Skiing to Njunjes Mar 22 2026

This article is part of the series “2026-03: Ski tours”.

Monday, 9 March

Last week, in our second week of holiday my wife Annika and I wanted to visit the stugvärdarna – the cabin hosts – of the Swedish mountain cabin Aktse. We had loads of food with us, among others chicken filet.

It is 16 km by ski from the car park Sitoälvsbron. Or would have been if the road to the car park had been cleared of snow. However, when we tried to drive there, the last 13 km of the road were just a snowmobile track not suited for cars. So we had to change plans.

At the Kvikkjokk Fjällstation we could sit inside and use wifi and bathroom to make new plans. We decided to stay there a night and to ski to Njunjes – the nearest cabin of the Padjelantaleden – the next day.

Tuesday, 10 March

After breakfast Annika packed her backpack and I packed my pulka and we started our ski tour to Njunjes. The first part is on the river Darreädno/Tarraätno – by boat in summer, on the ice in winter. More or less the whole river was covered with snowmobile tracks and they were so icy that I put off my skis and walked using spikes under my ski boots.

I stopped and asked Annika: Do we have the chicken filet with us? No, we didn’t, we forgot it in the fridge.

Later the snowmobile trail continued in the forest. Here it was easier to ski despite the warm weather with above-freezing temperatures. It was apparent that there had been not much snow this season and occasionally you could see patches free of snow.

Wet and icy snow, grey weather, a snowmobile track through the forest – I didn’t take many photos of this dull scenery. It seemed to take ages until we finally got a view of the cabins. But first we had to cross wet and icy terrain were we broke through into a few centimetres of water several times. According to the map there is neither a lake nor a bog. Maybe it was a partially frozen meltwater pond.

But then after about 17 km we arrived at the cabins of Njunjes where we were welcomed by the hut warden. The main cabin of Njunjes is a “Fjällstuga 65”, sometimes called Abrahamssonstugan. It was renovated lately and the new wood-burning stove is just awesome!

Our skis and ski skins were soaking wet from the final stretch but at least we ourselves stayed dry, because luckily the forecasted rain came later after we already had arrived.

Wednesday, 11 March

On this day we took a rest day. I was up early and went out to watch the sunrise because rain and clouds had disappeared overnight. What a beautiful morning!

The rest of the day we were pretty lazy. While Annika was reading in the sun (and my pulka was drying) I was taking some photos nearby.

Annika is reading and the pulka is drying in the sun

It was quiet, but occasionally we could hear loud rumbles. The southern cliff of the mountain Njunjesvárre was dewing in the sun and the large ice blocks were thundering downwards. This added some drama to the otherwise peaceful scenery.

In the afternoon Annika started to make food. Although we forgot the chicken filet we still had loads of other food, among others feta cheese, peppers, zucchini, and onions, all of them dried at home by Annika in the weeks before. This home-dried food has to be soaked in water for hours, so the resting day was a good opportunity to use it. In the evening we got a very delicious dinner.

Thursday, 12 March

Time to return to Kvikkjokk. The mountains were cloud-covered and it had snowed over night. Just one centimetre or two, but enough to make the scenery look a bit more wintry and more important: to make the icy track a bit smoother to ski. Before we started I fetched water from the river. About 200 metres away the river is partially open and there is a bucket to fetch water with and a funnel to pour it into the canister. I pulled the heavy canister after me back to the cabin. Now there was water and wood for the next guests to come.

Then we packed our things, cleaned the room and said goodbye to the friendly warden. And off we went, taking a slightly different track in the beginning. I only took some photos on our way back and none at all in the forest.

This day we realised again that of course you can ski here, but the omnipresent vehicle is the snowmobile. We met about fifty on our way back. In the last kilometres most of river was more or less covered with their tracks. But then we saw other skiers gliding effortlessly on the other side of the river. We skied there and right: there was a freshly prepared cross-country ski trail that we used until we were in Kvikkjokk.

