Riksgränsen – or snow is just frozen water after all [Part II]

Heliskiing in Lapland

But on Wednesday evening it suddenly cleared up and we got a call from Mattias that two peaks in the Riksgränsen area were being flown to and we could join them. We still had time for a portion of pasta, then we took off at 8:30 pm. After a few minutes flight we reached Grosacohkka (1,554 m above sea level) and we were able to make a 600 m run in the midnight sun in moderately steep terrain of about 20-30°. We continued by helicopter to Vouiddasriida (1,588 m above sea level). Another 800 m run in a terrain of approx. 30-35° in an overwhelming evening atmosphere rounded off this magnificent night heli flight. Both runs were on glaciers in the upper area.
Heliskiing can be organized very flexibly here, as it doesn't get dark from May onwards. The base is right next to the hotel, but other starting points such as Kiruna or Abisko can also be chosen. The possibilities are almost unlimited. The area with over 100 landing sites is approx. 5,000 square kilometers in size. The three large areas are Riksgränsen, Katotjocka and Kebnekaise. Descents from 700 to 1,500 meters above sea level are possible and flight times are between 5 and 35 minutes. Most of the runs are on glaciers facing N-NW. The heliskiing season is from the beginning of March to the end of May. Powder snow is the rule until around the end of April!

Location and accommodation

Riksgränsen (German: Reichsgrenze) was built at the beginning of the 20th century during the construction of the railroad to transport iron ore from Luela via Kiruna to Narvik (Norway). This led to the formation of settlements along the route where the workers lived during construction. From around 1950, Riksgränsen developed into a well-known tourist winter sports resort in Lapland.

Today, there is a large hotel with apartments and ski rooms in Riksgränsen. The infrastructure in the hotel is very good for winter sports enthusiasts. Each room and apartment has a spacious ski locker. The apartments also have a tumble dryer! Restaurant, bistro and bar are located directly in the hotel. The supermarket is in the immediate vicinity (2 minutes' walk). For those who like to enjoy their vacation in an upscale atmosphere, Riksgränsen offers the Hotel Meteorolodgen.

Conclusion

In addition to the off-piste descents accessible via lifts, ascents and ski tours open up a wide and varied area with numerous attractive descents for freeriders. The heliskiing offer is in no way inferior to the popular heliskiing areas and is a particular highlight in the midnight sun. Freeriding in Lapland is worth the trip!