WILDERNESS ACTIVITY. Sweden’s Nest 6 organised a hike with overnight camping in the forests of Norrland on Saturday, 20 March.
The aim of the trip was for the group to transport their equipment up a small mountain and then spend the night in a military tent. The participants and a dog gathered early in the day to depart; the weather looked fairly promising, although the forecast for later on indicated otherwise. A military tent with a stove was packed onto one sledge, while firewood, supplies and water were secured to a second sledge.
Once all the participants had strapped on their backpacks and attached one sledge to an activist and the other to the dog, the group set off on an adventure in the wilderness of Norrland.
The first part of the trip consisted of crossing a lake along a snowmobile trail. The trail held up well at first, but less so as we got closer to the shore on the other side. But what does that matter when you’re in the company of good comrades? Once we were on dry land again, we took a much-needed break with some hot chocolate and various snacks before the trip continued further inland towards higher ground.
After about 10 kilometres, we reached the uphill slope leading to the small mountain we had designated as our goal. Here we had to take turns forging a trail, as the terrain looked completely untouched; however, we soon came across a snowmobile track we could follow on a somewhat tougher walk upwards for approximately 1 km.
To make this part of the trip even more fun, the weather gods suddenly decided to turn the gloomy forecast into a reality and make it rain. This minor setback did not affect group morale, however; rather it seemed to spur the participants on, and we reached the top shortly thereafter.
From the high vantage point, we were treated to a vast, beautiful view over the treetops and the lake we had crossed earlier. But now hunger was kicking in, and within minutes a fire was burning. Simple Resistance hot dogs were prepared and eaten, to everyone’s satisfaction.
After the meal came the mandatory brewing of coffee, which always tastes particularly good when prepared outdoors. As usual during the coffee break, the participants immersed themselves in diverse topics of discussion, such as politics and our way of life.
Once the food and coffee had settled, the group set about their next task, which turned out to be the most fun, but also the toughest – putting up the tent.
A suitable location was chosen, and after a good deal of digging, the men realized the surrounding snow was at waist height. When the campsite had been thoroughly prepared, the wall of snow surrounding it almost reached some of the participants’ shoulders.
Shortly thereafter, dusk set in and the group gathered inside the tent. The stove soon provided us with some welcome heat, and we were able to warm our cold limbs and dehydrate our clothes.
Outside in the darkness, the night sky shone brightly with stars and a beautiful clear display of the Northern Lights.
It was now getting close to midnight, and most of the participants had tucked themselves into their sleeping bags, warmed by the pleasant glow emanating from the stove.
The following day started with a meal of pea soup and butter coffee prepared on the stove inside the tent. It was also discovered that perfect toast can be made directly on the red-hot stove; although this procedure requires some speed to prevent the bread from burning.
While the weather had been somewhat disappointing the day before, the morning started out with sunshine. Another positive thing about the weather was that the rain had hardened the tracks so that the participants and sledges were able to reach the lake relatively problem-free.
Once we got close to the route taken the day before, we decided to make a slight detour in order to avoid the wet section of the trip from the previous day, which turned out to be good a strategy.
We finished the trip in pleasantly warm sunshine and with the wind in our backs, with all the participants making their way back to the starting point with their shoes dry. The successful hiking trip was then concluded in high spirits and with hot cups of coffee. Those living in northern Sweden who wish to participate in future wilderness hikes and other activities in Norrland should apply to join the Resistance Movement today!
– Daniel Olofsson
