Snowshoe trek in Finland
This incredible
snowshoe trek ventures deep into the heart of Hossa National Parks' boreal forest and reveals the secrets of a traditional
trappers lifestyle. With nights spent in isolated wooden cabins, far from
civilization, we can relax in our own saunas and enjoy private displays of the
Nothern Lights, the silence interrupted only by our faithful huskies who howl
like wolves when the dancing lights appear... Try your hand at ice fishing,
learn ancient Finnish bushcraft skills and explore the vast winter
wilderness - an unforgettable Northern adventure.
Itinerary
-
Day 1 Welcome to Finland
Transfer by bus or car to Hossa (about 1 hour) and time to get settled in your cottage or lodge. Tonight, we will meet you at the restaurant for a welcoming dinner and briefing.
Accommodation: Hotel or Cottage
-
Day 2 Seipiniemi peninsula
Today is a chance for your guide, a specialist of the Arctic area, to introduce you to Finnish snowshoeing techniques and to the mysteries of this wild region. This first hike is a chance to get used to the arctic climate, the equipment, and to start enjoying the wonderful landscapes here. This afternoon we return to our accommodation to prepare the equipment we will will need for our trek.
Activities: 4 to 5 hours of snowshoeing
Accommodation: Hotel or Cottage -
Day 3 Snowshoe Trek
Our 4 day snowshoe trek begins! We will be accompanied by faithful huskies to help pull our belongings in pulks. Each participant will get to lead legs of the trek, taking it in turns to break tracks in the fresh snow, try out leadership skills and navigate using a map and compass. Over the next few days in the heart of the boreal forest we will discover the secrets of this stunning National Park...
During this trip you will be introduced to ice fishing, Finnish bushcraft and winter wilderness survival techniques. You will have a chance to drill your own hole in the ice, arm yourself with patience and catch one of the many perch that swim in the waters here! There is nothing quite like freshly caught fish cooked over a wood fire to warm you... Our guide will also introduce you to fish smoking methods as we continue to explore this vast winter wilderness. Every day we will enjoy picnic lunches by lovely fireplaces in the snow and every evening we an share meals and stories over the fires.
We will spend each night in a different traditional trappers huts, heated by a wooden stoves and quipped with wood-fire saunas. From these hidden huts, far from civilization and light polution we can enjoy wonderful sunsets, admire clear starry skies and perhaps even enjoy a displays of the dancing Northern Lights. Unforgettable nights guarded by our faithful dogs which howl like wolves when the northern lights show up (this phenomenon is quite frequent in the heart of arctic winter)Activities: 5 to 6 hours of snowshoeing per day
Accommodation: Nights 3,4 &5 in trappers huts / back to our hotel or cottage accommodation on day 6 -
Day 4
-
Day 5
-
Day 6
-
Day 7 Free Day – Optional activities
Today is a day to relax, a day to enjoy the saunas and to have snowballs fights! Perhaps you would like to visit our kennels or a nearby local reindeer farm or perhaps you would like to try an activity like Nordic skiing... There are lots of possibilities for your last day here. For dinner we can enjoy a final traditional meal all together: Käristys, or reindeer stew with cranberries.
Activities: Various optional activities
Accommodation: Hotel or Cottage -
Day 8 Transfer
Breakfast and transfer to Kuusamo airport.
Please note that this itinerary, including walking distances and times, is indicative. Our guides aim to provide the adventure that is best suited to the weather, your interests and the demands of the group. Please be aware that in order to achieve this, changes to the programme may be made.
Other trips you may like
Snowshoeing in Hossa: This adventure features 2 overnight snowshoeing treks with accommodation in traditional trappers huts in the heart of the taiga. An ideal trip for those who want to discover the joys of snowshoeing in the winter wonderland that is Hossa National Park with 5 nights in our luxurious hotel accommodation...
Snowshoeing Spitsbergen: This snowshoeing adventure is elegant in its simplicity. Discover what it was like to be an arctic explorer enjoying winter walks in one of the most remarkable and unspoilt areas in the world, lands where few people venture...
Dates & prices
Departures for French-speaking groups:
| From | To | Price per person | Guaranteed | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| €1,785 | No | Book now! | ||
| €1,785 | Yes | Fully booked | ||
| €1,785 | No | Book now! | ||
| €1,785 | No | Book now! | ||
| €1,785 | No | Book now! | ||
| €1,785 | No | Book now! | ||
| €1,750 | No | Book now! |
International departures:
No departure for now
Trip code: R3
Included
- Airport transfers to/from Kuusamo airport
- 3 nights in hotel or cottage accommodation
- 3 nights in trappers huts
- Sauna access most evenings
- Full board from day 1 dinner to breakfast day 8
- Activities supervised by professional guides
- All technical equipment needed including cold weather clothing (see 'practical info' / 'equipment' for details)
- Husky dogs will join us to help carry our equipment
Not included
- Flights
Additional Options
Please let us
know if you would like to reserve any of the following optional
activities/supplements:
- Single room at the hotel: €190 pp.
