21st December 2024, Arctic Trip Day Two, Camp Ripan and Jukkasjärvi.

 Well hello again my loves, and happy Hump-Day. How is your week going so far? I have been struggling with a few things, but here are some memories of our recent trip to the Arctic Circle to look back on and enjoy. This was our first full day in Sweden, and it was definitely a full day!

Morning moon, Camp Ripan. Taken at 10:39.

After a long couple of days of traveling both Thursday and Friday, and sleeping only a couple of hours on the floor at the airport on the Thursday night, we slept very well on the comfortable bed in our warm, cozy cabin at Camp Ripan. We woke up to the dusky Polar Night, and were greeted with many animal tracks in the fresh snow outside of our windows. We got up and ready, before heading to a delicious breakfast from the kitchen. Served buffet style, this was a far cry from the cold, greasy, under cooked breakfasts you might be used to in most hotels around the UK. Here, everything was freshly cooked, beautifully presented, and again the focus was on local produce and high quality. Alongside the usual bacon, eggs, pancakes and cereal that you might expect, there was sauteed fresh vegetables, platters of cold meats, (including reindeer salami) cheeses, pickles, and a wide array of breads and pastries. Those with gluten or dairy allergies were catered to, with separate sections to avoid cross contamination. There was also fruit, salads, and shots of fresh beetroot and rose hip "soups".  These shots of fresh juice seemed to be a common thing at breakfast, and I made sure to try them everywhere we went. They were usually mixed with ginger, and between that and the pure Vitamin C, they seemed to act like an extra jolt of caffeine as well, as I always felt more alert after trying them. It was a nice addition to my morning routine!

Bundled up and ready for another adventure! Jukkasjärvi at 13:44.

Reindeer Experience, Jukkasjärvi at 14:43.

After a leisurely breakfast, and a look in the shops by the reception area, we dressed extra warmly, and waited for our transport to our next adventure. Our young guide from Nutti Sámi Siida picked us up and drove us past the famous Ice Hotel to Jukkasjärvi. We were the only people from Camp Ripan taking this excursion that day, so we had extra time with our interesting guide, and got to hear his story. We arrived at the first stop, and while we were waiting for the rest of the group to arrive, we were given extra outdoor clothes and heavy boots to wear. It was -10°C at that point, and getting colder throughout the day, so we were glad of the extra warmth. From there, we took a beautiful ride on a sled pulled by a snowmobile, through the snowy forests and out to Reindeer Lodge. Throughout the afternoon, our guides told us about the history of the Sámi people, and how important reindeer are to their culture. We got to spend time with the reindeer, feeding them by hand, and watching them be lassoed as part of their training, before taking short sled rides behind them, and even racing a little. That was a lot of fun!
After all the outdoor activities, we were led to a traditional Lávvu tent to warm up. Here, our guide told us more histories from the Sámi people, while he made us suovas, a signature Sámi dish. He cooked smoked reindeer meat over the open fire, and served it to us as a wrap on gáhkku bread, with lingonberry jam. It was delicious! We ate as we warmed our feet in front of the fire, drank coffee, and listened to the fascinating stories.

Reindeer Experience, Jukkasjärvi at 15:02.

Food being prepared for us in the Sámi Lávvu tent.

At the end of our time, we were taken back along the frozen River Torne by snowmobile-pulled sled, gave our outer gear back, and then were driven back to Camp Ripan by our guide. As a thank you, we invited him in for a drink, and sat in the upstairs lounge by the reception while we talked. He was a very interesting young man, and although not Sámi himself, you could tell that the love of reindeer was in his blood. He was fascinating to listen to. He considered reindeer to be almost magical creatures, has spent three years herding them out in the tundra, and is very concerned about their future welfare and conservation. After he left, he quickly came back in to tell us that the Aurora could now be seen outside, so Gareth and I quickly finished our drinks and rushed out to see.

Aurora Borealis over Camp Ripan, 19:15.

Aurora Borealis over Camp Ripan, 19:15.

Aurora Borealis over Camp Ripan, 19:37.

If you've read my older posts, you will know that over the past eight months or so, I have seen the Northern Lights quite a few times from where I live in Ireland. The first time, back in May 2024 was the most spectacular, but I've also been lucky enough to see a faint glow a few times since. It has, however, always been a dream of mine to witness a proper dancing curtain of Aurora from the Arctic. I have traveled to Sweden in the past, as well as Alaska, Canada, and Iceland, without ever seeing it, so I thought it was funny and somewhat ironic that my first glimpse was from Donegal, haha! Nothing could have prepared me for the breathtaking display that night though. The snow, the cold, the crisp air, and that dancing curtain of luminous green lighting up the sky above us, ... from now on it will always be one of my favourite memories. The photos really do not do it justice, but I was so happy that we got to see it! Obviously there is no guarantee , and many people, including myself, have traveled to the Arctic before with no sign, so we had been keeping a close eye on our Weather and Aurora apps on our phones. The atmospheric conditions were favourable to see the Aurora, but only if the skies were clear, so we were keeping our fingers crossed, and we got lucky!

Aurora Spa Experience, Camp Ripan.

Aurora Spa Experience, Camp Ripan.

On Aurora alert! Aurora Spa Experience, Camp Ripan.

