The Ski Journal - Volume 13, Issue 2
TIME STANDS STILL: Camping with The Bunch in Riksgränsen
Words, Photos and Captions: Alric Ljunghager 2019-10-19 13:07:20
The sunrise sets. And the sunsets rise. Whatever perception of time we have, it occurs that time never really stands still. Sometimes we are too busy to notice that hours fly by and other times we are so strongly aware that “what is soon” will take hours, eternities to go by. Whatever your perception, the sun will set and it will rise.
The wobbly path around the sun will set seasons apart and we do notice that time has moved on at some point. A distant mountain in Sweden has made its name from a humble echo in the ski community—most freestyle skiers have at some point and in some way heard about Riksgränsen.
There are a million things to love about Riksgränsen, and many Swedes, including myself, would define it as some of the best skiing Sweden has to offer. Other countries’ mountains outshine Sweden’s very flat landscapes. Riksgränsen, however, is actually a decent piece of Norway’s landscape within Swedish borders, which we patriotically and blindly hold dear. The mountain serves a source of national pride.
For us mountain-poor Swedes, Riksgränsen is much more than the mountain itself. It is, in fact, a near-timeless place where the sun, during the late season, never sets, allowing time to be meaningless, and the winters to continue for months. This alienates the rhythms of perception—it’s confusing and beautiful on so many levels.
Before leaving, I make sure the bills are paid and my peeps are aware of my plans. I notice that on the flat, big mountains are small, not-yet-melted patches of snow. I close my laptop to store it away in a hard-to-reach place in my backpack. Thankfully, the train is on time and I should arrive just before 5 p.m. I have been here before and I know that now nothing really matters and that’s also why we here. Old friends, just friends, new friends, snow, sun, warm, cold, photos—all the things I truly love will soon be all around me in a 24/7, sunrise-set. It’s the perfect ski season ending.
We camp in an old army tent. We make meals together. We ski together. We session a hip together. Whatever perception of time we have, it occurs that time never really stands still—unless, of course, you’re in Riksgränsen.
Photo Caption: Mojben aka Skimanguy aka Magnus Granér and I decided to go and visit our neighbors, the Suéde crew, at the mountain next door.
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