You are currently browsing the monthly archive for March 2007.
Björn Särnmark and his team, who operate our Log Cabin Escape in Värmland experience, have been awarded the prestigious Grand Travel Awards Ecotourism Prize for 2007.
The prize, administered by the Swedish Ecotourism Society in conjunction with the trade journal Travel News, is now in its tenth year. It is awarded to operators who display standards of excellence in their delivery of ecotourism products in Sweden.
Björn, who received the award, said, “This is an important demonstration that Swedish sport fishing can create employment in sparsely-populated areas…We have long prioritised quality, skill and responsibility in our fishing experiences, instead of providing cheap fishing licences and allowing people to fish in any way they wish.”
The company has been operating fishing tourism experiences in the area since 1995, and more than 90% of guests come from other European countries. Guests can be assured of excellent pike fishing conducted in an ecologically responsible manner, with full introduction given, the possibility of private fishing guide, and accommodation in log cabins on the shore of lake Stor-Treens. You have the opportunity to fish from shore or from boats with new, quiet, environmentally-friendly 4-stroke engines. Fishing is on a ”catch and release” basis, but as a guest you are welcome to eat from your catch during your stay.
But the wonderful fishing is not that only thing that draws guests to the area – the quiet of the forest and the rich plant and animal life of Värmland is an essential part of the experience!
Congratulations!
The Nature Travels Team
Nature Travels offers Log Cabin Escape in Värmland all year round, although the best fishing is usually to be had between May and mid-June and end of August to early October.
Lapland is a world of wide skies and quiet spaces – and what better way to experience the beauty and stillness of the mountain plains and forests than in the company of one of Lapland’s most special inhabitants – the reindeer.
Discover the heart of Lapland culture on a Reindeer Sled Safari!
What kind of landscape does the tour run in?
The reindeer tours take place in Swedish Lapland in the far north of Sweden. The area is part of the World Heritage Site of Laponia. This area has a long history of reindeer herding and all our tours are led by local Sámi guides. The Sámi are the indigenous people of Lapland and the only group licensed to carry out reindeer herding in Sweden.
For the first two days the tour passes through a forest landscape of ancient pine and fir forest. After that the landscape becomes increasingly tundra-like, with wide open plains, low rolling mountains and birch-covered hills.
The area is very sparsely populated and has a real wilderness feel.
Photo: Peter Grant
What are some of the highlights of the trip?
The silence, peace and stillness out in the wilderness. The cooperation between man and animals as you glide slowly and quietly forward through the natural surroundings and feel yourself a small part of the grandeur around you. There is no need for hurry on this tour – take the chance to move slowly through the wilds, enjoying the feel of the crisp, clean air in your lungs and take time to enjoy your surroundings. You have time for your own thoughts, this is a stress-free and calm time. The only sounds you hear are the sled runners in the snow and the reindeer hooves clopping as they draw you forward.
Experience a part of the Sámi culture and learn how they have survived and thrived for thousands of years in this wilderness. Learn to handle reindeer and drive the sled.
Photo: Peter Grant
What happens on a typical day?
Here is a description for the day spent snowshoeing during the tour:
MONDAY – Snowshoeing, tracking in the ancient forest
After the breakfast you put on your snowshoes and go for short trip. During the trip you will have a good chance to see tracks of ptarmigan (a type of grouse), hares, foxes, and moose and with some luck even wolverines and lynx. After lunch you continue your reindeer ride to the tundra. You will travel higher up into the mountains where the forest trees will turn more into mountain birch and willows. Here you will find a panoramic view of the mountains and forest landscape spread out in front of you. In the afternoon you arrive at the second Lávvu camp. Dinner will also be prepared in the Lávvu, where you spend the night.
What level of experience or skill is necessary? Is the tour suitable for children?
No previous experience is necessary to take part in the tour. You need only to be in generally good physical health and active. The tour is not suitable for those with movement difficulties or back problems – guests sleep comfortably but in basic conditions in tents on reindeer skin rugs.
It is not necessary to be used to working with animals, but participants should not be afraid of animals and should be willing to work with the reindeer. The reindeer are tamed and well-trained to draw the sleds, but at the same they are wild creatures who need to be handled confidently. All participants are given training in reindeer handling before the tour begins and help and advice is also given as necessary during the tour.
At the beginning, guests often find it a challenge to handle the animals successfully, but as time goes on this initial difficulty is overcome and by the end of the tour a strong bond of friendship and trust has usually formed between the guests and their reindeer.
The tour is not an expedition, but participants should be willing to put some effort into working with the reindeer and be prepared for basic living conditions.
A minimum age of 12 is imposed as the tour is unsuitable for children younger than this. All participants must be able and willing to handle a reindeer sled themselves. The low temperatures and basic living conditions can also be a problem for younger children. If children older than 12 participate but are unable to successfully handle their own sled, it is still possible for them to sit in their own sled, but the sled is drawn by a reindeer attached by a rope to the guide’s sled.
Photo: Peter Grant
When is the best time of year for a Reindeer Sled Safari?
The tour is offered in March and April. At this time of year it is still possible to rely on good snow cover for the experience. The days are longer and the temperatures milder than in January/February. Participants spend their days outdoors and will be sleeping for some of the time in Sámi tents, so it is much more comfortable to be out at this time of year.
