2 July 2008
Skuleberget
A quick drive down the main highway soon meant we were driving into Örnsköldsvik for a rendezvous with Agnete and AnnBritt. We found them watching some crazy young kids, skiing down the snow slope without any snow. I think the slope had some plastic covering for summer skiing. However, by the time I got there they had decided to break for lunch!
We waved goodbye to Stefan and piled into the Suzuki and headed off south to the Höga Kusten area.
First stop was at the Nature Reserve – Skuleberget. The display there was very interesting, detailing the phenomenon of the land rising following the last ice age. I am sure Wikipedia will have something to say about it – check it out! Due to my lack of Swedish, plans were being made without my understanding! We drove around to the back of Skuleberget. Hmm…. What’s this cable car ahead?? it appears we’re going up to the top via cable car! AnnBritt quickly offers to stay with the car, so Agnete & I head over to the lift and as the chairs are slowed down, we stand on the painted yellow footprints and get caught up as the seat comes around and hits us behind the knee – and we’re off! Too late to protest! But it wasn’t so bad and we chugged up to the top. It was certainly well worth it! The sight from the top of Skuleberget is spectacular! A bird’s eye view of the waterways and islands towards Finland in the east, mountains to the west. Way down below one can see a tiny church surrounded with farmlands and small farm houses all looking like something out of a kid’s plastic farm kit! To visibly demonstrate the amount that the land has lifted, a guide line could be peered along showing that only the top fringe of the mountain across the valley would have been visible after the ice sheet had receded. Likewise the crest of Skuleberget has a different look to the soil and the trees lower down. And so back to the cable car for the descent – all smooth until the last leg, where the ‘driver’ decided to put the brakes on rather suddenly that left us swinging rather roughly in the air. But eventually we were back on the ground and on our way again.
