The Arjeplog Times

FREE Every Friday
Friday, February 27, 2004. Nr 8
The Arjeplog Times
Your weekly paper with news, views & interviews. Since 1990. 14th season.
Ice Tracks As Far As The Eye Can See
If the ice tracks in Arjeplog were
made into a single road it would
stretch from the very north to the
south of Sweden. Lake Kakel is
probably the lake that has the most
ice tracks in the world. A helicopter
trip around Arjeplog reveals
beautiful geometrical patterns
hinting at UFO-related activities.
Never before have so many tracks
been prepared in one place for the
motor industry.
THE TOTAL LENGTH of all the ice tracks
in Arjeplog is more than 1828 kilometres
which is the distance from Karesuando in
the north to Ystad in the south.
Lars-Gunnar Gyllenberg of Colmis
worked out that if they convert their ice
tracks into one side of a big road (3 metres
wide) it would be 620 kilometres long,
further than from Arjeplog to Sundsvall.
All their tracks are on Lake Kakel which is,
in fact, part of Lake Hornavan which is
the deepest lake in Sweden (226 metres).
Some of the 30 test tracks that are prepared on Lake Kakel.
OUTSIDE THE COLMIS facilities the
bigggest pike (gädda in Swedish, Hecht
in German) was caught many years ago
by an uncle of Harald Fjellström, joint
owner of Colmis. The pike weighed
more than 30 kilos, they said.
ICEMAKERS, who made the very first ice
tracks on Lake Hornavan, later known
as Bosch-See, have similar figures. Their
main customers are DaimlerChrysler
and BMW, each with large carefully
planned tracks on Lake Kakel. This
year, in order to make the tracks fit
better on the lake, the DaimlerChrysler
track has been turned 180 degrees.
ALF SUNDSTRÖM from Cartest does
not know how many kilometres of tracks
they have, but it felt like too much this
week, he said, as the snow just kept
pouring down.
They checked one of the trucks that
had only driven on the tracks of the lake
Inside: Grapevine • Meet Kajsa, ATM • Cédric from Delphi on hot seat • What’s on
and during one season it clocked about
30,000 kilometres.
Cartest prepare all their tracks on Lake
Uddjaur and their main customers are
Knorr-Bremse and Delphi.
ATM (Arjeplog Test Management)
who prepare tracks for BOSCH on Lake
Uddjaur by Vaitoudden have fewer
kilometres than Colmis. Stenis Nilsson
says that both car testers and local
employees go ice fishing for perch on the
Vaitoudden ice tracks. Actually, the
whole Lake Uddjaur is a fantastic fishing
area. Uddjaur means lake with many
islands and local legend has it that there
are 365 islands on Uddjaur.
THERE ARE ALSO several other track
makers such as Tjintokk, Revi and Arctic
Wind who create magical patterns on
the snowy Lapland landscape for the
work and pleasure of car testers.

The Arjeplog Times page 2
HEARD THRU´
THE GRAPEVINE...
✯ that Kajsa, our ‘local’ this week
used to be called Salads-Kajsa
because she made the salads at
Silverhatten for 4 years. Now she
is ATM-Kajsa.
✯ that the car tester who lost his
driving licence by driving more
than 30 kph on Strömvägen, past
the schools, will soon be getting
his licence back.
✯ that a car tester was seen
chasing his car at Kraja this week
as it rolled down a slight hill and
into a wall near the restaurant.
There was no damage done,
except perhaps to his ego.
✯ that some testers asked where
they can buy toys in Arjeplog.
One such place is ICA Hem &
Fritid, above ICA supermarket.
✯ that many car testers took the
chance to shop at night last
Tuesday when Susanna Presentstugan
was open until 22.00.
✯ that Dieter Krebs, Knorr
Bremse will be making German
pizzas at Stora Blå restaurant on
Sunday evening. Don’t miss it!
