***  SWEDEN  2013   -  WEEKS 5~6  ***

      This week's Photo Gallery     Wild Flora of Central Sweden    Siberian Jays at Funäsdalen
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CAMPING IN SWEDEN 2013 - Härjedalen and Jämtland Provinces - mountain walking in the alpine valleys of Idre, Funäsdalen and Åre, the Glösa Neolithic rock engravings, and Jämtland's provincial capital Östersund:

Fulufjället National Park and Njupeskär, Sweden's highest waterfall:  heading north from Lake Siljan and Mora on Route 70 on a day gloomy with drizzling rain, the increasingly hilly terrain was covered with spruce forests as far as the eye could see with settlements few and far between. This NW corner of Dalarna had a feel of remote wilderness, shrouded with vast swathes of uninhabited coniferous forest, so different from the province's southern areas. This was a region dominated by forestry with fleets of logging trucks travelling Route 70, the only communications route through this remote part of the country. The road gained height through the upper valley of the great Österdalälven river which flows down from the northern mountains through a series of elongated lakes into Lake Siljan. Across a broad and empty plateau, Route 70 descended to the village of Särna, and just beyond we diverted on a side lane into the hills of the Fulufjället National Park for the walk up to Njupeskär, Sweden's highest waterfall which spills 93m over a cleft in the sandstone plateau-edge into a gorge-canyon carved out over aeons by the Njupån River.

Click on 2 highlighted areas of map for details of
Central-Northern Sweden

The lane ended at the Fulufjället National Park, and with the forests and line of hills ahead now obscured by misty rain, we kitted up in full waterproofs for the walk up to the waterfalls. The plateau-escarpment was still flecked with pockets of snow from last winter, but the 2 kms path following the Njupån River up to Njupeskär falls was well-maintained with sturdy board-walks across the lower-lying mires and wood-reinforced steps up the steeper slopes. Almost immediately on starting across the mire, we were greeted by old botanical friends from last year: beautiful pink globular flowers and spiky leaves of Bog Rosemary, and masses of cloudberry plants, their white flowers bedraggled by rain. The path gained height up through groves of ancient spruces, the ground covered by a lush carpet of bilberry bushes laden with their tiny pink flowers; this walk would provide a feast of bilberries for picking in September. The path emerged at a wooden shelter from where we got a first glimpse of the falls with the air filled by the sound of rushing water from the river below. Wooden steps descended to a board-walk following the river towards the mighty Njupeskär falls ahead dropping down into the canyon (see left) (Photo 1 - Njupeskär waterfalls in Fulufjället National Park). This was a mesmerising sight with the surging water seeming to hover in mid-air amid the spray (Photo 2 - 93m high Njupeskär waterfalls). At the foot of the cliff a large patch of snow remained in the dark NE facing gorge. The diversion up to Fulufjället had been well worthwhile: charactersome spruce woodland with glorious wild flora, a well-maintained path and magnificent falls as its climax - what more could you have asked for except clearer weather and better light.

The alpine valley of Idre:  back to Route 70 for the 30km onward drive along the upper Österdalälven valley we reached Idre, a large settlement and centre for winter ski trade with supermarkets, bank and filling station. We selected Sörälvens Fiske Camping as base for our stay. The campsite is in an attractive setting on the banks of the fast-flowing fishing river (see left), and is kept by a Dutch couple. Her superficially welcoming manner however disguises an unsavoury mercenary attitude - it was the most insidiously expensive site so far: 240kr/night + 10kr for showers + 50kr for 24 hours' wi-fi internet + 70kr for use of washing machine; they had a ready market in such a popular centre and were milking it to the full! We arrived late in pouring rain to recover from the long drive and the chill mountain air needed the heater on full despite the approach of midsummer.

We found a good source of local maps and mountain walks information up at the Idrefjället ski centre, stocked up with provisions at the village ICA supermarket, and spent an industrious afternoon in bright sunshine back at camp with the swirling sound of the white-flecked river rushing by behind the birch trees. Early June was truly the start of summer with the midges beginning to swarm in earnest, needing our Bagon diffuser to repel them; only as evening grew cooler or the wind blew did they disappear. It was such a pity that this pleasant campsite was soured by the owners' thinly disguised mercenary attitude.

