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.

Ilive 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.

“Every 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.”

Every year since 1985 the frozen river has also hosted the annual Vindelälvsdraget (pandemic years excepted), 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. I have neighbours with 20 to 30 dogs that they train & maintain. When you consider that a good dog can cost upwards of £1,000 (sometimes a long way upwards!) you realise that it is a sport for the truly dedicated.

The race used to be around 400 km over 4 days but global heating has caused it to be curtailed, as the ice is unpredictable lower down the river now.

The race starts in Ammarnäs up in the mountains near to the Norwegian border. The hamlet has only a couple of hundred residents but attracts many tourists for the world-class fishing, skiing, and nature. And its historic potato mountain! (Google it!). The village was originally an important meeting place for the indigenous Sami people, and it still has one of Lapland’s larger Sami communities. Originally mainly nomadic reindeer herders, many Sami today own their own property whilst retaining their language, dress, and customs. They are the only people in Sweden who are permitted to own commercial reindeer herds, and have their own Parliament to represent their unique history and conservation needs.

There was no road from Ammarnäs to anywhere much until around 1940. Supplies were hauled from Sorsele (90 km each way), Lycksele (240 km each way), or Mo-I-Rana in Norway (150 km each way, over the mountains). It was a tough life for tough people.

After the mass start in Ammarnäs the teams fly down river to the finish in Hällnäs some 320 km away. There are 2 overnight stops en route and regular stages where the competitors are timed in & out, and can change the spent dogs and mushers for fresh. I used to imagine that everyone in the race would have a team of huskies but no, there are many different breeds competing. I’ve seen boxers and setters alongside more specialised sledge dogs. I asked one competitor why he didn’t use huskies and he simply said “Because I want to win!”.

The race involves a massive amount of effort from volunteers along the route. Every kilometre has to be prepared for racing and clearly delineated with snowpoles. The staging points have to be manned, veterinary cover arranged, and coffee & cakes on hand. The dogs & skiers need somewhere to rest overnight. The team helpers have to see their team off, then drive or snow -scooter to the next staging post to be ready when their team arrives. This area being what it is, they’re unlikely to be troubled by traffic jams en route, nor struggling for parking when they arrive!

Each stage along the course can be 15 to 20 km with each team covering around 100 km per day. The snow & ice conditions determine how fast each stage is – this year the first day was run in heavy wet snow which made life very difficult, but fortunately conditions improved for the subsequent days as overnight frosts firmed the track. My photographs cover the start at Ammarnäs and a little of the first day in 2014, a couple from Björksele and Vormsele in 2015, 2017 & 2020, and Rusksele this year, 2023.

I still have no idea how they calculate who are the overall winners!

Then, a few weeks after the race has been run, medals & cups presented, aches & pains soothed, the reindeer are quietly herded along the frozen river in the opposite direction, back to their summer pastures in the hills. Another cycle begins.

Slowly the river thaws, and the fishermen return. Life here is all about being in harmony with nature. Nature does what nature does.

We are just the lucky observers.

JOHN ALEXANDER ROSE