Climbing the highest peak in Lapland, “Kebnekaise”, by dog ​​sled.

The first stage of the expedition has begun, which involves transporting all the equipment needed to set up the base camp at the previously identified point. The sleds and pulkas are loaded to last a week, which represents about 100kg of load on each sled. And therefore 100kg of load to pull for the dogs. It will be necessary to travel about fifty kilometers in a valley to arrive about fifteen kilometers from the foot of Kebnekaise. This is where Rémi, Lucien and Robin have decided to set up their base camp. A strategic point, this point is at the entrance to the narrow valley allowing access to Kebnekaise, sheltered from possible avalanches and above all along a frozen river. The trail to get there begins with the legendary arch which marks the gateway to the Scandinavian Alps, then it plunges into the valley bordered by magnificent icy peaks which rise up on either side of the trail.

Everything is going well for this first stage. The trail is well marked by the passage of snowmobiles going to a distant refuge. The orientation is in fact very simple since it is enough to follow the course of the valley bottom. The trail crosses lakes that are well frozen at the end of this arctic winter. The snow is very present and it is neither too soft nor too blown, which allows the dogs to run on a track without danger and the sleds to slide without hindrance. The mountains and peaks visible on both sides of the valley offer a magical setting with gigantic ice falls. From time to time, small birch forests line the trails. Our adventurers piloting their sled, discover these arctic landscapes with excitement, the Kebnekaise is not very far now.

They could have quietly enjoyed the scenery while admiring the work of their companions to transport the equipment throughout the stage, but that was without taking into account the weather forecast. A windy week was forecast and on the track the wind increased very quickly. Head-on and approaching 60km/h, it left no choice, the mushers had to participate in the effort of towing the dogs. They had to relieve them as much as possible of the weight of the sleds by pushing them so that the dogs would not get exhausted. For a first day that was supposed, on paper, to be quiet, linear and without technical difficulties, it turned out to be physically and psychologically tiring. 50kms under gusts of wind and snow is no rest for anyone. But that was not what could tarnish the good mood and excitement of our 3 guys, delighted to evolve with the dogs in unknown territories to live an extraordinary adventure.

Finally arrived at the last pass at the bottom of the valley, all that remained was to go down to a perpendicular valley. A new valley and a new landscape with a new atmosphere opened up before them. The snowmobile track was over, only a few Sami summer huts were visible. They use them to keep the reindeer herds in the summer but in winter they are inaccessible. They arrived at the top of an immense plain delimited only by gigantic mountains. White as far as the eye can see with a few patches of vegetation, this is the heart of the Kebnekaise massif. A long but gentle descent remained to be made in these immaculate white landscapes. In their sights was the bivouac point and the well-deserved rest. It took them more than 7 hours to reach this targeted area for the base camp.

The fatigue was very present for the dogs but also for the men. But for them the day was not over. The camp remained to be set up.

The purpose of setting up a base camp is to be able to gravitate around it in a star shape. This allows you to set off for the day to
explore the various peaks surrounding the camp. This offers a real advantage: it is possible to go on an expedition with light sleds. On the other hand, you have to deal with some disadvantages, including the fact that it is a camp that remains unsupervised in the face of Scandinavian weather, which can very quickly turn into stormy phenomena beyond the Arctic Circle.

The camp is a park for dogs and a teepee with a wood stove, food and sleeping gear for the men. All set up near vital resources: a river to have access to liquid water thanks to an ice drilling, a grove of vegetation to ensure the supply of wood for the wood stove and a south-facing location at the foot of a small hill to shelter the teepee from the prevailing winds coming from the North.

To overcome this major drawback, a camp security process is required each time you leave. Everything must be stored under the teepee, the main pole is reinforced with blocks of ice, the entrances are covered with snow to prevent the wind from allowing and causing snow to pile up in the teepee... and of course the GPS point of the camp is recorded to find it even in a blizzard!

This protocol with the location of the bivouac and the security process was put in place well in advance, before leaving the Hautes Alpes.

But to tell the truth, between reading the maps, aerial reading and the reality on the ground, there were a few surprises... But finally, after a few core samples and a few trips, the ideal spot was there and the camp was able to provide everything necessary for this expedition.