What kind of accommodation is used on the tour?
Accommodation is in wilderness cabin, Sámi Lavvos (tents), and Sámi village log cabin at different stages of the tour.
Where can I find out more?
Further information on the tour is available on our website under Reindeer Sled Safari.
Best regards
The Nature Travels Team
The forests and lakes of Västmanland are an excellent place to get up-close and personal with two of Sweden’s most fascinating species of water bird – the Black-throated and the Red-throated Diver.
Divers (also known as “loons”) are sleek and streamlined birds which, as their name suggests, are excellent divers! Their legs, which are placed far back on the body, may make them ungainly on land, but once in the water they become wonderfully graceful and agile. They have narrow elongated nostrils, which are also an adaptation for diving. Divers feed on fish, chasing them underwater before catching them in their bills. They have become rare due to their sensitivity to marine pollutants and their vulnerability to disturbance during breeding.
Photo: Staffan Widstrand
The Black-throated Diver is the larger of the two, with a more horizontal bill and clearer black and white markings. The smaller Red-throated Diver is 55-67cm in length with a wingspan of around a metre. Divers breed in high latitude areas around the Arctic and also in the north-west of Scotland.
Divers have complex bathing displays which involve diving, rolling and wing shaking. They also have a highly ritualized mating behaviour and give spectacular displays of rapid dashes across the surface of the water. They are monogamous and form lasting bonds with their partner. During breeding, mating will occur on land.
The diver is perhaps best known for its unique range of calls – real sounds of the wilderness! You can listen to a variety of samples and learn more about diver calls here: http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/loon/Dictionary.html
Nature Travels offers a wonderful combination of birdwatching and comfort on our Black- and Red-throated Diver Weekend. In the company of a knowledgeable local bird guide, you will watch black and red throated divers in lake and marshland environments. After a day deep in the wilds of Bergslagen you return to an 18th century country manor where a wood-heated sauna awaits you along with a home-cooked dinner, during which you can reflect on and share stories of your experiences of the sights, sounds, smells and impressions of the day. When you finally tire of exchanging stories, retire to your unique mini-suite in the grounds of the manor!
While this experience is a wonderful opportunity for dedicated birders to indulge their passion, the haunting call of a diver echoing across the lake in the mists of early morning is guaranteed to make the hairs on your neck stand up even if don’t know your chiff-chaffs from your chaffinches. Prepare to enter the maddeningly addictive and utterly magical world of birdwatching on our Black and Red Throated Diver Weekend package!
Best regards
The Nature Travels Team
This weekend, thousands of cross-country skiers gathered in Dalarna in central Sweden to take part in one of the country’s biggest ski events of the year – the Vasaloppet, or Vasa Race.
In 1520, Sweden was embroiled in a fight to evict the occupying Danish army and their leader Kristian the Tyrant. During the Stockholm Bloodbath of that year, 80 Swedish nobles were killed, forcing one of the organisers of the rebellion, a young man named Gustav Eriksson Vasa, to flee for his life. He found himself alone in the town of Mora in the central Swedish county of Dalarna. His pleas to the locals to join his cause were unsuccessful, and he continued his journey west toward the Norwegian border.
But when news of the massacre in Stockholm reached Mora, two skiers were sent to intercept Vasa. They finally caught up with him in the small town of Sälen. Today, this journey, which led to the eventual expulsion of the Danish forces, is commemorated in the Vasaloppet, one of the most important sporting events of the Swedish winter calendar.
Since 1922, when just 119 men made the gruelling journey between Sälen and Mora (the race follows the route in the opposite direction), the Vasaloppet has been run in memory of the epic 90km journey made by Gustav Vasa. The young Swede became a national hero and was later crowned king in 1523 after victory over the Danes.
One of the longest cross-country ski races in the world, today the Vasaloppet attracts around 15,000 competitors a year fuelled by 34,000 litres of blueberry soup, and is watched by around 50,000 spectators and another 2.5 million Swedes (around a third of the population) on television.
This year’s race was won for the third time by Oskar Svärd, aged 30 from Ulricehamn, in 4 hours 43 minutes and 43 seconds. The course record stands at an incredible 3:38:57. Since Oskar also won in 2003 and 2005, he joked that he may just decide to skip next year’s race and return victorious in 2009!
If you’re not a competitive skier, you can still ski in the historic tracks of Vasa and the messengers so long ago. The Öppet Spår (“Open Track”) event gives everyone the chance to ski the course without the stress of competition, while the HalvVasan (the “Half Vasa”) provides a warm-up opportunity at 45km. The whole family can take part in the KortVasan, or “Short Vasa” – a 30km tour over the final stretch. There are three other variations on the race itself – the StafettVasan, a relay race, the SkeijtVasan, a free technique race, and finally the TjejVasan, a 30km event open only to women.
For those who have the courage, stamina and strength to go the distance in the Vasaloppet, an inspirational motto awaits at the finish line: I Fäders Spår för Framtids Segrar – “In the Tracks of our Forefathers for the Victories of the Future”.
Best regards
The Nature Travels Team
Nature Travels offers a wide variety of cross-country skiing experiences in Sweden - for details please see our website at www.naturetravels.co.uk