✯ that there have been complaints
that car testers do not
stop when leaving Vaitoudden
to turn into the Silver Road.
✯ that King Edward is the
nickname of Janne at Silverhatten,
but it is also the name of
a large Swedish potato.
✯ that Petter’s hot tub (North
Life, see last week’s paper) was
used last Saturday by the Pentacostal
church for baptism.
✯ that some testers do not seem to
respect that there is no smoking at
the pub at Stora Blå but most
people prefer a non-smoking pub.
Kajsa takes care of Bosch bookings
Name: Kajsa Bremberg
Age: 31
Family: 2 sons, 7 and 10 years
I am separated from their father -
we were not married, only sambo.
Home: Arjeplog
Occupation: Booking assisstant at
ATM, Arjeplog Test Management.
I do the bookings for the BOSCH car
testers and their customers: accommodation,
cars and flights.
Favourite food: Pasta
Dream Car: I am not interested in the
make of a car, as long as it is the
colour blue.
Present Car: A white golf. I wanted a
blue one but it did not have ABS
brakes, so I took a white one.
What do you do in your spare time?
I am a mamma. I spend time with my
boys: we go skiing (slalom) or snowmobiling.
What is good about Arjeplog?
The different seasons, the lakes, the
mountains.
What is bad about Arjeplog?
It is so far from everywhere. For
example, if you have to go to a doctor
at a bigger hospital, then it takes all
day there and back. Also, you cannot
always find things you want to buy.
Better logistics on the way
The logistics companies are now trying
to improve the service to this area. One
example is Jetpak that offers reliable
package and freight solutions to and
from the north of Sweden.
The company uses Holmgren High
Speed Logistics as their handling agent.
Jetpak handles all kinds of transportations
including domestic and international
cargo. A Jetpak car goes every
day from Luleå to Arjeplog via a few
other places.
Jetpak claims that the best way to send
parcels from abroad is to make the destination
Luleå and not Stockholm or
Arjeplog. The reason for this is that
Luleå has a small customs office with a
common sense approach.
To contact this company, see useful
information on the back page.
The traditional Lappish winter market
is on Fri, Sat, Sun, March 5-7.
Details in next Arjeplog Times
Kajsa Bremberg, Arjeplog Test Management,
ATM, has lived in Arjeplog all her life.
Music you listen to?
Pop music. Not jazz or other strange
kinds of music.
What is important in life?
To enjoy your life.
To change the things you are not
satisfied with and do whatever is
possible to get what you want.
Winter sports holidays
Next week the schools in the north of
Sweden are closed for the winter
sports holidays. Many people come to
Arjeplog to enjoy outdoor winter
sports such as skiing, snow-mobiling
and ice fishing.
During this week the skiing facilities
at both Galtis and Jäckviks Fjällcenter
(see Ski-info, on the back page) are
open every day from 10.00 - 17.00.
and the new ski slope on Öberget
mountain by Hotell Silverhatten is
open every day 10-16.
You can rent skiing equipment at all
the ski slopes.
Free skiing lessons
Galtis is also open as usual on
Wednesday night (March 3) and they
are offering free skiing lessons to car
testers on Wednesday at 19.00. You do
not need to book in advance, you can
just turn up.

The Arjeplog Times page 3
Name: Cédric Van Essen.
Age: 25
Family: Single but I have a
girlfriend.
Home: Paris, France.
Company: Delphi.
Occupation: Test engineer.
I work with braking systems
and traction control.
Favourite food: Exotic and
spicy food.
Dream car: Jaguar XJ 220,
gray. It is an exclusive luxury
sports car.
Present car: For every day
Peugeot 106 and for
pleasure Lotus Europe
from 1970.
Spare time activities:
I play squash. My hobby is
to restore old cars and
motorcycles together with
Some local boys were
attacked by Norwegian
youths at Kraja last
Friday night. One of the
locals was hit on the
head with a baseball bat
and had to go to the
hospital in Umeå for
surgery. He is now out of
danger.
