Crafts and gifts

Before leaving I visited the house of a Saami couple who make traditional clothing and crafts. Ake opened up there shop and workshop for me to look around. There were so many beautiful items including knives and kuksa's but unfortunately they were out of my price range. I bought a few small items to take home as gifts including this reindeer leather pouch and kuksa.

While in Gallivare a friend gave me a piece of curly Birch, Reindeer antler, sheath leather and a carbon steel blade to make a new knife.

I have just completed the knife handle using Rein and Roe deer antler, pieces of curley Birch and Birch bark.

Spring in Lapland - 24th May

Another year older today, but what a fantastic way to spend my Birthday!!

Several Tree Pipits singing this morning, 1 pair of Spotted Flycatchers in the trees, a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming at the top of a dead Spruce, a Cuckoo singing and a pair of Common Sandpipers around the edge of the lake all day. It was also nice to see the three Reindeer again near the cabin.

The back room of the cabin has moved slightly during the winter and now there is a gap between the room and the cabin.

Mice are getting in, so I decided to cover the gap with pieces of wood.

I have a small hand-drill, but no drill bits so I cut the off of one of the nails I intend to use and insert the nail into the drill as use it as my drill-bit.

it works incredibly well!

After my evening meal I went for a walk to the south end of my lake where there were two Elk Moose feeding on Bog Bean rhizomes in the waters edge.

I managed to get to about 20 metres from them, but them something in the forest behind spooked them and they ran off.

As I walked back to the cabin I flushed two Hazel Grouse.

I spent the evening on a high ridge behind the cabin

hoping I might see other large mammals, but saw nothing.

There was an Arctic Hare outside the cabin though.

Spring in Lapland - 23rd May

Sunny when I got up this morning and 10 degrees by 08:30! But heavy rain by 11am.

3 House Martins over the lake this morning, 1 Goldcrest singing, Several Tree Pipits arrived last night and are singing this morning, 2 male Goosander on the lake, and 1 Black-throated Diver flew East.

I decided to try and track the movements of the three Reindeer I saw last night and soon found tracks

and fresh droppings


They had spent some time in the trees behind the cabin and then moved off north west, passing a marshy area.

As I approached the area I found a frog making its way to the small area of open water!

Clearly from the noise emanating from the pool, there were already a considerable number of frogs there, though I could find no sign of spawn.

The Reindeer had continued past here and then headed into the forest, where there were also many Elk Moose droppings. This picture shows both for comparison; Elk above and Reindeer below in the snow (Elk droppings are at least 4x as big as those of Reindeer).

After returning to the cabin, I walked across to the main marsh where there were 2 Siberian Jays watching my movements

Picture taken last September by Jon Pickett

I had very close views of both Ruff and Wood Sandpiper, but there are very few waders displaying now. I tend to only hear and see Greenshank, Spotted Redshank and Wood Sandpiper as they fly over travelling to the marsh to feed and then back to the forest where they nest.

Spring in Lapland - 22nd May

It was a cold night last night and areas of open water on the lake now have a thin layer of ice again. Light snow first thing and then sunny and warm with temperature up to 12 degrees.

There was 1 male and 2 female Smew+ 1 male Goldeneye on the lake today. Another pair of Pied Flycatchers have appeared around the cabin this morning, 4 Waxwings now, 1 Greenfinch flew SSW calling, 1 Willow Warbler singing, several male Bramblings singing, 1 Blue-headed Wagtail flew over, 2 Siskin around and 1 House Martin feeding over the lake.

I cleared more snow and had to clean out the stove because the wood would not light, before I could have breakfast.

I am currently eating two meals a day to ensure my food will last two weeks. I have a big pot on the back of the stove which is simmering away all the time and any left-over food or things I find to eat outside are added and then I just spoon out a bowl full each evening for my meal (managed to find 12 Lingon berries yesterday evening). In reality of course I could survive without eating anything for more than two weeks, as long as I have drinking water, but it is amazing how much I look forward to something simple like a small cup of orange juice or two blocks of chocolate each day.

The stove performs incredibly well. It uses very little fuel and once hot, it will heat the whole cabin without the need for a fire in the living room.

Today I have also made a small shrink pot out of a piece of Birch.

First it has to be hollowed out with your knife


until the walls of the tube are just a few millimetres thick

then cut a small groove around the inside of the tube, carve a base and pop it into the groove

as the Birch tube dries and shrinks it should form a water tight seal around the base.

This evening I walked to a small area of marsh behind the cabin where there was a male Little Bunting singing. Just after midnight there were three Reindeer in the trees just behind the cabin.

Pathfinder, Gallivare, Lapland

The company "Vägvisaren - Pathfinder Lapland" is owned by Lennart Pittja.

