nordic skating tours

• Finlands Top 10 Spots To...

Finland's Top Spots to Go to for Nordic Skating

Nordic skating, also known as tour skating, is a highly unusual but energising sport which is popular throughout Finland and many of the Nordic countries. It works by wearing ice skates during the winter or roller skates during summer and propelling yourself along either ice or pavement using long poles. During the summer it is common to see skaters gliding along country roads and in winter many Finns take the risk of skating on frozen lakes. These are some of the best spots in Finland for trying Nordic skating yourself:

Baltic archipelago.

The stretch of the Baltic Sea separating Finland and Sweden and dotted with thousands of islands is a particularly popular spot for Nordic skating, so popular in fact that it is known as the ‘tour de skate’. In the summer it is a faster way to travel across the islands and in winter it is a method of crossing the frozen sea between islands. It is best to do this with a guide, however, as climate change has made the winter conditions unpredictable.

Lake Saimaa

Close by Kuopio, one of Finland’s largest lake systems also provides a huge area for winter skating. A 15km skating network is laid out on the lake every winter. It is an especially ideal way to cross between the many islands on the lake or spot some rare wildlife .

Linnasaari National Park

Most of Finland’s national parks provide at least some opportunities for Nordic skating. Linnasaari in Savonlinna has one of the longest trails in Finland, stretching from the village of Oravi to the Järvisydän resort, a total of 40km. Many people visit the park just for a Nordic skating holiday so there are plenty of guides and rentals available.

This Lapland resort is more popular among skiers, but it has plenty of cross country skating trails available too. There are a total of 330km worth of trails laid out in the winter, suitable for all ages or levels of experience. At the same time you can take in the clear Lapland air, see some of Finland’s most striking scenery, and if you’re lucky even spot the Northern Lights.

Another northern area, Kuusamo has 170km of cross country skiing trails in what is considered some of the best skiing conditions in Finland. This is why there are many cross country skiing safari tours on offer, which also include rentals and hot drinks and snacks. There are numerous cafes on the ski trails and the tracks are fully maintained during the off-season.

This central city is surrounded by a huge lake system which is perfect for Nordic skating with around 100 maintained skating areas in and around the city and network stretching to around 400km. These tracks are not just for sporting enthusiasts but are also essential for allowing children to make their way to school during the coldest part of the winter.

Another city with a vast skating network. Even within the city limits there are 80km worth of illuminated tracks and miles more stretching out in the surrounding area to the local villages. Nearby Lake Näsijärvi is especially popular and has trails, rental shops, and cafes laid out every winter.

Levi in Lapland is known for having some of the best maintained skating trails in Finland, a total of 230km. They are especially recommended for beginners to get the hang of the sport. Many of the tracks are even lit up at night, providing a beautiful skating location through the snow.

Finland’s capitol in the south may not have the same frozen winter conditions as the rest of the country, but the Baltic Sea often becomes solid enough for winter skating. If skating on ice seems too much for you, there are plenty of trails and pathways where you can try the summer equivalent instead.

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Nordic Skating Tour (Only Available from December - March)

An experience like no other. Have you ever dreamed about gliding across a frozen body of water on ice skates? If so, our Nordic Skating tour might be just up your alley. Real "Nordic Skating" is all about exploring untouched and rarely traveled pathways via the ice that freezes over the beautiful lakes and fjord around Norway's capital city. You will be outfitted with all the equipment necessary to feel safe and at ease while out on this one of a kind adventure. This is a private tour available upon request.

*Ice Conditions must be suitable for this tour to run. Some skating experience required. Please contact us for more information!

What's included

We will provide all the equipment necessary for this tour.

Transportation is included.

Good to know

This is a private tour. Please request the date you are interested in.

This tour can be adjusted and customized to your liking. Anywhere from a half-day, full-day or multi-day adventure is possible.

Photo Tuomas Hannikainen

Skating on natural ice, Nordic skating

This excursion allows you to skate easily and safely on natural ice and enjoy the peace and beauty of winter nature with an experienced and trained guide. No previous experience or training in skating is required. A short picnic break will be held in a scenic landscape during the two-hour tour.

Weather: on natural ice, you always move on nature's terms. The stunning seascapes of East Helsinki are preferred for ice skating. The starting point is the premises of Helsingin Retkiluistelun at Kallvikinniementie 35, 00980 Helsinki. Due to the conditions, the starting point or location may sometimes have to be moved. This happens surprisingly rarely and will be communicated separately. The same applies if less than 4 people sign up for the trip.

