‘It makes me feel quite exhausted,’ said Maisie, ‘thinking
of all these people out there in the mountains, climbing up all that way, just
for a good view and a cup of coffee.’
She’s looking at some photos of the fjäll (pronounced,
‘fiyell’, meaning the mountains) beyond Kiruna.
‘They don’t go there for the coffee,’ says Jack.
‘Well whatever the reason. I expect you need a cup of coffee
once you get up there, in that cold wind and after all that unnecessary
exercise. They must go for the view then. They always take a photo when they
get there. After their long walk.’
‘If it’s snow there you can’t walk Maisie, you have to ski.’
‘Oh don’t you start, about those ski things! If God had
intended us to ski he’d have given us longer feet.’
Maisie has her own idea about getting somewhere with a good
view of the fjäll. And just to prove a point, although she could walk there she
decides not to. Outings don’t have to include lots of exercise you know. She
takes the car key and beckons to Jack and begins to get dressed for the
great outdoors. Five minutes later Jack and Maisie have all their outdoor
clothes on and they waddle out the door down to the car.
‘I don’t know how you think you’re going to drive up a
mountain,’ says Jack. Maisie smiles. ‘Just belt up,’ she says, putting on her seat belt. They drive across to the other side of town. Maisie knows
the way.
They pass the ‘Midnight Cruisers’ club (Maisie isn’t sure
what this is, something to do with vintage cars and cowboy boots) and the road
becomes a bit bumpy. Very soon they’re skirting around the foot of the downhill
ski slope. They can see Kiruna town and the mine spread out beneath them.
Above them is the ski slope. It’s on a ‘fjäll’ that was once
an open cast mine, but that was long ago. Now there are chair lifts and
children on skis, risking life and limb – really, you’d think their parents
would know better.
Along the side of the road are stacks of concrete building
material. It’s stuff that was delivered when they started building the hotel on
the top, many years ago now. Damn stupid idea
that was. They wanted to build a hotel for visitors to admire the midnight sun!
Did they forget – hotels are for sleeping in! Maisie spends all summer trying
to keep the sun out of their bedroom in the middle of the night – why would
anyone pay to stay somewhere it shone straight in your face? Well she must have
been right, because the hotel never got further than the first floor before the
whole idea was abandoned. She chuckles to herself. Then tuts.
‘It’s a disgrace, dumping all this stuff here,’ she says.
‘They ought to be prosecuted.’
Between the piles of building materials they can see the distant mountains. Further along they park, and
look.
Maisie pours them some coffee. They think about getting out the car, but don’t. After five
minutes or so Maisie puts her belt on again, and nods at Jack to do the same.
‘There’s not too much snow,’ she says, ‘- we’re going up!’. She
drives the car wildly (Jack thinks) round the corner and bumps up the
bending dirt road on the side of the slope. As they climb higher, the views get
better.
Jack is looking a bit pale. He’s seen ‘Thelma and Louise’
and is hoping Maisie isn’t planning on going over the edge.
Very near the top, the snow doesn’t seem to have been
cleared at all, so they come to a halt.
‘Now if it was summer we could have gone all the way,’ says
Maisie. ‘Still the views from here aren’t at all bad, are they?’
She pours herself some more coffee.
It’s peaceful, looking out into the far distance. She can almost understand why
people climb mountains.
‘Now, that wasn’t too exhausting, was it?’
She turns to look at Jack, who has fallen asleep.
Details
All year round activity to the lower level.
June – November to the top of the hill.
Walking, or car
Free
Directions from Lynne and Rolf
