An initiation to the widlerness of Northern Finland, combining an overnighting stay in warm huts with the chance to try wild camping in the freezing arctic.

Duration

8 days - 7 nights

About

A Remote guided one week hut-to-hut skiing tour in the arctic fells located inside the Käsivarsi wilderness area in northern Finland. The grand arctic experience with some luxuries such as sleeping every night inside a hut and at times following a well-marked trail. For groups of up to 8 people. Organised from December to mid-May.

• Level of solitude 4/5 during the polar night, 2-3/5 from late February to mid-May. (During the polar night it is very unlikely that you will meet anyone during the tour, high season during the late April has a lot of people on the trails but only a few off-the-trails)

• Difficulty 4/5 during the polar night, 3/5 in spring-winter. (Variation due to seasonal change; increased difficulty since the area is very exposed above the treeline and located far north)

• Suitable for persons over 18 years old, who have experience in hiking, good physical condition and fitness level and some previous skiing experience (not necessarily on backcountry)

• Group size up to 8 people.

• Guiding languages: English

• Can be organised on a weekly basis between December to mid-May, but please note that the earlier winter departures are far more demanding than the later spring departures in terms of temperature, length of the daylight hours and the amount of other people travelling in the area.

In this hut-to-hut skiing tour you will experience the Scandinavian fells at their best, spending most of the time above the treeline, enjoy tasty meals in the wilderness and visit the highest point of Finland in more than 1300 meters in 69°N! All nights can be spent inside log huts (although we will need to carry tents and sleeping gear with us as a safety precaution in case of emergencies or surprising changes in weather.) On private tours we can also avoid all cabins whatsoever and simply use tents, and there is always the option of spending nights in the tents during the guaranteed departures as well - if you want the experience.

Finland's wild northwestern arm – Käsivarsi – has the country's most mountainous scenery. Changes in altitude are quite dramatic in the wilderness area and the terrain is at points extremely demanding. In the northwest corner of the area, called Yliperä, there are several fells, which are over 1 000 m high. The tops of these fells are often covered with piles of scree rock.

At the beginning and end of the tour you will spend a night in a cosy accommodation in Kilpisjärvi village, enjoying genuine Finnish Sauna and tasty restaurant meals.

More info

Included in the price is:

• Airport transfers to and from Tromso airport • Full board (three meals a day) • Accommodation during the wilderness tour in the simple wilderness huts (without electricity or running water) • Hotel service level accommodation at the beginning and end of the tour, including sauna and restaurant meals • Skiing equipment (including pulkkas), but no ski shoes! We use Fischer E109 Easy skin skis with Rottefella NNN BC bindings. If you do not have your own, it is possible to rent suitable shoes from us with an additional 50€ price (please let us know in advance). • Camping gear (for emergencies and private tours) • Sleeping gear including sleeping bags • Cooking equipment • Guiding

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS This is a full arctic experience – all of the tour takes place above the treeline in the arctic fells – with some luxories such as overnights in huts (tent is always an option) and partly following a marked snowmobile trail • Extremely remote arctic fell area with no permanent human habitation inside the vast wilderness of 2206 square km • Lunches outdoors by the majestic fells • Sauna at the end of the tour • All over 1000 meter fells in Finland are located in the wilderness area where this tour takes placeVisiting the highest point of Finland (1324 meters) • Seeing frozen waterfalls • Arctic expedition skiing experience • Northern lights with some luck • Learning arctic winter wilderness skills first-hand from the expert guide

AIRPORT TRANSFERS The joining point to the trip is Tromso airport, and the transfers from Tromso to Kilpisjärvi and back are included in the price. The transports are organised to coincide following flights: Arrival on Saturdays: Any flight with scheduled arrival no later than 18:50 Departure on Saturdays: To flights not departing earlier than 11:00

Note that it is of course possible to book any earlier arrival flight or later departure flight, but remember that there is only one airport transfer so that you may need to wait some time at the airport.