To Those Who Live in Sweden

[Biddlesby]

As some of you may know, I am putting together a proposal for a few grants so that I can travel in Sapmi to meet Saami natives. I am travelling mostly in Sweden, and have not got the route finalised.

So my question is if there are any people on the boards who will be in northern Sweden around June time who would be willing (!) to meet me. I don't know how quite how to put that without seeming rude.

If anybody has any locations in Sweden, or anywhere in sapmi lappland, that they could recommend I would be eternally grateful.

My proposal is due on the 12th, so I'm sorry for being so late about this but I'm finding university isn't granting me much free time!

Many many thanks,

Harry


oh by the way, does anybody know about canoe rental? i do not own a canoe but simply cannot visit sweden without paddling a lake or two...

 

[Shewie]

Sounds like a great trip Harry and I hope it gets off the ground for you.

Remember, if you need someone to carry your bags, I`m your man.

Best of luck with it all.


Rich

 

[Biddlesby]

Thanks for the offer, I'll remember that . I really really do hope it gets off the ground, it would make my year.

I have been looking at the Rough Guide. It makes everything seem so touristy, with all mentions of Saami as priced days out. Is it possible to just visit the Saami villages away from tourism?

 

[big_swede]

I'll be working that period. The highest density of canoe rentals are in the middle of sweden. It's pretty small lakes up in the north (except Torne träsk). There are some rentals close to the northern big rivers. The canoe isn't so popular here anymore, people just seem to like kayaks for some reason. Some places offer canoes, but not so many in 'wild' areas in the north.

Jokkmokk is the best place to start.

As for recommendations, well the alternatives are endless:

*Padjelanta is a natural reserve (?, it's late I don't know the word, but I guess you get the picture) that is managed by the samis.

*www.laponia.nu has a lot of ideas for lappland. Actually offers a busch craft course. Also study tours. All sorts of stuff connected to the samis, I think this is a good place to start.

*my favourite area is the barren tundras north of Lainio river. It goes on the border between sweden and finland. Also there is good canoeing there: http://www.lainio.com/enpages/paddling.html

*Sarek is also really nice. Don't go there if your not used to making it by yourself, no huts, no trails, no nothing. A lot of meltwater passages though. Your navigation skills need to be ace. Rapadalen offers europes biggest wild land animals. It borders to padjelanta to the west. Sarektjåkkomassive is awesome. The whole area is 1970 square kilometers and borders to a lot of other natural reserves, and 'wild' areas. If your skills and experience are up for it, don't miss it. Have a look on http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarek click the different names under the subheaders.

*Kiruna has some museums, and is also the place where the swedish sami-'parliament' resides.

*The mountains around Kebnekaise offers some nice hiking possibilities. Also here you need to be a confident navigator and have some mountain experience. No big problems if you stick to the trails. Could still be a lot of wet snow left in higher areas at that time, which makes it hard work to trek there, and it isn't really skiiable in that time of year either. I have encountered samis and reindeers everytime I've been in the area. Abisko-Kebnekaise-Nikkaloukta is a classic distance to trek. A lot of nice views and stuffaround.

If you have the time I would go to finnmark (on the norweigan side) too. Specially karasjok, the cultural center. It is cool. Also karesuando is real nice. But the best is to be up in the mountains and the the huge reindeer herds, and the skills of the herders. Around padjelanta they have there summerpastures I think. Check with laponia.nu.

 

[big_swede]

I have been looking at the Rough Guide. It makes everything seem so touristy, with all mentions of Saami as priced days out. Is it possible to just visit the Saami villages away from tourism?

Sadly I don't think it is possible. Maybe if you marry one, the girls are quite cute, but since you (and I) don't have any reindeers, we aren't so interesting

 

[pothunter]

Don't know what means of transport you intend to use but Stearns make some nice inflatable canoes.

You could try my local Safari Park for reindeer rental? I'd like to see you explain to Customs that they are 'pulling reindeer'

On what basis is your grant application made?

Pothunter.

 

[Viking]

June is too early in the season to visit the north, summer has not arrived to the fjells yet and activities are low. Better to go early august and go up in the fjells and see the sami at work with their reindeers. There you will o the real thing with helicopters and cross country bikes and full of activity with sami working with their reindeers.
I have met them when I have been up there and talked to them, and I ahve also met the people that are not sami. Many people moved up there and became settlers a long time ago and they are not so happy about being asked if they are sami all the time. On of the guys driving the boat over to Sitojaure and I had a good laugh about it. But everything up there cost a fortune even a short boatride.

If you want to meet and spend time with sami people you will have to pay for it, many of them live on tourism and they are cheap. But with rich tourists from all over the world maeks it possible. But the best comment I got from the sami guy who drove the boat to Alesjaure when a girl from Stockholm asked him if he lived on driving tourists on his bot. He just laughed and said it was a hobby.

