Marcin’s winter adventure

Despite the unexpected attack of winter in Europe it’s impossible to hide the fact that the spring is approaching with big steps. I will end the winter period with blog entry. During the first weekend of March Sweden hosted an annual 90-kilometre Vasa Race (Swedish: Vasaloppet) in Sweden. This race takes place in the Dalarna county which symbol is the so-called Dalarna Horse (Swedish: Dalahäst) and is part of the so-called Winter Week, when different length races take place. Two years ago in February I spent a few days there, let me then describe my experiences.

Dalarna Horse

Where did the idea for the Race come from? Let’s go back to the sixteenth century. Sweden is bound by the personal union (the Kalmar Union) with Norway and Denmark which means that all countries have the same ruler. In fact, more often these countries had separate rulers than common ones. In 1520 the Swedish throne was won by the King of Denmark and Norway, Christian II Oldenburg (known in Sweden as Tyrant). The Amnesty has been promised to the defenders of Stockholm. Soon, however, the main oppositionists, accused of heresy, were beheaded and their corpses burned at the stake (the so-called Stockholm Bloodbath – 8-9/11/1520). One of the murdered was Erik Johansson Vasa, father of Gustav. Gustav fled to Dalarna, where he wanted to organize an uprising against the Danes. After speaking in the town of Mora, he did not get the response he wanted so he decided to run on skis to Norway. When he reached Sälen, he was caught up by two skiers from Mora with the news that they would fight against the Danes. They convinced him to return to Mora where he headed the rebellion against the Danes. In 1523 he was elected king of Sweden as Gustav I Vasa. He broke off the Kalmar Union, announced the adoption of Lutheranism by Sweden and carried out the secularization of church property.

Gustav I Vasa of Sweden, grandfather of Sigismund III Vasa, king of Poland

It was Gustav’s escape from Mora that served as the canvas of the Vasa Race which first edition took place in 1922. The race starts in Sälen and ends in Mora and is 90 kilometres long. This year nearly 16 thousand competitors took part in the race and all places were booked in… 5 minutes (registration for 2019 opened yesterday and Vasaloppet is already fully booked) . During the entire Winter Week 65000 people took part in all the races. It is a major media event in Sweden and the main Race is always on the first weekend of March. From the morning you can watch the live coverage from the winter studio on television and the reporter runs on the skis next to the participants and conducts interviews. A really cool event. I can compare this to the London marathon which is an equally popular event, although I have not seen anyone running and conducting any interviews in London. 😉 We have Polish success in the Run – in 2015 the best of women was Justyna Kowalczyk!

Last moments before start

But of course I didn’t go there to race. However, it was my first time skiing. As my right knee is not working properly, I had to be very careful (I learned to turn left only because I was afraid of turning my right leg 😀). But despite the fact that children who barely learned to walk, did better than me on skis, I loved the whole atmosphere – cold outside, the fireplace inside… I did not delude myself that I would become a great skier, so I had to find other entertainment.

Snowmobiles!!!

Snowmobiles are a lot of fun. You can do it alone or in pairs. High acceleration, wonderful views, no one else in sight – simply amazing! There are specially marked routes for snowmobiles and you have to watch out for the running skiers and sleds pulled by dogs. Having your own snowmobile, one can easily spend the day riding the hills and stopping from time to time for coffee and something to eat in the tiny, often old shelters scattered around the area.

On my blog’s  Facebook page you can watch a short video of our adventure on a dog sled, I recommend it! There were several of us, guided by the sled at the front. We were changing with Matilda, she was driving downhill and I was sitting on the sled and then I was driving uphill 😦 I think since the primary school days, when I read Jack London’s Call of the Wild and White Fang, I dreamed about riding on a sleigh pulled by dogs. One of the best experiences in my life!

Amazing view, right?

During the break we were able to warm up in the shelter and play a bit with the dogs that were patiently waiting for everyone to return.

Doggies waiting at the sleds

A cosy shelter and of course, there are pictures of the royal family on the fireplace.

Being a city boy, staying in Sälen was a wonderful adventure for me. For the first time I went skiing, snowmobiling and dog-sled riding. For the first time I was in a sauna, from which I ran and rolled in the snow only to return to the steaming sauna again. Everything was covered with snow and I haven’t seen so much snow since my childhood. In the evening we had the fire on and enjoyed its warmth, sipping red wine. I must admit that the Scandinavians know a lot about how to spend time in a cosy way. We think that next year maybe we could rent a hut away from the slopes, which will lower its price and enjoy the silence in a cosy interior, admiring sunsets such as this one below.

Almost like a postcard

Treats such as renting a chalet, skis or snow mobile are not cheap but I recommend to everyone to try it at least once because it’s an experience from another planet! And now, let the Spring come…