ÄLGBERGSRUNDAN UNGROOMED
With a week to go until Christmas and a few unused vacation days left, Petter and I decided to spend a couple of days in Åre. In the days leading up to the trip, the area had received a solid dump of snow, and we were eager for some quality skiing.
The previous days, we’d done a short ski tour up Skutan and also enjoyed some alpine skiing on the pistes that had just opened. The weather was relatively mild, but we noticed it was noticeably colder in Edsåsdalen, just south of Åre. The day before, we skied the Vackermon loop there and found the conditions to be really good. We also noticed that someone had skied the Älgberg Loop despite it not being groomed. Since the route runs high up on the open mountain plateau and is known for its stunning scenery, we decided to give it a go today on our touring skis.
The loop starts in Edsåsdalen, and at first we followed a groomed trail. It didn’t take long, however, before we realized that the ski tracks we had seen didn’t actually continue along the Älgberg loop at all, but instead led straight to a shelter that we wouldn’t reach until much later. Still, we decided to give the loop a try anyway, we could always turn back if it became too difficult.
The going was tough at first. A long uphill climb lay ahead, and our skis kept breaking through the crust. But after about an hour we reached a plateau, where we stopped to enjoy a well-earned break in the sun.
After some coffee, skiing felt much easier. The crust held us most of the time, but the downhill stretches were a little nerve-wracking. We often broke through and tumbled into the snow. Luckily, we landed softly each time, sparking bursts of laughter.
The mountain scenery was absolutely stunning, and skiing in untracked terrain made the whole experience feel so much more adventurous and enjoyable.
By around two o’clock, halfway through our route, the sun was starting to dip, and we began to feel a little pressed for time. In some sections, following the trail markers was tricky, and if darkness fell, even our headlamps wouldn’t make it any easier. So we decided to postpone lunch and wait to stop until we were back on the groomed trail.
After about half an hour, we spotted some fresh ski tracks leading to a few cabins. Feeling that the tricky part was behind us, we decided it was finally safe to sit down and enjoy our packed lunch.
We were quickly back on our way, and now it was starting to get dark for real. Soon, however, we reached the groomed trail again and were able to glide easily down the slopes back to Edsåsdalen. The route was supposed to be 18 km, but my watch only showed 16.
It turned out to be a truly wonderful experience, even better than expected. I’d skied this route once before, but doing it ungroomed was a whole new adventure.