There is unusually much ice on Lake Vänern compared to the last ten years, according to experienced skipper Bengt Jonsson. The cold winter has caused large parts of the lake to freeze, requiring icebreaking for cargo ships to pass through Sweden's largest lake. The ice is around 25, 30, up to 40 centimeters thick in some places.
The icebreaker Karl, weighing over 200 tons, breaks the ice by driving onto it and cracking it with its own weight. The crew includes Bengt Jonsson, Erik Sjöqvist, and Gert Alfredsson, with Alfredsson following in his father's footsteps after 29 years of icebreaking work. Despite the unusual ice, everything is in order, and Jonsson notes that this is normal compared to previously mild winters.
There is unusually much ice on Lake Vänern compared to the last ten years
Despite the unusual ice, everything is in order, and this is normal compared to previously mild winters