A superb climb of the 1131m high peak of Städjon:  the following day, 6 June National Day celebrating Sweden's independence when Gustav Vasa finally kicked out the Danes in 1523, dawned overcast but bright. Reserving our riverside pitch, we drove up the fell-land lane past the Idrefjället ski centre up to the lane's end in a high valley at the alpine hamlet of Gränjesåsvallens. Here among scattered log cabins a car park marked the start of the path up onto the shapely 1131m high peak of Städjon, our mountain goal for today. Städjon's summit peak, just visible above the trees, looked gloomy and formidably steep as we set off up the path through the spruce and birch woods. The path gained height rapidly through the forest ground-cover of bilberries and lingonberries, becoming grindingly steep and stony through the upper reaches of the woodland (see right) (Photo 3 - Approaching the tree-line on path to Städjon peak). Snow-mobile routes marked by red crosses familiar from Finland last year branched off, and our summer path continued ahead finally to emerge above the tree-line onto the open fell-land of the mountain's shoulder. Carefully noting this position for our later return path down into the forest, we pressed on across the flatter shoulder. Ahead we had a clear panorama of Städjon's upper peak, with an evident path rising at a fearsomely steep angle up to the craggy summit ridge. It looked a formidable climb, and on the open fell the wind was much more chill. But we were cheered by the sight of patches of purple-flowered Mountain Heath which flourished on this exposed fell-land among the crowberry and dwarf birch and willow scrub ground cover. Other walkers greeted us with a cheery 'hej hej' as they passed.

Across the open fell, we began the long, slow slog up the upper shoulder path (see left). The gravel surface gave good footing and we made surprisingly rapid progress, with more Mountain Heath flowers to photograph providing pretext for pauses for breath. With a determined effort we hauled ourselves up onto the flatter summit ridge where a path led to the peak's craggy high point. This looked an even more challenging target with the path disappearing among a tangle of boulders above a severely exposed drop. We feared that to reach the summit may entail rock-scrambling, and the sky was even more overcast now with stinging rain driven into our faces by the chill wind (Photo 4 - Summit ridge of Städjon in poor weather). Struggling into gortex and over-trousers, we advanced to the start of the rocks, where other walkers descending from the summit gave encouraging reports of the route ahead. Steadily upwards over the boulders in the chill rain, there ahead free of any deluding false-summits we could make out the untidy summit cairn. Triumphantly we reached the 1131m (3,710 feet) high point (Photo 5 - Summit cairn of 1131m high peak of Städjon); we took our photos of the murky distant views as the squally rain passed (see right), and began our descent to get off the exposed summit area down onto more secure ground.

Dropping down to the ridge-line, we made a rapid descent of the steepest section of the shoulder and, with a glance back at the summit, were soon crossing the flatter fell-land. The bouldery path down through the spruce forest slowed our descent back down to the car park - 3 hours for the 2,800 feet of ascent and 1½ hours in descent; it had been a while since we had the chance for a climb like this, and we returned to camp in the Sörälven valley exultantly satisfied with our performance, and able to dry out boots and wet kit in the late afternoon sunshine.

The drive north over the fells into Härjedalen:  the following day with the sun still shining, we set off on our long drive northwards to Funäsdalen, and the next phase of our trip. Our route initially was along the Grovlan Storån valley, the other river which merges with the Sörälven at Idre to form the mighty Österdalälven. A short distance north, what had lower been a placidly flowing river narrowed into seething white-water rapids cascading into a rocky channel (see left). From the birch-lined rocky river bank, the river made a spectacular picture sparkling in the morning sunshine (Photo 6 - White-water rapids on Grovlan Storån River). This was a beautiful minor road, well-surfaced at this stage and passing through birch-fringed spruce woodland with frequent views of the river. Beyond the tiny hamlet of Foskros however, the tarmac ended giving way to compacted gravel surface for 30kms (Photo 7 - Unsurfaced forest road leading north from Foskros), passing through lonely forests and rolling hills (see right), finally descending to the junction with Route 311 at the Sámi reindeer-herding settlement of Sörvattnet where a sign warned of Renstägel - reindeer enclosures. Here we passed into Härjedalen, part of Jämtland Province. The ongoing Route 311 was a narrow and winding road, gaining height through impressive fell-land to Högvålen signed as Sveriges högst belågna (Sweden's highest village), with a sweeping vista of distant snow-streaked mountains gracing the horizon ahead. This lovely road continued over high fells, passing occasional remote settlements, and eventually dropping down to the larger village of Tannäs. Here we joined Route 84, the main cross-country road running through Funäsdalen and Tänndalen and on into Norway.

