SNOWSHOEING WEEK - FACTS AND ITINERARY

1st day, Sat:
Arrival to Oulu Airport or railway station, where your guide is waiting for you. Approximately two hours transport to Syöte National Park. Meeting with the group and accommodation in twin rooms at the cosy log cabin.

Welcoming dinner, short briefing, equipment check, introduction of Syöte National Park, maps and a week program after dinner.

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To have a nice and safe adventure we’ll have basic info to learn how to manage in the arctic conditions in Finland: Effects of the cold weather, protecting from the cold, action in cold conditions, wind chill effect, clothing and safety instructions for the week. Discussion about a sustainable tourism and how we put it into practice during our trip. Hot sauna and sweet dreams surrounded by peaceful and quiet nature. 

2nd day, Sun:
Tour begins from our log cabin after a complete Finnish breakfast with many local delicacies.

Wonderful trail goes through the old spruce forests. Terrain is varied; route goes up and down in few square kilometers area. Lovely picnic lunch at the wooden shelter on the shore of a frozen lake Kellarilampi. Tour continues and we climb up to Romevaara fell top with great views to Syöte National Park!

After few ups and downs we continue to Riihitupa day hut and have a snack. Snowshoeing trip at the wonderful big bog leads us back to our accommodation to our big wooden hut. Relaxing, warming up the sauna and dinner together. (Day's distance approximately 11 km in 7 hours.)

3rd day, Mon.:

After the breakfast transport and an exhibition at the Syöte National Park Visitor Centre. After a guided exhibition it is time to start our hiking tour! Trail goes on wooded terrain. Teerivaara in Syöte national park gives us open views to lakes and forests below and around the hills. Behind snow covered candle trees we find our lunch place and enjoy it by the open fire.

After lunch we continue walking down  through the snow covered old spruce forest to Annintupa wilderness hut. Stories about local history and interesting persons who lived here in ancient times.  Setting up the fire, short relaxing and hiking to the Visitor Centre.

After a snack and hot drink break in our Cafe in visitor Centre transport to cabin is waiting for us. Dinner, sauna and relaxation. (Hiking distance approximately 8 km in 7 hours including breaks) At the cabin we will have a peaceful moment, a short mindfulness style exercise with the whole group. 

4th day, Tue.: 
Soon after a tasty breakfast we have a transport to North-East part of Syöte nature park. This part is the biggest untouched area in South Lapland and one of the most important area to do research for forest and wilderness.

We walk in the primeval forest in Maaselkä eskers and head to a small frozen ponds, large ice covered bogs until we come to the highest point of the area, called Tunturivaara area; Gorgeous landscape and very beautiful moment during our hiking holiday! We continue on the hills and come down from the side of the ridge.

Lunch at the wilderness shelter in Vattukuru gorge. After lunch we follow the variable terrain back to car. Transport, dinner, sauna and good night sleep in cabin. (Hiking distance approximately 10 km in 8 hours including breaks)

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5th day, Wed.:

After a tasty breakfast and 1,5 hours transport to Lapland part of Syöte National Park and cultural part of our snowshoeing tour. On our way we visit the Pentik house -  the northernmost ceramics factory in the world. Factory and the factory store is located in Posio. There are more reindeers than people! Often a curious reindeer can be seen from the window of a pottery factory! Souvenirs and a Coffee break in cafe. 

After few kilometres drive we arrive to Riisitunturi parking place.  Path goes up to the hills and on the large frozen lake views. Fresh winds blow and feeling is very arctic today! 

It is getting dark and today we climb to the Riisitunturi fell and try to observe the Northern Lights! Place is one of the most famous areas in Finland to enjoy this Northern phenomena. At the top of the hill you can see the most idyllic winter scenery, and hopefully the Auroras too! 

The snow-covered trees of Riisitunturi in mid-winter are known among nature photographers worldwide. After a visit on the top we walk slowly down to the car and visit our friends, arctic cows in a farm and have a cup of coffee with a snack with a farmer family at the old farm house! Transport, sauna, dinner and good night sleep in cabin. (Hiking distance approximately 9 km in 8 hours including breaks)

6th day, Thu.:

We start our day with an early breakfast and continue hiking. Our last snowshoeing day includes a wonderful visit to the Rytivaara Crown Forest Farm, built in the 19th century. Visit is a time travel to the everyday life and living conditions of a forest croft in early years. Rytivaara's croft was built in 1852 on the land of the crown, the state, in Syöte wilderness. 

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Route goes on varied terrain, climbs up to the hills and comes down to the frozen bogs and ponds. On this culturally rich day you hear a lot of stories about the living in wilderness on early days. Hiking back to the car, and approximately 1 hour transport to cabin. Sauna and dinner at the cabin. (Hiking distance on circular route, approximately 10 km in 6 hours including breaks)

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7th day, Fri.:

Last snowshoe-hiking day begins. After a tasty breakfast approximately one hour transfer by car to Kaunislampi. Kaunislampi means a Beautiful Pond in Finnish language. It is a protected wilderness area located outside the boundaries of the national park, about 35 kilometers north of the Syöte Nature Center.

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Kaunislampi Gorge Lake was born in a bedrock fracture. On the west side of Kaunislampi we can admire the ancient shore rock, which was formed when the continental glacier retreated more than 9,000 years ago. At that time, the sea swollen by the melting water of the ice covered the area of Kaunislampi, and only the tips of the fells reached the sea level.

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We hike around the pond, descend to the surface of the ice to the shelter. On the south side of the pond is a wooden cabin where we take a lunch break at the end of the trip. Short hiking, transport and celebration dinner in the cabin. (Hiking distance on circular route, approximately 8 km in 4 hours including breaks)

8th day, Sat.: 

Departure day. After a tasty and nutritious breakfast transfer by car to Oulu Airport. 

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We reserve all the rights to change the order of the activities or the content of the program if necessary due to the weather or other conditions. 

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