If sea ice does not allow skating, the excursion will take place on natural ice or ploughed tracks on nearby lakes. If the weather does not allow skating at all, the start time will be postponed. If the rescheduling is not successful, the money will be refunded.

The price includes: Skating and safety equipment: skates, boots, ice claws, whistle, ice poles, helmet, knee pads, floating backpack, throw line. Equipment handover, instruction, ice information, guiding. Accident insurance.

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Ice Skating Tours in Stockholm, Sweden

Featured tours.

• User 15+ years old
• Hour Glass 6 hours

An Introduction to Ice Skating Tour

Don’t worry if you’ve never tried ice skating before; anyone can do it! Come and join us for a very Swedish winter adventure, skating on natural ice in and around Stockholm.

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• Hour Glass 8 hours

Private Ice Skating Day Tour

Whether you’ve never skated before or you’re all quite the pros, why not get your own private guide so you can play around on the ice by yourselves?!

• User 18+ years old
• Hour Glass 3 days

Three-Day Swedish Skating Adventure

If you love ice skating, you should join us on our three-day Swedish skating adventure! With hundreds of lakes and the Baltic Sea nearby, Stockholm has the best natural ice in the world!

Nordic Skating Day Tours & Multi-Day Tours on Natural Ice

Stockholm offers some of the best ice skating conditions in the world, and Stockholm Adventures offers the best ice skating tours on natural ice in Sweden! So if you are visiting Stockholm between December and March, you should join us on a day tour or a multi-day tour skating on natural ice. We have the best nordic skating guides in Stockholm and the best equipment on the market. So join us on the ice! We believe it’s the best outdoor adventure you can experience during the wintertime!

PURE BLISS IS…  Gliding over natural ice through the outstanding landscape of the Stockholm archipelago with the warmth of the winter sun on your face and the sense of freedom running through your limbs.

Ice Skating in Stockholm

#1 Ice Skating Tours & Rentals In Stockholm, Sweden ★★★★★

This lake ice-skating experience is truly amazing for any visitor to Stockholm and anyone living here. The guides seek out the best lake with perfect ice conditions. Clear focus on safety and good tips on skating technique (helps if you've done it once before). We had a beautiful day on an empty lake with clear sunshine and you never feel better!

We absolutely loved the Ice-skating tour and could not recommend it enough. From Australia, our ice-skating experience was pretty non-existent, but the guide was great at teaching us and with the poles it really isn’t very hard. It was a cold but fantastic day and the scenery did not disappoint. The food provided was great, and the staff could not have been more helpful and friendly.

I did the ice skating but without guid. It was very good. The man at the shop told us complets informations, good exquipments and the food was very good. The landscape is amazing. If you haven't many money I conseil you to do this, but the hiking with a guid all the day seems more interisting. If I go back to Stockholm I'll do this ! Perfect !

We went on a tour with tour guides Bruno and Sven. From the beginning, everything was so well organised. Our backpacks were packed with our lunches, spare clothes, etc. They took the time to make sure we all had the right clothes on and provided shell pants, gloves to those who needed. Once we were on the ice it was great, and for those beginners they took the time out to coach you and make sure you felt comfortable. Thanks again for a great day Sven and Bruno!

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Nordic skating in November, not bad

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A Nordic skating tour from Tampere to Virrat (or vice versa) has been one of my skating dreams. I have done this trip in parts ( part 1 , part 2 ) in 2019, but never in one day. And truth speaking, it remained a very distant dream even four years ago. The route itself is very familiar to me: I used to work aboard steamboat Tarjanne in the beginning of the 2000s and sailed the route almost 400 times.

The Never-Ending Wait for The Perfect Ice

On Monday, we checked the site of Finnish Society of Nordic Skaters (the website covers actually the Nordic countries of Sweden, Norway and Finland). It is a place where members report their observations of ice conditions and write reports of their tours. One group of skaters had been on the northern areas of the lake system on Monday and reported some decent ice there. Perhaps little bit soft as it had been quite warm but yet skateable through puddles of water.

Difficulties on the First Stretch

Leo picked me up with his car after a night’s sleep and eating a bigger breakfast than I would normally eat. We left the car at Kaupinoja which is also a starting point of a tour skating lane that is plowed every year on Lake Näsijärvi. I started recording the route with my Polar watch at 6:55 when the it was still dark. Despite the darkness, we could already see from the shore that the slush and snow of the yesterday had done severe damage to the fine fields of black ice that had existed before this sudden change of temperature. The first metres of skating confirmed this: smooth black ice had changed to large patches of frozen slush. There were still some black ice between those patches but in the middle of the first open water areas (“selkä” in Finnish, “fjärd” in Swedish) (Näsiselkä), even those areas of black ice disappeared. Everything that was left was frozen slush that had quite a massage effect on the soles of our feet. The headlights were much needed to avoid falling while skating through the patches.

