening, and try to help show it, and maybe influence development. It’s hard to do anything about climate change, but if we see that mining, tourism, forestry or other things bring negative changes, perhaps we must make restrictions for certain areas if we want to keep all the species in our flora and fauna.” Since butterfly counting in the mountains has only been running for a few years, it is far too early to say anything about the development. The annual reports show more and more finds from many parts of Sweden, but that need not mean that the number of butterflies is growing. “Interest in butterflies is increasing. People get interested when you talk about them. The same thing applies to birds, and it’s above all middle-aged women who account for the growing membership of the Swedish Ornithological Association.” Butterflies m The EU Habitats Directive has lists of species that member states are obliged to monitor. These include 12 Swedish butterfly species, three of which are found in the mountains: Arctic blue, dingy fritillary and silver-spotted skipper. Leif Björk has seen the Arctic blue and reported several finds in the Arjeplog mountains. He has also seen silverspotted skipper and dingy fritillary, but only in Torne Lappmark “I still have to see dingy fritillary and silverspotted skipper in the Arjeplog mountains.” Another find that particularly pleased Leif Björk was the Lapland fritillary. Together with Stefan Holmberg he was able to report the 17
Arctic blue, Agriades aquilo, a species that must be monitored according to the EU Habitats Directive. Collecting butterflies and mounting them on pins is not the goal for the butterfly counter Leif Björk. He takes pictures of them in the open air.
only find of that species in Sweden in 2013. “It’s a very beautiful butterfly, with few finds reported each year. I said as a joke to Stefan when we set out that this could be the day when we see the Lapland fritillary, and suddenly it happened, on the south side of Skärrim.” During his counting walks in the mountains, Leif Björk sometimes heads into areas that are not so accessible to the average walker. But he often stays within ten kilometres of the Silver Road; it is not necessary to go so far to find butterflies in the mountains. The important thing is to go out at the right time, a warm, sunny day, preferably in the first half of July. You also have to look in the more barren, stony areas. “In the first year we were probably searching in areas that were too ‘good’ and fertile. Many butterflies don’t need so much vegetation, but they want the right kind of plants,” Leif says. “Some species prefer human-influenced land and exposed mineral-rich ground, others more grass and bog. The Arctic blue occurs on limey ground since the host plant of the larvae, purple saxifrage, is calcareous.” That is also the reason he looks for certain orchids that prefer the same habitats. There is no doubt that butterflies are very adaptable. Butterflies can overwinter 18
in all their stages of development, and active larvae of Arctic blue have been found in the mountains as early as 25 April. “It was Norwegians who found them, on a cliff where the snow had melted and purple saxifrage was growing. Somehow the Arctic blue knows when it is time to hatch.” The earliest find of Arctic blue in the mountains is 30 June. The latest find during a butterfly season was reported by Leif Björk. “It was 17 August.” Leif Björk lives in Järvträsk south of Arvidsjaur. Apart from his interest in butterflies, he is committed to preserving and using the Gallejaur nature and culture reserve. Here too, of course, there are plenty of butterflies. “There are butterfly species associated with farming, and in the haymaking areas in Gallejaur I see butterflies all the time. But there’s something special about butterflies in the mountains, it’s like a forgotten country, although birds and plants are now fairly well surveyed. If you want to really indulge in insects there are plenty more to discover. But who cares about them? If I see something interesting that I haven’t seen before, I take a picture. I often find that it hasn’t been reported at all to the species portal, or at least only a few times. l
”My first Lapland fritillary (Euphydryas iduna) at Årjep Rivatjåkkås 2013”.
Guided butterfly tour Would you like to go with Leif Björk on a guided butterfly tour? Now you have the chance! Welcome to Arjeplog. Place: Start Vuoggatjålme. Time: Saturday 2 July, 10 a.m. Price: SEK 550, which includes our guide, sandwich and coffee/ tea, a meal in the restaurant. Infomation 070 3500555 info@mariafoto.se Arranged by Magasin Silvervägen and ABF Arjeplog together with Vuoggatjålme.
