Äkäslompolo
· Finland
Akaslompolo is pretty. Snow covers a conifer tree filled landscape, the village is on the edge of a lake , giving open views across the valley to tree covered slopes and all is white. Very white, not a bit of brown slush around. It’s within the arctic circle, part of Lapland within Finland. The temperature on the first day was about minus 27 with a feel like of minus 31, but as the week wore on the temperature increased and on the last day it was a nice toasty -4. The topic every morning is how many layers you are wearing.
This was a family holiday, arranged by my future daughter in law. We had a 3 bedroom chalet with a sauna and an open fire. Alas Cameron couldn’t make it, so it was John, Matthew, Anya, James and myself.
I’ve been downhill skiing many times, I’m not the bravest of people and so I’ve never been really good at downhill, fear slows me down and keeps me to red runs. Cross country skiing was a whole new experience. It really does highlight that I’m fat, unfit, and old. It’s bloody hard work. The first issue is that the snow isn’t that slippy at minus 25. On a down hill you adopt the skiing position, knees bend, ankles bend, the skis hit a sticky bit, your body keeps going, your skis don’t. John face planked twice in the first two days, this resulted in him having two streams of blood flowing from his nose for hours (he’s still on blood thinners). The second issue I had is that you follow a track, your skis sit in grooves hip width apart. That’s great on the flat, and up hill and small downhills, but controlling a downhill becomes a challenge, I’m used to traversing the slope in a slow and almost controlled manner. This first decent slope we came to I decided to just go for it. Skis in the groove, crouch down and go. James fell (he wasn’t on the track). “I can’t stop to help” I yelled as I careered past, very shortly followed by, “ok I’ll stop” as the track turned and I didn’t, bounced of the bank of snow and completed the rest of the slope on my side skis somewhere in the air. Bruise number one. The next falls was taken on purpose, James was ahead of me and I still had no control of these planks, so down I went. On the next hill as I was catching James I thought, right I know what to do, lift the left ski from out of the track, and snow plough, alas my plank control was missing and I took a bad tumble, for which I still have a very colourful bruise and difficulty is sitting down. The week went on a bit like this. Once thing to point out as a difference is that cross country boots are so comfortable, I’d taken all the padding I normally take to protect my shins, the boots don’t even come up to the shins. We took a day off to go and look at a reindeer farm, where we got to feed the reindeer, pat the dogs and generally had a good informative day before walking home across the lake. At €400 I decided against a sleighride and now regret that. On the day James, John and I went to look at reindeer, Matthew went skiing with Anya and made the most of the beautiful scenery by getting down on one knee and asking Anya to marry him! They are perfectly suited, Anya fits well in the family. A nightly occupation was watching the aurora forecast, which lead to many walks into the woods for a dark spot (following the 15 minutes of laying up), but it never really played for us with one poor sighting. Anya has promised to book the holiday again so we will be back.
Akaslompolo – moonlight Akaslompolo – Reindeer Akaslompolo – Reindeer Akaslompolo – Reindeer Akaslompolo – Tracey amoungst the Reindeer Akaslompolo – Reindeer Akaslompolo – Tracey walking the Reindeer Akaslompolo – James Walking the Reindeer Akaslompolo – horse Akaslompolo – dogs, we were invited into the pens to say hello to the dogs, amoungst all the “yellow” snow. These three are mother and children Akaslompolo – Matthew and James Akaslompolo – I wasn’t the only thing that fell into the deep snow. The chap was just arranging the pieces of wood under the wheel in hope of getting the digger out. I could have done with that sort of help the odd time. Akaslompolo – These little huts were scattered around, with a fire inside for you to warm up in. This was is by the lake Akaslompolo – Matthew and James playing on the swings Akaslompolo – Matthew and James playing on the swings Akaslompolo Akaslompolo Äkäslompolo Akaslompolo – Anya, Matthew and James outside our chalet. Akaslompolo – the carpark outside our chalet Akaslompolo – John and James, John had blood running from his nose most of the time. He would keep face planking! Akaslompolo – Anya, the expert! She did do cross country skiing in PE at school. Akaslompolo – James, with a ” I will manage to do this” attitude Akaslompolo – one of the tracks accros the lake Akaslompolo – Anya on the lake Akaslompolo – through the forest Akaslompolo – James Akaslompolo – ice on our quadruple glazed window Akaslompolo – Lunch stop of soup Akaslompolo – a typical carpark. Snow doesn’t stop these people Akaslompolo Akaslompolo – James Akaslompolo – Anya Akaslompolo – Matthew at tea break time Akaslompolo – James Akaslompolo – John Akaslompolo – the forest Akaslompolo – Matthew, Anya, John and James Akaslompolo – Akaslompolo – Anya Akaslompolo – Matthew and Anya Akaslompolo – this is an awful photo and should be cut out, but this cafe was a round shed, heated by a single fire, so cold. It used wooden plates etc. It was dark and noisy. Akaslompolo – reindeer Akaslompolo – reindeer Akaslompolo – pass the huskey Akaslompolo – the plastic deer and James Akaslompolo – the ring Akaslompolo – John in another dark cafe Akaslompolo – Matt and Anya on another tea break Akaslompolo – James on a bridge Akaslompolo – John, the bridge of his nose also started to bleed from face planking to add to his other streams of bllod on previous days Akaslompolo – Matthew and Anya Akaslompolo – our chalet Akaslompolo – going home