Such violent fights seldom
break out in Arjeplog and
most locals were totally
shocked and very upset when
they heard about it.
The police are confident
that the ones responsible will
be taken to court and they
are regarding the incident
very seriously because of the
use of weapons.
The Norwegians boys had
rented a cottage at Kraja for
the weekend. Apparently
they and some local boys
had been teasing each other
and trying to pick a fight
during the karaoke evening.
The Hot Seat
Cédric van Essen, Delphi
my father. We have restored
an old Peugeot from 1925
and 2 motorcycles: a Puch
250 cc (1954) and a
Peugeot 176 TC4 (1950).
In Arjeplog I like snow-
Local youths hit with baseball bat after dance
Many of them had been
drinking all evening and at
about one o’clock when the
dance was over they were very
drunk.
A couple of the Norwegians
went to the cottage to get the
baseball bats that they had
brought with them to Arjeplog.
Apparently for no reason
one of them smashed a local
boy (who had not really been
involved in the fight) very
hard on the head. Another
local also suffered from a blow
to the head and was taken to
the local hospital where he
was treated for concussion.
About 25 people were waiting
outside Kraja to go home,
when the fighting started.
There are many conflicting
stories of what really happened
and the police are very
grateful for tips or information
from anyone who may
have seen what happened.
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 27 Sunrise: 7.11 Sunset: 16.52
mobiling and skiing at Galtis.
What is good in Arjeplog?
The landscape. The sunrises
are beautiful. The people
are friendly and they all
speak English.
What is bad in Arjeplog?
There is no variety of food
in the restaurants and they
close so early in the evening.
I also do not like to be far
away from my girlfriend.
Music you enjoy?
Rock from the 70s and 80s
like Led Zeppelin and Deep
Purple. I also like the
French group Matmata who
play rock, celtic music.
What is important in life:
To have a good relationship
with the family.
To take time to have fun.
Successful Activity Day
Lisa Mann,
one of the
students who
helped the car
testers to ice
fish at the
Hornavan
School Day
on Sunday.
The car
testers enjoyed
meeting the
local students
and teachers who were pleased that
so many came to this activity day.
Tourist freezes to death
A German tourist was killed
in a snow-mobile accident in
Luleå on Tuesday.
Two Germans hired a snow
mobile and went for a ride
around Luleå.
It is unclear what happened,
but they got lost and drove on
the thin ice of the Lule river.
The ice broke and they ended
up in the water.
One of them managed to
get up but the other one died
in the freezing cold water.
www.arjeplogtimes.com
We thank the following
companies for contributing
to The Arjeplog Times:
Arctic Wind
Argentis
Arjeplog-Lappland
Arjeplog Kött
Arjeplogs Bil & Elrep
Arjeplogs Biluthyrning
Arjeplogs Däck Service
Arjeplogs Eltjänst
Arjeplog's Kommun
Arvidsjaur Airport
ATM
A-Tent
BowlingCenter, Arvidsjaur
Brit-Ingers handicraft
Cartest
Church of Sweden
Colmis
Frasses
Flinkfeldts Buss
Galtis
German-Swedish Handelskammer
Holmgren High Speed L/Jetpak
Hotell Lyktan
Hotell Silverhatten
Hotell Westerlund
ICA
Ice Makers
Invest in Sweden Agency
Jäckviks Fjällcenter
Konsum
Kraja
Laisdalen Hotel
Nina’s
Northern Light Service
North Life
OK-Q8
Old Duck Inn, Arvidsjaur
Pizzeria Verona
Presentstugan
Stora Blå
Tjintokk
Bmw
Bosch
DaimlerChrysler
Delphi
Fiat Auto
Haldex
Knorr-Bremse
Land Rover
Mando
Opel
Porsche
Want to be on this list?
Contact Illona or Johan

The Arjeplog Times www.arjeplogtimes.com
What's on ?