Hope at Dawn?

The rising sun and increased lightness seemed to raise our mood as well. At the same time, the ice conditions got better. The snow clouds had avoided this area previous eveingn and wind had even taken away the few snowflakes that had fallen. We suddenly found ourselves on large area of very smooth black ice with a nice tailwind that brought us to the very northern end of this lake area. Even if the following open waters were taking us back to basics (i.e. skating on a frozen slush), this larger area of nice smooth ice gave us hope. Perhaps there would be even better areas further north!

The sound of Unnekivi proved to be the first place where we had to take our skates off. The currents had been strengthened by the week of rain and ice had been melted by those currents. It was only four days earlier we had skated through this sound following the shores but now it was totally impossible. Well, walking is an esseantial part of long Nordic skating tours so it was not a big deal. And on this route, there would be many legs more to use one’s legs as there are strong currents flowing through narrow sounds.

Call of the Road

A fine gravel road took us over the hill that was separating the skateable lake areas. We also found a nice spot to have a lunch break on the top of the hill. It was about a time tom eat something having travelled several hours. This time, I had brought me a food thermos filled with decent food instead of some pieces of bread which I normally have with me when skating on the shorter tours. Eating and resting one’s legs for a while worked wonders and we both felt much refreshed and it was easier to continue. After one and a half kilometres walk we arrived to the shore of the lake again.

Despite this wet show in the marsh, the choice of route was a success: as we found out, the currents had kept almost all the small sounds free of ice so by choosing another route we would have had to make several other landings. And ice on the next open water, Ohrionselkä, really rewarded us: smoothest ice so far. With such conditions, we arrived quickly to the next landing of our tour. One kilometre of walking, one of skating through a smaller lake and 200 metres more of walking and we were back on bigger waters. The landings and getting back to ice were bit more successful this time despite the wet shorelines due to heavy rains in the previous week.

Open Waters of Ruovesi

Lake Näsijärvi is located in the area of five municipalities: Tampere, Ylöjärvi, Ruovesi, Mänttä-Vilppula and Virrat. We had already crossed from Tampere to Ruovesi at our first landing near Murole canal. Now, it was time to skate through vast water areas of Ruovesi. The first open water area, Jäminginselkä, was quickly crossed. We arrived to the sound of Miestamo where we found iceless parts, some cracks in ice and slippery, rocky shores through which we had to walk.

After passing the tricky parts at Miestamo, there was only one open water area more before our route would turn north again. Now, we had been traveling more to northeast. Skating through the open waters of Ruhalanselkä was supposedly the last longer stretch where the wind would be more or less straight headwind. This knowledge gave us strenght to pass the not-so-fine ice and six m/s headwind until arriving to the Kauttu canal (1885). After such a hard leg, it was time to have a break once and have something to eat an drink. From now on, the wind would be more favourable for the rest of the tour.

We passed the atelier Kalela (1895) of the Finnish artist, Akseli Gallén-Kallela (1865–1931) and the centre of Ruovesi while skating on some very smooth ice with a strong tailwind until arriving to the next sound, Korpulanvuolle, where we had to take our skates off and pass the sound from the western side. In some years, the sound is skatable but this year the rains had kept the currents strong. The walk was only 200 metres, so not much to complain about.

Ice on the next open water area, Mustaselkä, was quite a surprise—a negative one this time. There was surface ice all over the place with constant creaking sound coming from ice under the blades. Sometimes the ice cover was bearing you, sometimes not. Makes one to keep speed low as one never knows. This time all the surface was the same so it was not possible to separate the worse areas from the good ones. Luckily, it was a short leg before we arrived to the steep cliffs of Syvinkisalmi and climbed up and down before reaching the other side of the sound.

After such a climbing effort one was quite ready for another break with some tea anbd sandwiches. While sitting there, we googled the opening hours of the cafe at Visuvesi which was waiting for us 15 kilometres away. Unfortunately, it was closed for all winter. At least the local minimarket would be open, so reaching that would be our next goal.