There are so many good places to visit and the north is very special especially with it´s fjells.Then there is Dalarna and Varmland with it´s nice lakes and good canoeing places or the dark forests of Smaland. Then there are many forgetten places were no toursits go and were you can be all alone, there is a place just outside Goteborg that is very untouched quiet and clean water and here are a stone that once marked the borders of the 3 countries of Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

Like I said so many places to go to and so much to do, best is to aim to do little aeach time and come back for more again. I have many of my stidents coming back either fr a new course or just to discover the land for themselves.

 

[Biddlesby]

That's fantastic info, thanks all!

I think the best thing would be to work out how to get to Jokkmokk in August then. Will the reindeer be here at this time? I can get £50 flights to stockholm, but then it's a long travel. What is the best (cheapest) way to get into lappland?

Again many many thanks!

 

[big_swede]

If you go to sthlm, the cheapest way up north is on your thumb, kinda unreliable though, I did it the other way once, going down from Umeå ("only" 400 km från jokkmokk). Train is the next cheapest option. Sitting, and two different types of sleeper is available. It's a looooooong train ride. Bring food, it's expensive on board. It's actually train to Murjek, then it's buss to Jokkmokk. If you're under 26 you're considered a youth and get a big discount on tickets. check out www.sj.se for train and bustickets.

The fastest way is plane from stockholm to Gällivare. It's not really expensive if you consider the distance and the time saved.

 

[Viking]

Last time I went up there I took the train up to Murjek (probably one of the smallest train stations in the world lol) and then the bus to Jokkmokk and there on to Kvikkjokk and from there you have 1-2 days qlak to the Sami village of Pårek. But the reindeers will be further into the fjells by this time. Best thing is to do if you want to see reindeers is to pay a sam for it.

But I must say I do like the trainride up there, take about 20 hours and it´´s not the fastest train and is often late. But it´s an experience on it´s own and I always meet up with interesting people. And on the way back you meet other hikers and can share experinces and get lot of tips on where to go nxt time.

If you go to Jokkmokk there is a small burgerplace close to the bus station and in runned by an old lady that makes the best burger I have ever eaten.

 

[Biddlesby]

Parek, is that in sarek? Are there any villages in any of the other parts, that would be easier to travel through?

Paying to see reindeer - would this have to be booked in advance? You told me to visit in autumn when the action would be happening, what is going on around jokkmokk at this time?

Did you mean going up to the fjells; what would be the best area to visit here and what would the weather be like?

You are all a great help,

Harry

 

[Viking]

There are many Sami villages, but Parek was a bit special. The reindeers are all up in the fjells dring the summer and during early july-august the samis are marking their reindeer and it´s often much activity. There is big chance to meet both the sami and their reindeers at that time of year. I have doen it when I have been up there hiking and that is only been a part of the experence. I always try to buy some dried meat of them at times like that. But this is also the workplace for samis and that has to be respected.

To gurantee to see reindeers and the sami working, contact somebody arranes stuff like that tourists http://www.swedishlapland.com/en-GB/flash/start.aspx

Murjek is a very small train station but the train stops there and many hikers go off here since it´s close to places like Muddus and is on the way to Kvikkjokk that is one way into Sarek.

 

[big_swede]

Pårek is in sarek.

Train to murjek is the easiest way. Veolia was a branch of connex (the french sh1t corporation that operates a large part of european collective traffic). It is now the partly stateowned company SJ that runs the northern trains (good riddance!). Although it was better before they got turned into a company with other shareholders (mostly risk capitalists with no long term interest) than the state.

The smoothest way to get in contact with the sami is probably via laponia.nu. IIRC the largest summer pastures are around padjelanta, which is a great area close to sarek.

EDIT: damnit viking, you're too fast!

 

[Biddlesby]

Great, I have contacted a few guides. When you say 'up in the fjells'..where exactly is that?

 

[Viking]

It whats the mountains is called in the north, but t´s not really mountains but fjells, there is nothing more beatiful then the fjells in the world.

 

[Biddlesby]

Sounds wonderful, is there much vegetation here? Will it be cold in this time of year, and can anybody recommend a particular area to visit, where the Saami will be?

 

[Viking]

When you pass the tree line there are not much vegetation at all but there are pretty much plants like "Alpine Bistort" that is popular as a trail snack and if lucky a lot animals too look at. If going off trail you can walk for days without seeing a person. 2 Years ago I spent 4 days inside Sarek and despite that I could see far away in some places I did not see a human for 4 days and that was when I started to walk back and walked on the trail. So knowledge and experience ot a guide can be good if going off trail in some areas.

Can not recommend a place were the Sami will be, probably at any of the Sami villages but they ma not be happy with toursits coing by and disturbing them in their work. These are their workplace. If you goal is to meet with the Sami I woulf get a sami guide or similar to arrange it all.