The Hindu Business Line : Cold, cold comfort

The bed is made of compacted snow and ice, topped with a reindeer skin (you sleep inside a sleeping bag, usually dressed in thermal undergarments and a cap).

J. Srinivasan

One geography lesson that has surely fascinated all, especially those living in the tropics, is the idea of living in igloos built of blocks of snow. This fascination is brought to life every year in three places world wide in the form of ice hotels.

It all started in 1989 when Yngve Bergqvist hit on the idea of building an igloo on the frozen banks of the Torne river in the Swedish Lappland to showcase indigenous Sami art and handicrafts. An adventurous few wanted to sleep in the igloo for a taste of what the Swedes called ‘the exotic’. Bergqvist quickly saw the potential of the idea and within a few years had transformed the sleepy backwater of Jukkasjarvi, 200 km north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden’s northernmost reaches, into an icy blockbuster which now draws 40,000 visitors every year. Nearly 1,200 km from the Swedish capital of Stockholm, Jukkasjarvi Ice Hotel ranks as the No 1 winter destination in Sweden, and its undisputed success has spawned a number of similar ventures in both Norwegian and Finnish Lappland.

It’s new every year!

Each year the ice hotel is built afresh. Construction starts in mid-December using pure, clear ice harvested from the Torne river. Ice and a snow-ice mixture are used to build the hotel walls, ceiling, beds, the reception desk, and the bar. Every year the ice hotel also adorns a different theme.

As soon as winter sets in, a team of snow builders, architects, designers and artists from across the world gather at Jukkasjärvi to create that year’s version of the ice hotel. Year 2007 being the 300th anniversary of Carl von Linne, the man who classified and named flowers, the Swedish ice hotel in its 18th season had him as the theme. The Art suites, designed and created by artists from around the world, are spectacular ranging from smooth waves of snow and ice curling around a double bed, to crystal clear ice blocks in geometric patterns.

The building process starts in mid-November when snow guns start spraying the snow on huge steel forms and this is allowed to freeze.

After a couple of days, the forms are removed, leaving a maze of free-standing corridors of snow. Then the dividing walls are built in the corridors, to create rooms and suites. Ice blocks, harvested at springtime from the Torne river, are then moved into the hotel where the artists start creating the art and design.

The construction is done in five phases. As one section is completed, it opens to visitors and overnight guests, while the other sections are still under construction. The first phase is completed by December 7 and each week thereafter a new section opens, until January 5 when the entire ice hotel is ready. It takes nearly 30,000 tonnes of snow and 1,200 tonnes of crystal ice to build the shimmering structure.

Inside an ice hotel

The ice hotel may seem an oversized, extravagant igloo. But inside, it glitters with elaborate ice furniture, ice bars and even ice glasses. Colourful lighting makes the structure look more like a magical snow castle than a frigid Arctic dwelling. Throughout the day the ice hotel has visitors on tours, but at night guests have the place to themselves. On arrival, guests are given a quick course on sleeping in the cold accommodation. With no storage space in the ice rooms, guests leave their luggage in a heated storage area that also has bathrooms, saunas and changing rooms.

In the ice hotel, the temperature is maintained below freezing point, there is no en suite bathroom or television. The bed is made of compacted snow and ice, topped with a reindeer skin (you sleep inside a sleeping bag, usually dressed in thermal undergarments and a cap). After a night at the ice hotel there is a feeling of exhilaration, even accomplishment. Little wonder that people do not hesitate to pay a steep price for a night, even if in the Arctic winter it extends some 20 hours.

Visitors usually tend to spend a minimum of two nights at the ice hotel, one in cold accommodation, and the other in the conventional, or warm, rooms, either in the hotel or one of the chalets. The ice hotel organises a variety of activities such as husky dog sledding, snowmobiling, ice driving or a lesson in ice sculpting, though the day is short. Longer wilderness trips are also arranged.

Drinks are served below zero in the hotel’s Absolut Icebar, but food is offered in the cosy surroundings of the hotel’s two restaurants, which serve local specialities such as reindeer and elk.

Icy Marriage

A marriage can grow cold in time, but what of an ice-cold marriage itself. Every year, the ice hotel consecrates a new chapel and what better way to make a marriage special than saying the vows in a unique chapel. The popular wedding chapel is well booked, according to the hotel’s tour guide. Couples from all over the world come to Jukkasjärvi to pledge eternal love to each other andchildren from far and wide are baptised here.

The Torne Magic

The foundation of this fairy world of ice is the Torne, running past Jukkasjärvi since the ice of an Ice Age carved its way through the landscape, creating the path of the river. The water travels 600 km through the Lappland before reaching the coast in southeast. The Torne water is reputed to be among the purest in Europe. In summer this is a world of whirling opportunities, and during the Arctic winters the frozen water becomes the source of one of Lappland’s most successful exports. Each year the ice hotel produces one and a half million ice glasses for the Absolut Ice bars in Milan, London, Tokyo and Copenhagen. The ice hotel offers technical visits covering five different themes, and guests can learn about its research and development activities centred on snow and ice.

But the real magic of the Torne river is the Ice Hotel.

Fact File

Reaching the Jukkasjarvi Ice Hotel:

The nearest airport, railhead and bus-station is Kiruna.

There are regular air services from Stockholm and elsewhere from Europe. There is a daily train connection from Stockholm ( http://www.scanrail.com).

The journey takes 17 hours.

E-mail: info@icehotel.com

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