A trip to Slussfors, Sweden
Tues 3rd Aug
Well up at 2am and on the road to Heathrow airport by 2.30am! We arrived at the parking at 4.30am and were shuttled to Heathrow for our 7.30am flight via British Airways to Arlanda, Stockholm. A 2 hour or so flight later and we arrived with a few hours for our connecting flight that took us to Hemavan via Vilhelmina on a 2 prop aircraft which seated just 36 people! We met our lady with our rental car and checked our map for our route to Slussfors. Along beautiful scenic roads then suddenly hit the roadworks. Massive boulders rather than pebble dash were strewn across the road, a little different to the UK as the roads were still in use. We passed lakes and rivers and vast deciduous and coniferous forests stretching as far as the eye could see up to the mountains. We arrived at 6.30pm at Dave Kings and Annette Krillers home, kennel and Vet Clinic. Introduced to Dillon (a dog handler from Montana, USA) and Samilla (a German vet) and of course Wilma (saarloos cross) and Mickey Mouse (Alaskan husky). It was feeding time for the dogs and then us which was an unusual curried reindeer steak and elk burgers with bread and salad. We chatted about mushing, dogs, paddling and then off to our room…a lakeside tent with a view right over the lake next to their home.
Leaving Hamaven
Wed 4th Aug
I didn’t sleep well and was awake on and off through the night. Missing the comforts of a soft mattress, several quilts and my usual 3 dogs! Up for 8am a lay in by normal standards for me. Dave suggested we take a drive out to a place around Kittlefjall where a giant tepee was going to disassembled for a large group he had coming over at the end of Aug but en route we could see miles and miles of marked trails going along the river, through the forests and up into the mountains. No permits needed just hook up and go. We travelled right along till we came to the place that across the lake were the mountains of the border of Norway. On the way back he showed us their rented farm, a beautiful Scandinavian style building right next to a marked trail that leads out straight across a massive lake…only passable when frozen of course! We passed endless places possible for white water kayaking. I declined the offer much preferring two dry feet on land! The others headed out for the afternoon while I stayed behind with Annette as an emergency patient was brought in after being injured in a lake. She was a GSD x Husky and was sedated so Annette could work her magic. She fixed up the broken toe, stitched up the wound and sent her away with her owner with a foot in a large bandage. I fed and watered their two horses, tidied up and left Annette to get on with mountains of paperwork. I went to explore a little around their plot around the lake and Mickey, my new friend came along quite happily, the scenery is amazing, it beats anything in the UK, such clean air, clean water and so peaceful. Wandering back looking across the lake I stood for a while and pictured this as my home all that was missing was my family including the furry ones of course and snow….then it started to rain and its now 8pm so off for some food and then to bed..I should sleep better tonight as I now have borrowed a super warm arctic sleeping bag.
Across the lake
Thur 5th Aug
Started after a better night’s sleep after using Dave’s super warm arctic grade sleeping bag!
It rained through the night but the dogs were a little restless, as bitches are in or coming into season so tension is sometimes a little high, usually between the castrated males!!! We are off to the south today to an area well known for sprint mushers and to meet one of them. A quick journey here in Sweden is probably around 2 or so hours but is very easy going as you see little traffic on the roads if at all. The roads are clearly marked and apart from the roadwork’s you encounter little delay anywhere. Annette’s directions were superb and after stopping to collect some shopping we arrived at our destination. Signs saying mushing and lots of red crosses marking trails gave a real clue that the area would look a little different later in the year. It was clear also by all the kennel systems at the varying houses around the area that this was an area with a connection to mushing. One of the properties which was pointed out as Egil Ellis’ old house. Meeting Henry and talking to him was very gratifying for me in many ways. He not only is passionate about the sport, the equipment but also his dogs, something that was very genuine and could not possibly be disguised. Over ice tea we talked about races, the UK, Henrys races and his dogs. The introduction to the area pointed out several races that could be worth not only visiting but taking part in as a gentle introduction to racing in Sweden. Some races it was explained you may have to purchase a green card which is like a membership card. We travelled back with nice new harnesses for some of our dogs and my heart set on my next big purchase, a sprint sled. We arrived back at Slussfors; I prepared dinner while people were still coming in and out of the busy clinic. Well till tomorrow…who knows what it will bring.
Fri 6th Aug
A great start to the day I slept like a log again in complete warmth, I def need one of those too if I’m going to be racing around Lapland. Today we are off to the east of Sweden to the coast to take in some scenery, associate some places and names and to collect a new 4×4 with Dave. The cost of re registering any type of car in Sweden is very expensive so it is far cheaper to buy another. Again another couple of hours drive and arriving at a Swedish garage that sells American cars, a ford explorer test driven and paid for and we were on our way back. Today we saw lots of reindeer along the road and in it! Alive thank god but it’s very easy to see just why people have huge spotlights on their cars in case they hop out onto the road. It’s unusual to see so many this low down as apparently the Sammie natives move their herds up into the mountains at this time. We stopped at the shop to collect some food for the bar-b-queue and some lunch for us. Getting back we lit the bar b queue and watched Dave take Sparky the horse out for a ride and a swim in the lake… a horse might be an option to?
Sat 7th Aug
Well breakfast eaten and ready for the off today was a visit to the farm they rent in Morka. It was the day to put up the giant tepee! We needed a fair few hands for this job. The frame went up really well, with a minor repair needed to one of the supports. 6 of us tackled it and managed to get it upright! Then putting the cover on was a bit of a hassle but eventually with pulling and hanging on we got the cover over too. The rest sort of followed on quite easy. Stu went off to start the construction for the fire/cooking area while me, Megan (a girl from the US who had arrived yesterday) and Dillon worked out the doorway and pegged the tent down. A long day but it was amazing to see the finished result, it looked like something from the native Sammie of Lapland. Back at the house it was feed the dogs first and then decide to feed ourselves so I helped Dillon and was becoming a dab hand with a waiting hose pipe to blast anyone that decided to cause trouble. Dogs fed, bowls washed it was soup and bread, a shower and off to bed!