- Nordic skiing: prices vary
- Visit to our kennels: free
- Local reindeer farm visit: €10 +meal €40
Notes
Comfort: 3/5 Various
Some of our trips involve a mixture of accommodation options. This trip includes 3 nights in trappers huts and 3 nights in hotel/cottage accommodation
Level: 3/5 Challenging
You should be in good physical
shape to join our more challenging adventures. You should have a sense of adventure, a positive
attitude and be prepared for a full-on action packed programme including 6+
hours of activity per day. This trip involves pulling pulks and please note that our difficulty ratings may vary depending on the weather.
Minimum age: 14
International flights
Flights are not included but this trip includes airport transfers to/from Kuusamo airport - please contact us if you require transfers to/from somewhere different.
Terms and conditions
Booking conditions
Booking a trip with Norwide implies acceptance of the terms and conditions of sale. Each customer is required to complete a registration form and, subject to availability at the time of registration, travellers are expected to pay a deposit of 30% of the total price to complete their booking. Payments can be made online or by bank transfer. You will receive an e-mail with your booking confirmation.
Invoice procedure
Once your booking is confirmed you will receive an invoice by e-mail. The full balance of the trip must be received at least 30 days before your departure date. Norwide reserve the right to cancel your booking, free of charge, if this deadline is not respected.
Cancellation policy
If for any reason you have to cancel your trip, Norwide require written confirmation of your decision. The money you have paid will then be refunded according to the following deductions:
- Cancellation received more than 30 days prior to the departure date: a sum of €50 per person will be retained
- Cancellation received 30 to 21 days before the departure date: your deposit, 30% of the total trip price will be retained
- Cancellation received 20 to 14 days before the departure date: 50% of the total trip price will be retained
- Cancellation received 13 to 7 days before the departure date: 75% of the total trip price will be retained
- Cancellation received less than 7 days before the departure date: 100% of the total trip price will be retained
Special cases:
Please note that, regardless of the date of cancellation or modification if you have agreed to pay for services such as hotel reservations, flights or additional activities, these services are usually non-refundable so additional fees may apply.
- Fixed airfares: if your airline ticket was issued in advance, often done to avoid significant surcharges, you will be charged 100% of any non-refundable fees if you wish to change or cancel your flight plan.
- Fixed in-country costs: early charges for firm bookings will be charged if you cancel or modify your trip.
- Insurance costs: if you have taken out comprehensive or cancellation insurance, the cost of insurance is due and cannot be refunded.
Please note that fees apply according to the date we receive your cancellation or modification request in writing.
If we have to cancel a departure due to an insufficient number of participants, you will be informed no later than 21 days before departure and a full refund will be issued, you will not be entitled to further compensation. We reserve the rights to cancel departures due to exceptional circumstances which may impact the safety of participants. Such circumstances include those amounting to 'force majeure' in which case participants will receive a full refund but they will not be entitled to any compensation.
Changes to travel contract
If you wish to make a change to your booking please contact us in writing; you will be expected to pay any fee which might arise from this change. In the event of unforeseen external events, Norwide may change some aspects of the travel contract. If any changes are necessary you will be informed as quickly as possible.
Pricing
The prices on our website are updated regularly and all of the prices we advertise are accurate when published. We reserve the rights to make changes to any of these prices. Before you make a booking we will give you the up-to-date price of your chosen holiday including any supplements, upgrades or additional activities you may have requested. If the number of travellers is fewer than the indicated number of participants on the website, a small group surcharge may be applied. For all of our trips we include details of services, prices and what is/is not included but please be aware that changes to the prices may be necessary in accordance with exchange rates or price changes of various components of the journey.
Contract transfer
If you are unable to travel for any reason, you can transfer your booking to another person in which case our modification conditions apply. Both the transferor and transferee will be jointly and severally liable for payment of the total holiday price and other associated expenses. Some airline carriers treat name changes as cancellations and you may be required to pay for the cost of a new ticket.
Insurance
Practical info
Staff
You will be welcomed at the airport by a representative from our friendly team and accompanied for the duration of your holiday. Armed with an abundance of experience and a wealth of knowledge our professional Finland team know the country inside out. All activities are lead by our qualified guides who are English speaking outdoor practitioners with a passion for everything Finnish. It is possible that your group could be international, therefore several languages might be spoken by your guide.
