Nights on ice in Sweden's Arctic wonderland

The new open-all-year ice hotel is the base for exploring the dramatic, snowy beauty of the frozen north

The teenage me, buried deep beneath midriff fat and caution, screamed yes at the thought of a trip to the Swedish Arctic. The grown-up me – mother, wife, daughter, fulcrum of home life – started to risk assess. But my father had died in June and I thought a small adventure would do me good.

After two plane rides, I landed in Kiruna, home to the largest underground mine in the world – not that you see this, as the airport is tiny.

I found myself wandering round the camp at 2am, in -18C, wearing nothing but my pyjamas

At 11.30pm, the northern lights came out like the Wizard of Oz behind a heavy green curtain