Preliminary program, Academy of Sweden – Outdoor 2011

Preliminary program, Academy of Sweden – Outdoor 2011

Friday March 25
Arrival: Individual flights to Trondheim (Norway)/meet at Vaernes/Trondheim Airport.

13.00: Departure by bus from the airport and transfer to Storulvån Mountain Lodge. At the Lodge we will start the distribution of the outdoor equipment that you will be able to try out during the entire Academy (see the equipment list on our blog).

After this we will go out and learn how to set up a tent in the mountains.

Dinner at the Lodge

Welcome meeting: Information about the program. You will also learn how to use your outdoor equipment properly.

Saturday March 26
Adventure day: We put on snowshoes and go hiking in the beautiful winter landscape of Jämtland. Those with experience can use touring skis. We will also have a dog sledge with us, which everyone will get to experience.

We cook both lunch and dinner outdoors, and will spend a winter night in tents.

Sunday March 27
We start the day by hiking back to the Lodge.

From the lodge we take a bus to Åre and check in at our hotel. Åre is a world-famous ski resort at the foot of Åreskutan Mountain. Åre has twice hosted the Alpine World Ski Championships, and it attracts huge numbers of visitors every year.

After lunch is a workshop where tour operators get the opportunity to meet local suppliers at Holiday Club Åre to discuss future business opportunities.

Scandinavian Outdoor Group holds clinics for participating retailers. Partipating journalists can choose between a visit to the Moose Farm and downhill skiing with a guide.

Dinner at Hyddan Restaurant.

Monday March 28
Activity day: In Åre you can try out something you might never have done before, such as downhill skiing, ice climbing, horse riding, ziplining or ice fishing.

We all get together for lunch at one of Sweden’s best and most exciting restaurants, Fäviken Restaurant, Restaurateur Magnus Nilsson uses traditional cooking methods.

On the way to Östersund we stop at Lundhags, a producer of outdoor gear, where we get to see how their boots are made. Then we continue to Jämtland’s largest town, Östersund, and check in at ”Camp Södergren”.

Tour operators will get a tour of some hotels in Östersund.

Retailers will visit Woolpower to see their production of thermal underwear. Journalists have the option of visiting the National Winter Sports Centre or taking part in one of the above activities.

Our final dinner starts with a pre-dinner drink at Arctura, with breathtaking views of the mountains and forests, while Jerker Bexelius gives a presentation of Sami* culture. At the dinner you will be served modern versions of traditional Sami food, and if we are lucky there will be some lovely surprises during the evening. Now it´s time for your final exam….

*Samis are the aboriginal people of Sweden. Their “kingdom”, streches over northen Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia.

Tuesday March 29
On the last day we try tour skating/kick-sledding on Lake Storsjön by the centre of Östersund. Lake Storsjön is Sweden’s fifth largest lake, offering strong ice every winter, for a wide range of activities.

We conclude the trip with some snacks on the ice, before going to the airport.