Shortly before the village of Torbygget, a sign pointed into the forest to a meteorite crate, and a 200m long board-walk led to a significant sized water-logged crater among the trees created 2,000 years ago by the impact of space debris (Photo 8 - 2,000 year old meteorite impact crater at Torbygget). This was impressive, but so were the bilberries, bog-bilberries and lingonberries flowering alongside the path (Photo 9 - Lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) in flower-bud).

The alpine valley of Funäsdalen:  the village of Funäsdalen with its scattered houses spread along the open valley against a backdrop of distant snow-streaked mountains towards Norway (see left) (Photo 10 - Funäsdalen village against mountainous backdrop) was over-towered by the craggy hill of Funäsdalsberget, centre of the local skiing industry. We had been reliant on Funäsdalen's TIC for maps and details of local mountain walking; we had driven to reach here before its 5-00pm Friday closing, only to find frustratingly it closed all day following yesterday's public holiday and did not open at all at weekends. Nearby however we noticed a climbing and outdoor equipment shop, Top Sport; not only did it provide us with a local 1:50k map, but the owners very helpfully recommended a series of fell-walks around Funäsdalen and printed out details for us from the Funäsfjällen web site: 30 Funäsfjällen Guldturer (Gold Walking Routes) - Click on the individually numbered route, then on 'Print Guldtur and map in English PDF'. She even allowed us to use their computer to consult the weather forecast on the ever-reliable web site of the Norwegian Meteorological Institute For their help and expertise so generously given as a surrogate TIC, we record our thanks to Top Sport at Funäsdalen.

We had several campsite options around Funäsdalen and Tänndalen and eventually selected Funäsdalen Camping 2kms out of the village up past the ski resort, in a glorious fell-land setting directly below the Funäsdalsberget ski runs (Photo 11 - Funäsdalen Camping). It was a straightforward site with rows of gravelled camping areas terraced up the hillside among birch trees (see right). The very welcoming lady-owner calls round mornings to clean the homely facilities cottage and collect rent-money, and the nightly charge of 190kr was the best value campsite so far.

A superb fell-land walk and close encounter with Siberian Jays:  after a chill night in the high fells, we woke to a bright morning with gusty, cloud-scudding wind bringing alternating showers and spells of sunshine. We had selected Route 11 from the Guldtur walking routes detailed on the Funäsfjällen web site recommended by Top Sport, and drove along Route 84 to the high point between Funäsdalen and Tänndalen where a Guldtur sign marked the walk's start point. The 5km walk led up onto reindeer pasture fells to the mountain torrent of Livsäterån: with only 80m of height gain, it did not seem a particularly startling excursion, but things were to prove otherwise. We kitted up fully since the fell-land was likely to be very wet with run-off water from the recently melted winter snow (Photo 12 - Start of path up onto the Livsäterån fells). As we started up the muddy track through birch groves, our attention was attracted by low whispering bird calls. Looking around, a pair of Siberian Jays were perched on a nearby birch tree seeming to be drawing attention to themselves. Exclusively found in the Eurasian northern taiga coniferous forests (hence its name), because the bird's normal habitat rarely brings them into contact with humans, they show no fear and have even been known to beg food in remote national parks. And here were a pair of them, flitting about among the birch branches, hopping around on the ground and perching on a post before our eyes and making no attempt to avoid us as we moved closer (see left). Although we had failed to see the Siberian Jay in the Urho Kekkonen National Park in Finnish Lapland last year (see our log), they were immediately recognisable with their large build, long tail, stubby bill, plain buff front and distinctive ruddy-orange-brown colour of their rump and tail feathers (Photo 13 - Siberian Jay - Perisoreus infaustus). We were able to stand there taking many photos of these charactersome birds as they performed in front of us (see right). After that it almost seemed pointless to continue the walk; the climax had happened almost before we had started. But there was lots more of interest to come. We have included a special page of our photographs:  Siberian Jays at Funäsdalen

