Cross-country: Calle Halfvarsson isolates himself in a storied cabin to chase form

Swedish cross-country skier Calle Halfvarsson has adopted an unusual plan to turn around a difficult season start: he has left his family in Sågmyra and moved into an isolated, much-talked-about ski cabin in Orsa Grönklitt to focus solely on training.

The 36‑year‑old, who struggled at Sweden’s season opener in Gällivare, says the situation is far from ideal but feels he has no choice if he wants to regain form. Having stepped away from the national team before the season, Halfvarsson is looking for a way back into World Cup racing and to keep his Olympic hopes alive.

“I’m just looping the ski tracks here,” he joked, adding that even his grandfather wondered when someone might come and take him to a mental hospital given the intensity of his isolation plan.

Halfvarsson’s next competition is scheduled to be the Scandinavian Cup in Östersund in mid‑December, which he will use as a springboard to fight for World Cup opportunities and a potential Olympic berth.