It was essential to find wood on site to fuel the wood stove because it was the only means of heating, for the air in the teepee and for the food, planned by our adventurers. Lucien, always confident, had announced: "No stove, we will be purists with the stove and wood fire, the location of the base camp is on the edge of small forests." But kilometer after kilometer, during the advance towards the base camp, our adventurers saw these small forests diminish more and more. Once they arrived at their destination, there were only meager shrubs left covering the valley. These shrubs were enough to last throughout the expedition but the resource was much meager than expected.

A second surprise, access to water. Lucien still, responsible for bivouac logistics, "the camp will be on the edge of a river. We will make a hole with an auger in the ice until we reach the water. No stress!" but from the first hole in the ice, Lucien touches the ground without finding liquid water. "Don't worry, friends! You just have to go more to the middle of the river." Second hole: IDEM. The "bivouac logistician" was starting to get stressed himself. It must be said that the auger bit is a good 1 meter long. Never mind, by moving a little it seems that the river is deeper further down. Third attempt: PHEW! Lucien managed to find a vein of liquid water under the meter of ice. "I told you, don't worry. Finally, now that we have water, no more worries... » Yes, now that the water is there, it is possible to set up camp and embark on the adventure, the goal of this expedition: the ascent of Kebnekaise, the highest peak in Sweden, culminating at 2097m.

Before embarking on the climb, it is important to explore the surroundings in the first few days to get used to the environment and identify the most delicate passages. It is essential in these hostile environments to constantly adapt, particularly to the weather forecast. These offer a shorter weather window than expected. In 2 days, a deterioration with strong winds is announced: a storm that would sweep across the entire Scandinavian Alps.

But there are still 2 days left! The ascent of Kebnekaise, couldn't really wait.

From the second day it was time to reconnoiter the climb. On the path to the summit several unknowns were present. Starting with the risk of avalanches, especially with accumulations of snow due to the wind. It was necessary to pass to test the snowpack. Two key points had been identified. A passage in a gully (would be) potentially avalanche-prone and (following this) a passage with a slope of more than 30° whose feasibility by sled had to be checked. Either on these 2 points the passage was possible or it was not and the ascent would not be feasible because too dangerous.

During this reconnaissance, it was necessary to check whether all the lights were green.

The first day of climbing started well, under a bright sun and without the slightest hint of wind. The sleds light as feathers, filled with the bare necessities for the day, here we are crossing the vast valley without incident. Then came a short gully opening onto a much narrower valley overlooked by cliffs and mountains even more impressive than those around the base camp. These landscapes leave an impression of vertigo (in grandeur) as we advance towards the highest point of the massif. Everything becomes wilder and wilder, bigger and bigger, more and more impressive. The clouds begin to become more and more present and it is noticeable that the weather is going to change. It begins to snow intermittently. In this magical setting, reindeer appeared on promontories. The setting is incredible, idyllic, but the progression is difficult, with significant quantities of snow, accumulated by the winds in this narrow valley.

The dogs were no longer enjoying a hard, flat trail like the first stage (the day before). They were moving forward with difficulty in the powder. The men had to make tracks for them in front. The wind, still head-on, had picked up.

To relieve the lead dogs, the leaders, each team went to the head of the procession, the men in front of the sled, like a cycling peloton, each taking over. Even with this operation, little by little, the leaders began to tire (to get tired of progressing in such conditions). Fortunately, Robin on his cross-country skis and Peuf his dog were great assets to make the track and motivate the troop. Peuf, as nonchalant as she is on a daily basis, advanced without complaining in the deep snow. She thus cleared the way for the teams, heavier and wider. This second day, which was supposed to be devoted to a quiet reconnaissance, was ultimately just as physical as the previous one. An identical total of 7 hours of progress but this time only 10km of distance and 700m of elevation gain. It still allowed us to see the dreaded bottleneck and arrive just under the steep slopes at over 30°. These 2 points seem feasible, they should allow passage to reach the coveted summit.

This first reconnaissance stops there, just before these 2 obstacles, for today. All these efforts to make the track will allow tomorrow to evolve more easily on the track that we have damned with our passage. This will allow tomorrow to arrive in the technical passages without being exhausted.

