Life at Tarfala Hut

After an overnight train from Stockholm I meet Mats, the guides and my four traveling companions in Kiruna, the last real town before the endless white lands of Lapland. It is not very big, vaguely reminding me of one of those small towns you see in movies set in countries like Alaska. Little room for design and architecture, a few bars, and of course one of those outdoor stores where you can find everything you need to survive in the wild north. A special feature of Kiruna is that the town is literally moved every few years because of the iron mine below. When the ground begins to become unstable Kiruna finds a new location to allow iron mining.

The plan is to reach the Kebnekaise area and spend 4 nights in shelters exploring the area with our splitboards,looking for good runs. The group is very diverse and each of us has a few stories to tell, so we quickly start getting along, We board the bus in the direction of Nikkaloukta, from there the adventure begins.

Nikkaluokta is the gateway to the wild north: the roads end here, leaving room for a white sea. Several valleys separated by low-lying headlands unfold from here. At the bottom stands out the peak of Kebnekaise (2120 meters), the highest peak in Sweden.

The environment is very different from what I am used to… In fact, I see numerous groups of cross-country skiers equipped with sleds on which they carry the necessities for the nights in the hut. This is a totally unusual type of ski tourism for someone like me who is used to ski touring in the Alps.

Once we get there, the forest rangers warn us of an inconvenience: given the excessively high temperatures of the last few days, never seen here at this time (thank you very much global warming), the ice layer at some crossing points is melting, making it very difficult to transport food and the people themselves to the various shelters. Fortunately, however, in a short time we manage to find an alternative route and are able to make the 19km snowmobile transfer to the first hut, STF Kebnekaise Mountain Station where we will spend the night. From here on, we will no longer use any engine other than our legs to move around.

STF Kebnekaise Mountain Station has 220 beds; it could be called a luxury retreat given the presence of a restaurant and a sauna. It is a testament to the large tourist flow in these areas, but one that seems to be very respectful of the environment and the work of others. After a short afternoon climb to gain a few turns, the night passes quietly, a final check of set ups and backpacks for the next morning after which we brief the guides to check the weather forecast and plan the route. The conditions are not the most favorable, after the heat came the wind which means ice, crust, hard. We have a rather intense crossing along the Tarfalavagge Valley ahead of us to reach what will be our home for the next four days-Tarfala Hut.

Morning comes and it is time to set out, as soon as we get into the birch trees here is a herd of elk appearing on our left, trotting along, silent, although about fifty meters away from us, thanks to the wind and snow absorbing the noises. It is always good to run into those who are the real hosts. The crossing is tough and allows me to reflect on the true meaning of equipment reliability. In fact, the materials are stressed quite a bit during these routes. I am used to doing most of the itinerary on the soft, in at least fair weather conditions, usually if the conditions are not optimal you don’t go out instead here it is all very different, you have to go out because we have to reach the predetermined destination, not without assessing the risks of course, but wind or not it is necessary to move in order to take advantage of the following day. The route is fairly easy, with no elevation gain, but made nearly impossible by the strong gusts of wind, which, aided by ice and a heavy backpack, knock me to the ground 2-3 times.

With some difficulty we arrive at Tarfala Hut, where we will stay for a few days with the goal of conducting trips around here. The scenery is incredible. A white sea, surrounded by a ring of mountains, among which the Kebnekaise stands out.

The Tarfala shelter is just as I expected: essential in services, it requires a spirit of adaptation, and one must cooperate and participate in its maintenance. This means fetching water from the well (a hole in the lake ice) and shoveling when needed. Nights pass quietly, by candlelight with a few board games and lots of storytelling. During these evenings I have the opportunity to get to know Mats better who has the great ability to convey a great passion for snowboarding and board shaping. His great learning on the subject is immediately apparent. On the last evening of my stay, when I was no longer even hoping for it (the forecast did not give much chance of encountering it), the Northern Lights finally appeared. An incredible spectacle, made even more beautiful by the surprise effect.

Over the course of the next few days we manage to bring home some decidedly nice turns, in a completely unusual setting for me. The huge, angular home mountains that usually frame my outings are replaced by lower, softer slopes. Since arriving here, however, I cannot take my eyes off a canal that looks (and will be) epic, the goal of the last day of the trip.

What I am experiencing is a truly incredible experience, surely the most appropriate interpretation of the word skitouring: getting to know new areas, sleeping in real shelters isolated from civilization to ski, ski, ski. As always, I return home with a heart full of excitement, new friendships and memories. And knowing how surfing and snowboarding can, in addition to the act itself, give so much is always a not so obvious gift.