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Idas Blue Plebejus idas
Dewy ringlet Erebia pandrose
Purple-edged copper Lycaena hippothoe
Moorland clouded yellow Colias palaeno
Arctic fritillary Boloria chariclea
Labrador Sulphur Colias nastes
Cranberry Blue Plebeius optilete
P H OTOS B U T T E R F LI ES LEI F B J Ă–R K
Northern clouded yellow Colias hecla
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Pioneers took their dream above the clouds The first chapter in the aviation history of Arjeplog was written in 1937. It was adventurous but short-lived. One of the pilots, the merchant’s son Allan Edholm, later took part in the Finnish Winter War against the Soviets and he also fought for Norway against the Nazis. TEX T M ARIANNE HOF M AN
All great adventures begin with a dream. A dream that becomes an idea, and which – in one way or another – can become a reality. Two souls filled with optimism, and a starting capital of ten kronor, Allan Edholm and Erik Rosborg fulfilled a dream, and at the same time wrote the first chapter in the aviation history of Arjeplog, back in 1937. Today there are three aviation companies in the mountain municipality, which offer locals and visitors the chance to get out into the wilderness quickly and easily – by helicopter. 20
“This is what I want to do. Flying is a craft, and that in itself is an attraction,” says Emil Sundberg, aged 29, the youngest pilot today in Arjeplog with a commercial pilot licence. Emil flies a modern helicopter, AS350, with capacity, comfort and possibilities that the pioneers of aviation could probably never have imagined. But let us begin at the beginning. Allan Edholm, born in 1913, was the second youngest of six children in the Edholm family in Arjeplog. His parents ran one of
the shops in the town, but Allan was never interested in staying in that business. He was more interested in mechanics and he longed for adventure. One of these adventures was flying, and together with his friend Erik Rosborg from Stockholm he began, as an aircraft mechanic, the work of achieving this dream. Their journey from Bromma airport towards Arjeplog began in an open aircraft on 12 January 1937. They counted on being able to find any number of landing places on the frozen lakes of Lapland for their “Loffe”, S I LV E R R O A D 2 0 1 6
an SE-AEO, made in 1931 and used in the Norwegian army. Erik Rosborg wrote down the story of their adventure, and it is his notes that are the foundation for parts of this article.
After taking part in the Finnish Winter War, Allan Edholm went to Norway, where he served in the fleet air arm. After the war he was awarded a medal by the King of Norway.
The journey took a few days and it got colder and colder the further north in Sweden they came. One morning when they tried to start the engine it caught fire, probably because the cold, viscous oil caused an inlet valve to stick. There was fire in the carburettor, on the engine plates, and in spilt fuel under the engine. But together they managed to save the plane, and resolved to devise an engine heater. This was made from a piece of drainpipe, a blowlamp and steel wool to protect against sparks. The aeroplane, of course, attracted great attention when it reached Arjeplog. In Erik Rosborg’s notes he says that “the people of Arjeplog were very keen to try out this new means of transport”, and the winter chill did not deter the curious locals. One day Doctor Einar Wallquist asked for help to bring in a lumberjack who had been injured. The man was at Vaksnäs, on the north-east shore of Hornavan. “Loffe” was not intended for transporting patients, and it took a lot of trouble to get the injured man into the cockpit. Since the man needed medical care, the flight was carried out as quickly as possible. It went straight from Vaksnäs to Arjeplog. The notes say that this caused some disappointment in the patient, who wanted the flight to last “a little longer” and give him a chance to see more of his home country from above.
“The winter chill did not deter the curious locals.” Then came a request from reindeer herders in Västerbotten, who wondered if it was possible for Erik Rosborg and Allan Edholm to help them with the aeroplane to find and shoot wolves that were disturbing the reindeer herds. They borrowed a shotgun, and while awaiting a hunting permit from the county administration they practised flying low and shooting from the plane in different wind conditions, with a banana box as the target. S I LV E R R O A D 2 0 1 6
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FOTO MAR I ANNE HO FMAN
“How can you not enjoy your work when the workplace is as beautiful as the mountain world of Arjeplog?” says Emil Sundberg.
