This part of Lapland is wild and true - a snow-clad expansive landscape ranging from mountains and frozen lakes to ancient boreal forests and gushing rivers. We head to Jokkmokk, a small outpost town just north of the Arctic circle with deep Sámi roots.
The alllure of the Aurora Borealis is what brings many of us this far north. As long as the weather is clear, we venture out each evening gazing at the dark night sky hoping to marvel at this glorious dance of the heavens.
Dog sledding is an ancient way of moving across snow and ice. We spend a magical morning traversing the frozen landscape with our impressive and beautiful husky companions.
The surrounding valleys are home to some fascinating wild animals such as Europe's largest moose and herds of reindeer, and this is a fantastic opportunity to get close to and photograph these in their natural habitat.
For two nights, we leave our little town behind and aim further north for something truly special. Our good friend Lennart in the Unna Tjerusj Sámi community welcomes us as guests at his tented camp, remotely located in the Laponia Unesco World heritage region. We get the chance to explore the surrounding forests and the frozen lake on skis or snow shoes or simply relax and enjoy the tranquil beauty of winter in the Arctic circle.
THE PLAN
- Spend two nights at a tented camp far into the wild
- Watch and photograph reindeer and moose closely in a snowy landscape
- Dog sled with huskies across frozen lakes and through snowy forests
- Try Sámi specialities like Arctic Char, Gáhkku and Souvas
- Join a small group of likeminded people with a local guide
Known as Lapland, the native name of this area is actually Sápmi. The indigenous Samis inhabit the region of Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Kola peninsula of Russia. During this tour you will meet with Sámis, eat with Sámis and perhaps even feed reindeer with Sámis. In this way you will have the chance to learn and get a genuine understanding of their interesting culture and traditions.
Sometimes it gets seriously cold, but we make sure that you are well equipped to stay warm during the entire trip. We provide high quality winter clothing that we try on for size on the first day.
Each evening there is a chance to watch for northern lights. As long as the sky is clear, we dress warm to venture out and look upwards. We can never guarantee anyone to see them but northern Sweden has some of the most frequent and intense auroral activity on the planet… so our chances are as good as they can get.
During winter, moose and their much smaller cousins reindeer gather in the valleys in search for food. This gives us an opportunity to observe and photograph these animals at close range, surrounded by a stunning winter landscape.