"Have you ever imagined a place where you can look from heaven to hell at a glance? Well let me tell you about a trip I have just returned from and a sporting adventure that will remain with me forever.
The purpose of the trip was to race on a frozen lake called Imandra, situated within the Russian Arctic Circle in a region known as the Murmansk Oblast.
The culture shock began on our arrival at the Russian border control. We had travelled from Gothenburg and followed the Baltic up to Finland and a place called Salla on the Finnish / Russian border.
2 hours of human pin ball and we were ejected out into the snow, our trusty 4x4 waiting for us.
After meeting our Russian friends on route we travelled for 3 hours north on a shot blasted highway that would not have looked out of place in a mad max movie.
Decades of mining and smelting and the resultant sulphur dioxide had killed and stunted everything for miles around.
My Russian companion for the drive was a guy called Dennis, what a lad, a joy to be with. He looked at me on arrival in Monchegorsk on the shores of Lake Imandra and said in a broad Russian accent “welcome to hell” and laughed.
The town had a real post apocalyptic feel, dilapidated buildings, snow and ice piled high against the side walks and the huge iconic statues looking defiantly down at us from each end of town, I liked it, in fact I loved it, “Dennis, buddy, this is fantastic” we went straight to the pub and got 'leathered' (Jon speak for drunk, ED).
Lake Imandra is vast; it is an ocean of ice that stretches as far as the eye can see, fringed with mountains, desolate and beautiful. We walked onto it for the first time and struggled for words.
Quietly we laid out our gear, unwinding the lines and spreading the kites flat on the snow. I stamped on the skis and give a quick shuffle picking up the loop on the kite bar attaching it to the harness, its all lookin good.
Helmet on, all the loose ends tucked away, I grasp the bar, my heart’s beating a bit faster, I’m lookin at my buddies smiling. The kites inflate effortlessly and immediately we speed away whooping and screaming. We head out into the white void eating up the miles, the kites rising and falling pulling on the bar for more power and feeling the acceleration, man this is just amazing.
I stop in the middle for a breather at one point, letting the bar out, the kite sitting above my head waiting for the next command. I look about and see my friends scattered like coloured ribbons on this sea of ice. Come on baby, I'm shouting, the kite dives forward and I pull the bar in, magic.
We spent the week travelling to some remote areas up toward the Barents sea, a cold silent wilderness few people outside Russia have been to, our guide and friend Sergey always there showing us the way.
We explored the hills powered by our little kites with just the breeze and ourselves for company, not a sole for 150km around.
On returning from our final trip the coach pulled over, we got out to stretch our legs. The sky was clear. Suddenly one of our friends Pete shouts for us to look up, like a green iridescent vail the Northern lights switched on, wow I have no words.
I'd wanted to see this all my life and there in the sky was the best show on earth and we had the front row seats.
So how can I sum up in such few words an adventure like that? I won't even try.
Dasvidanya my friends, Dasvidanya…….
