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This week we rewarded one of our key members of staff, Jack, with an all expenses paid trip to the Swedish Lapland! The mini adventure was hosted by Tentipi and they invited Dan (Managing Director) and Jack to join them with two other teepee companies from the UK. Here’s the diary of the trip!
Day One
We met up with Dave from Tentipi, Stu & James from Love Tipis and Robert from Cambridge Tipis in Arvidsjaur airport, Sweden. This is where Sonny our guide picked us up and took us to his home where his partner had prepared us and amazing meal. After thoroughly enjoying the stew, veg and red wine Sonny told us it was Arctic Hare! Still an amazing meal. He then took us to our apartment to get some sleep before the adventure really started!
Day two
A 7am start, a great Swedish breakfast prepared by Karin (Sonny’s partner) and then we were taken to the Tentipi Head Office and home of the manufacturing team. There we were greeted by Patrick of Tentipi and the seamstresses. We couldn’t believe that a small 5 person team makes our giant teepees. We got to use the sewing machines and made our own bags out of the teepee material. After lunch Sonny took us to a rental company for the next surprise!
We got geared up in snow suits, boots, gloves, etc and were briefed on how to use our very own Snowmobiles! Yamaha, 900cc 120BHP only 250kg with a 0-60MPH of around 3.5 seconds we couldn’t wait to get out into the wilderness.
After an hour or so drive through pine woodland, across meter deep snow and frozen lakes we arrived at our campsite, a lone Island in a frozen lake with good cover from the trees. We set up 2 adventure teepees (much smaller than our giant teepees), dug out a snow sofa and got our camp fire going. The sun started to set and Patrick cooked us thick bacon and Palt (a potato, flour & water mix). This, washed down with beer, was a welcome treat after a day of adventure and then we bedded down for the night.
Inside the teepees there was no ground cover we simply slept on snow! We each had a reindeer skin, camping mat and sleeping bag. Each teepee also had its’ on fire. The nights were comfortable and warm. In fact we were so impressed we’re buying some adventure teepees, so our clients can now stumble to bed at the end of their giant teepee events!
Day Three
As if the experience wasn’t incredible enough we woke up in the morning surrounded by the stunning pine forest with a fresh scattering of snow. Patrick cooked up some breakfast and coffee then we headed off on the Snowmobiles to go fishing. After a difficult yet awesome drive on sinking snow, steep slopes and sharp corners (and after digging out the snowmobiles a few times) we arrived at a frozen lake, where Karin had a camp set up. There fire was burning, the coffee was on and we were ready for ice fishing. We bored fishing holes in ice 2 foot thick, got our rods, baited, and sat fishing for an hour…. where we caught nothing. Sonny said if we didn’t catch anything we wouldn’t have anything for lunch. He made a decision to take us to a smaller lake in the hope of finding it densely populated with fish. We bored more holes, dropped our hook, lines & sinkers then started reeling the fish out. In about 30minutes we’d caught a load of small Perch and a few good sized Shad so back we went to Karin with our haul and she prepared lunch.
After Lunch sonny had organised reindeer sledding and after a brief go on the back of the sledge we headed back to camp where we fished with the perch we caught to catch bigger fish. Dave caught a big Pike but seeing as we had eaten he put it back. After relaxing round the campfire and a few beers Patrick cooked up a delicious reindeer stir fry which we washed down with red wine.
Finally it was time to sleep. A long exciting day lead to a deep, heavy, warm and comfortable sleep. That night there was 10cm of snow which created a beautiful morning sight. With a fresh layer of snow Jack and I decided there was one last thing to do before breaking down camp and leaving, so we built a five foot snowman.
There our adventure with Tentipi ended, we headed back to the airport and made our way back to civilisation, loved ones and the reality of work.
I’d like to say a huge thank you to Tentipi, Patrick and Sonny for looking after us. It was great to meet Stu, James & Robert too. Thanks Guys!
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