1
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2. December. I find myself
in Jokkmokk in northern Sweden.

2
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Dark Age has started. We have prepared
equipment for 40 days in the field.

3
00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:55,040
We want to have Christmas & New Year's
going out and return when the sun returns.

4
00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:59,340
Foss, come on!  Here!
Come on!

5
00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:07,280
I have a suspicion
that there will be a lot of dog training.

6
00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:23,560
He will manage this. 50 kilograms in the sled
is nothing when well fed.

7
00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:37,360
Such a good boy!

8
00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:07,360
It takes time to get ready
with household duties.

9
00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:13,320
Three hours, from when I
started digging the clay pit.

10
00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:20,840
Setting the tarp, cutting wood for
the whole evening and the next morning.

11
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This is no lazy man's life.

12
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I get ready for the
morning fire in the evening.

13
00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:37,080
When I cut enough, I'll prepare
them and put them in the bag -

14
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- or under the tarp. Then
I just reach out my hand, -

15
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- stoke the fire and get
a pleasant start to the day.

16
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When you go on tour in the dark period,
You're affected by lack of daylight.

17
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Everything requires more energy. 
It's important to cooperate with nature.

18
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Trust me well, the reward is
great. The light is fantastic.

19
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I look forward to arriving at
Sarekfjellene to re-sight the sun.

20
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This is no different than what I
did when I was 17-18 years old.

21
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In the northern forest, the Krokskogen.
When we did this on weekends.

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Lying under open sky
or with just a tablecloth over us.

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As if time stood still.

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The difference is, of course,
the wilderness up here is huge.

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There is an enormous amount of untouched forest.
Here you can go in for weeks alone.

26
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It's dimly lit. The clock is at 12,
but lighter it will not get.

27
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We must sieze the day, Foss.

28
00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:35,760
There can be 30-50 cm of snow
in the course of one day.

29
00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:43,240
So we need to move us as we can.
Would rather be quiet for a few days.

30
00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:07,960
What's this?

31
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It's not often that you see that.

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Orrhane, black grouse. Here one of
nature's own hunters have been busy.

33
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A bird carcass tends not to remain
long. A fox probably got it.

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What do you think? Don't you want it?
You can gnaw on it tonight.

35
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You'd rather be alone
when you eat.

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It's advantageous to pack up a sled.
We are self-sufficient for the whole trip.

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I've included lots of bread,
bacon, coffee and many other luxuries.

38
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Nevertheless, I hope
to be able to outwit a fish.

39
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There is little fuss to get the
food itself.

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It's best to use live bait.
I try to keep it alive in the field.

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In my slipper. Everything wild
goes in the slippers.

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They're not completely frozen stiff.
There's actually a sign of life yet.

43
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No.
Mark one has been hanging in peace.

44
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I see the fish well.
It's there, certainly a nice fish.

45
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But he scoffs at the sport fishermen
on the ice trying to fool it.

46
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Fish are like humans.
They are affected by the lack of light.

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So they wait for a sufficiently
brighter, warmer season.

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I will be at this camp two or three days.
It's so nice here.

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Now the cold has settled
like a lid over the landscape.

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Almost no life to hear.
An occasional owl calls out.

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There are of course tracks
of reindeer, hares and stuff.

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Nature has been in here.

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It's incredibly large to be
part of.

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With the cold, short days, everything
that moves is in low gear in December -

55
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- I would not put right
a great value on those moments -

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- when it's easy in the summer.
That's only six months away.

57
00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:12,840
And before that there's the spring, also.

58
00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:17,480
Shall we proceed?

59
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There are three days left for Christmas.
Think I'll push on a bit -

60
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- to find a nice Christmas camp.

61
00:09:56,800 --> 00:10:00,920
Incredible changes here.

62
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As if someone turned on a switch,
it was 30 degrees in a snap.

63
00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:12,320
For a day since it was
27-28 minus, now it's two plus.

64
00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:18,720
It has begun to blow,
and the snow just plummets from the trees.

65
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Bombarding everything on the ground.
The dog jumps, scared around here.

66
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I had to lower the liner
and bear down better.

67
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Now we're well sheltered under the cloth.

68
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Sleeping to the sound of the wind that roars
in the treetops, is incredibly delicious.

69
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Now it's 9.30, but as usual it will be
half an hour until there's good daylight.

70
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Now I sit in a sleeping bag
and check out the terrain, -

71
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- The green woods which
yesterday were chalk white.

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Now I sit here in the fresh
spring wind and enjoy my coffee.

73
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In December.
This is not normal, this here.

74
00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:39,880
What, out and about solo?
Two days before Christmas?

75
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Been sacked by Santa Claus? Rumors
yesterday that he has shifted to using dogs.

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-Are there any _good_ children here?
-At least one.

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Take this, you. Now I travel on.
I think, for the rest I go.

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-This year's first gingerbread.
-Cohabitation: Nina and the dogs are in place.

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We have it so peaceful, just as we wish.
Now, Christmas Eve parties.

80
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You're awesome.
May I hang the star?

81
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This is really good.

82
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-Merry Christmas.
-In the same way.

83
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Think this is Christmas number
16 or 17 for me out there.

