I've made a new panorama after a long long time:
This one is from Abisko Canyon in Lapland in the north of Sweden.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Ice climbing in Abisko
We returned from our trip to north of Sweden almost a week ago but there are still a few things worth writing about.
One of the fun activities we did in Abisko was ice climbing. Our climbing instructor Klaus explained us everything and after putting on all necessary equipment we were ready to go.
We climbed on a frozen waterfall in a canyon in the Abisko national park. The scenery was really amazing. I have some photographic material for making a 360 degree panorama which I will hopefully publish soon.
Climbing on ice not very difficult. Some of us didn't have any prior climbing experience (indoor or outdoor) but that was not really a problem. According to our instructor we did quiet well for tourists/beginners.
I was huge fun although pretty exhausting. It was getting dark very soon (around 2pm) so had to climb with headlamps at the end.
You can find some more photos at nuolja.se. Thanks Benny!
One of the fun activities we did in Abisko was ice climbing. Our climbing instructor Klaus explained us everything and after putting on all necessary equipment we were ready to go.
We climbed on a frozen waterfall in a canyon in the Abisko national park. The scenery was really amazing. I have some photographic material for making a 360 degree panorama which I will hopefully publish soon.
Climbing on ice not very difficult. Some of us didn't have any prior climbing experience (indoor or outdoor) but that was not really a problem. According to our instructor we did quiet well for tourists/beginners.
I was huge fun although pretty exhausting. It was getting dark very soon (around 2pm) so had to climb with headlamps at the end.
You can find some more photos at nuolja.se. Thanks Benny!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Aurora borealis
One of the things that we really wanted to see in Lapland was Aurora borealis. Fortunately we were lucky and saw the beautiful green lights on our first evening after arriving in Abisko.
Whether you can see the aurora borealis or not depends on several factors. First of all you have to be pretty up north (or south) - preferably behind the polar circle. In Europe this means that you have to go to north of Sweden, Norway or Finland. You can also see the lights on southern parts of Sweden (such as Stockholm) but this is very rare.
Second you need a clear sky because the lights originate from upper atmosphere (about 80km above ground) and clouds can cover it completely thus spoil the beautiful show. This is usually not a problem in Abisko because this is the place with least clouds in Sweden.
And of course you need the right solar activity. This depends on the current state of the sun (its 12 year cycle) and also the part of the year (the angle between the earth magnetic poles and the solar winds).
We did not choose the perfect timing for our trip. September/October or March/April would be probably much better. But still it was really amazing and beautiful! For someone from central Europe this is a once in a lifetime experience.
Whether you can see the aurora borealis or not depends on several factors. First of all you have to be pretty up north (or south) - preferably behind the polar circle. In Europe this means that you have to go to north of Sweden, Norway or Finland. You can also see the lights on southern parts of Sweden (such as Stockholm) but this is very rare.
Second you need a clear sky because the lights originate from upper atmosphere (about 80km above ground) and clouds can cover it completely thus spoil the beautiful show. This is usually not a problem in Abisko because this is the place with least clouds in Sweden.
And of course you need the right solar activity. This depends on the current state of the sun (its 12 year cycle) and also the part of the year (the angle between the earth magnetic poles and the solar winds).
We did not choose the perfect timing for our trip. September/October or March/April would be probably much better. But still it was really amazing and beautiful! For someone from central Europe this is a once in a lifetime experience.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Train from Abisko to Narvik
Today we took the train from Abisko to Narvik. This is one of the most beautiful railways in the world. Unfortunately our train was running more than an hour too late which made taking photos difficult because it was getting dark (not that we had any direct daylight here ;)).
First the railway goes along the south cost of the Tometräsk lake.
Towards the Norwegian border the mountains become higher and there was more snow.
I think this photo is already in Norway. There is no visible border and there are no passport controls (Norway signed the Schengen treaty although no EU member).
This valley is actually the beginning of a fjord.
One of many fjords in Norway:
Almost in Narvik:
First the railway goes along the south cost of the Tometräsk lake.
Towards the Norwegian border the mountains become higher and there was more snow.
I think this photo is already in Norway. There is no visible border and there are no passport controls (Norway signed the Schengen treaty although no EU member).
This valley is actually the beginning of a fjord.