On the wetter ground, cloudberry flowers and elegant bog rosemary were buffeted by the wind, and on the flatter fell-land above the tree line among the bilberry and crowberry ground cover we found specimens of Lapland lousewort with its tiny pale-yellow snap-dragon flowers. The Guldtur way-markings guided us reassuringly across the treeless fell-top with its distant vista of snow-streaked mountains. At the far end of a beautiful avenue of birches, we crossed a large patch of last winter's residual snow to emerge onto a higher open fell-top (Photo 14 - Crossing last winter's residual snow on Livsäterån). By now the sky had totally clouded over with a chill north-easterly biting wind blowing as we followed the way-marks across to the Livsäterån ravine. Stinging wind-driven rain had now started and having reached our turning point, we retraced our route back across the fell and down through the birch groves towards the car park, but there was no sign now of the Siberian Jays. What had initially seemed a drearily unpromising route had turned out a veritable walk in a paradise garden of wild flora, all with the climactic bonus of close-sighting of Siberian Jays, a most rewarding afternoon. Such was the variety of wild flora seen during these 2 weeks, especially the characteristic northern berries at the flowering stage, that again we have included a special page of photographs:  Wild Flora of Central Sweden

Long drive north into Jämtland to the alpine valley of Åredalen:  low cloud, unremitting rain and chill NE wind the following morning forced a day in camp. The moment we opened a door, the chill wind brought shudders; we were feeling the latitude and height, and wearing enough clothes for winter and the heater on full, we spent the day writing and working on photo-editing. We left Funäsdalen after our satisfying stay for the long 260km drive north to Åredalen, which given the mountainous topography, entailed an initial long loop eastwards, north on the E45 Inlandsvägen alongside the pervasively spreading lake of Storsjön, and a westward return along the main E14 trans-Sweden highway which, on its way over to Trondheim in Norway, passes through the ski resort Åre; this was an enforced roundabout route to finish almost due north of Funäsdalen over the mountains. The initial part of the drive returned east along the well-surfaced Route 84 through endless coniferous forests. Northwards on minor roads brought us down eventually to join the E45 Inlandsvägen at Åsarna, and a short distance further we turned off on another minor road through pleasant pastoral land along the western shore of Storsjön to join the main E14 W~E highway along Åredalen. This broad valley, green with alpine pastures and backed by high snow-flecked mountains, passed through several settlements each with a surprising amount of local industry. There was clearly more employment here along the valley than just farming, tourism and the lucrative winter ski-trade.

Ristafallet Camping set by Ristafallet waterfalls:  there is little to the town of Åre which is nothing but an unattractive winter ski resort with the modern ski accommodation crowded up the foot of Åreskutan's formidable massif which towers over the town. The forested lower slopes are segmented by ski runs, one of which was still filled with remnants of last winter's snow even in mid-June. Chair lifts snake up the side of the mountain with the ultra costly Kabinbanan reaching the 1420m high summit. Down at ground level, the modern railway station which brings in the winter punters in their 1000s, incongruously incorporates an ICA supermarket and the town's library and TIC. Again we had campsite options along Åredalen, but the excellent Ristafallet Camping 12kms east of Åre was an obvious choice with the superbly helpful and hospitable welcome from Mathilde and Jan, the young couple who keep the site and café. We were reliant on Åre TIC for maps and details of mountain walks; in the event the TIC could provide neither, but on our arrival at Ristafallet Camping, Mathilde readily provided Åre walking booklets backed up with sound local knowledge; this was a key factor in our deciding to stay, along with the excellent value price of 190kr/night, spotlessly clean facilities and fully-equipped kitchen/dining room, and free wi-fi internet. But the best was yet to come. Down at the lovely riverside camping area another thrilling surprise awaited us: the fast-flowing white-water Indalsälven river, which runs the length of the valley, here curves around the hillock where the campsite stands, dropping 14m in spectacular fashion over 50m wide waterfalls right by the camping area (Photo 15 - Ristafallet Camping set above Ristafallet waterfalls); this was Ristafallet which fills the air with clouds of spray and the overpowering sound of rushing water (see left and right), and gives the campsite its name (Photo 16 - Ristafallet with clouds of spray and sound of rushing water). We happily pitched immediately right by the river alarmingly close to the top of the falls, sitting mesmerised by the roar of rushing water which made conversation difficult. Later when we turned in, you could not ask for a more soporific sound.

