A RACE IN THE SNOW GRAHAME SODEN ABIPP
A Race in the Snow Nestled in Västerbotten County, Swedish Lapland, lies a picturesque wooden house just meters away from the Vindelälven river, which member Grahame Soden calls home. This pristine and undeveloped waterway stretches over 445 km, serving as a frozen highway during winter for reindeer herding, snow-scooter excursions, and cross-country skiing. Since 1985, the river has hosted the annual Vindelälvsdraget, a thrilling 320 km dog relay race that attracts dedicated competitors from around the world. Starting in the mountainous village of Ammarnäs, the race features diverse breeds of dogs, with teams flying downriver to the finish line in Hällnäs. This remarkable event showcases the region’s unique culture, breathtaking landscapes, and harmonious coexistence with nature. In this article, Grahame tells of his experience photographing the event.
I
live in Västerbotten County in Swedish Lapland. My little wooden house is about 100m from the Vindelälven river which runs from near the border with Norway to the sea at Umeå, a distance of some 445 km (277 miles). It is an undeveloped and protected river which means there are no hydro-electric power stations along its length, which in turn means it freezes hard in the winter, and becomes an important highway for reindeer herding, snow-scooter excursions, and cross-country skiing. To give you a little idea of the size of the sparsely-populated vastness of Västerbotten, it covers an area over twice that of Wales, yet has a population density of only around 3 people per sq. km, around 270,000 souls of which 130,000 live in the county town of Umeå (pronounced ooh-me-oh). Outside of the main towns it is pretty empty – a string of little villages scattered like pebbles alongside the rivers, with nothing much in between them.
58 the PHOTOGRAPHER / 2023 / Issue Two
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very year since 1985 the frozen river has also hosted the annual Vindelälvsdraget, a 3-day, 320 km dog relay race. Competitors might be on a proper sledge with a full team of dogs, or just a single skier attached to one or two animals.”
Issue Two / 2023 / the PHOTOGRAPHER 59
