Slagavallen, December 31th, 2022
On New Year's Eve, we saw on social media that a snowmobile gang had arranged for an ice hole tent sauna at Stråsjön. Anyone who wanted could come by and sauna and swim in the afternoon.
It was a perfect opportunity for a fun outing and a new experience, so we packed swimsuits, towels, and extra warm clothing. It was a cold and windy day with temperatures around minus 15 degrees Celsius, so we had to be prepared. We had about 3 kilometers on skis to get to Stråsjön, and it was mostly untouched snow, so it was a good warm-up before the swim.
When we arrived at Stråsjön, there were many families with snowmobiles on site. Everyone was bundled up with thick hats and gloves and snowmobile suits, and it was definitely needed in the cold wind on the lake. We were the only ones who skied there. Despite the cold, we were warmly welcomed and shown to the tent for both changing and sauna.
Since it was so cold, we quickly changed and took a dip in the beautiful ice hole they had arranged. Afterwards, we could crawl into the nice sauna tent that was heated with a small wood stove. It was a short and cozy sauna because only three people could fit inside, and there were more people who needed to warm up.
After we saunaed and dressed as warmly as we could, we were served warm mulled wine and stayed for a while watching more bathers. Despite extra clothing, we quickly became cold, so we thanked them for their hospitality and skied back to our cabin to start preparing the New Year's dinner.
Although it was a small and simple everyday adventure, it was still a new and memorable experience and a great start to a Happy New Year with hopes for many new small adventures!