A frustrating mountain walk on Välliste:  we set off the following morning hoping for another challenging, rewarding mountain walk on Välliste, selected from the Åredalen fell-walking booklet, which started at the foot of Trillevallen's chairlifts. In summer the ski station had an eerily deserted and forlorn air, as we kitted up fully against the chill mountain wind. The ground was still soft and waterlogged from the recently melted winter snows the remains of which still flecked the higher fells. We expected to follow a path contouring across the shoulder of the mountain leading to the summit, and to descend by a winding path back to the ski station, but no such path was visible. Instead we had to continue up the steep zigzagging track-way under the chair-lift, a tediously monotonous and featureless route. After an hour's exhausting grind, we emerged onto a flatter area of fell close to the top of the chair-lift with what appeared to be Välliste's summit in sight. The wind was now bitterly chill on this exposed shoulder; there was no rain yet but the overcast sky gave poor light to photograph the distant vista of lakes and fell-tops. We hoped to pick up a path leading to the summit to reward our efforts on the grinding ascent so far, but this petered out into featureless pathless fell, still very wet from snow-melts and devoid of distinguishing features. With route finding now uncertain to retrieve a return route, we returned to surer ground and descended by the same stony path (see left). This had been a frustratingly disappointing venture with total lack of reward for the grinding flog up a steep and featureless slope - no summit, no flora and few photos (Photo 17 - A frustrating climb on the slopes of Välliste fell). As partial compensation we drove to Edåsdalen, a delightful alpine farming village dotted with farms against the forested backdrop of Välliste's northern slopes, for a valley-walk to Hensjön lake. At least here we had the reward of finding for the first time this year another old floral favourite, Dwarf Cornel, which we had followed last year in Finland through all its stages of growth from early flower to bright red berries.

 Ristafallet Camping ranked among the trip's best campsites, and our stay at had been a happily memorable one. Before leaving the following morning, we walked down to photograph the waterfalls (Photo 18 - Photographing Ristafallet waterfalls). The roaring sound of cascading water became deafening as we reached the rocky platform looking directly across the full width of the falls (Photo 19 - Surging water and spray of Ristafallet waterfalls) with the morning sunlight sparkling on the surging water and spray (Photo 20 - Looking down into the surging waters of Ristafallet).

The Palaeolithic rock-engravings at Glösa:  our onward route north would take us via the Palaeolithic rock-engravings at Glösa. From the main E14 road along Åredalen, we turned off at Mörsel onto Route 666, a well-surfaced minor road which undulated through beautiful birch-fringed spruce forests dropping down into a broad valley. The forests cleared to give a broad vista over open pastureland dotted with red-painted farmsteads. We followed the road along the Alsen valley by Alsensjön lake which sparkled in the bright sunshine reflecting the clear blue sky. A dusty gravelled lane led uphill to Glösa rock-engravings parking area from where a path led to the Glösa petroglyphs. The rock-engravings seen earlier in the trip at Tanum and Högsbyn in Dalsland dating from around 500 BC were created by late Bronze Age settled pastoralists who supplemented farming with hunting, and the themes of these later rock-engravings reflected this settled life-style. The Glösa petroglyphs however are more than twice that age, dating from an estimated 5,000 BC, created by Palaeolithic nomadic hunter-gathers who lived by trapping the migrating elks which roamed the forests. These were of the same age as the earliest of the rock-engravings at Alta seen last year in Northern Norway.

