Self guided nordic skiing adventure

Discover by yourself the impressiveness of Hossa Park. You can practice nordic skiing directly from your hotel room or your cottage and go through one of the many trails that run around and in the park.

You will find here a 120km ski trail network with very noticeable signs that enable you to easily go without a guide, at your own pace. Enjoy the silence of pure nature, away from everything, and especially everyone. For optimal discovery, you will be provided with a map of the various routes that crisscross. Get your fill of fresh air and freedom here in Finnish Lapland.

Itinerary

Day 1 Journey and welcoming dinner

Transfer by bus or by car to Hossa (about 1 hour), at the gates of the park. Settle down in your log cottage or in your hotel room. First night, we greet you at the restaurant upon a welcoming dinner.

Accommodation: Hotel or Cottage
Day 2 Nordic skiing in Hossa

From your hotel room or your cottage, you organize your own routes.
Discovering Hossa Park by cross-country skiing is one of the best choices: you can easily get to all the interest points of the park enjoying the national Finnish winter sport!
Here, nature is intact. The region is really wooded and presents some lovely hills.
Each night you will find the comfort of the hotel and you can relax in the sauna.

Accommodation: Hotel or Cottage
Day 3 Nordic skiing in Hossa

On request (on site), with additional fee:
Possibility to organize an itinerant trek, and sleep one night or more in trapper cabins, deep in the woods, with the running water and electricity.

Accommodation: Hotel or Cottage
Day 4 Nordic skiing in Hossa

On request (on site), with additional fee:
Other optional activities : snowmobiling, dogsledding, snowshoeing, hikes with dogs, ice fishing… On request, only on site and subject to availability.

Accommodation: Hotel or Cottage
Day 5 Nordic skiing in Hossa

With more than 160km of skiing slopes, Hossa is a great playground for all ski and nature lovers. Ski is probably the best way to discover the park in winter.

Accommodation: Hotel or Cottage
Day 6 Nordic skiing in Hossa

On request (on site), with additional fee:
Why not try skijoering today? In Nordic skiing, attached to a husky dog sled or a Greenland dog by a lanyard and go explore the park in a trapper way.

Accommodation: Hotel or Cottage
Day 7 Nordic skiing in Hossa

Last day in Hossa! Why not go visiting our kennel with its 160 inhabitants? You could also spend the day in the park and enjoy a lunch at one of the many fireplace in the park.

Accommodation: Hotel or Cottage
Day 8 Transfer

Breakfast and transfer to Kuusamo airport.

Period & budget

When to travel?

The best period for travelling is during the following months:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Notes

INCLUDED

Airport transfers from/to Kuusamo airport (on Sundays)
Accomodation in hotel or cottage
Full board from D1 dinner to D8 breakfast
Luggage transport
The lending of a pair of boots against deep cold for the whole week

NOT INCLUDED

Flights to get to Kuusamo
Extra transfers for arrival in another aiport
Children discount (contact us) [*] Your insurance (cancellation and repatrition): we do not offer insurance. We strongly advise to take out such insurance and bring your documents with you when travelling

OPTIONS

Single room at the hotel: 190 euros pp.

TO PAY ON SPOT

Personal expenses
Drinks
Nordic skis rental
Deposit for snowmobile (if you wish to practice): 1500 euros / snowmobile / person (credit card)
Deposit for material and provided equipment: 50 euros for the boots, 50 euros for the overall, 50 euros for the sleeping bag

Practical info

Staff

Activities supervised by artic specialist and English speaking guides. Ask for the availability of a guide who can speak your own language!

Food

Finland is not a land of gastronomy, even though some specialties are delicious! Because of weather conditions and our isolated location, fresh products are quite rare. During your stay we will offer you simple dishes which will fit your energetic needs. You will also have the opportunity to taste some Finnish specialties such as marinated or grilled salmon, salmon soup, reindeer stew or traditional cakes. A generous buffet breakfast will be served at the hotel restaurant, as well as dinners when you sleep at the hotel.

A generous buffet breakfast will be served at the hotel restaurant
For lunch, you will enjoy a picnic with wood-fire grilled food
Dinners are served at the hotel restaurant

Accommodation

Our basecamp is located in the heart of Hossa Park, 100km away from any village or shop. Our conception of tourisme has nothing to do with mass tourism hubs like Rovaniemi, Ivalo or Kittila. No Santa Claus Village with us! There are 23 inhabitants around Hossa and most of them are reindeer farmers. Indeed, there are more bears living up there than inhabitants! We are living there in autonomy and are working in deep cooperation with the National Forrest Service which runs Hossa Park development. During your stay, you will not have many opportunities to meet local people since there are very few of them. You might meet some ice fishers or Nordic skiers.

During your stay, you will be accommodated for 5 nights in our hotel or cottages and for 2 nights in a trapper cabin:

- Hotel and Cottages : Our hotel is ideally located beside a conserved lake. The hotel has 25 rooms (single, double and triple). All rooms are equiped with a private bathroom with shower, practical storage units, a T.V with international channels. Bed linens and towels are provided by Norwide. Nearby your room, you have free access to our sauna. After an energetic sport day, you will enjoy relaxing in this wooden piece of peace !

- Here is another accommodation option: the cottages (on request, subject to availability) :

The « Classical » cottage, with an only room with living room/kitchen, twin or bunked beds, private bathroom and sauna
The « Premium » cottage, with a separated room with double bed, living room, kitchen, private bathroom and sauna

Bed linens and towels are provided by Norwide.