The Teepee - fully up
Sun 8th Aug
Back up to the farm today after lots of banter about catching fish. We were quickly taking a visit before going up to the others to see a German guy Torsten a great guy with sled dogs and an equipment business so I ordered my new lines and got to look around his place. When visiting the mushers there they all hang their bibs proudly for the races they have competed. Finmarkslopet bibs and certificates and several more hung around his office. But I wanted to go outside, puppies to see! A little over 2 weeks older than those at the house but so chunky and cute! I wish I could fit one in my suitcase; the place was spotless and was doggie heaven. Holes to dig, trees to chew and pens and beds for each dog. Their children were also a big part of the dogs and one puppy spent the whole time being carried around without complaint. Well with our orders placed we said our goodbyes and headed up to the farm taking some food and beer! The boats were there with engines and we had collected some fishing kit too, I again declined the invitation of going out on the lake in a boat. I went over onto the other side of the road with Annette and Samilla to collect blueberries and between us we managed to get enough for pancakes, muffins and maybe some of Dillon’s famous bread….Dillon has been making bread every day and you really cannot beat fresh bread but also bread is very expensive in the shops around £4 a loaf! That’s one of the things I noticed about Sweden food is very expensive. Fuel was about the same as here in the UK. Well fish were caught 2 in all, grayling and they were going into the home made smoker for tomorrow meanwhile we got out some sausages and pork steaks and Annette brought up some tomatoes, cheese and drinks so we sat around the fire, cooked our food and laughed watching the dogs run around playing. Annette had brought two of the Alaskans, Wilma and Samilla’s dog a red setter called Bryn with her. I was thinking about bluberry pancakes and reminded myself to grab a recipe off the internet and check for supplies to make them tomorrow. When we got back I went over to the clinic to look in on one of the patients that was drawing my attention everyday…a little Greenland dog bitch not much older and almost identical to my two Canadian Eskimo girls. Annette had been trying hard to find the solution to her illness and yesterday morning I had stood watching Annette helping the dog outside to stand and eat…I found Annette to be very caring about the pets at her clinic more so than just a job for the vet which I thought was nice. The dog needed some fluids and food so I sat with her while Samilla did her work while I stroked and talked to her. She was a little wriggly but knew we were there her eyes were very bright and she knew her name. Annette was sat on the computer doing research and when Samilla was ready to put her to bed it was gone 11pm! I walked back over to the house a little sad, feeling a little helpless that all I could do was comfort her…the gang were excited as root beer floats had been dished out, something that had taken my taste a couple of days before a strange concept of drinking something that tastes how deep heat smells. Weird I know but the taste really is something else.
One of the Alaskan puppies
Mon 10th Aug
I didn’t sleep much last night so was a bit bleary eyed but Dave had given a Swedish guy a call who works in the Hemavan/Tarnaby resorts and runs a sled dog touring kennel, so we headed off and met him and his wife for a late breakfast and a long chat. He was telling us about the possibilities of work in the resorts around the ski lifts and hire places through winter and then took us to see his kennel. He had huge sleds that can sit 4 tourists, over 30 Alaskan huskies and a trail right out your front garden up into the forest amazing. Marie, his partner and I talked a lot she had took a keen liking to being a musher, originally from Stockholm she had been in and around this area for about 7 years and I could tell she enjoyed working the dogs but she had a daughter who was nearly two so it meant she was not able to do as much as she liked. We exchanged details and headed back to Slussfors. We visited the shop to collect pancake supplies and I had written out the blueberry pancake recipe ready for when we got back. I was in the kitchen weighing out what I needed and what happened next I found very upsetting and a total shock.
Dave walked over from his office and told us that he didn’t think us being there was working out and suggested we leave, after questioning the reasoning for this he said he thought we had not pulled our weight around the house and that we were treating it like a vacation and that we were no longer welcome. I was completely taken aback by this as I considered we had tried to fit in and help out in every way we could. This was 3 days short of our planned return with flights booked and a rental car and nowhere to stay other than returning to Hemavan and booking into a hotel. I made the decision that I was going to return to the UK as soon as was possible and after a phone call to British Airways and another set of tickets bought we drove to Stockholm from Slussfors. After a 900km drive (11 or so hours) we arrived at Stockholm dropped off the car and waited several hours for the first BA flight at 7.10am back to the UK. The long drive gave me several hours of thought. Thoughts of missing home, my son and dogs, racing in Sweden, whether to come back to Sweden again, what had gone wrong, sadness, upset and anger. But I can honestly say the only bad part of the trip was the actions of one, everyone else whether they were Italian, Swedish or German were helpful and the perfect hosts and yes I would go back again, hopefully when the snow is on the ground and I can take my dogs, my son and maybe a couple of friends to enjoy the experience that is Sweden. The flight home I was sat with two very old Swedish ladies who were flying to Heathrow to get a connecting flight to Canada. They gave me travel sweets, told me of their trip, Sweden, their relatives in Canada and were lovely even though the older Swedish community do not speak English or indeed have learned it. They were really lovely and that really summed up my visit there. Sweden is a vast and beautiful place, with definite opportunities and I will look forward to going back even to run the many training trails through the forest, mountains and across lakes with my dogs. I have already started sourcing prices for passports and have some made some fantastic contacts there.
Racheal Bailey of Akna K9 Academy