Arctic Circle Snowshoe Hike from The Solberget Reindeer Retreat
Available from 21st of January - 15th of March. Groups of 3 to 8 people.
Have you been waiting for something truly special to experience? Then choose this tour and discover the fantastic winter wonderland by snowshoe! Snowshoe walking is a tried and trusted, ancient method of walking across snow. This is an adventure for the whole family. With a small backpack we begin our easy tour through the wonderful snow covered landscape.
During the whole tour our dogs transport our belongings and you only have to carry small personal possessions for the day. You will soon find that it is easy to walk with snowshoes. Everyone can learn this method of navigating the forest regions and you do not need any previous knowledge. Once you have tried snowshoe walking you will be surprised how enjoyable and easy it is to walk over the snow.
Over the first days of your stay at the retreat, you get to know the immediate area and our own mountain situated close to us. You can enjoy a few short trips on snowshoes or cross country skis, relax in the wood fired sauna and prepared yourself for the snowshoe tour to follow. You will also get to know the resident reindeer at the retreat and take a tour with them, sitting on the sleigh, we glide through the snow covered winter forest.
Then we begin our 2-day hike with snowshoes. The first night is spent in a small hut or kota (a tent which can be heated). You do not need to carry anything as the dogs will do that for us pulling sleds along side us. When we are in Jokkmokk, you can visit the Sami museum and if you wish, you can take a dog-sled trip. On one of the evenings, we sit in the kota (a Sami tent) around the campfire and listen to stories from a Sami reindeer herder.
If you wish, you may visit the Icehotel in Jukkkasjärvi and even spend a night there. ( Please notify us on booking if you would like to add one of these additional trips).
Day 1 We pick you up at Nattavaara train station for the last part of your trip to the retreat. We travel through the deep forest on a snow covered gravel road for about 22 km. When you arrive you will receive a warm welcome from Dirk and his staff who are waiting for you at the retreat. The rooms are assigned over a salmon sandwich. After lunch, you spend the afternoon relaxing and getting the sauna ready for the evening.
One of your jobs for the afternoon will be collecting water from the well to fill up the sauna and chopping some wood to heat the sauna up. After dinner, you can relax in the retreats special wood fired sauna. The resident reindeer are around the retreat and are available for you to interact with. The reindeer are not just here to play though and they will be pulling your sleigh later in the trip.
Day 2 You have the chance to help feed the reindeer and learn about these interesting indigenous animals. Next we go out on the reindeer sleigh tour. You are driven through the incredible sparkling white winter landscape that is Swedish Lapland. If we are lucky, we may see some birds and animals like the capercaillie or moose. The evening is at your leisure.
Day 3 In the morning, you be driven to Jokkmokk where your guide for the next few days is waiting. You discover the beautiful snow covered forests north of the Arctic Circle on a two day hike on snowshoes. Due to the everchanging snow conditions, it is not possible to decide on the actual tour direction we will take in advance. We walk through the snow covered forests far into the wilderness away from civilization. The hike will take us from Jokkmokk to a small wooden cabin or a kota (Sami tent with a fireplace) where we will spend the night. After the day’s hike, Siberian husky dogs wait for us while dinner is ready in the evening. After a short tour on the dog sled, we feed the dogs and then we enjoy the evening in midst of the incredibly peaceful forest next to the camp-fire.
Day 4 After a good nights rest, we head back to Jokkmokk and at around 2pm, we arrive in Jokkmokk. In the afternoon you are free to do some sight seeing on your own in Jokkmokk. You will spend the night in the Jokkmokk youth-hostel or a small cabin.
Day 5 In the morning you are free to visit the Sami museum in Jokkmokk. The museum exhibits the traditional Sami culture. The display shows how the Sami lived and still live here in the far north of Swedish Lapland. In the afternoon, you can take a tour back to The Retreat by dog sled (optional) – this is faster than walking with the snowshoes. In the afternoon we drive back to Solberget. The evening is free for you to do what you want and after dinner we can relax in the sauna.
Day 6 We spend the whole day discovering the area surrounding the retreat on cross country skis. We ski out to an old abandoned farm, a forest nature reserve or to the mountain locate near the retreat. On top of the mountain is a small hut where we enjoy a warm snack and enjoy the view from our look-out tower. In the evenings you are free to enjoy a wood fired sauna.
Day 7 After breakfast you are free for the morning to go on a short ski-tour. In the afternoon it is sadly time to say goodbye.
Arctic Circle Snowshoe Hike from The Retreat - Price: Swedish Kr 9,999 per person
Price includes: Pick-up at the train-station in Nattavaara, Ski equipment, Maps of the area, Guided tour of the village (Day 1 at 2pm), Reindeer feeding, Use of the sauna, Full board with local produce and typical local specialties (organically grown food), 4 nights accommodation in uniquly styled rooms, 1 night in a basic forest cabin or kota (oven-heated tent) during the tour, one night in the youth hostel or a cabin in Jokkmokk, 1 guided ski tour (about 2hrs), Reindeer sleigh ride (approx. 1.5hr), Snowshoes for the two day snowshoe tour, Try out a short dog sled trip, 2-day snowshoe walking including an overnight stay in a kota (oven heated tent) or a small forest cabin, Visit to the Sami-museum in Jokkmokk, Transfer from the retreat to Jokkmokk and back again, Evening with Sami reindeer herder.
Price excludes: Transport to and from Nattavaara and any alcoholic beverages.
Please Note: Please read about the retreat and its facilities to make sure your are aware of the standard of accommodation and the facilities of The Retreat. The tour starts at 2pm on the first day and ends on the final day at 3pm. The rooms are available from 2pm on the first day until 1pm on the last day.