Tarjannevesi (sometimes also called Tarjanne) is one of my favourite spots on this route. Stark scenery, not too many cottages and tree-covered hills make it a fine place. This time, also smooth ice could have been added to the advantages of the place. Here we recorded some of the highest speeds on this tour with a strong tailwind and passed the 11 kilometres of open water in 35 minutes. As normally, such hubris was followed by a certain nemesis. About hundred metres before the sound of Kivisalmi (near Visuvesi), we found a surface ice area that was simply impossible to skate. Instead, we found ourselves walking in the five centimetres deep puddle with our skates. Luckily, it was only a hundred metres but still I recorded some of the highest heart rates of this journey.

The Last Leg: from Visuvesi to Virrat

Despite the surface ice paradise, we managed to make it to Visuvesi population centre. It has traditionally been famous for its industrial roots (e.g. sawmills and a plywood factory) and even from the Finnish Championships of Kissing. For us, it represented a well deserved break from skating and a possibility for some tourist shopping in the forms of some sports drink and lemonade. We had used much of our drinks so replenishments were much appreciated. At Visuvesi, we also discovered that we had used most of the daylight as well and took our headlights back in the use from the backpacks.

Wind was once more helping us even if we were heading almost straight to the west for now. And fortunately we had that wind as after Visuvesi we encountered an area of three to four kilometres of surface ice that was just and just bearing our weight. (And to be clear, there’s bearing ice under the surface ice, so no danger of falling through ice there.) With such a wind, it was easy just to carefully use our skating poles to get forward standing in two blades, not risking to skate on one blade (as normally).

After a while ice got better and we soon found ourselves in the “highway” to Virrat as we used to call the Koronselkä open water area on the steamboat. It is about five kilometres straight lane lined by the rocky shores. The lights in the village of Koro were giving us the bearing. Occassional creaking sounds of surface ice were keeping us alert in the darkness but this time these areas were quite rare.

The Final Exertion

Not much was left now to skate. Yet, we still had to change skating to orienteering in the dark in order to pass the two sounds, Hampainen and Toltaa, through forest. All the water that comes from the upper waters flows through these sounds, so it’s really rare they get some ice at all. But it was only 500 metres of walking in the snowy forest, then 1,5 km of skating on Vaskiselkä before walking for 400 metres and finding ourselves at the last open water area, Härkösselkä. We could already see the lights of Virrat.

In the northern end of Härkösselkä, we also saw that Artsi is at home. He was a regular customer at the steamboat Tarjanne so we decided to see if he sees the signalling with our headlights. He did, came out and brought us something to drink after hearing about our tour. (Thank you Artsi once more!) We had a brief discussion as well, but only brief as time was flying and we still had to eat at Virrat before continuing our journey back home.

As one could guess, the final 1,5 kilometres of skating was something to remember. Strong headwind and skating on a surface ice in 10 cm deep water puddles. Heart rate rising to record numbers. Finally we found some bearing parts near the road on ice and near the shore and managed to make it to the port of Virrat. Phew.

It was time to change the wet merino shirt to a dry one, put on the down jacket and order a taxi to take us to the centre. Luckily, the taxi came quick (not a certainty anymore in Finland) and the driver was very friendly. We could leave our backpacks to his car while we went to eat in a local pizzeria. After the ‘dinner’, he came to pick use again and took us the 45 minutes (53km) away to the train station at Parkano. It’s pity that the public connections in the Finnish countryside are quite few. There’s no public connection from Virrat to Tampere in the evening anymore and if we had missed our train at Parkano at 8 pm, we would have had to wait for the next one until 2 am.

The train ride was fast, only 45 minutes. We had reserved a compartment for us in order to spare our fellow travellers of our skating scents of 117 kilometres. The compartment was in the first class, though, and we had to pass all the business travellers to get there. Our equipment seemed to cause some astonishment…After arriving to Tampere, we still had to take the tram to my home, then drive to Kaupinoja to get Leo’s car back until we could call it a day.

Did such a hard work pay off some might ask. The answer would be yes. We both skated this “royal” tour of Lake Näsijärvi for the first time. Now it is done and there’s no more “need” to wait for the optimal circumstances. This time, the conditions were not optimal but of course, they could have been much worse, too. Despite the tailwind, the tour took us 11 hours 40 minutes and we made 13 landings. According to my Polar watch, I spent over 6 700 kilocalories travelling this tour. Quite a day!

And there are still many other dreams concerning Nordic skating even if this one is done…

Our Tampere-Virrat Tour on a Map. (Made with GPX Animator 1.7.0. Map copyright: Maanmittauslaitos.)

