Last Ice Disappearing – Swimming Season Opened! Some Impressions from Inari and Abisko

Midnight sun in Inari
Midnight sun at lake Mutusjärvi, in Inari

A sudden temperature change finally melted down the snow and ice, making the waters easily accessible for swimming – without the need for an ice driller or an ice saw. That is – not yet everywhere in Lapland: While this was true for Inari, at the higher elevated Abisko for example, the lake Torneträsk was still frozen last week. Nevertheless, this year the spring – or actually rather summer arrived pretty early. I experienced this surprisingly warm weather in several places in Lapland … Continue reading “Last Ice Disappearing – Swimming Season Opened! Some Impressions from Inari and Abisko”

Research in Lapland – Stordalen Nature Reserve

Stordalen - Research FacilityLapland is of course not only an appreciated destination for tourists and travelers, but it also attracts a number of researchers from numerous fields. Mainly natural science is carried out in the Abisko Scientific Research Station, which is located in the village of Abisko in Norbotten (Northern Sweden), on the shore of lake Torneträsk. Some studies are carried out in the nearby Stordalen Nature Reserve, where in the end of May Continue reading “Research in Lapland – Stordalen Nature Reserve”

Short Roadtrip in Lapland. Or: The Connective Character of Winter

Muonio RiverRecently, on the way with the car in somewhere in Lapland, I discovered how connective the Lappish winter can be: some border villages along the Muonio river only have a road connection in the cold season of the year. On the first two images you can see the road connection over the frozen river between Saivomuotka (SWE) and Sonkamuoatka (FIN). The next regular bridge is about 40 km away. So that’s how winter is (physically) connecting the Northern countries :-) Continue reading “Short Roadtrip in Lapland. Or: The Connective Character of Winter”

Kilpisjärvi & Malla Strict Nature Reserve

KilpisjärviIn August I took my bike, put a trailer on its end and went to Kilpisjärvi. After four days sitting on my bike, I arrived during heavy rainfall in Kilpisjärvi, where I then attended an almost two weeks lasting summer school. Within the school we had a lecture at the three border point (Finland, Norway, Sweden) and afterwards hiked back through the Malla Strict Nature Reserve. After the summer school was over Continue reading “Kilpisjärvi & Malla Strict Nature Reserve”

Hiking in the Khibiny and Lovozero Mountains (Russian Lapland)

Khibiny MountainsMy friend Andi and me made a long planned hiking trip into the Khibiny mountains, on the Kola peninsula in summer. For me it was the first part of an almost three months lasting trip. First we went by train to Moscow to visit a friend before we went on by train to Apatity, from where we took a taxi to Kirovsk, visiting another friend for a few days. We used this time there to get some better maps for the region, since there are no marked trails Continue reading “Hiking in the Khibiny and Lovozero Mountains (Russian Lapland)”

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