OFF-TRACK IN ULLÅDALEN
The Easter sun is blazing in Åre, and the snow is melting fast. During our days here, the difference in snow coverage from earlier in the week is striking—it's disappearing quickly. This year has been unusually mild, and the snow is already scarce in many places. But up in Ullådalen, there’s still a good amount left. After spending the morning carving down the slopes in Duved, I felt it was finally time to dust off my backcountry skis.
I haven’t been able to use them much since I bought them a few years ago, mostly due to ongoing issues with my left foot. So today, I started off carefully, promising myself I’d turn back at the first sign of pain. But to my surprise, everything felt great—so good, in fact, that I left the groomed trail behind and ventured out into untouched terrain.
It was indescribably beautiful. The snow had begun to soften, and the crust couldn’t quite hold under my skis—but I didn’t mind. It was still perfectly skiable. To the east, Mullfjället and Forsaskalet stretched out in quiet majesty, and to the west, Åreskutan stood partly veiled in drifting clouds.This was the first time I’d ever gone ski touring completely on my own—and I absolutely loved it.
There were quite a few people out, but most stuck to the marked winter trails, which meant I had the views all to myself. Before long, I reached a small frozen tarn. The ice looked solid, and I could see someone had crossed it recently—but I played it safe and skied around instead.
It was about 8°C, and I quickly found myself peeling off my shell jacket. I didn’t really want to turn back just yet, but I also didn’t want to push my luck and risk aggravating my foot. So after about 4 kilometers, I turned east toward Tväråvalvet and started making my way back to Ullådalen.
As I made my way back, I followed Ullån, zigzagging through clusters of trees. No matter which way I turned, the landscape was breathtaking.
I’ve never really been into classic cross-country skiing—but ski touring? That’s a whole different story. I absolutely love it. This trip through Ullådalen was pure magic. I love gliding slowly across the open mountain, breaking fresh snow with each step, completely on my own path. There’s definitely going to be more of this next winter!