Back to camp after this beautiful and hard day. Time for the daily life of the camp, we have to take care of the dogs, hydrate them, feed them, glean wood, look for water, cook, eat and finally sleep. The cold and the wind that shake the tent canvas, the snow that discreetly comes in through the stove pipe are inconveniences that no longer bother us after so much fatigue (physical effort). When you are really tired and with good equipment, it is possible to sleep even with polar temperatures around -35°. And then tomorrow is the day of the ascent, everything is in place, all that remains is the last kilometers of ascent and the last 700 m of elevation gain to discover.

New day, resuming the tracks (of the cape) of the day before, somewhat erased by the night wind. Beyond the polar circle, when the wind is against you, it doesn't pretend, and it stays in front! The dogs, thanks to their instincts, easily manage to find the track (of the track) of the day before. They don't get discouraged in recreating a track where it was covered with snow. They lead our team to the foot of Kebnekaise with disconcerting ease, as if they had done this path dozens of times. The dogs move forward, the men follow them, help them and quickly they arrive at the end of the known path. In 3 times less time than the day before, the starting point of this 3rd day is reached. And here is in front of which rises, the last third of the much-dreaded climb. To be reviewed

First obstacle, the steep gully filled with deep snow where it is not advisable to linger. Peuf and Robin head straight up the slope and allow you to pass it without wasting time. They make the track and the sleds follow. Second obstacle, 300 meters of vertical drop on a slope of more than 30°. They will have to climb them. Our crew is confident, it starts as usual, straight up the steep slope! But the snow, swept by the polar winds, quickly gives way to ice. The dogs try to progress slowly on this steep and icy ground, but the weight of the sleds does not allow them to progress as quickly and easily as imagined. It was necessary to face the facts: the ice was preventing the crew from moving forward. And even Lucien had not anticipated that, they had not taken the mountaineering equipment! No matter, dog sleds are equipped with snow anchors to immobilize the sled. For want of anything better, they can be used as ice axes to prevent the sleds from sliding and taking the crew down the slope.

At this point Rémi, Lucien and Robin really begin to doubt the feasibility of such an ascent by sled with their dogs.

This 30°C slope on ice was not passable over its entire length, fortunately by deviating several dozen meters to the side, a passage with some accumulations of snow allowed our adventurers to find snow under their skates and opened the way for the rest of this climb.

A final obstacle appeared in the last kilometer of this climb. It should not have been one given their previous climbs in the Hautes Alpes but our 3 adventurers had not anticipated that beyond the Arctic Circle, moving on a wide ridge leading to the southern summit of Kebnekaise could be complicated by unfavorable weather. And this was the case, a white day, white out of white at the top of Kebnekaise and on the access ridge, the cliffs that fall sheer on each side are not visible. Cautiously, the dogs advance on this ridge, the rounded summit is in front, everyone must stay focused, the dogs must follow and nothing must make them deviate from the trajectory. The caravan of sleds finally arrives at the summit of Lapland. It is small, and the sleds are wide and the dogs numerous in the end. This summit does not lend itself to pause and contemplation. A quick hug, a pat on each dog and then, hop, turn around on the spot, now the descent is ahead.

The ridge is as complicated on the way down as on the way up, but just after, a wide flat area allows men and dogs to catch their breath a little. And to enjoy, an arrival at 2097m by dog ​​sled, a first ascent by dog ​​sled of the summit of Lapland has just been made. 1400m of positive elevation gain over 13km to reach the southern tip of Kebnekaise by dog ​​sled. Rémi, Lucien, Robin and the 17 dogs climbed to the summit of Kebnekaise. The challenge is met! Now we have to go back down to the base camp by the same path as on the way there. An advantage: now the key passages and their pitfalls are known and can be avoided.

Quickly, we had to agree on tactics. To go back down the steep and icy slope, the dogs would be unharnessed. This slope at over 30° was a magical moment. Pure sliding in a sled with the dogs running free alongside, one of the highlights of this expedition. A moment brilliantly captured by Robin, who would illustrate the poster for the film of this adventure. The sun then broke through and the surrounding peaks were revealed through the clouds. Sliding, the dogs, the mountains, everything at this precise moment reflected the objective of this expedition. There was no more fatigue, no more difficulty, just pleasure, just the joy of living this moment.