a mellow, unhurried feel I’ve rarely encountered when wilderness skiing, let alone heli-skiing, which is usually a bit of a frantic, nonstop affair. It also gives us time between descents of between 1,600ft and 2,950ft to take photos and admire the views of the truly wild Arctic landscape of northern Scandinavia. And what a view: a perfectly crisp panorama that stretches all the way from the deep blue inlets of Norway’s ford-riven Atlantic coast past the vast, whaleback peaks surrounding us, on to a wilderness of rolling hills, lakes and low birch forest in the east. All bathed in the golden glow of the Arctic summer. With around 2,000sq miles of terrain and more than 60
skiable peaks at its disposal, Niehku’s heli-ski operation could have kept us occupied until the sun went down in September, but eventually the fun ends, and we have to fly back to the villa. But the skiing doesn’t have to stop there, because Riksgränsen’s ski lifts and slopes are open until midnight. But they’ll have to wait for another day — there’s the small matter of dinner to attend to. Even by gourmet Scandinavian standards, Niehku’s
menu is exceptional, focusing on regional Arctic produce such as smoked reindeer, Arctic char, local cloudberries and, tonight, moose hunted and shot by Jossi. The international wine list is also remarkable. Jossi tells me over dinner that his family have lived in
Swedish Lapland for 400 years, working as hunters, fishers and lumberjacks. After spending some years working as a mountain guide in the Alps and North America, he feels that it’s a real privilege to be able to introduce people to
38
NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/TRAVEL
some of the world’s wildest ski terrain. “We have so much variation in the landscape, from steep couloirs to open glaciers, as well as in the snow conditions, which vary from early season powder to late season spring snow,” he says. And then there’s Riksgränsen itself, which I ski the next
day with Jossi. Yes, it’s tiny by international standards, with just six lifts, most of them drags, and around 1,000ft of vertical, but this is where — it’s claimed — the first freeride event in the world took place and the world’s first quarter pipe was built. The skiing is excellent and it doesn’t stop on the groomed slopes; a good number of locals only really use the lifts as a means of accessing the extensive backcountry, while freeride and extreme skiing competitions are still a fundamental feature of the Riksgränsen scene. On my final day, I enjoy more sunny skiing in the resort’s
lovely spring snow. I leave myself just about enough time to grab a coffee at the resort’s lone mountain restaurant before my last run. The barista pauses to change the music booming out above the outside deck. A few seconds of silence and then Dancing Queen by Abba is blasted out across the mountains. It couldn’t have been better — great snow, great skiing and, with the addition of Sweden’s gift to the world of pop, a proper Swedish send off.
HOW TO DO IT Niehku Mountain Villa offers three days’ heli-skiing from SEK50,500 (£4,100) per person, including three nights full board, all equipment and guides.
niehku.com
swedishlapland.com
riksgransen.se
From left: Dining at Niehku which specialises in seasonal Arctic cuisine; starry skies over Abisko, one of the least light-polluted places on the planet
IMAGES: MATTIAS FREDRIKSSON; FELIPE MENZELLA
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100
