Storjord to Namsskogan via Swedish Lapland (The Letter O)

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Going Round In Circles

Bright and early on the 2nd of August, we decamped from our Arctic River outpost and hit the road. There was still 800 km between us and the letter’s start/finish point, Namsskogen. On the surface, this circular piece of driving looks like a complete waste of time. It was not. The route took us through the heart of Swedish Lapland – one of the most beautiful places we have explored to date.

The remaining route around Sweden and back into Norway 

The journey to the Swedish border took us through the eastern mountains of the Saltfjellet-Svartisen national park. Exiting the park, we joined the 77 and headed straight for the border. 

Welcome to Sweden! 

As we entered Sweden, the landscape changed dramatically. Mountainous peaks gave way to vast lakes and thick forest.

Drone shot of the Van deep in Sweden.

Local Inhabitants

In the heart of Swedish Lapland, the wildlife is on a different level. The road is awash with Moose and reindeer of all shapes and sizes.  The local inhabitants sometimes cause complete havoc on the roads – Katy and I kept making each other jump by shouting ‘MOOSE’ or ‘REINDEER’ every 20 minutes or so…

Moose with calf (out of sight) on the side of the road

Reindeer on the road

At one point, we even came across a rare white reindeer. This has to a highlight of the trip so far – we couldn’t believe our eyes! The only animal we were warned about but did not end up seeing was the Brown Bear. Hopefully our luck will change when we return to Sweden to complete the ‘P’… 

A rare white reindeer!

As we passed Arjeplog, deep in Swedish Lapland, it was time to make camp and rest for the evening. Deep in the Arctic Forest, it was easy to sit back and enjoy our surroundings.

Back in Norway

After a lovely evening, I woke early the next day and pushed on past Arvidsjaur. As we followed the route, our trajectory gradually changed. In the morning we drove south towards Ostersund. After lunch, the van was pointing due west back towards the Norwegian border. The journey west was slow going. Countless potholes littered the road and I was reluctant to risk a couple of flats in the middle of nowhere. Eventually, after a solid 12 hours on the road, the Norwegian border was on the horizon. 

Back in Norway!

On entering Norway, the familiar mountains returned and we meandered our way back to Namsskogan. Once in the village, my GPS tracker confirmed that we had closed the loop. As if to celebrate our achievement, the rain gave way to sun and we basked in the glorious shadow of a mighty rainbow. It was a fitting way to end an awesome stage.

Three letters down, 7 to go.

Final route log