Friday, February 27
• BLUESBAND: Rocket 88 at Kraja. 21-01.
Shrimp evening: 155 kr incl. entrance.
19-21. Book table tel 31500.
Entrance: 80:- after 22.00.
• AFTER WORK 17-22 at Silverhatten. 75 kr.
Chicken buffet.
• PUB EVENING at OLD DUCK INN, ARVIDS-
JAUR. Music on large TV. Free entrance.
Saturday, February 28
• PUB WITH LIVE BAND at Silverhatten. 21-01.
Music: NO HABLA. Disco Underground.
Dance menu:195:-
• PUB EVENING at OLD DUCK INN, ARVIDS-
JAUR. Music on large TV. Free entrance.
• PUB EVENING at JÄCKVIKS FJÄLLCENTER
60 km along Silver Road to Norway.
Music. HASSELBUSSEN.
Sunday, February 29
• GERMAN CHURCH services, Lyktan 18.00.
Translation into English and Swedish.
• CINEMA. 19.00. 60 kr. S.W.A.T. Police
Strike Force starring Samuel Jackson and
Colin Farrell.
• CAJUN EVENING at Kraja 17-19. 85 kr
• SUNDAY SPECIAL at Stora Blå restaurant.
Dieter Krebs, Knorr Bremse will be
making German pizzas 19.00- 22.00.
Tuesday, March 2
• PRESENTSTUGAN on Drottninggatan is
also open 20-22.
• THE SILVER MUSEUM is also open one
evening a week, Tues 20.00-22.00. 50 kr.
• THE TOURIST INFORMATION office is open
until 20.00. Free internet, coffee, tea, etc.
• PASTA BUFFET at Kraja 19-21. 75 kr.
Wednesday, March 3
• PUB EVENING at Stora Blå restaurant
(former Pete’s Mathörna) 21.00-01.00.
Please use entrance at the back.
Thursday, March 4
• PLANKA - PLANKED STEAK at Silverhatten.
18.00-22.00. 129 kr /incl soft drink,
149 kr incl small strong beer. Tel 107 70.
• ICE BAR at Silverhatten open 21-00.
• CINEMA. 19.00. 70 kr. Also Sun Mar 7.
The Last Samurai starring Tom Cruise.
• MARKET DISCO at Kraja. 21-01.
Entrance 80 kr.
Useful Information
The area code for Arjeplog is 0961
◗ Arjeplog Kött. Slagnäsvägen. Moose, reindeer,
fish, hides, handicraft. Tel 100 01.
Open: Mon- Fri 9-12,13-17. Sat, Sun closed.
◗ Arjeplogs Biluthyrning. Rent car, mini
bus. Tel 612 00, 070-6754495. Kent.
◗ Arjeplogs Däck Service Industrivägen 8.
Tyres, 4-wheel drives, alignments. Tel 61509.
◗ Arjeplogs Eltjänst. Electricity and network
for tele- and computers. Tel 102 40.
◗ Break down (tow) truck. 24-hour service.
Tel 611 20, 010-257 25 20.
◗ Brit-Inger’s Handicraft Storgatan 13.
Tel 616 62. Wed-Fri 10-15.
◗ Boutique Nina’s. Norwegian sweaters,
knitted caps with reindeer motif, clothes.
Storgatan, tel 103 04.
◗ Flinkfeldts Buss. Transfers to the airports,
bus tours. Tel 104 25.
◗ Jetpak, SAS/ Lufthansa Cargo.
Tel 020-580580 0920-20 03 90.
After office hours 070-268 22 00.
◗ German/Swedish Chamber of Commerce
Handelskammer. Tel 08-6651800.
◗ Hotell Lyktan. Tel 612 10.
◗ Hotell Westerlund. Information:
Tel 070-239 11 54 or 070-663 03 21
◗ ICA supermarket. Open Mon-Fri 9-20,
Sat 9-18, Sun 12-18.