A hunting permit was granted and they set off into the mountains of Västerbotten. They did not find any wolves, but a violent storm turned the experience into a great adventure. Since “Loffe” had no pontoons and therefore could not open water for take-off or landing, Erik Rosborg and Allan Edholm decided to leave Arjeplog on 2 April and return to Bromma airport. There Erik Rosborg was offered a job as airtraffic controller, which he accepted, with some hesitation. Allan Edholm, however, decided to come home to Arjeplog, with a pilot licence of his own. On 9 June 1937 he left the office of the Civil Aviation Administration in Stockholm with private pilot licence number 242 in his hand. After taking part in the Finnish Winter War, Allan Edholm went to Norway, where he
served in the fleet air arm. In June 1940 he was there when two planes were flown to Salmijärvi in Finland, since a flight to England was considered impossible. Ten years later, together with his friend Anton Enarsson from Västerfjäll, he bought a two-seater, a Klemm 35, type SK 15. The primary aim was to transport fish from the mountain lakes. One of the stories about this aviation enterprise is about the time when the two companions could not take off because the load was too heavy. They agreed that Anton Enarsson should stay by the lake while Allan Edholm flew down to Arjeplog with the load. But not even when Anton Enarsson was out of the plane could Allan Edholm manage to take off. It was only when he took off his heavy flight overalls with their electrical heating coils
that he got the plane up into the air and was able to deliver the fish as planned, although he was more lightly dressed than was really suitable during a winter flight in an open plane. Anton Enarsson had no pilot licence. After a heart attack Allan Edholm was forced to end his career as a pilot and pioneer in the aviation business in Arjeplog. Their Klemm 35 was deregistered, dismantled and scrapped. For a number of years afterwards there was no aeroplane stationed in Arjeplog, but the dream of flight lived on. The next step towards commercial flight in Arjeplog was taken by Per-Axel Andersson, David Sundström and Per Dahlberg. After having played with gliders, pulled by a Volvo Amazon, they bought a Piper Cub, took their pilot licences and registered the company Turistflyg i Arjeplog AB.
Magasin Silvervägen / Silver Road 2016
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David Sundström became Arjeplog’s first pilot with a commercial pilot licence. Tourist flights used both seaplanes and helicopters. All year round. They also managed to arrange a fishing camp in the mountains, Miekak, and their landing strip on Lake Hornavan, made by shovelling away the snow, became the starting ramp for the extensive car testing that goes on in Arjeplog. But that is another story.
Turistflyg i Arjeplog AB in the 1970s: The company was sold to Heli AB and Rolf Sundberg, whose son Emil has now determined to try to run and develop both the flying business and Miekak fishing camp.
Flying operations also got going later in Vuoggatjålme. Björn Helamb bought a seaplane and laid the foundation for Arctic Air AB, the aviation company that is run today by his son Frans. The third aviation company in Arjeplog municipality, Fjällflygarna AB, is in Adolfström. It was founded by Kjell Johansson, who handed over the controls to his son Fredrik. Turistflyg i Arjeplog AB no longer exists. The company was sold to Heli AB and Rolf Sundberg, whose son Emil has now determined to try to run and develop both the flying business and Miekak fishing camp. The choice was not obvious. Emil Sundberg was thinking of becoming a professional military officer. He began to study at university and he spent one winter working in the car testing business. But none of that felt right. Not until he trained as a helicopter pilot. “How can you not enjoy your work when the workplace is as beautiful as the mountain world of Arjeplog?” he wonders. “Impossible,” I reply. l
Miekak fishing campin in the 1970s. The fishing area belonging to Miekak is 2100 acres and includes at least 20 mountain lakes and 10 kms of clear streams.
Gunnar Edholm Tundra Art
www.tundra.nu gunnar@tundra.nu Tel +46 70-34 55 719 Exhibition Shop, Skomakaregatan 4, Arjeplog S I LV E R R O A D 2 0 1 6
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Meja Hoffman, 8, went up on all ten peaks.
Top of Arjeplog Summer 2016 Áhkális, Akkelis, near village Bukt (Hornavan) 784 m.a.s.l. Nuortabuouda, near Märsa 815 m.a.s.l. Bårggå, 856 m.a.s.l. west of Lake Lill-Mattaure. Veälbmábuovđđa, near Lake Uddjaure, 710 m.a.s.l. Stiephaltjåhkkå, near Polcirkeln, 684 m.a.s.l. Gibdnotjåhkkå, near Stenudden 718 m.a.s.l. Gautoberget 6oo m.a.s.l. (Gautosjö). Alep Iksják, near Lake Hornavan 789 m.a.s.l. Stor-Ståhkkhe, River Pite 787 m.a.s.l. Dádjábakkte, Granselet, River Lais 695 m.a.s.l.
Karin Renberg and Lilian Flinkfeldt at mountain Gibdno.