One of many fjords in Norway:
Almost in Narvik:
Dog sledge tour
When we were in Abisko we decided to make a dog sledge tour.
Each one of us got a sledge and four dogs. They really enjoy the running. The dogs know where to go and you only have steer the sledge and make sure you stay on the path.
The tour was only a few kilometers but it was very exhausting. We were riding on a small path in the forest. There were some downhill parts where you have to break the sledge and some uphill parts where you have push the sledge because four dogs are not enough to pull the sledge and one person up the hill. There were also few narrow bridges over brooks - some with railings and some without.
It was really fun. None of us had any serious crashes although there were few exiting and maybe also a bit dangerous moments. But the adrenalin is part of the fun.
Also none of us was bitten or attacked by the dogs. Although they are not kept as house pets they were very nice. In fact this is a great therapy if you are afraid of dogs.
Each one of us got a sledge and four dogs. They really enjoy the running. The dogs know where to go and you only have steer the sledge and make sure you stay on the path.
The tour was only a few kilometers but it was very exhausting. We were riding on a small path in the forest. There were some downhill parts where you have to break the sledge and some uphill parts where you have push the sledge because four dogs are not enough to pull the sledge and one person up the hill. There were also few narrow bridges over brooks - some with railings and some without.
It was really fun. None of us had any serious crashes although there were few exiting and maybe also a bit dangerous moments. But the adrenalin is part of the fun.
Also none of us was bitten or attacked by the dogs. Although they are not kept as house pets they were very nice. In fact this is a great therapy if you are afraid of dogs.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
X2000
For the part of our journey from Altvesta to Stockholm we used the swedish high speed train X2000. The distance between these two cities is 410km and the train covers it in 3 hours and 5 minutes. That means an average speed of 130kph, something which swedish car drivers can only dream of.
The swedish railway company SJ offers some nice services on board of the X2000 such as a restaurant car and electric plugs for notebooks. But one particuar service which I really like is the wireless network on board. Each car is equiped with an access point that can be used to access the train internet portal. It offers information about the timetables, current position of the train on the map and the possibility to book additional train tickets, a hotel or rent a car at the train destination.
The wireless network can be also used to access the internet. This services is free in the first class and can be purchased as an additional extra when traveling with the second class. The internet connection is established through various technologies (GSM, UMTS, satellite) and the train router always chooses the fastest available connection.
The swedish railway company SJ offers some nice services on board of the X2000 such as a restaurant car and electric plugs for notebooks. But one particuar service which I really like is the wireless network on board. Each car is equiped with an access point that can be used to access the train internet portal. It offers information about the timetables, current position of the train on the map and the possibility to book additional train tickets, a hotel or rent a car at the train destination.
Map showing the current position of the train
The wireless network can be also used to access the internet. This services is free in the first class and can be purchased as an additional extra when traveling with the second class. The internet connection is established through various technologies (GSM, UMTS, satellite) and the train router always chooses the fastest available connection.
Our X2000 after its arrival in Stockholm
Journey to Lapland
Sweden is part of the Skandinavian penisula. (Un)forunately Växjö lies in the very south of Sweden. Because of this the winter hasn't arrived in Växjö yet. It is raining all the time which is quiet disappointing.
It would be a shame to make Erasmus in Sweden without experiencing the real north. Therfor me and few friends decided to make a one week trip to Lapland. Our journey takes us up north behind the polar circle.
First we traveled to Abisko - the train ride took over 23 hours (1920km). This wasn't as bad as it might sound. We spent the longest part of the journey in a night train. It was very comfortable (at least for those of us who booked a bed instead of normal seat). Abisko is a national park near the norwegian border. We hoped to see some northern lights and maybe take a ride with a dog sledge.
We did both! (to be continued...)
It would be a shame to make Erasmus in Sweden without experiencing the real north. Therfor me and few friends decided to make a one week trip to Lapland. Our journey takes us up north behind the polar circle.
Original map by Boris Chomenko
First we traveled to Abisko - the train ride took over 23 hours (1920km). This wasn't as bad as it might sound. We spent the longest part of the journey in a night train. It was very comfortable (at least for those of us who booked a bed instead of normal seat). Abisko is a national park near the norwegian border. We hoped to see some northern lights and maybe take a ride with a dog sledge.
We did both! (to be continued...)
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