Food
This trip includes full board from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 8. You will have the chance to try some traditional Finnish meals like smoked fish, salmon soup, reindeer stew and traditional cakes - please be aware that fresh fruit and vegetables are rare in our isolated northern location.
- Hotel/cottage: Generous buffet style breakfasts and dinners are provided at your accommodation
- Lunches: Picnic lunches are provided on our activity days including hot food cooked on wood fires
- Trappers huts: We like when the whole group work as a team to cook a traditional style dinner with their guide during our nights in the cabins - it creates a pleasant atmosphere as we reflect on the days adventures together.
Please let us know about any dietary requirements when you book the trip and we will work with you to cater for your needs.
Accommodation
Our basecamp is located in the heart of Hossa National Park, more than 60 miles (+100kms) away from a village or shop - no mass tourism hubs or Santa Claus Village here with us! There are 23 inhabitants in and around Hossa, most of them are reindeer farmers and yes, there are more bears here than people!
We live here peacefully and we work closely with authorities to protect and preserve this stunning National Park.
During your stay, you will not have many opportunities to meet local people since there are very few of them but you may cross paths with ice fishers or Nordic skiers and visit local reindeer farms.
This trip includes 4 nights in our cottage and 3 nights in trappers huts. Bed linens, sleeping bags and towels are provided by Norwide. Before your safari in the Taiga it will be ask of you to clean your cottage as your luggages will be stored in a special cabin.
Our cottages:
- The Classic Cottage option has a living room/kitchen area with twin or bunk beds plus a private bathroom and sauna
Trappers huts: We love our back to basics no frills
accommodation options which enable us to get close to nature - these traditional log cabins are just like mountain refuges,
they are all equipped sometimes even with Finnish saunas and they are full of charm! They normally have a single dormitory for 4 to 6 people with one main living room.
Generally there is no running water or electricity; dry toilets are found outside. Wood-stove heating warms the cabins quickly
and efficiently even when it is cold outside.
Budget & exchange
The currency in Finland is the euro. Please budget for the following:
- Personal expenses and drinks
- Any additional activities/supplements
- Deposits may be required for various equipment provided: ie €50 for the boots, €50 euros for the overall & €50 euros for the sleeping bag
Supplied equipment
We will provide you with the following equipment for the duration of your trip:
- Warm snow boots (Sorel). Please let us know if your shoe size is under 34 or above 50, thank you.
- Bedding - linen for hotel/cottage accommodation and warm sleeping bags for the trappers huts/log cabins
- A warm jacket for the cold
- A warm protective oversuit
- Waterproof over mittens
- Snowshoes
- Pulks and a durable waterproof bag
Please be aware that upon booking you may be asked your size, height and weight in order to reserve the appropriate equipment in advance.
Vital equipment
You must bring
with you:
- Sunglasses (minimum UV 400)
- A ski mask
- Any personal medication
- Good thermals - top & long johns
- Sun-cream (not water based)
- A head torch and spare batteries
- A thermos flask
- Driver's license for snowmobile
- Credit card for equipment diposit.
Material
We prefer that you do not wear any cotton clothing, including underwear, when participating in activities. When cotton gets wet from water or sweat it ceases to insulate and it does not dry fast. The best materials for outdoor activities are fast drying materials like polyester or materials which are warm when wet like wool. The most powerful materials against the wind and rain are 'breathable' materials like Gore-Tex or Nikwax.
Our advice for keeping warm
Winter in Finland can be very cold, please think carefully about what clothes you bring, although we will provide warm outer layers, the layers you wear next to your skin make the biggest difference. We recommend:
- No cotton
- Bring dry spares of everything, including underwear and gloves
- Wear multiple layers including:
- A warm breathable base layer
- A second thermal layer
- Wind and waterproof protective out layer (we provide a quality jacket and over trousers for activities)
Helpful equipment
We recommend packing:
- Warm (wool) socks
- A warm wind and waterproof jacket
- Suitable warm trousers - windproof ski style, soft shell or fleece lined mountaineering trousers are ideal
- Warm jumper(s) and jacket(s)
- Warm baselayer thermals - very important! (Thin technical fibers as Carline or Polartec are extremely efficient)
- Gloves - multiple pairs for under and over
- A warm hat
- Appropriate neck wear like a warm buff
- Swim suit (sauna)
- Travel towel (sauna)
- Shoes for wearing in the evenings in your various accommodation options
You may also consider packing:
- Wetwipes
- Blister plasters
- A camera (and suitable protective case)
- Plastic bags for wet/dirty clothing
Luggage
You may bring a hold bag (up to 20kg) as well as a cabin bag.
