Winter 2018/2019 was not as tough in the western parts of Jämtland as the winter before. In general, there was a great deal more snow inland. This was clearly seen when Mählers News drove up to Handöl, about 30 km from the Norwegian border, to meet Reidar Hammarfjäll. He drives a Volvo FH13 8×4 with Mählers’ new high-throw side plough for Wallins Åkeri, and our assignment for the day was to photograph it in action.

“We usually plough the E14 between Staa and Storlien, but there’s so much traffic right now, its best we make a trip up to Storulvån,” says Bertil before we begin slogging up the mountain that surrounds the road. There are dramatic views, but unfortunately most of the mountaintops are hidden by low cloud and the snow flurries that pass us from time to time. I drive ahead, looking for suitable stretches with higher snowbanks so that our pictures can show how well the new SPH side plough throws snow. But the higher we get the lower the snowbanks except for a few short stretches where I take the opportunity to photograph. Reidar is forced to drive with the front plough – a Mählers DPD – raised to avoid burying the side plough in a cloud of snow. The SPH side plough throws the snow easily, and on certain stretches where there is a little more snow we see how well the plough throws the snow high above and far beyond the road.

“This side plough beats everything I’ve tried before,” says Reidar the next time we stop, and with seven years snow clearance experience in a mountain environment, there’s no doubt he knows what he’s talking about. According to Reidar, the SPH side plough was ideal right from the very first trips during the season as it doesn’t build up snowbanks as quickly.

“We’re clearly able to make several trips with the plough before the snow banks begin to get high,” he says. We stop to take a few pictures with a couple of mountaintops glimpsed through the sun haze between the clouds, and Reidar explains why there’s so little snow up in the western mountain chain.

“It’s because the wind is mainly from the east in the winter, so we get less snow up here. Also, if it’s windy when its snowing, the snow simply blows off the roads on certain stretches,” informs Reidar. When we’ve taken the pictures, we head back home again and we passed a Volvo L180 wheel loader that’s busy clearing a large car park in the middle of the mountains. In other words, it’s time to make room for all the tourists that come to the mountains during Jämtland’s fifth annual season – spring winter.