This diary entry covers our second day of the trip. For details on previous days, see the ‘Further Reading’ section at the end of the article.

See the video of this second day!

An Arctic Trip; Day Two

On the second day of our trip, we went for a morning hike through a nearby Nordic forest. We crossed the frozen lake next to our campsite to reach the trail. The hike was invigorating but relatively short, lasting about two to two and a half hours.

When we went out in the morning, it was sunny but hazy. The sun became more pale the longer we went. The snow was deep, and many times, you could sink up to your waist.

We went back to have a quick and brief lunch and prepare for the main activity of the day, everyone was happy and content with the hike.

Our main activity for the day was to visit a place that defies description, a realm where dreams and reality intertwine. It’s a place that’s often heard about but rarely believed until witnessed firsthand. As the old saying goes, “Seeing is believing.”

The Ice Hotel, the world’s first and largest hotel constructed entirely of snow and ice. From the walls and ceilings to the intricate chandeliers, everything within the hotel is crafted from ice. Each year, a new hotel is built, showcasing unique artistic designs.

During peak season, from November to early December, the once-empty space along the Torne River transforms into a magnificent icy wonderland. Visitors from around the globe come to experience this extraordinary hotel for five months before it melts into the river in the spring.

Imagine sleeping in an art exhibition crafted from ice and snow. Each suite is meticulously hand-carved by talented artists, offering a truly unique experience. The temperature within the hotel remains consistently between -5 and -7 degrees Celsius. To stay warm, guests sleep in cozy sleeping bags designed for polar explorers, nestled on deer skins that cover the beds.

For over 30 years, the Ice Hotel has undergone a yearly cycle of melting and rebuilding. Until 2016, the original Ice Hotel was only accessible during the winter months. However, advancements in technology have made it possible to construct a permanent ice hotel, known as Icehotel 365. This year-round hotel features art suites, deluxe suites, an Ice Bar, and an exhibition hall showcasing the history of the Ice Hotel.

Upon entering Icehotel 365, the Ice Bar immediately captures attention. Like the rest of the hotel, everything in the bar is made of ice, from the tables and chairs to the counters, shelves, walls, chandeliers, and even the glasses. We ended the hotel visit with a cold drink there.

The whole afternoon and evening and during the night it snowed and there was no chance to see any Northern Lights, so that evening we did not go Aurora hunting.

I have not included all the pictures here. To see all of them and for more details and information, I invite you to watch the video diary of this second day on YouTube.

An Arctic Trip; Day Two

Gear

When I tell about the trips like this or any photography travel, a very common question is what gear do I bring with me on the journey. To answer this specific question upfront I list the gear I will take with me if I go today (what I had with me back in 2021 within parentheses).

Photography:

Camera 1:  Nikon Z7ii (Nikon Z6) (Affiliate links)
Camera 2: NIkon Zf (Nikon D7200) (Affiliate links)
Drone: DJI Mini: (DJI Mini 2) (Affiliate links)
Lens 1: Nikkor 24-70/4 S (Nikkor 24-70/4 S) (Affiliate links)
Lens 2: Viltrox 16/1.8 AF, Amazon (Nikkor AF-S 20/1.8) (Affiliate links)
Lens 3: Pergear 14mm f2.8 II ; (Voigtländer 15/4.5 Super Wide Heliar) (Affiliate links)
Lens 4:
L-bracket: 3-legged Thing Zelda for Nikon Z6/Z7 (Affiliate links)
Camera Grip: smallrig grip for Nikon Zf (Affiliate links)
Sturdy tripod:
Premium: Gitzo series 1, Feisol, Really Right Stuff (Affiliate links)
Midrange: Manfrotto Befree, 3 Legged Thing Punks Brian , Sirui (Affiliate links)
Small Tripod: Sirui 5C travel tripod (Affiliate links)

Video

Camera 1: NIkon Zf (Nikon Z6) (Affiliate links)
Camera 2: Insta 360 X3/X4 (Insta360 X2) (Affiliate links)
Camera 3: Sony ZV-1 (Samsung Galaxy S 20) (Affiliate links)
Drone: DJI Mini: (DJI Mini 2) (Affiliate links)
Lens 1: Nikkor 24-70/4 S (Nikkor 24-70/4 S) (Affiliate links)
Lens 2: Pergear 14mm f2.8 II,  Amazon (Nikon 10.5mm f2.8) (Affiliate links)
Mini Tripod: Gorillapod 3k kit (Affiliate links)

Further Reading

• Travel Diary: An Arctic Trip (Part 1)
• What camera gear and accessories do I use most frequently?
• Madeira through the Eyes of a Photographer: Travel-Report
• Travel report: A journey through the Balkans

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Martin

Martin M.H. lives outside Stockholm, Sweden. He is a M.Sc. in Computer Technology but he has been a passionate photographer for over 45 years. He started his photographic adventures when he was thirteen with an Agfamatic pocket camera, which he soon replaced with a Canon rangefinder camera that his mom gave him in his teenages. After that he has been using Canon SLR, Nikon SLR manual focus and Autofocus, Sony mirrorless crop sensor, Nikon DSLR and Nikon Mirrorless. He has photographed any genre he could throughout the years and you can see all kind of images in his portfolio. During the later years though it has been mostly landscape, nature, travel and some street/documentary photography.

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