The path led down into a steep wooded gorge carved out by the fast-flowing steam which still ran down past the flat-surfaced rocks on which the petroglyphs had been carved (Photo 21 - Rock slabs with the Glösa rock-engravings). A wooden viewing platform looked down across the stream to the flat rock slabs which bore the engravings. Again the theme reflected the creators' life-style with the one panel containing some 60 engraved elks and reindeer. This must have been a sacred gathering place to which the trappers returned each year to carve the ritual representations of the prey on which their livelihood depended. Interpretation of the elk-engravings' meaning is unknown but must have had some ritualistic significance in ensuring success in the hunt. The engravings had once been red painted to make them more visible to modern eyes, but this had either worn away or been purposefully removed to restore the engravings' original appearance. Although it was not possible to examine the details of petroglyphs at close range, it was clear that several of the elks had within the body outlines circles connected by lines, interpreted as representing heart and uterus symbolising life and fertility as part of the ritualistic magic (Photo 22 - Detail of the Palaeolithic Glösa rock-engravings of elks). The setting in the deep and shady woodland valley with the stream flowing past the rock-slabs added to the mystical ambiance.

Another path led from the car park into the forest to displays about the use of trapping-pits (fängstgropar in Swedish) with lines of trapping-pits dug across the elks' migration routes, from prehistoric times when the engravings were created through the Viking period to as late as the 19th century when the trapping of elks was finally banned by law in 1864. The path led along a high esker-ridge where the scant remains of 4 such trapping-pits survived from around 1000 AD. These rather insignificant depressions along the steep-sided ridge were however of less interest to us than the wealth of wild flora covering the forest floor, particularly the beautifully flowering lingonberry, some still in tight pink bud, others with their white bell-shaped tiny flowers fully formed. The whole Glösa area on a bright sunny afternoon had provided a wealth of interest, both historical and botanical.

A night's stay at the riverside Krokomvikens Camping:  we returned to the E14 running along the main valley main to reach the small logging town of Krokom, whose commune covers a large forested hinterland to the NW and whose crest bears the image of the Glösa elk engravings and the blue ripples of Storsjön lake on whose banks the town stands. We called in at Krokom's TIC and, as so often at a modest little town, the girl was a model of helpfulness; she telephoned to confirm that the campsite was open and gave us details of Östersund, but then hesitantly added sorry but she had to hurry us so that she could close to catch her train back home up the valley to Åre; it was another memorable encounter. Krokom was yet another highly rated TIC. After a provisions stock-up at the town's ICA supermarket, we found Krokom's little campsite at the far end of the long bridge spanning the Indalsälven river; it now flowed more relaxedly after its energetic white-water antics higher up the Åredalen valley, having flowed en route through Storsjön lake. We settled into one of the riverside pitches to sit in the afternoon sunshine (see left) and read up in readiness for our visit to Östersund tomorrow. The warden returned at 6-00pm and welcomed us with relaxed hospitality: 180kr all-in for a night's stay - just leave the facilities hut key on my table in the morning, I'll be gone then. The facilities were spotlessly clean, the showers luxuriously hot, and the kitchen fully equipped with comfortably furnished common room; another super little campsite and such good value. After a riverside barbecue in evening sunlight, the sun dipped behind the riverside birches giving a golden glow (see right) (Photo 23 - Dipping sun over Indalsälven river at Krokomvikens Camping); it was still fully daylight when we turned in at 11-00pm after another fulfilling day.

