We had lots of wonderful ice not far from where we live. The temperature was really cold – many degrees below zero – and we were looking forward to get more wonderful ice.
BUT – it started snowing! Weather reports showed us where to go.
Lake Vansjø is situated close to Oslofjorden near the city Moss. It is a very big lake. It is said that if you follow the coastline and around all islands/archipelago your distance will be up to 360 km! You get a great feeling that you are skating on the sea along very long fjords.

Best quality of “black ice” covered with a thin layer of snow.

“Fjordlike” lake.

Out on the plains.

A wolf recently passed.

King Bore´s beard.

Lunchtime – hot pea soup, bread and hot energizing aronia juice.

Meeting Norwegian skating friends.

After a wonderful day outdoors the moon showed us our way back in the dark.

Lake Norra Kornsjön is situated on both sides of the borderline Sweden/Norway. Here you skate on long fjord like bays in a jumble of islands with lots of narrow straits between them.  You find yourself in a landscape which alternates both in nature and culture.

The tour went over super shiny ice both in Sweden and Norway. We have visited the beaver country. It is fascinating to see how big trees they can cut down with their large rodent teeth. This winterday they were safely resting in their intelligently built beaver hut.

In the evening snow covered the lake. Two days later it had melted down which gave us wonderful skating conditions again!

Lake Skottesjön is situated in Dalsland close to the Norwegian border. The lake is very shallow and freezes very early – an ideal lake to start the skating season. We met the sun rising the 26 th December. It was a  magic, cold morning and we really enjoyed the scenery and the micro world that frost had created .

Sunrise lights up the cold wintermorning -16 degrees C

“Sunbather”

Reeds wrapped in rime.

Reed prepared to fly away.

Circling among islands.

Carpe Diem!

Glide, glide, glide…

Kynnefjäll is a wilderness area in northern Bohuslän. There are plenty of moose, beaver and game birds such as capercaillie and black grouse. If you are lucky you can be in contact with wolves or hear them howling in the winter night. Among birds of pray you can see Golden Eagle and hear the Pygmy Owl and Boreal  Owl calling in the evening and night. Kynnefjäll is called “The Water Fjell” and is a paradise for skating. The lakes are more or less connected with each other in very long water systems, which make this area exotic to explore by skates and short walks in the boreal forest.
The 21st of December we experienced the total silence that prevails this time of the year.
The only sounds you could here was the mourning of the thin ice.

– Yes – the ice is thick enough!

Cranberries waiting to be picked.

Just enough cranberries for the Christmas herring.

A nice rest after skating with open fire.

Swedish saffron buns called “Lussekatter”.

Grövelsjön N Dalarna 30 Nov 2014

Black Ice between high mountains.

Premiere among snowcovered mountains.

Exploring the shoreline.

– 15 degrees Celsius in the strong wind – but magnificent iceconditions:-)

Thank You for a wonderful day.

Skating towards November sunrise – Lake Horrmunden.

Fulufjällets National park.

Light phenomenon.

Meeting like-minded friends.

Zigzag skating in bog area.

Frosty bog in evening light.

A short pause before the last distance in the “dark” – head light required.

About Lake Horrmunden