Lapland, July 2012

 

To celebrate my mother’s 80^th birthday, I suggested we go to Lapland. My mother, who was born in Lapland, is very fit, for any age, and was game when I presented the idea, and my sister, niece, and cousin Bertil joined too. What started out as a plan for a leisurely stay in a mountain lodge, turned into a challenging hike. We settled on Låktatjåkko Mountain Lodge, which is located 195 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, (an 18 hour train-ride from Stockholm). Låktatjåkko is Sweden’s highest located mountain station, 1228 meters above sea level. The only way to reach the lodge in the summer is by foot or by helicopter.

The hike to the lodge is a mere 9 kilometers, no stretch for a fit 80 year old, but what we had failed to realize was that 9 kilometers going uphill is a challenge for most people of any age. In addition, although our visit was in early July— generally the best time of the summer in the north since you can still see the midnight sun, and enjoy mild weather—this spring had been exceptionally cold, so part of the trail was still covered in snow.

Despite the challenges, we all enjoyed the hike with exquisite views of Torne Träsk, one of Sweden’s largest lakes, and of the surrounding snow-covered mountains.  At the lodge, we rested for a day and enjoyed lovely three-course meals, with local specialties including cloud-berries and reindeer meat for the meat-eaters.