84
00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:43,920
This is the perfect way to celebrate
that we are moving towards brighter days.

85
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The feeling is insanely lovely.
Now there are only a few weeks -

86
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- and then one senses how the longer
days win back the soul.

87
00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:48,040
Good to be back in the tent.
Have not used it since Pasvik.

88
00:15:48,160 --> 00:15:56,400
When Nina and the dogs said goodbye,
she took with her cloth, ax and saw.

89
00:15:56,520 --> 00:16:01,600
These I swapped out
for the tent and Primus stove.

90
00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:09,600
I have a very sheltered home again.
One is more exposed to wind under the cloth.

91
00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:15,800
But I will miss having a bonfire.
It's mildly pleasant, with a primus.

92
00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:22,600
But this is the safest option.
For now I'm in high hilly terrain.

93
00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:29,200
Here I'm much more vulnerable
to storms and bad weather.

94
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May as well dig up New Year's frame.

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What are the arrangements for chicken?

96
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Now at 12 it's midnight.
You have a happy New Year!

97
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Thanks, the same as you said.
And so we celebrate.

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Hip, hurray in the mountains!

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Much better than rockets
which smell and make noise.

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It's in honor of you,
because you are such a fine companion.

101
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So I say very quickly:
Thank you for this year.

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Cheers, Foss.

103
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T'Was the celebration.

104
00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:33,000
Northern Sweden has many sled team leaders.
I follow the best known, -

105
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- Kungsleden.
He runs from Hemavan to Abisko.

106
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Foss has become much better at drawing the sled
and not losing sled track markings.

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This is valuable if you decide to follow
tracks leading into in the mountains.

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I'm overtaking the sled when Foss had
gone ahead with it for about an hour.

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It applies to them
while the game is good.

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If it's heavy and tiring
mentally, he loses the desire.

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Now he draws only in the group.
That's where he really belongs.

112
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Well, we came across the water
before it got dark.

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There's not much life.

114
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Is it open, so one night in a house.
There is luxury in the mountains.

115
00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:07,480
You were so good today!

116
00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:18,400
Are you so fond of scratching your back?

117
00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:31,960
Should not be so long calm before
know minus the ranks under his clothes.

118
00:20:34,320 --> 00:20:39,960
Here, it was locked.
Oh no. It's this door.

119
00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:44,920
In Sweden, there are often
several lodges in one place.

120
00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:51,040
Then they lock everything but
one room. Here it's open enough.

121
00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:04,360
Wood stove. That's the most important.
And four logs on.

122
00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:09,240
Tonight it's the mattress.

123
00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:24,640
Sitojaurestugan belongs to the Swedish
Tourist association and is open to all.

124
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As a member, I pay $100 per night.
A little more expensive for non-members.

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Weird stuff.
Must be a kløyveredskap.         (?!)

126
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Swedish patent?
How does one do this, then?

127
00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:03,480
There will be a little noise here, buddy.

128
00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:14,760
You can do this til tomorrow morning.

129
00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:24,920
... 26, 27, 28, 29 ...

130
00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:44,640
Think I prefer the old way.

131
00:22:56,520 --> 00:23:03,400
Dark Age creeps into your soul.
You go down to low gear.

132
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Some thrive in a curious way, but
you go without smiling for a long time.

133
00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:17,880
Who does it bothers, anyway?

134
00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:24,360
Being here, feel the atmosphere,
get a reminder -

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- that we humans are like animals ...
They remain calm now.

136
00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:38,720
They don't have the same activity
as when the light comes to our nights.

137
00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:47,840
But until nature shows upk
with more daylight, I'll sleep a lot.

138
00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:53,720
I have thought to do that now,
though it's only half past seven.

139
00:23:53,840 --> 00:24:00,880
Hopefully I'll wake up
when daylight comes, the 9-9.30 time.

140
00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:15,600
We will be, over the watershed,
at almost 800 meters altitude.

141
00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:22,520
It's not difficult to find.
Kungsleden is fairly straightforward.

142
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Weatherproof day. Lying quietly,
relax, write a little, drink coffee.

143
00:25:23,220 --> 00:25:28,140
(learn to repair a tent at nrk.no/monsen)

144
00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:40,560
One gale, and the -3.4 degrees
yesterday becomes -22 degrees.

145
00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:47,280
It's clear, fine weather.
Probably I will see the sun today.

146
00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:14,320
Wonderful to see the sun shine
on the mountain tops again.

147
00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:20,720
What a trip this has been. Being
out through the dark times ...

148
00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:28,320
Enjoyable moments. Seeing see the sun again,
knowing that every day is a little brighter.

149
00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:36,960
In contrast to the start of
December, spring is much closer now.

150
00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:45,720
Before I head off to the lowlands,
I will give the fish a last attempt.

151
00:27:00,500 --> 00:27:03,000
(next week)

152
00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:13,920
Must work as a whole to hang on.

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00:27:50,300 --> 00:27:53,290
(English subtitles: Lex Ein)

154
00:27:53,399 --> 00:27:57,260
(lexein-subs at yahoo dot com)

155
00:29:04,261 --> 00:29:04,261
Sat Dec 05 2009 09:02:55