THE AIR WAS ABRUPTLY PUNCTURED BY THE SHRILL,RUMBLE OF A QUATTRO.....5CYLS,OR IS THAT SIX....

THE VOLVO 242 SEEMED TO DOMINATE BEHIND THE THE QUATTROS,AND THE LEADING MAZDA 323 TURBOS...

WE WERE SITUATED IN A DIP,JUST BELOW THE TRACK IN THE TREE'S.....

THIS MADE IT QUITE DIFFICULT,TO CAPTURE THE CAR'S AND EFFECTIVELY 'FREEZE FRAME',AS YOU COULD HEAR THEM COMING,BUT THEY ONLY CAME INTO VIEW OVER THE YUMP.....

OCCASIONALLY,WITH FREEZING FINGERS GRASPING THE CAMERA,AND FRESHLY GRILLED 'KORV' IN THE OTHER HAND......I COULD GET IT RIGHT

A LONE OPEL KADETT....?

ESCORTS...

IT WAS NOW EARLY AFTERNOON,THE SMOKE FROM THE FIRES,THE DUSTING OF SNOW KICKED UP BY THE PASSING CARS,HUNG IN THE SUNSHINE,AS IT FILTERED THROUGH THE TREE'S.....

VOLVO 164.....?IT HAD THE RUMBLE OF A V6?


A FEW SAABS THEN ?

SO MUCH GOING ON AROUND,IT IS HARD TO TAKE IT ALL IN...?


WE HAD BEEN SUPPLIED WITH SOME MULLED WINE,BY OUR VERY GOOD HOSTESS,FOR THE WEEKEND.......ONLY 2% ALCOHOL MIND YOU,I THINK WE WERE PROBABLY AMONGST THE FEW THAT WERE ACTUALLY SOBER.......

VOLVO'S CAN FLY.......

CELICA.....AND SOME 99'S & A KERMIT V4

LATE AFTERNOON,WE MOVED DOWN THE STAGE TO WAIT FOR THE SECOND RUN OF THE 'WRC'.....HOPEFULLY '99 EMS' WILL BE ALONG TO POST SOME MORE PICTURES ?

WE DECIDED TO ESCAPE ,AFTER THIS...... JUST BEFORE DARKNESS FELL?
ANOTHER 150 SEK,AND WE WERE ACROSS THE LAKE IN NO TIME,BACK IN A NICE WARM SKODA ESTATE....

THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND CAR IN TEN YEARS,I HAVE SEEN IN SWEDEN WITH A 'PRIVATE PERSONALISED REG'..........VERY SELDOM,DO YOU SEE THIS...

WE HEADED BACK,STUCK IN THE FOREST FOR HALF AN HOUR,SUCH IS THE VOLUME OF SWEDENS POPULATION,THAT ATTEND THE RALLY....

THE TEMPERATURE WAS DROPPING FAST THAT NIGHT,DOWN TO -11.5 DEG C.....AND WE ARE ON SOME OF THE REMOTEST ROADS,IN VARMLAND.......

ON OUR RETURN TO ARVIKA,YET AGAIN A PIPING HOT 3 COURSE MEAL AWAITED IN OUR REMOTE RETREAT.....

THE WEEKEND HAD TRULY CAUGHT UP WITH US,AND ANOTHER EARLY NIGHT ENSUED....

THE NEXT MORNING IT WAS -14.5 DEG C OUTSIDE,AND DROPPING AS WE CROSSED COUNTRY,DOWN TO -16 DEG C........

THE LAST DAY OF THE RALLY,WE SADLY HAD TO SACRIFICE,TO GET THE NEXT FLIGHT HOME....

IT HAD BEEN ANOTHER ADVENTURE,YET AGAIN......I REALLY CANNOT RECOMMEND,THE TRIP ENOUGH.......

I HAVE NOW LOST COUNT OF HOW MANY TIMES,I HAVE VISITED SCANDINAVIA,IN BOTH SUMMER AND WINTER.........

YOU WON'T BE DISSAPOINTED....

Great photos Birdie. I just love seeing those old SAABs being flogged around. Heart warming to see that Sonett V-4.

SOME MORE VIDEO.....

SONETT WAS LOSING THE EXHAUST.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTFJVd_KcIg

Every time I look at one of these events I still can't believe how many swedish rally cars there are. Thanks for the video Birdie! There's not much more exciting at a rally than the sound of a 5cyl Audi. Except maybe a stroker. And that reed Volvo at the beginning of the video... sounds great and so fast!

OK CHAPS,LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE HAVING A BIT OF A WINTER OVER THERE....?

FLIGHTS ARE BOOKED FOR 'RALLY SWEDEN 2018',BUT THIS TIME WE HOPEFULLY SET OUT,FOR THE FULL RALLY, OVER FIVE DAYS.....

LANDING NORTH OF OSLO,WE ARE AIMING FOR THE MOST NORTHERLY NORWEGIAN STAGE 2&5 AT 'HOF-FINNSKOG' VERY EARLY ON THE FRIDAY MORNING......STAYING ON A FARM,VERY CLOSE BY...

STAGE ONE,IS THE PREVIOUS NIGHT,AT KARLSTAD ARENA.....

LET'S HOPE FOR LOT'S OF SNOW !!!

COUPLE OF DAYS TO GO,HISTORIC ENTRY LIST HERE.....

http://rallysweden.com/en/the-race/entries-historic/

YOU GOING KRISTER K.....?