For you hold luggage please bring a soft bag like a ruckack rather than a hard cased suitcase because it is more practical. We also recommend that you pack your clothes in plastic bags inside your rucksack so that they stay dry in the event of bad weather.
Do not forget to bring a small rucksack to use as a day bag (25/30L). You can bring this as hand luggage on the plane. You will carry your lunch, water, spare layers and any personal medication with you each day in this bag.
Medicine
Your guide is trained first aider and will carry a full appropriate first aid kit. We recommend that you bring with you a small first aid kit as well as any medication you may need with you such as inhalers, plasters and painkillers.
A vaild European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) will insure that you can access state-provided healthcare for free or at a reduced cost.
Passport
You will need a passport that is valid for at least three months after your return date.
Visa
UK passport holders do not require a VISA to visit Finland which part of the Schengen cooperation.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland lists the accepted travel documents and visa requirements for every country.
Mandatory vaccines
There are no specific health risks
Weather
Winter in Finland is cold and dry, temperatures in Hossa can drop as low as -25°C (-13°F) but warm clothing, good food and an active lifestyle will keep you warm.
A thick layer of snow covers Finland from December, when it settles, to the end of April, when it melts. The dry cold preserves the snow and makes temperatures feel warmer than you might imagine.
During the winter months daytime is relatively short in Finland but
thanks to the snow and the occassional displays of the dancing Northern Lights
it is never completely black even in the regions where the sun does not rise at
all - winter brings a beautiful blue light with a feeling of permanent dusk. In mid-April, the sun stays above the horizon for 14-16 hours so during
March and April you can enjoy long glorious days of winter sports under a
bright sun. Other winter days include 4 to 5 hours of a light called gray
light, usually 10am to 2pm, with local variations.
The Northern Lights
The beautiful dancing lights are most likely to appear on black nights
in February-March and September-October in the North of Finland. Statistics
show that most are observed in Lapland, in the region of Kilpisjärvi. When the
night skies are clear, the Northern Lights can be observed three nights out of
four in Kilpisjärvi, every other night in the Sodankylä region and one out of
four nights near Oulu-Kuusamo.
Electricity
Finland uses the standard Europlug socket with two round prongs (50Hz/230 volts)
Local time
Finland uses Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)+2 and observes Daylight Saving Time making it GMT+3 during the summer months
Topography
Area:+130502
square miles (+338,000 km2) which consists of around 10% water, 69% forest and
only 8% cultivated land
Size: It is the
seventh largest country in Europe,+720 miles (1160km) North to South and +335
miles (540km) East to West
Borders: Sweden,
Norway, Russia and the coast
There are said to be 187888
lakes here in Finland and 179584
islands including a concentration of islands off the South West coast which
forms the largest archipelago in Europe.
Sustainable tourism
As adventure and wilderness travel experts who run trips to some of the most remote parts of the world, we take responsible tourism very seriously.
Here in Finland we work in partnership with Metsähallitus to
protect Finnish waters and forests - an exclusive agreement which enables
us to use the roads of Hossa National Park. Our kennel is cleaned daily and
subject to regular veterinary and we work with MyClimate to offset all
carbon emissions produced by snowmobiling activities and transfers.
We respect the ‘Leave No Trace’ outdoor ethical code and try to explore this beautiful location whilst causing minimal environmental damage.
The Leave No Trace policy can be summarized in 7 simple steps which we hope you will follow during ourtrip...
- Be prepared
- Stick to trails and camp overnight right
- Stash your trash and pick up waste
- Leave it as you find it
- Be careful with fire
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of other visitors
Over the years we have built up good relations with our local suppliers and we are keen to support local businesses as much as possible. We are a small company and we pay our local partners and suppliers directly insuring fair rates. Our small group sizes not only provide a more intimate adventure but also cause less impact on the environment and local communities.
We expect all who travel with us to support and uphold our Sustainable Tourism philosophies.
My local agent
Alix
- Passionnée par la marche, les grands espaces et les voyages d'Aventure, je me ferai un plaisir de vous écouter et de répondre au mieux à vos demandes.
- Region
- Hossa
- Activity
- Hiking Snowshoeing Winter
- Duration
- 8 days
- Group
- 3 to 8 people
- Code
- R3
- Price
- From €1,430
- Level
- 3/5
- Comfort
- 3/5
- Language(s)
- French / English
Strengths
- A 4 day expedition in the heart of the boreal forest accompanied by an expert guide and a loyal husky team
- Unlock the secrets of the ancient trapper lifestyle, try ice fishing and learn Finnish bushcraft skills
- Discover the stunning and varied arctic landscapes of Hossa National Park