Welcome to the Jämtlandsfjällen and to my beautiful part of Sweden. My name is Sofie, I run Strövtåg and I live in a small mountain village called Handöl. Or to be precise, I live outside the large village where approximately 40 permanent residents live. Here it is close to nature and I have the mountains as my backyard. I hope to share my mountain joy with you who come here.
My philosophy
I work hard for sustainable nature tourism and a long-term business that does not wear out the nature we have. My compass is based on respect, care and love – both for you as a visitor and for nature. The mountain treats us all equally, regardless of status, money in the bank or who you are with. My mountain hikes become richer because we humans are different. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned mountain fox, there is something for you, something to learn and something to experience. We must also not forget that it is us as a group who together make the mountain hike memorable.
About Sofie
Born and raised in the Jämtland mountains, it is no coincidence that I thrive in nature. Being outside in all seasons has its charm. Skiing in all forms during the winter, camping and fishing during the summer, I have done since childhood. My passion is good local food and the simplicity of life. I want to share my mountain joy with others to give an understanding of the nature we must preserve to those who come after us. I trained and certified myself as a Mountain Leader and since 2017 have organized mountain hikes. In order to take better care of you who visit me, I have also trained in Wilderness First Aid, simply outdoor medical care.
I provide Kammarkollegiet’s Travel Guarantee through Visita and hold the permits required to arrange hikes and activities in the mountains.
The nine seasons are the heart of my business
The mountain is changeable, here the weather and the season control everything that happens. My activities are tied to the seasons and that’s why you can come along exclusively when it’s at its best! So what are the eight, or nine seasons if you ask me?
For me, the year begins in spring-winter when the sun finally returns, the crusty snow carries us everywhere on skis, the first chirping of birds is heard and the evenings are bright. Nature is slowly waking up from its winter hibernation. Without anyone noticing, spring has taken over, The Great Snipe plays wildly over the bright nights of the mountains, the wind is warm but the leaves on the birches have not yet begun to grow. Nature becomes a nursery for all animals and we humans have to be careful where we move on the mountain. When the mountain birch buds, the Handölsforsen roars welcomingly about the arrival of early summer. Floods provide unique opportunities for all migratory birds and the prime time for bird watchers at Lake Ånnsjön is here. Then everything goes at breakneck speed, the mountain birch glows green, light rain showers, colorful flowers and above all the mountain’s toughest plant Isranunkel (Ranunculus glacialis) tells us that it is summer. The last patches of snow disappear in the middle or end of July and the mountains are full of holidaymakers. It is now that there are most people in the mountains, a time that is perfect to explore my hidden gems, far from other people.
The dark evenings and spectacularly colorful sunsets show that it is summer-autumn. The mountain teems with blueberries, rowanberries, cloudberries and the yellow chanterelles appear on the mountain sides in lucky years. It gets cooler, the wind stronger and the vegetation loses its luster. Slowly, rice, leaves, grass and finally entire mountain sides are colored in all the colors of the rainbow. Autumn is here with warm days and chilly nights. You feel the earthy smell of moisture, the first snow on the mountain tops comes and gives a foretaste of what lies ahead. As quickly as the explosion of color came, it disappears and what remains are the branches of the mountain birch like a fragile skeleton. Autumn-winter is an unpredictable time. Warming days are mixed with storms and precipitation from all directions and edges. The days get darker but are offset by lit candles and crackling fires. The ice snaps and roars before it’s ready for Ice skating and a moment of terror-mixed delight. During the dark and long nights, the snow is replenished, packed by storms, gentle and then even more snowfall. The cold fresh snow requires long, wide wooden skis to carry us over the bogs. Winter is a time for recovery and I usually say that anyone who hasn’t experienced a winter in the mountains doesn’t know what darkness or silence is. Slowly the light returns, the snow sparkles like diamonds and the biting cold releases its grip. The circle is closed and the year begins anew.
But the ninth season then?
Well, those are the weeks when the sun warms, we who live here ski in shorts, hang the dried meat outside and the calm is right here, just before life returns to nature. The ninth season is between spring winter and spring, and is my best. Have you found your best season?