◗ Icemakers: Apartments and test tracks for
rent. Information tel 329 00, Katarina.
◗ Invest in Sweden Agency tel 08-6651896.
◗ Konsum. Welcome to the newly
renovated supermarket.
◗ Laisdalen Hotel. Laisvall. 50 rooms.
Tel 200 30. 20 minutes from Arjeplog.
◗ Lena’s Fish Shop.Fish, meat. Mon-Thurs
16-18, Fri 9-11,16-18. Tel 070-216 90 65.
◗ Northern Light Service. Snow-mobiles for
rent. Krister Lundberg, 070-6661996.
◗ North Life Wilderness Adventures,
Petter Sundström tel 44034, 070-3630034
◗ OK-Q8 (OK petrol station + shop)
Tel 102 35. Open till 21 daily.
◗ Presentstugan. Drottninggatan 10, tel 30155
Gift shop. Susanna. Open also Tuesday 20-22.
◗ Simloc Hotell. Tel 10780, 010-6643304
◗ Silver Museum Mon-Fri:10-12, 13-16
Tues also 20-22. Sat 10-14. Tel 61290. 50:-
◗ Tourist Info office. Mon, Wed-Fri 8-17,
Tues 8-20, Sat 10-14. Tel 222 30.
Ski Info
◗ GALTIS SKI SLOPE. 10 km fr Arjeplog.
Tel 440 26. Open daily 10-16 also
Wed 18.30-21.30 until Sun 7 Mars.
Rent equipment. Restaurant. www.galtis.se.
Bus: Arjeplog–Galtis return, fr hotels & town.
◗ JÄCKVIKS FJÄLLCENTER SKI SLOPE. 60 kms
from Arjeplog on Silver Road to Norway.
Open daily 10-16. Fully licenced restaurant,
open Fri & Sat to midnight, Thurs & Sun
to 17. Rent skis, snow-mobiles. Tel 211 40.
◗ ÖBERGET SKI SLOPE by Silverhatten.
Open every day 10-16.
Restaurants and Pubs
◗ FRASSES GRILL & PUB. Drottninggatan.
Mon-Thurs 10-21, Fri 10-19, Sat 11-19
Sun 12-19. Lunch special: Mon- Fri. Also
hamburgers, fast foods, beer, wine. Tel 10101.
◗ HOTELL SILVERHATTEN. Tel 107 70.
Lunch special: Mon-Sat 11-14.
Every evening: À la carte 17-22.
Ice Bar. Open Thursdays 21.00 - 01.00.
◗ KRAJA RESTAURANT. Tel 315 00
Lunch: Mon-Fri 11-14, Sat 12-14.
Sunday: special dinner 17-19.
Evenings: 19-22 à la carte in small restaurant,
pub menu in big restaurant.
◗ LAISDALEN HOTEL. Laisvall. Tel 200 30. Fully
licensed restaurant.
◗ OLD DUCK INN. Edströms Hotell, Arvidsjaur.
Open every day 18-23.
Pub menu 18-20. Tel 0960-171 80.
◗ PIZZERIA VERONA. Drottninggatan 6.
Tel 108 00. Also take away.
Mon-Thurs 10.30-21, Fri 10.30-22,
Sat 12-22, Sun 12-21.
◗ STORA BLÅ. Drottninggatan 4. Tel 614 44
Mon-Fri: Lunch: 10-14.
Evenings 19.30-22. Sat closed. Sun 19-21.
Pub, entrance at back. Wednesdays 21-01.
◗ BOWLINGCENTER ARVIDSJAUR Open:
Sun-Thurs 12-23. Fri, Sat 10-02. Bowling,
pub, restaurant, cafe. Tel 0960-17576.
The Arjeplog Times
produced & published by
Tel 0961 - 303 30
lilab@telia.com
Storgatan 12, Box 77, Arjeplog, Sweden.
www.arjeplogtimes.com • fax 0961-303 31
Illona & Johan Fjellström