Our day wasn't over yet though. Before 20:00 we walked over to the Aurora Spa, and checked in for our Aurora Spa Ritual Stävan experience. I am not someone who goes to spas, and I have not enjoyed my sauna experiences in the past (I have very low blood pressure, and have a risk of fainting in saunas,) but when in Sweden! It would have been a shame to miss out on this part of Swedish culture, so I was determined to enjoy as much of the experience as I could. The two-hour session was designed for us to take at our own pace, and there were several different saunas, pools, and treatments to try, as well as a basket of local, natural scrubs and salts to pamper ourselves with. I went into the first sauna with Gareth, and made it about two minutes before I could feel my blood pressure dropping dangerously low, so I knew it would be unwise to continue. So I skipped the other saunas, but that just meant I got to spend more time lounging in the bar area with a drink. If you know me at all, you will know that this wasn't a problem for me, haha! We spent some time in the indoor heated pool, relaxed with our drinks, and enjoyed the scrubs and salt treatments together.

Coffee scrub mask, Aurora Spa Experience, Camp Ripan.

Outdoor pool at -21°C, Aurora Spa Experience, Camp Ripan.

My favourite part of the spa though, was going outside to the outdoor heated pool and relaxing under the stars. The temperature had dropped considerably by this point, and it was now -21°C, but I didn't let that stop me from trying out the cold plunge aspect of this traditional Swedish activity! Leaving the warmth of the pool was a challenge, but I walked to the nearby cold plunge pool, and immersed myself up to my shoulders for just a few seconds, before getting out and rolling in the snow, and then heading back to the heated pool, to the applause of a few other guests, haha! At first, Gareth said he had no interest in doing this, but after I did, and me telling him that he'd regret it if he didn't while we were here, and also that he was letting his Scottish ancestors down, (haha!) he did it too. I think he's glad he did, although if you watch the video you can see he definitely didn't enjoy it at the time!

Camp Ripan by moonlight, 23:29.

After finishing off our spa experience with a hot shower and local pine body oil, we felt warm and relaxed and went back to our cabin expecting to be asleep shortly. However, we got more alerts on our phones about Aurora activity, and we couldn't miss out on a second opportunity to see it, so we were soon dressed in layers again and back out. And again, we were incredibly fortunate to see a beautiful display above us! The only downside was that despite the fact I bought gloves that were supposed to be touch-screen compatible, I wasn't able to work my phone while wearing them, so I kept taking my right gloves off so I could take pictures. This wasn't so bad earlier in the day, but it had since gotten a lot colder. After a short time, my right hand, and then my whole body, had a bad reaction to the cold. I'm not sure if it was a combination of circumstances; the hours spent outside earlier with the reindeer, the brief sauna visit, the hot-and-cold dips at the spa, as well as my many health issues, including low blood pressure and poor circulation, but I very quickly became quite unwell.

Aurora Borealis over Camp Ripan, 23:31

Aurora Borealis over Camp Ripan, 23:31.

Aurora Borealis over Camp Ripan, 23:32.

At first, it was only my right hand affected. I knew it was a bad idea to be gloveless in such cold temperatures, but at the time I felt that capturing the Aurora was more important. Before I knew it, my hand was painfully red, except for around the fingertips and nails, which were pure white. I knew that this could be dangerous, and at the very least I needed to find different gloves, so I headed back to our cabin. It wasn't a long walk, but I barely made it in before collapsing on the floor and almost fainting. My whole body, despite being covered in many warm layers, was now trembling, and I knew now it was more important to warm up than to take photos. I placed my hand under running water from the cold tap. At any other point, the cold water felt far, far too cold, but against my exposed hand it felt warm. I wasn't able to fully stand yet, so was sat on the toilet lid with my head on the stone counter, with my hand under the water. After a while I started to feel pain, and pins and needles in my fingertips, which I knew was a good sign, and eventually the feeling of faintness passed and I was able to sit up again. Meanwhile, Gareth had come back to the cabin, as the Aurora had trailed off, so I was glad that I hadn't missed out on too much. He made me a cup of tea to help warm me up, and I ate some of my Kendal Mint Cake (essential on any cold weather trips!) for the sugar, and slowly stopped trembling and began to feel better.

Aurora Borealis over Camp Ripan, 23:36.

Aurora Borealis over Camp Ripan, 23:36.

Aurora Borealis over Camp Ripan, 23:37.

That was a bit of an adventure, but it didn't detract from what was a truly wonderful day. I was lucky to not do any lasting damage to my hand, and other than my skin being very chapped and cracked from the cold, and some minor chilblains, all was well. I am used to chilblains, as thanks to my autoimmune disorders, I have gotten them on my toes every winter of my life, no matter where I've lived, or how warm the climate may be there. They can be horrendously painful, to the point where sometimes I can't even put my shoes on my feet due to the pain and swelling, but at least I knew what to expect when I got them on my fingertips. I also "hacked" my gloves, by cutting a strategic slice on the right forefinger of two pairs, to make sure this didn't happen again on our trip. That meant I was able to wear my two layers of gloves, as I had intended all along, and hook my camera "trigger" finger out of the slits when needed, before slipping it back in to warmth and safety. Problem solved. ;-)