21.12.2023

December – a Month Full of Joy

Today is the shortest day of the year, so why not do a short recap of the actual month?

December started with a half day tour with guests we already know – or at least one of them, because she was our first guest in autumn 2022 and last winter guest 2023… seems that we do something right, if someone who was initially a bit afraid of the cold can’t resist to come back again and again ☺️

The same day our first week tour guests for this winter season arrived. And we really can’t complain, more nice guests for us and the dogs. And I guess also the guests will not complain… trails were still a bit bumpy and difficult but already on the first tour they could combine a sled ride with a moose safari 😃 later on they experienced real winter with temperatures below -30°, exactly on the day of the overnight tour. But one thing they forgot before it got warmer again: to throw hot water in the air… so we did it for them some days later.

The next days we used – beside more preparation for the season – for longer training runs with the dogs. At least when it was possible. Partly we had a lot of overflow on the lakes, then it also got very warm again. But the first 120km run was no problem at all, even for our yearlings. On the last 1km before we reached the kennel, my dogs started to go crazy, barking, screaming and pulling so hard that I had to use the metal brake to control the sled. And while I am writing this text, Raffi is out with “my” team, so the team that I will run at Metsjövidda Fjällrace, for another 180km training.

But let’s come back to December, the month of the dark. Not for us! Yes, it is the month with the smallest amount of daylight hours, but the colors of the sky are just magical. We had sunrise/sunset for several hours each day, we were blessed with polar stratospheric clouds – that are much less common than Northern Lights – several days in a row and we had spectacular Aurora Borealis. There are no words to describe the beauty of Swedish Lapland.

Tomorrow we start our Christmas and New Year tours for external guests that are staying in Arvidsjaur, and on Sunday our own Christmas guests will arrive and enjoy a week (plus some days) full of adventures and new experiences.

So, last but not least, we want to wish you all a wonderful Christmas time. Forget the daily stress and commercial pressure on these days and just find your calm and enjoy the time with family and friends. And after that: have a great start into the New Year 2024. We hope to see you here with us next year 😊