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Top 8 winter activities in Sweden

Ice skating in sweden.

When the temperature drops below zero in winter, the ice-skating fever rises. Can't wait to glide over the natural ice in Sweden? We have listed a range of beautiful Nordic skating spots in Sweden, from north to south.

• Ice skating in Swedish nature cannot be compared with skating in an indoor skate rink. For Nordic skating or tour skating, the distances are usually longer and skates with longer blades are used. Hence long-distance skating ('långfärdsskridskor').
• Keep it safe and follow local safety regulations.
• Never skate alone. Skate with a local guide who knows the spots like the back of his hand.
• Do you skate on a prepared track? Don't go off the track. If you hear or see the ice cracking or moving, return immediately.
• In terms of equipment, Swedish skaters always carry a large waterproof backpack, mostly filled with air – and dry clothes. It also contains a rope and some fika to enjoy while getting a rest. Ice picks and a stick are also essential. More information can be found on this site: issakerhet.se .

Winter, the High Coast

Enjoy winter activities such as hiking, ice skating and skiing in the High Coast.

Photo : Leif Wikberg / HK Dest

Long-distance skating in Åre

Photo : Niclas Vestefjell/imagebank.sweden.se

House at Tavelsjön lake, Umeå

Photo : Heidi Vandenbussche

Swedish Lapland

Piteå: The ice rink on Lake Nördfjärden in Piteå has been prepared for ice skating and sledding for more than 20 years in a row. The length of the track depends on the current ice conditions. There’s a beach where you can rent skates and buy something to eat and drink.

Luleå: From December to March/April, you can enjoy a prepared track of about 10 kilometres in Luleå. The track extends from Norra Hamn to Gültzauudden, Södra Hamn and on to Gråsjälören. There are barbecue areas where you can grill sausages.

Västerbotten

Umeå: Lake Tavelsjö, about 25 kilometres from Umeå, is ideal for long-distance skating and recreational day trips. The prepared track (some 10 kilometres) has two loops that cross each other so that you can choose your distance. Every year they organise the race Tavelsjörännet. Skates are also available for rent.

Jämtland Härjedalen

Åre: The area around Åre is a natural paradise for long-distance skaters. Lake Ånnsjön is a large but shallow lake. You skate surrounded by, among others, Bunnerfjällen and Snasahögarna. On Lake Ottsjön, you can usually skate quite early in the season. With the Ottfjället mountain as a backdrop, this is one of the most beautiful skating locations in the region. Nearby you'll also find some frozen ponds where you can ice skate.

The High Coast

Nyänget: In Örnsköldsvik, a track is being prepared on Bäckfjärden between Nyänget and Fjälludden. The track is approximately 3 kilometres long and is a popular excursion destination for visitors and locals alike. You can take a break and warm up at Fjälludden, where you also find a sauna.

Härnösand: In Härnösand, a figure-of-eight track is prepared on Godstjärn at Bondsjöhöjdens IP. The trail is about 1 kilometre long, and there are benches and barbecue areas around the lake.

Long-distance skating on Ösjön, Dalarna

Long-distance skating on Sweden's frozen lakes is a popular winter activity.

Photo : Anna Holm/Visit Dalarna

Ice skating, Dalarna

Photo : Anna Holm/ Visit Dalarna

Long-distance skating, Värmland

Photo : Jocke Lagercrantz/ Visit Värmland

Runn/Ösjön, Falun-Borlänge: Lake Runn is probably Sweden's most famous skating spot. You will find up to 50 kilometres of prepared tracks and you can use the loop system to map out your desired distance. There are dozens of cosy picnic spots along the trail. Every winter, they host activities and events like Runn Winter Week with World Cup races.

Väsman, Ludvika: On Lake Väsman, you can skate on a 19-kilometre-long prepared track between the marinas of Ludvika and Dröverka. You can also start in between. Around Bärholmarna, you will find a loop of about 1 kilometre. This is also the perfect place to take a break and enjoy a ‘fika’, the Swedish coffee break.

Glafsfjorden, Arvika: Lake Glafsfjorden is an excellent place for wild skating. This lake in western Värmland is connected to Lake Vänern via the river Byälven. Lake Glafsfjorden is popular amongst locals, but there are no prepared tracks. 

Vänern: Fancy ice skating on Sweden's largest lake? You can! Just be extra careful. Because the lake is so large, it takes a bit longer for the ice to thicken, and there are also more treacherous spots. There is no prepared track here, but you can, for example, join the tours of Nordic Eco Tours or, if you are near Karlstad, go to Solstaskäret.

