I really love the flora up here, the number of different plant species are thousands. And all of them are suited for the extreme enviroment. Most of them are small but colourful, the flowering for some species are just one day because of the short summer.This Picture is taken in Swedish Lapland.
The animals who lives in the arctic are perfectly suited for extreme enviroments.Some of the great arctic animals are:Polar BearArctic FoxWolverineMuscoxReindeerPtarmiganSnow WeaselThe picture is taken at a ranch in North Sweden, it's an animal that I respect and admire for it's exellent survival skills, a Wolverine.
National Parks are just great, but it's a pity sometimes that they are needed for protections from humans. Scandinavia is great, often it's not just the National Parks that are great. The areas around the National Parks are just as great. I'm very pleased with turists who respect the nature and the enviroments. So basicly, no NP's needed if we use our common sense...This is a great NP in Swedish Lapland, Stora sjöfallet wich has a great fauna and flora.
If you don't own a helicopter snowmobile is the best alternative. Many people use it although it's just like a car - ecologically harmful. In Sweden you can't drive through National Parks or nature reserve, or on Sami land.Snowmobiles are both good and bad. I use it sometimes. It's absolutely the best transportation vehicle in the arctic for small or medium long distance travels.This is a picture of me in Swedish Lapland.
The most common fresh water fish in the arctic is the beautiful Arctic Char. It's colours is very characteristic. It's a tasty meal with just some salt. This is almost the only fish that are quite active or alert in the winters. They can be found in the mountain lakes or rivers of the tundra.They are extremely reserved.I caught this a year ago in Swedish Lapland.
Sweden has regions of tundra, it is often characterized by great boglands, some of them are red. A delicious berry that can be found here is Cloudberry (Can be found in whole Sweden) it's a great berry that cheers you up when you've been walking all day. It's very sweet and gives some well-needed energy back after a long day.I often cook them when I'm out hiking, just mix it with some water and you'll have a delicious jam on your sandwich.Cloudberrys can be found in almost every region of the arctic.This picture is taken at Pältsa, Swedish Lapland.
Fondest Memory?Hehe, unlikely to be this!It was freezing & cold.Not more than 3 minutes out there & we were back to the van!I had 3 layers on, a hat & gloves & thermal boots! Still, it's COLD!Even the scarf was not sufficient!I needed that ski-mask!Blatantly cold but it was MOST fun! :-D
When you're visiting these great lands, you really have to pay attention to the temperatures. As you probably understand, the constant dark in the winters is dangerous. The warm air goes straight out in the space at the clear nights. There is nothing really to warm it up again. No sun for several months at some places. That's why temperatues can drop to extreme levels. In Sweden the lowest temp ever is -53C, but in Russia, Canada and of course the North Pole it goes lower than -53C each winter.If you're visiting in winter, be sure to build up lots of layers of clothings. 2-3 layers of something tight on your skin. Than a couple of more layers on that. Do not use "big" clothes, use really tight clothes. The only big clothing you will have to use is a big coat.This Picture is taken in Lapland, Sweden.A beautiful area.
The Northern Scandinavia has a large amount of Reindeers. In Arctic they are an important livelihood for the inutis (Russian and Candian inutis, Sami's) who live there.Some use the animal for transport and warm clothings, other just for the meat.The North American Reindeer (Caribou) is not a different species of Reindeer. The Reindeer who's living in North America is originally from Russia and Europe. They both share the same latin name, "Rangifer Tarandus"So if you ever see a "Caribou", it's a Reindeer. :-)This picture is taken at an National Park in Sweden (Stora Sjöfallet NP)
Midnight sun is also a common phenomenon in the arctic region, in fact - all land above the circle has at least a few days without any sunset. It often causes a sleeping problem for those who are visiting.A tips: If you ever tenting in the arctic, choose a tent with dark colours. It shuts out the light and store the heat of the sun, the nights can be very cold.
Reviews and photos of Arctic attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Arctic sightseeing.
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