He started the business as a small family company in 1995. Lennart says "We work close with nature and are proud of our origin and our history. We wish to spread knowledge about Sami culture, but also how to enjoy being close to animals and nature. For reasons of sustainability and "Natures Best" we always find new trails, a way of not leaving marks behind us".

The Company

Experience the traditions and culture of the Sami people, with both long and short expeditions available.

Springtime Migration with the Reindeer

Trekking with the Reindeer

Reindeer sled in the Winter Mountains

Explore Sami

Sami camp at Repisvare

Here you will find a gallery of pictures from previous expeditions.

Gallery



For more information contact Lennart.

Pathfinder Lapland
Box 148, Repisvare
SE-982 21 Gällivare, Sweden
Tel +46 (0)970-555 60
Fax +46 (0)970-555 60
info@pathfinderlapland.se

Please mention me if you contact him.

Green woodworking group gathering

It was the monthly gathering of our green woodworking group again today. The day started very well with me being given an old picture of a Finnish Skolt Lapp woman making cordage out of Reindeer sinew, by rolling it on her cheek. This is a method I have never encountered before.

If you look closely at the picture you can actually see the cordage the cordage vibrating as she rolls it.

Then I was asked to make a fire in a creative way, so decided to see whether the winter sun was strong enough to make fire using a condom and crampball fungus (as mentioned here). My friend filmed this piece of film for me and if you look carefully you can see the smoke starting to appear as the fungus is ignited.



This is my friend Will, turning out a Alder bowl on his pole lathe.

and here the children are also learning to use a pole lathe.

Everyone enjoyed the day, especially with the beautiful spring-like weather.

Making a snow shelter or quinzee

Step One

Clear a circular area in the snow about 8 feet across.

Step Two

Using a shovel or snow shoe make a large pile (about 6 feet high) of snow on top of the clearing (the snow should be heaped, not packed.) Mixing snow of different temperatures will facilitate the hardening process.

Step Three

Allow the mound to freeze and so harden for 1 to 12 hours depending on weather and snow composition. Push sticks 20 – 30cms long into the snow heap, as this will help you to maintain an even thickness over the whole of the shelter when hollowing out. When you find the end of a stick from inside the shelter, you know you have a thickness of 20 – 30cms.

Step Four

Begin to hollow out the mound once it has hardened sufficiently. Dig straight in at first to create your initial opening, and then dig upward slightly in order to make an elevated sleeping area. This will allow cold air from inside to flow down and out of the shelter.

Step Five

Use the snow you dig out to make a windbreak in front of the entrance, or heap it onto the exterior of the shelter to thicken its walls and increase the available interior space.

Step Six

Smooth the interior surface of the walls and ceiling to prevent any melting snow from dripping on you.

Step Seven

Poke a ventilation hole through the top of the dome using a ski pole or long stick. Make sure this hole stays clear of ice and snow.

Step Eight

At this point I usually reduce the size of the entrance hole by packing snow around, but the snow was so powdery, it was impossible to do this. Use your pack or reindeer skin to block the entrance of the shelter once inside, but leave space for air to flow in and out. Keep your shovel inside while you sleep in case you need to dig your way out.

Building a shelter is hard work, so wear the minimum clothing necessary, to reduce the risk of sweating. When you are working you should be cool enough to feel that you need to put another layer of clothing on. Excessive sweating can lead to hypothermia. Once the shelter is completed put all your layers of clothing back on.


Personally, I find this type of shelter hard work and time consuming to construct. The locals just dig a trench in the snow and line it with reindeer skins and sleep in the trench in a sleeping bag. If the air temperature is very cold, they use a stick to prop a reindeer skin over there face to reduce the effect of the cold.

Snowtrail Dogcamp AB

For the first few days of my trip I stayed with Lotti Anderson and her crew at the Snowtrail Dogcamp and wilderness lodge, between Kiruna and Gallivare.


http://www.kirunadogcamp.com/

Lotti owns 100 sled dogs and provides a variety of courses and activities in winter and summer, including;

Husky ABC
Snowmobile and sled dog experience
Sled Dog Expedition
Reindeer herding with the Sami
and much more


For more details please contact Lotti via the contact details below;

Lotti Anderson
SnowTrail Dogcamp AB
Skaulo 92
SE-98204 Gällivare
Sweden

Tel +46 970 510 23
Fax +46 970 510 23
mobile +46 10 212 39 48
lotti@snowtraildogcamp.com
http://kirunadogcamp.com/

Reindeer leather pouches

Today I have been working with Reindeer leather, making pouches like the ones you can see below.

I bought the leather from one of the stall holders here at Jokkmokk in Swedish Lapland in February this year. The market is an annual event that has been taking place for over 400 years and traditional it was where the Saami people would gather to trade their goods.

Lapland mammals

There are a variety of large mammals in Lapland including Brown Bear, Lynx, Moose and of course Reindeer. Here is a picture of a small group near to my cabin.


There were also some beautiful sunsets and a fantastic display of the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) .