Västmanland

Västerås: Close to the town of Västerås you can ice skate at Björnön in Lake Mälaren. At Aktivt Uteliv in Björnögården (where the famous waffle bar is located), you can rent skates and join courses on ice skating.

Malingsbo: On the border between Västmanland, Dalarna and Örebro, you will find the nature reserve Malingsbo-Kloten. You can book a guided tour with Nordic Discovery .

Ice skating in Fjällnora, Uppsala

Experience long-distance skating in Uppsala.

Photo : Gustav Dalesjö/ Destination Uppsala

Ice skating in central Stockholm

Photo : Helena Wahlman/imagebank.sweden.se

Uppsala: In the Uppsala area, you can put your skates on at Fjällnora Friluftsområde. Weather permitting, you'll find a prepared track on Lake Trehörningen. And at Hammarskogs Friluftsområde, a 15-kilometre-track between Dalbyviken and Skarholmen is provided.

You can also put on your skates in the Swedish capital. Trekanten in Liljeholmen is closest to the city if you opt for skating on natural ice. Drevviken, Magelungen and Långsjön are also popular skating spots in Stockholm.

Half an hour from Stockholm, you can skate on natural ice at Hellasgården. The ice season here usually starts at the end of January. Some organisations that offer guided tours are True Nature Sweden, Green Trails and Stockholm Adventure.

And finally, you can also find several ice rinks in the heart of the city . At Kungsträdgården, you can even rent skates.

Gnesta: One of the most popular skating routes near Gnesta is between the Visnaren and Sillen lakes. Here, you skate on a 39-kilometre-long waterway that connects both lakes.

You can also skate on Lake Båvenen Marvikarna.

Related articles

Alpine skiing in sweden – from powder paradises to family-friendly resorts, cross-country skiing in sweden, magical winter swimming in sweden’s cold bath houses.

Information about current ice skating conditions

Photos and movies are posted ongoing on Wilderness Lodge's Facebook site. For direct and fast ice skating and skiing information, the recommendation is to follow the face book site below.

Next guided tour with vacancies

Next guided tour with vacancies is advised on the Facebook page bellow. Extra tours with short notice are sometimes only advised on the Facebook page below (and not in the booking calendar).

Vacancies on the ice-skating tours >>  

Ask questions about the ice-skating tour >>

Read about the wolf tracking tour >>

Read about rent of ice skates >>

Read about rent of snowshoes >>

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• Nordic Skating Tours and Clinics in Tampere

Tampere is a prime location for Nordic skating. There is usually vast open natural ice on lake Näsijärvi, throughout the winter season. And if there is snow on the ice, we plow an approx. 20 km long track on the lake. We organize both Nordic skating tours and clinics. The main focus of the clinics is to learn how to skate. For the tours you need some previous skating experience or experience in sports with gliding equipment. On Näsijärvi we usually visit our tent cafe by Siilinkari lighthouse island.

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Three days skating in Norway

“We really loved and enjoyed the skating in the fairytale scenery and the perfect ice conditions.” These are words from two Dutch skaters and nature lovers. The dates were set and most of  the lakes in Sweden were covered with snow. BUT lake Vansjöen in Norway offered solid ice and good skating conditions. Unfortunately our first day, Wednesday 11th January, was stormy and the rain poured down. Nothing stopped us – we made us ready to force the weather.

After a short skating we went into our car to check more ice inland. Unfortunately it was snowing, so the desicion to go back to lake Vansjöen next day was right. We were a bit worried that there should be “overice” but the surface was hard, solid and dry. It couldn´t be better!

Off we went following the west shore of the island Dillingöia. Almost at the southern point we were stopped by thinner ice. We had forced the headwind and the tailwind on our way back was pure pleasure.

After a nice break we were ready to skate back to our starting point.

As we said the first days – it can only be better. And it did! Some degrees below zero, almost no wind and blue sky. We went back to the same starting point as the day before hoping for even thicker ice after a cold night. We were right. Where we couldn´t skate yesterday it was possible this day. But as always – we had to watch out. After so heavy rains the water has to flow out in the sea and there are many exposed places where to pay attention. Especially points and sounds.

After a good time of skating we stopped for a break, had a nice fire and were waiting for the dark. It was full moon night. We waited and waited for the moonrise but the forest and the hills concealed the moon. We had a nice skating with our headlamps and arrived back to our car in dark. After less than 1 km we met the yellow, full shining moon. A good end of three wonderful days out on ice!

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