Our first winter expedition with Sidetracked Adventures
Backstory / When I first started Sidetracked I tested my route on a group of friends who came out in early January (one of the coldest months) during the polar night. As we had all met in the Dolomites they were at home in the snow, and on skis/snowboards but this was their first time trying nordic backcountry skiing. Here is Dan’s account of the trip;
Never I have been so cold or looked so much like a tourist.
We flew into Rovaniemi and although it was only three in the afternoon it was pitch black, the airport is tiny and we had to call the car rental guy on our mobile, when he arrived he informed us the car was in the car park with the key in it and warming up, being from the UK the idea of this already blew my mind.
Having skated across the car park we found our car and gingerly set off towards Saariselkä, we were on the same road for the three hours it took us, the road was lined with trees and snow the whole way there.
We arrive in Saariselkä, check in to the Saariselkä Inn, and head to the bar. The bar has an Alpine / Germanic feel with its wooden walls, open fire, and long tables. Apprehensive about the reported price of drinks we order a round are pleasantly surprised not because it was cheap but we could definitely afford a few more. We were met by Sophie our friend/guide for the week and she suggested some places to get food. So many choices even in the Arctic Circle.
The next day we head up the nearest fjell to watch the sunrise which won’t be above the horizon for another 5 days. I get out of the car wearing my trainers and jeans, it’s -26 and I have underestimated the cold. I have been skiing before and it’s been -26 and the sun has been shining and I have been fine, this time I am cold. I feel it in my feet first because of my seriously unsuitable footwear, all the other guys have proper boots and thermals on. The chairlift is frozen with endless layers of frost and icicles but it’s not long before I bail to the car.
After a change into something sensible, we head to the husky farm where we are treated to an introduction to all the dogs and get ready for our husky sled tour. The dogs are who are clearly suited to the Arctic temperatures and sleep outside are going crazy running in circles and barking as loud as they can. As they are picked to pull the sleds, Sophie tells us that they literally live to run and love nothing better than running. Once we have our huskies ready with the sled they are a lot calmer and waiting for the signal to go. There are 5 to 6 dogs per sled and we have a mix of ages, Sophie said that she added a younger job into each team so they begin to learn the routine. As we get going you can tell which ones know the drill.
We set off and the huskies are amazing, I help the sled along by scooting on the uphill as dogs are pulling two of us and then they let rip on the flats, to the point where the person sitting in the face needs to cover their face from the cold arctic wind. The dogs appear to enjoy every minute and just want to keep going.
Day two and after an early night, we are heading to the start of our Arctic wilderness adventure. We get to the national park, collect some equipment, get strapped in and contrary to preconceived ideas we head up a slope. Now going uphill for me turns out was my forte even with a sled strapped to my hips and trying to pull me backward, as for downhill this was another story as much as I excelled uphill downhill presented its own problems, think Bambi on ice, my snowboarding did not stand me in good stead.
As we all got used to the skis and sleds we made some good progress although, as mentioned Finland isn't as flat as you think. The scenery is stunning, a real winter wonderland, as the sun was not coming above the horizon we got to experience an endless beautiful sunrise and sunset of pinks and purples, this happened most days.
As it was only about the 5th January the sunset very early and we got to enjoy some skiing in the dark with our head torches on and by moonlight, it can mess with your head a little and you think that you are “late” but three in the afternoon is not very late. It was a very cool experience as we approached the glowing cabin in the woods, we also found out that this meant there were already people there.
The cabins are sort of the winter wonderland arctic image you would expect. Pitched roof covered in snow, warm glowing window, smoke from a chimney, a shed packed full of wood around the back. Inside was a simple luxury, two bunks sleeping 10 people, a wood-burning stove, and a bench-style table, it puts most UK bothies to shame. As you would expect in the Arctic wilderness there is no power, no wifi, no bathroom, and a drop toilet… however still an unexpected level of luxury considering it is free to all.
The huts have an unexpected rule of use, again contrary to the first come first served nature of UK bothies the Finnish huts operate on a basis of first in first out. Unlike the maybe more hospitable wilderness of the UK the Finnish Arctic wilderness means that the Finnish assume that those that arrived first have dried out and rested and now able to carry on whereas those who have just arrived are in need of rest.
(on our guided Sidetracked trips we reserve the cabins so we have a whole place to ourselves)
On our first night, this was not an issue as there were just one couple and a solo traveling lady. The Finnish are extremely welcoming and friendly and eager to practice their English and we are now explaining who we are and what we are doing as we ask similar questions ourselves.
My favourite day was the day we followed a river, breaking trail, ducking trees, sliding across the frozen river, trying to find the path, and then after several hours realising we won’t make our destination, daylight hours are short and we are not making quick enough progress. We had been breaking trail all day and Sophie now made the difficult decision to head back to the hut we had left several hours ago. So far we had been gone five or six hours and now we were heading back, what Sophie didn't tell us was how quickly we would get back, soon we realised the progress we were making and it took us only fifty minutes to get back. What an amazing day.
Back at the hut a group of Finns had settled in and were shocked and surprised to see us having read the plans of our onward trip notes we left in the hut book. These guys like the rest of the Finns were friendly and inquisitive, we shared food, anecdotes and stories before having the hottest night of our life.
The Finns stoked that log burner until the early hours of the morning and with the wet gear and numerous bodies in the room the temperature was HOT. One of our group decided to sleep in the floor to avoid the heat, several of us snored like trains due to how dry it was and one person who should remain nameless lost their cool as the snoring harmony between all of us lasted some time.
Our five days in the Arctic Wilderness disappeared in the blink of an eye, looking back it is amazing to remember how much we laughed, enjoyed each others company and looked forward to the bare necessities of our hut each evening. We sat out around a fire with weird Finnish sausages, we waited in minus temperatures for the northern lights, we played cards, we got water from a stream, we chopped wood, drank whiskey from the bottle, crashed face first more times than I can remember but not once did I miss anything at home, none of my stuff, not my local restaurant, none of the supposed “necessities” that modern life tells us we require.
Back home right now, what I really miss is my friends and that wilderness.
