Gargia - Orvvosfossen - Vuolit Orvvošjávri

Impressive winter nature hike with spectacular views and meditative tranquility.

I've done that hike on a superb cold winter day with temperatures of -30 Celsius (feels like -35) clear skies and almost no wind.

Starting at Gargia and following the signs I reached the Orvvosfossen waterfall after about 30min. This is where the tourist trail ends and the real Arctic adventure begins. Only few people go up to the top of the waterfall, which then is the point of return.

I went beyond that, trying to reach the lake of Orvvošjávri. With freezing cold temperatures and a landscape completely covered in snow and ice this was quite challenging. The track itself is not too demanding, but you still need to be in very good physical condition. The most challenging part is to find a route that is safe. I followed the frozen river. With one step at a time and eyes and ears on alert I tried to find a way, without breaking into the flowing river which I could hear underneath the ice. It is advisable to walk on elevated areas, but be careful to read the landscape correctly to avoid falling into snow-covered crevices that are located between the rocks.

The landscape is majestic, incredible. Simply indescribable. I felt like I was the first person to ever set foot in this part. The landscape completely white, with trees covered in thick snow. Plus an incredible play of colours in the sky of deep blue and bright pink, and with layers of yellow. The low moon also gave the feeling of walking on a distant ice planet.

I took my time to find a suitable path, enjoyed the silence and took lots of photos. If I had only been looking for a sporting challenge, I could have completed this tour in 2 hours. But that wouldn't do justice to the landscape and the atmosphere here.