The Swedes are renowned for their prowess at many things, but none more so than partying and skiing. But as the train rattled north through mile after mile of snow-covered wilderness, the atmosphere could not have been more sedate. Our fellow passengers chatted quietly or read. Frankly, we were not happy.
This was supposed to be the party train, with hundreds of skiers and boarders drinking and dancing all the way from Stockholm to Åre, northern Europe's funkiest mountain resort.
Dejectedly, we trudged through the carriages in the hope of finding the slightest hint of bad behaviour. Then, just as I was about to give up, we pulled open the door to the disco car. My words trailed off at the vision that lay before us, although they would have been drowned out anyway by the roar of the live band hammering out 1980s Europop classics. Beneath the gently swaying mirrorball, the dancefloor was crammed with well-oiled Swedes making enthusiastic attempts to dance while being thrown violently from side to side every time that the train rounded a bend as it plunged on through the night.
The following six hours passed in a blur as we were accosted by a gang of four outrageously drunk Celtic fans from Stockholm who insisted on buying us beers for the rest of the evening, even though I come from the other side of the Glasgow football divide. Up close in such hot and sweaty circumstances, you have to put such differences aside.
Finally, we pulled into Åre's tiny station on the shore of the frozen Aresjon lake. After persuading our uncooperative legs to negotiate the short but treacherously slippy uphill journey to our apartment at the Fjällby complex, we were ready to collapse into bed. But at 11pm on the Friday night of the last big snowboarding weekend of the season, that was never a realistic prospect. Most of the other passengers were already in the bar downstairs, and the band was just warming up for the nightshift proper to begin.
Partying plays a major role in Scandinavian winter sports. In part, that is born of necessity. For much of the winter, daylight is in short supply, so the riding day is over by 3pm, when the après action kicks off. But the Swede's don't need much of an excuse to cut loose. Even in spring, most of the Åre clientele will be dancing on a table to a live band at the Sunwing or Diplomat hotels by 4pm. That explains why Åre is renowned across Scandinavia for its full-on social scene.
But the town is not just about alcohol and sweaty dancefloors. It offers a perfect mix of terrain. From gentle, groomed pistes for families to easily accessible but hardcore backcountry powder, the chain of peaks strung along the lakeside are designed to cater for every level of skier or snowboarder.
Away from the motorway pistes and sharp-elbowed lift queues of the Alps, the vibe in Åre is deliciously mellow, especially in spring when the sun comes out and the landscape starts to emerge from the grey light of winter.
Take our best run: from the top of the lifts on Areskutan, we dropped off the piste into the West Ravine and a short but perfectly-pitched face of soft spring snow. The face narrowed into a short gully that tightened again as it followed the bumps and contours of a snow-buried stream down to the bottom of the chairlift. For the entire run, there was almost total silence apart from the sounds of our boards cutting through the snow. After that, we were more than ready to restart the celebrations.
Way to go
Getting there : SAS (0870 60727727, scandinavian.net) flies Heathrow-Stockholm from £120.60 inc taxes. The Stockholm-Åre party train runs five weekends a season and costs £95. For dates and booking information, contact the Swedish travel and tourism council (020-7870 5600, visit-sweden.com).
Where to stay: A two-bed apartment from Thursday to Sunday costs from £106 in low season to £345 in high season. Neilson (0870 3333356, neilson.co.uk) has one week's self-catering in Åre from £319pp, including Gatwick flights and transfers.
Further information: skistar.com
Country code: 00 46
Flight time London-Stockholm: 2hrs 25mins.
Time difference: +1hr.
£1 = 13.11 kronor.