Trapper cabins:

These are log cabins just like mountain refuges. The comfort is basic. These accommodations consist of a single dormitory or a room for 4 to 6 people with one main living room. There is no running water or electricity. The room is heated by a wood-stove. Despite cold weather outside, the room is quickly warmed up by the stove and we easily get to fine temperatures inside. There are dry toilets outside. The cabins are all equipped with a traditional sauna. They are full of charm and that’s why we love them!

Transportation

- 6 cross-country skiing days:

Strap on your skis in front of your room at the inn, and let’s go for a ride! From the hostel you can organize your itineraries from the map which is provided, and thanks to advice from our team. 120 km of trails to discover Hossa Park, with different levels and distances tracks.

- Other forms of travel available on site:

During the week, if you want to take a break from your skiing background, many other activities are organized on site. The opportunity to choose a new mode of travel (subject to availability on site), among dogsledding (guided activity), snowmobiling (guided activity) , snowshoeing or back-country skiing. Also an opportunity to relax and enjoy the sauna.

Vital equipment

High protection sunglasses
Mask
Personal medicine kit
Sun-cream (from the end of February)
Vaseline or waterfree mosturising cream
A headlamp
A thermos, in order to always have some hot beverage with you while practicing the activities. For lunch, the guide will provide you with hot beverages.

Boots (type SOREL) are issued on arrival and are yours throughout the week
For snowmobile safaris : overalls and helmet
For dogsledge safaris : winter jacket for extreme cold and leather mittens
For each bivouac night spent in a trapper cabin: sleeping bag

Ski renting facilities on site : 20€/day and 120€/week (advance booking needed)

If you wish to practice other activities, here are the equipments we are able to provide:

For snowmobile safaris : overalls and helmet
For dogsledge safaris : winter jacket for extreme cold and leather mittens
For each bivouac night spent in a trapper cabin: sleeping bag

Helpful equipment

« The three layer system » :

Extreme conditions need extrem level of protection. For your clothing, the multilayer method is the best. You will have to wear several layers of clothing. The closest layers to your body let it sweat easily. The other layers keep your body warm and protect it from extreme weather conditions.

- Base / Inner Layer Close-fitting articles of clothing: polypropylene, polyester, capilene, wool or silk baselayer thermals. .

- Insulating / Middle Layer Warm pull-over or fleece jacket. .

- Shell / Outer Layer Goretex, or a comparable ski jacket is strongly recommended for this layer for its excellent water and wind resistant properties.

You will need the following:

Waterproof shoes, winter hiking shoes, sports shoes or snow boots (for evening wear)
Woolen socks
Warm winter jacket (ski jacket or down jacket
Ski trousers or ski overalls
Warm pull-overs or fleece jackets
Warm baselayer thermals : very important. Thin technical fibers as Carline or Polartec are extremely efficient.
Expedition waterproof mitten/gloves and fitted silk gloves
Woolen hat
Hool, Balaclava
Scarf
Swimming suit (sauna)
Microfiber towel (sauna)

Personal effects that you must bring with you:

A sleeping bag linr for each overnight in trapper cabin (it goes into the sleeping bag that we lend you, for hygienic reasons)
Your driving licence (compulsory when you drive a snowmobile)
A credit card : we make a copy of it that is used as a deposit for all the equipment provided

Luggage

Your belongings must be distributed into 2 bags :

1- A suitcase or flexible travelling bag (max. 20kg)

2- A backpack (30 to 40L) for your usual belongings that you will bring with you while practicing the activities

My local agent
Charline

Expert on the destination
Loves outdoor sports
Speaks English

Request a quote

Destination: Hossa
Activity: Self-guided Skiing Winter
Duration: 8 days
Code: S3
Price: From €670
Level: 2/5
Comfort: 4/5

Strengths

120km of ski slopes drawn to explore the park as you wish
The comfort of an inn with Finnish sauna
Freedom and tranquility, away from the crowds

Guide's advice

Discover by yourself the impressiveness of Hossa Park. You can practice nordic skiing directly from your hotel room or your cottage and go through one of the many trails that run around and in the park.

You will find here a 120km ski trail network with very noticeable signs that enable you to easily go without a guide, at your own pace. Enjoy the silence of pure nature, away from everything, and especially everyone. For optimal discovery, you will be provided with a map of the various routes that crisscross. Get your fill of fresh air and freedom here in Finnish Lapland.

Required level

This trip is an escape with skis, one week that you freely spend in harmony with nature. As mentioned in its name, this trip is self-guided : you go at your own pace ! With a map and advice from our team on site, we offer cross-country skiing routes in the Hossa park and surroundings. There are many different routes and distances in order to suit any level. The trip will take place on a Great North remote land. This non-sanitized field of adventure will require from you certain adaptability to terrain and weather conditions which can vary quite fast.

This is a participative trip, meaning that you will be self-dependent during your skiing days. We will provide you with food and snacks for lunches and coffee-breaks but you will be the one organizing and managing your hike as well as your breaks with fire making for warming up and cooking. Since you go at your own pace, children can be involved, provided that you (the parents) know how resistant the child is when exposed to extreme cold and physical activity. The trip selection is very important for a full enjoyment on site. We recommend this trip to anyone who is willing to discover Great North without a precise agenda. A wonderful experience in full harmony with nature that will get you away from it all!

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