Östersund, Jämtland's provincial capital:  the wind swung round in the night and we woke to a grey overcast morning with the first spots of today's forecast rain. It was going to be a miserably wet day for our visit to Östersund, Jämtland's provincial capital. The city had been granted its charter in the late 18th century by the enterprising King Gustav III in order to keep the region's lucrative trade of the merchant farmers within Sweden's boundaries rather than losing taxation to Trondheim over in Norway. With the arrival of the railway from Sundsvall 100 years later, the town developed fast. In increasingly pouring rain we drove down the E14 into Östersund's centre and crossed to the large lake-island of Frösön. Occupied since prehistoric times, the island had taken its name from the Viking settlement of Frö associated with the pagan Norse god of fertility. Signs led us eventually to another historical monument, the 11th century rune stone, now set up in the grounds of the council offices. Sweden's northernmost rune stone tells the story in its runic script of Austmaður Guðfastsson (see left), the first Christian missionary to these northern wild lands who built the bridge across to the island (Photo 24 - Frösön 11th century runestone). In pouring rain, we drove across the island to find Frösön kyrka with its separate sturdy wooden Jämtland-style bell-tower, founded in the 11th century on the hillside overlooking Lake Storsjön. The church is one of Sweden's most popular summer wedding venues, but in today's gloomy rain a funeral was due to take place. While the undertaker arranged flowers around the coffin, we discretely took a brief look at the church's largely Baroque decorations with a few earlier wall-paintings which had survived fires (Photo 25 - Baroque interior of 11th century Frösön church). With Östersund scarcely visible in mist across the lake-narrows, we drove back into across the bridge and managed to park close to Östersund's Stortorget.

The Överhogdal tapestries at Jämtli Museum:  from down by the lake-side waterfront and Frösön's footbridge, the surrounding low hills were completely enveloped in rain cloud; even Storsjön lake, on whose shores Östersund is built, was obscured by mist. The Östersund tourist industry thrives on yarns of Storsjöodjuret, the legendary monster said to dwell in the depths of the lake with colourful models of the monster littered around the city centre. We ambled around Östersund's pedestrianised central streets, and consulted the weather forecast at the TIC, needlessly really since the wet weather would continue for the next few days. For a provincial capital, Östersund was an unremarkable city, especially in the pouring rain, but there was one feature we did want to see at the Jämtli Museum. This was a huge skansen where during the peak summer, when it wasn't pouring with rain, enthusiasts re-enact aspects of Jämtland's rural life and farm-crafts. Not all that exciting you might think, but it was the indoor museum housing the Överhogdal tapestries that interested us; these remarkably surviving Viking period pieces of pictorial textile are named after the southern Jämtland village in whose church the tapestries were discovered in 1910 by collectors gathering items of rural culture for the newly established museum (see right). The museum's normal entry price was 60kr, but with nothing happening at the skansen in pouring rain and the only display of real interest being the tapestries, this was expensive. The unsmiling harpy at reception responded patronisingly - that was the price, take it or leave it; we stood dripping all over her nice clean floor and paid up. Another more sympathetic attendant met us down at the special Överhogdal tapestries gallery, and in good English explained their history and technique of production.

The pieces of the tapestries were discovered by chance at Överhogdal among rubbish on the floor of a storage shed, left there after removal from a kindling wood storage bin for the church's stove. A bricklayer repairing the store had given a decorative corner piece to his daughter as a doll's blanket because she thought it pretty. A year later, another collector returned to the village in search of missing pieces of the tapestry; she made enquiries at the post office, and the old gent took her to his home where the little girl reluctantly handed over her doll's blanket in return for 2kr and promise of a new blanket for her dolly. A workman making repairs at the church produced from his overall pocket what he thought was a piece of rag he used for cleaning lamps; he had found it screwed up under the pulpit steps where a search revealed more pieces of the tapestries. The originally separate pieces had later been randomly sewn together to make a cover; carbon-dating of the threads used to stitch the pieces together dated this to the 14th century, but the tapestries themselves have been dated to between 850~1,100 AD. Superficially the human, animal and buildings figures and geometric patterns decorating the tapestries appear to have been embroidered, but closer examination shows that they must have been woven into the base cloth, a skilful and time-consuming technique known as 'snare weave' (see left) (Photo 26 - Överhogdal tapestries showing 'snare weave' technique): the base fabric is woven with linen thread made from hemp or flax and the figures woven in using woollen threads dyed with vegetable colouring. The technique requires that the decorative figures are evenly spaced across the weave to prevent distortion of the finished fabric, hence the rows of figures across the tapestries.

