Arctic Adventure Challenge

Day 1: London - Kijaani/Kuusamo

Fly to Finland (Kijaani or Kuusamo) and drive through the seemingly endless snow-covered landscapes to our comfortable cabin near Hossa in north-eastern Finland. Depending on arrival time we will either have an evening meal or head straight off to bed, ready for the challenge of the days to come. Night cabin.

Drive approx. 1-2 hours

Day 2: Snowshoeing

We have a full in-country briefing about the activities ahead and then kit up thoroughly. After an introduction to snowshoeing, where we quickly get the hang of this non-technical walking activity, we leave our cabin behind for our overnight adventure! Our route takes us through beautiful, silent woodland; the landscapes are magical, and the silence of our surroundings, broken only by the crunch of the snow and our laughter, adds to the atmosphere.
We break for a picnic lunch around an open fire, then continue our invigorating journey to our cosy wilderness cabin, complete with traditional lake-side sauna. Staying here is a remote experience and you will feel like the early pioneers! Night cabin.

Snowshoe approx. 5-6 hours

 

Day 3: Snowshoeing

Returning by snowshoe, we explore the ridges and frozen lakes on our way back. Elk, wolves, lynxes and hares live in the woods, though are very seldom seen; we may be lucky enough to spot tracks in the snow. Returning to our main log cabin, we have time to relax any aching muscles in the sauna and settle for an evening of watching out for the magical Northern Lights. Night cabin.

Snowshoe approx. 5-6 hours

 

Day 4: Husky-Sledding & Cross-Country Skiing

Husky-sledding is usually one of the highlights of the trip! We drive to our husky farm and meet our intelligent, enthusiastic and very photogenic teams of huskies! After learning a little about the dogs from our ‘musher,’ we have an introduction to sled-driving and set off! Pairing up, we take it in turns to drive while our sled-buddy enjoys the ride. The dogs will be excited when they sense a run, but when everybody is ready to go they suddenly go quiet as they set off through the frozen wilderness. The trail takes us through snow-white forests and frozen lakes; a truly memorable highlight of our adventure.
Depending on timings and group size, we'll hopefully have an opportunity for an introduction to cross-country skiing as well – one of the most popular winter hobbies in Finland. A relatively short tour through the flat pine forest and frozen lakes tests what we’ve learned; it’s not uncommon to see reindeer here, so keep your eyes peeled! We return to our base in the late afternoon where we'll gather together to celebrate our Arctic achievements and maybe one final Sauna and ice dip!. Night cabin.

NB: The order of activities and days may change depending on local conditions and logistics.

Day 5: Fly Kijaani/Kuusamo to London

Early start for the drive to the airport for our journey home.