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Elisabeth Lestander with her daughter Emma.
of It is a very special feeling to stand at the summit...
PHOTO MA RIA SÖDERBER G
For everyone under 18 the card is free.
A lot of us enjoy walking and climbing
For everyone under 18 the card is free.
mountains. It is a very special feeling to stand
This is not a competition, but to make it fun
at the summit and look down on the path
you report your results, by handing in the
you have followed. Moreover, you have had
completed card by 30 September. Everyone
the chance to become familiar with a unique
who hands in a card with at least five peaks
alpine environment. Perhaps you have learned
takes part in a prize draw.
a new plant, seen an owl or a buzzard, looked
The prizes will be awarded at the Biografen
out for reindeer, seen a moose, or frightened
cinema in Arjeplog during the autumn
away some ptarmigan chicks in the brush.
market, Saturday 8 October 2016 at 13 p.m.
So how do you get to the Top of Arjeplog?
Ten gift vouchers each worth 500 kronor in
We have selected ten peaks, both easy and
Granns leisure department will be given to
difficult, for summer 2016. You can buy a
the lucky people whose cards are drawn from
special card on which to fill in your results. It
all those handed in. Further prizes to a value
costs 200 kronor and is for sale at the Tourist
of 5,000 kronor will be awarded.
Information Office and Granns Järn & Bygg.
Have a good summer!
Illona and Johan Fjellström at mountain Tjäksa.
of
Magasin Silvervägen in co-operation with Granns Järn & Bygg, Arjeplogs Turistbyrå and Arjeplogs komun. Top of Arjeplog
Granns Järn & Bygg, Storgatan 9, Arjeplog is open Monday–Friday 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Building shop open from 7 a.m. Saturday 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. Tel. 0961-101 70. ARJEPLOG
S I LV E R R O A D 2 0 1 6
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Late evening walk at King’s Trail close to Lake Tjieggelvas.
A Sami hut at Tjäura, King´s Trail.
Discover the least hiked part of Kungsleden MAP STIG SÖDERLIND
P H OTO M A R I A S Ö D E R B E R G
Kungsleden, The King’s Trail, is a hiking trail in northern Sweden, approximately 440kilometre (270 mil) long, between Abisko in the north and Hemavan in the south. It passes through one of Europe’s largest remaining wilderness areas. The section between Kvikkjokk and Ammarnäs is the least hiked on Kungsleden. Perhaps because a tent is needed and the nature is comprised more of mountain birch forests and river valleys than bare 26
mountain region. But the views over the large forests are majestic, especially in Pieljekaise National Park. August and beginning of September are the best months, when the landscape is painted to a golden red and the mosquitoes disappear. The hiking can be demanding due to the path going up and down. Between the river valleys and plateaux are several hundred of altitude change. Several smaller communities,
huts and cottages give the area its own character, unlike everything else on Kungsleden. This section also means somewhat longer boat transports, which you can arrange (for exampel from Voutnatjviken). There are few simpler huts, such as Tsielejåkk and Pieljakaise huts, where you can sleep if you can arrange a key. You can overnight in the village of Jäckvik, Adolfström and Bäverholm, but you will overnight most of the time in S I LV E R R O A D 2 0 1 6
Hut between Bäverholm and Svaipavalle.
a lean-to or tent. If the weather is good, the mountain plateaux offer the best tent spots. The Svaipa bird preservation area is worth an extra stop for ornithologists, and the hike over the prairie-like flat country of Björkfjäll expands the views. The final run to Ammarnäs takes places over a long ridge that gives a fantastic view of the river valley. l
Facts from STF‚ Svenska Turistföreningen. You could download a brochure in English here: www.svenskaturistforeningen.se
Huts at Vuonatjviken at King’s Trail, near lake Riebnes.
The King’s Trail passes Bäverholm, near River Laisälven.
FACTS THE KING’S TRAIL (KUNGSLEDEN) The first ideas to create a continuous hiking trail in the mountain world of Swedish Lapland came at the end of 1800s. As now, the Swedish Tourist Association was the organiser. This trail would pass the most beautiful places and thus become ‘the king of trails’ – the King’s Trail. The stretch Kvikkjokk to Abisko was cleared during the 1920s and today, the King’s Trail stretches ca. 430 km from Abisko in the north to Hemavan in the south.