Various interpretations have been made by scholars as to the tapestries meaning. They clearly tell a story and the swarms of figures and motifs seeming to wander across the fabric from right to left consist of a curious mixture of both pagan and Christian symbols. The tapestries date from the transition period of Northern Scandinavia's conversion from Norse paganism to Christianity, and given the time and effort required to produce them, were clearly the result of powerful and wealthy sponsorship. Dating from a period of general illiteracy, their pictorial content seems to have had an educative purpose, perhaps triumphantly symbolising the struggle of the region's conversion to Christianity. A more likely interpretation is that the tapestries represent the pagan Ragnarök, the end of the world, portrayed as the Christian Apocalypse Day of Judgement, and that the tapestries are a propaganda instrument for the new religion using a theme familiar to the people from their pagan past (Photo 27 - Överhogdal tapestries dating from 850~1,100 AD). Although no one can be certain of the Överhogdal tapestries' original meaning and purpose, there is no doubting their inherent artistic beauty as a significantly major piece of European art work, worthy of ranking alongside the almost contemporaneous Bayeux tapestries but so little known (see right). Despite the gallery's dim lighting, we managed to get photos of the precious tapestries expecting at any moment the Gorgon from reception bursting in to forbid photography.

Journey north on the E45 Inlandsvägen on a filthy wet evening, but another excellent campsite - Route 45 Camping at Hammerdal:  with the rain still pouring down, we stocked up with provisions at an ICA supermarket in the northern outskirts and left Östersund at almost 6-00pm and joined the E45 Inlandsvägen for the 60km drive north to Hammerdal. Driving rain and gloomy cloud obscured the surrounding forests. Dropping down to cross the now wide Indalsälven lake-river at Lit, and passing what looked to be a good riverside campsite there, we crossed the Inlandsbanan railway line and continued north into the gloom of early evening. Hammerdal was a surprisingly large village with some industry and a large logging and timber processing plant on the outskirts; it seemed somewhat superfluous spraying the timber stacks in this pouring rain! Just along a side lane, we found Route 45 Camping which had originally been recommended to us by Bex and Ross, the English cyclists whom we had met last year in Central Finland. The campsite is kept by a friendly ex-pat Dutchman, Niek and his wife, who had left secure jobs in Holland to buy and keep this small campsite in what was their favourite country, Northern Sweden. The site had an immediate air of acceptability to complement the recommendation and the hospitable welcome we received from Niek. Set in a large forest clearing at the edge of Hammerdal village, and at 180 kr/night, good facilities and free site-wide wi-fi, this was one of the most hospitable and good value campsites of the trip, and we should pass on its recommendation to all those travelling north in Sweden (see left). With no let up in the pouring rain, we selected a flat pitch by the river and quickly settled in, and by 7-30pm were sat snugly in the warm, dry comfort of George with beers in our hand, and a warming supper of beef and lingonberry stew simmering on the cooker on such a miserably chill, wet evening. It had been a long and wearying day and, even on a fine day, Östersund had proved an inconsequential city which even bright sun could have done little to improve. But the Överhogdal tapestries had more than made up for this; they were a thrilling discovery worthy of greater knowledge by a wider public and we should do our best to achieve this by detailing them on our web site. We were looking forward to taking a break tomorrow with a day in camp at the hospitable Route 45 Hammerdal Camping (Photo 28 - Route 45 Camping at Hammerdal).

We next move on further northwards to drive the circuit of the Vildmarksvägen (Wilderness Way) over the bleakly remote Stenenjokk Plateau and cross into Swedish Lapland, on the way seeing the spectacular Hällingsåfallet waterfalls and canyon, and continuing north into the province of Västerbottens. Here we are planning a journey on the Inlandsbanan railway and more mountain walking at Tärnaby in the mighty Umeälven valley and at Ammarnäs along the Vindelälven valley. Sweden has been spectacularly thrilling so far, but join us again shortly; the best is yet to come.

Next edition to be published quite soon

Sheila and Paul

Published:  13 September 2013

This week's Photo Gallery
Wild Flora of Central Sweden
Siberian Jays at Funäsdalen
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