A zillion snowmobile tracks on the river

A freshly prepared ski trail on the river

Here we picked up the forgotten chicken filet, bought something to drink and put everything into the car. This night we would stay in Solberget, the touristic wilderness retreat that I visited the first time in 2005. We had three-hour car drive ahead of us but it was still early and probably we would make it not only for the dinner but also for the sauna before. And yes – we made it. The smoked reindeer in creamy sauce was delicious!

Sunday, 15 March

Annika was back in Obbola, I was back in Tromsø. I finally fried and ate the chicken filet.

A winter night with northern lights Mar 28 2026

When I returned to Tromsø two weeks ago a lot of snow had melted due to a warm and rainy period. Last weekend I took a rainy hike by the coast on the island Kvaløya, where it was free of snow and I saw the first flowering tussilago.

In the last few days it has become a bit colder and today’s precipitation came as snow, making the street white again, at least for a while.

At ten o’clock I went onto my balcony to look for Jupiter and the Moon I saw faint northern lights. Should I take a chance and try to take some photos? I grabbed my equipment, winter boots and a down jacket, took the car to the kindergarten, where a path leads to the ski runs and I went to the small pond. Luckily, the aurora was still present though not strong. I put the camera on a tripod and started taking pictures. The sky was slightly purple – was it the Moon, or what caused the colour? I do not know.

The aurora was quite low and weakened and reappeared several times. After half an hour it reappeared again, gained shape and movement – although it was not very bright.

Then it started to rise more and more …

… until it reached the zenith, where it slowly flickered back and forth for a while. Since I didn’t take my fisheye lens with me I didn’t take any more photos.

I had been standing there in the snow by the small pond for about 50 minutes. The down jacket I wore was warm enough but quite short and my legs were really freezing, although it was only around -4 °C. When the aurora weakened I went back to the car and drove home with a plan in mind: when the aurora was still present, I would change to my Canada Goose down parka and pants (the warmest clothes I have) and drive back. Anyhow, when I parked the car in front of the door of my apartment, the aurora was gone.

Spring winter in Tromsø Apr 6 2026

You want spring? Go to the left.

You want winter? Go to the right.

This may be exaggerated a bit, but in the spring winter season you really can have both. Spring feelings by the shore and winter as soon you leave shore and gain a bit of altitude. Yesterday I took the first two photos near Tromsø airport, The other two photos I took today, when Annika and I were skiing with a friend in the valley Tønsvikdalen.

Early spring in Tromsø Apr 13 2026

Saturday morning my car was covered with frost. But don’t be fooled by the photo, because winter in Tromsø is gone and in the lower parts of the city the wild flowers tussilago bloom everywhere together with planted flowers such as crocuses or scillas. The first butterflies and bumblebees fly from blossom to blossom and winter seems to be just a memory.

Yesterday my wife Annika and I went on a trip to Kvaløya.

With the flowers in mind I am surprised to see a thin layer of ice on the sea at the bay at Eidkjosen.

We take the road 862 to Sommarøya through the valley Kattfjorddalen. Although the elevation is only 150 metres, it is still winter here although the edge of the lake Kattfjordvatnet starts to melt. We see many cars with kayaks passing by while most cars parking here belong to ski tourers.

We park our car before the tunnel and walk along some sandy beaches. The sun is warm enough that we walk back in T-Shirts. On one of the hills I spot another flower that uses to bloom quite early – the purple saxifrage, one of the northernmost plants in the world.

Saxifraga oppositifolia – purple saxifrage

Next stop is Sommarøya were we take a short circular tour. Beside of some patches all snow is gone. On the water there are large flocks of common eiders – you can hear them from everywhere.

Back again through Kattfjorddalen. Some skiers return, others just start their tour, while tourists are standing around enjoying the scenery which is probably very exotic to many of them.

We turn left and head to Tromvik to visit the café Søstrene Kafè. It is quite a detour but it is worth it – both for the scenery and the café. And yes – I like the harbour, too.

Finally I take a detour by car to the village Rekvik. The road is pretty rough, but again the scenery is awesome.

From here it is 53 km home. I drive back without further stops. We have seen a lot and it is fair to call the tour “Norway in a nutshell”. Only the mammals were missing. No reindeer, no seals and no otters.

Note: the text is just a draft. I publish the article anyway and will polish it later.

< Newer articles