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Sámi words. Terrain words can be spelled in many ways depending on the dialect. bákti, pakte steep cliff cohkka, tjåkkå peak eatnu, ätno river, stream gálsi, kaise steep high mountain jávri, jaure lake johka, jåkkå stream, creek luokta bay vággi, vagge valley, U-shaped valley
How are the mosquitoes? In wetlands and birch forests, the mosquitoes can be annoying. Especially in July. Do like the reindeer and get up to higher ground, where the wind is cool. Otherwise, we can thank the mosquito because there are so many birds, fish and other animals in the mountains. Short facts from STF.
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It takes some time to get into two sleeping bags. But you feel warm at once. It is exciting to imagine how various Arctic peoples have lived in igloos.
A night in an igloo “I can see my own breath and I think that the building I’m in is made of just balloons and snow. And hard work, or course. It’s an amazing building. A thousand square metres. In some of the rooms the ceiling is eight metres high. It’s beautiful, so beautiful.” TEXT MARIANNE HOFMAN
I lie still on the reindeer skins and let my gaze roam around. I can see my own breath and I think that the building I’m in is made of just balloons and snow. And hard work, or course. It’s an amazing building. A thousand square metres. In some of the rooms the ceiling is eight metres high. It’s beautiful, so beautiful, and I know I will be cold when I wake up. Arjeplog has a new attraction in the form of an igloo hotel, called the Iglootel. It has been built up at the summer reception at Kraja, in collaboration between Silver Resort and the German company Fly Car. There are hotel rooms, a bar and dining rooms. There are jacuzzis outdoors with water at 40 degrees Celsius and a wood-fired sauna. You can lie here and look at the starry sky, a very special experience. 28
P H OTO M A R I A S Ö D E R B E R G
I saw before me a night with only a reindeer skin between my sleeping bag and the cold, hard-packed snow, so I had brought a sleeping pad. But I had left it in the car. Hidden under the reindeer skins are mattresses, so it was much more comfortable than I had imagined. Earlier that evening, Stefan Timm from Flycar had shown us round the igloo hotel and told us about this venture in Arjeplog. The Iglootel has been decorated by art students from Aachen. Objects and colours associated with Sami culture and Arjeplog’s car testing meet the visitor. The appearance of the dining room changes all the time depending on the colour and strength of the light. In another, smaller igloo, we move slowly around and hear how the volume of Stefan Timm’s voice varies as he talks.
“The acoustics in here are fantastic and fascinating,” he says, and we can only agree. The temperature inside the Iglootel is normally a couple of degrees below zero, so you must have warm clothes if you want to be able to sit down and relax or visit the bar. But what is it like to spend the night in an igloo? My answer is that it is a special experience. Wearing my beloved woollen underwear – old and badly worn – and with home-knit socks and cap, I first crept into the fleece bag and then the sleeping bag provided by the Iglootel. I decided that I could use my own sleeping bag, which I had brought along, as an extra quilt when it began to get cold. But I never needed to unpack it. I was not cold at all. Not as long as I stayed in the sleeping bag. And I slept. Very well. l S I LV E R R O A D 2 0 1 6
The Iglootel in Arjeplog is up and open for the second year running. The decoration has a theme symbolizing and illustrating climate change. The Iglootel is open during winter and the temperature is permanently 0 to -5 degrees Celsius.
As this part of the igloo has no roof, you might be able to see the Northern Lights. The water keeps a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius.
FACTS ABOUT IGLOOS Igloo means “ice house” in Inuit. An igloo is an arched structure made of blocks shaped from fine-grained, hard-packed snow. The entrance is a semi-cylindrical passage. The ingenious igloo has become almost synonymous with Inuit culture, although it is not found among all Inuit groups. It is a winter home which has been used for ages by Inuit in Canada, in the region between the Mackenzie River and the Labrador peninsula. It also occurs among the Polar Inuit in north-west Greenland. In Sweden the Swedish Igloo Club was founded in 1939. Apart from their dedication to building igloos, they developed and tested mountain equipment. Their pioneering work contributed to a new form of alpine tourism. Concepts such as “iglooism” were established. The three stars in their club badge symbolize wisdom, knowledge and comradeship. Source: Nationalencyklopedin and Swedish Igloo Club. The illustration by C.F Hall from the nineteenth century shows igloos in Oopungnewing, Baffin Island, an Arctic island in northern Canada. S I LV E R R O A D 2 0 1 6
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