The Hindu Business Line : In the `blue' twilight zone

Kiruna, in the Arctic region, is all about memories and vivid images; of travelling in a world seemingly devoid of people and noise and of visits to reindeer and husky farms and tea shared with the farmers in cosy wigwams.

Huskies love to eat, sleep, and run"! Tommy Sormling was a man of ample physical proportions and very few words. There was a general nodding of heads in acknowledgement of this fact. After all, who were we to disagree or complain on that cold, clear morning with the air freezing and crisp, snow thick on our faces, our spirits soaring sky-high?

Our informal `Arctic briefing' had apprised us of the polar region's wonders and unique geographical beauty. Having spent their lives conducting tours in the tundra region, Tommy Sormling and Ake Pudas, our guides, seemed in no hurry at all as they fitted us in isothermic gear. Lesson one: don't hurry in the tundra. It doesn't pay!

For long, the world's largest city with an area of 20,000 sq km, which makes it half the size of Switzerland, and big enough to accommodate the entire world's population, standing up, Kiruna had welcomed us in typical fashion: with sleet and snow.

This great wilderness area deep inside the Arctic Circle features the mighty Kebnekarse massif in the south and large tundra regions in the north, and miles of flat, open country in between. The ultimate destination for outdoor buffs. Never mind the cold.

Oddly enough, no one bothers much about the weather. Though winter temperatures plummet to 40 degrees below zero, tourists go indoors only to sleep, and their time is well spent enjoying the unique natural bounties so generously on offer.

For most of the summer, the sun shines without a break here, with the midnight sun being a polar phenomenon. And the sun never sets from May 28 till mid-July, making Northern Lapland one large greenhouse. Come winter, and the sun takes a holiday from December 9, resting just under the horizon, creating five hours of daylight called the `blue twilight'. But, thanks to the snow, the moon, and the famous Aurora Borealis (`northern lights') that attract tourists from all over the world, even in the middle of the night, it isn't really dark. Japanese women have created another Arctic legend with their belief that children conceived during Aurora Borealis are born healthy and happy. Talk about `snow-how' at its very best! The surety of snow is what established Kiruna's fame, and one can vouch for it every winter. Riksgransen and Bjorkbden are famous winter-sports centres with off-pist skiing, telemark skiing, snowboarding and downhill activities. One can snow-scooter safari at Riksgransen, Jukkasarvi and Lainio, ski from end-October through end-April, raft in six alpine rivers, and fish in an astounding 6,200 lakes. Or venture `far out' into the country and experience the polar region's uniqueness of nature. All you need is a four-wheel drive and high spirits.

Within an hour of arriving, we were neck-deep in pursuing a popular Kiruna winter event. `Jig fishing' (ice fishing), also known as `binocular fishing', is particularly enjoyable when the trout, grayling and char, are running in the Rastojaure, Tornetrask and Rautasjavre lakes. But we were at a smaller lake equally well-endowed with trout. It was two hours of vigorous exercise with half-a- dozen medium-sized trout as the reward.

Ever tried snow gourmets? We discovered that there is something called genuine `northern cuisine', exemplified by Sami barbecuing. Try delicacies like `fjallroding' (arctic char marinated in Absolut Citron and finely chopped chives, and served with walnut sauce) and `Suovas' (reindeer meat marinated overnight in salt water, then smoked over a birch wood fire and deep-fried with mushrooms). The only snag is that alcohol consumption out in the open is taboo. "Bad idea; big health trouble," Tommy and Ake answered in chorus, every time one asked why, or reached for a hip flask. Talk about Arctic penance!

Though the municipality's been inhabited since centuries, Kiruna City is young, founded at the turn of the 19th century when mining started in the kilometre-deep Kiirunavaara, the world's largest underground mine.

Our local sightseeing included the Kiruna City Hall with its beautiful clock tower and art museum, the Church with its lovely alter-piece and Hjalmar Lundbohm House. Intact for centuries, the Lapps' fascinating lifestyles can be seen at the Jukkasjarvi Homestead Museum with its handicrafts collection, Samegarden's permanent exhibition, and the all-female staff crafts cooperative Mattarakha facility that shows crafts manufacture. January's last weekend features the annual five-day snow festival, among Europe's grandest, which packs a variety of events from art exhibitions, theatre, and concerts to snow sculpture competitions, and dog and reindeer races.

Kiruna is all about memories and vivid images; of travelling in a world seemingly devoid of people and noise; of visits to reindeer and husky farms and tea shared with the farmers in cosy wigwams. And of `near suicidal' snow-scooter rides and of the snow itself which shrouds everything in sight.

But my starkest memory is of the night I spent at the famous Ice Hotel, the world's largest igloo, built entirely of ice and snow over an area of 4,000 sq metres, with its rooms, lobby, chapel and `Absolut Bar', all made entirely from ice. One sleeps on a bed of ice covered with reindeer skins, with temperatures inside touching 15 degrees below zero. For good measure, they give you a certificate to certify you spent the night there, and mention the temperatures both inside and outside. Its `cold hospitality' guaranteed to make one chill out!

Kiruna awaits visitors with fire in their heart. The time to visit is now. In the land of eternal snow, why wait for the rains to come?

Picture by the author

Fact file

How to get there: Kiruna is a two-hour flight and overnight train journey from Stockholm.

Where to stay: Accommodation options range from deluxe hotels to budget-class ones, but considering the local topography and distances, it is sensible to book in advance.

Where to eat: Restaurants, though limited in number, serve a variety of cuisine, including good vegetarian food.

How to get around: The region's vastness and extreme weather conditions necessitate a local tour company for one's travel and safari requirements.

They arrange everything from excursions to meals and special winter polar clothing.

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