Deep in the heart of Sarek National Park, often referred to as Europe’s wildest landscape, our ski expedition battled two passing storms in three days, seeking refuge in our Hilleberg tents. The strongest forecasted wind gusts reached 45 m/s, a truly dangerous situation to be in—were it not for the snow walls that we painstakingly built to shield our tents from the winds.
In between the peaks of the two storms, there were a couple of hours when we could stand outside and not be immediately swept off our feet. During this time, I wandered not far from our camp in order to not lose sight of it, to capture this scene of a dilapidated toilet hut—built by the local Sami reindeer herders for summer usage—bracing against the snowy winds.
Bringing my camera closer to the ground, I was able to better capture the ice patterns under the blown-away snow, but this was a difficult act of balance—shooting straight into the half-obscured sun. I am very pleased with the result: a photograph that I hope showcases the brutal power yet sublime beauty of the Arctic.
