Trappers's survival
Your survival week in Lapland.
Very close to the Russian border, in the Kainuu region and within the Hossa National Park, discover what does it mean to be a "trapper in Finland", on the edge of the land of the tsars.
The route crosses a wild and unspoilt region offering one of the most beautiful panoramas of northern Finland. This trip will immerse you in a unique snowshoe-paddle adventure in the land of reindeer herders and northern lights.
You will discover the white fishing, the construction of Igloo, the different methods of traps, tracking, the discovery of the local flora and fauna and of course, how to make a fire, a real one.
Itinerary
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Day 1 Welcome to Kuusamo
A member of our team will meet you at Kuusamo Airport with the sign "Norwide". Transfer by minibus to the village of Hossa (about 1 hour ride). You will get the key of your accommodation (room or cottage, depending on your reservation) at the hostel.
For this first evening, our team will meet you for dinner.Accomodation : traditionnal cottage
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Days 2 to 6 Departure of the ski expedition (6 days of skiing)
Today, distribution, verification and initiation of the equipment. Later, a car transfer to Juntusranta, departure will be in the early afternoon for our ski raid.
Let's go for a 6 days of Nordic skiing expedition through the taiga. First night in the tent near the Russian border. Sleeping in tents allows us to be closer to the Finnish wilderness and to enjoy the most of the aurora borealis especially in the heart of winter.Average distance: 15 km
Accommodation: Bivouac under tent -
Day 7 Crossing the lakes
Here we are already on the way back after an expedition full of adventures and discoveries! This morning we put our skis on one last time to cross the lakes back to the base camp.
Average distance: 15 km
Accommodation: Traditional chalet -
Day 8 Return flight
Transfer to Kuusamo airport. The end of a beautiful week rich in emotions and memories.
Dates & prices
Departures for French-speaking groups:
No departure for now
International departures:
No departure for now
Trip code: R8
Included
- Reception and airport transfers Kuusamo / Hossa (Saturday)
- Accommodation: 2 nights at the inn, 4 nights in a tent and 1 night in a trapper's cabin
- Full board, from dinner in day 1 to brunch in day 8
- Supervision by French and English-speaking guides specializing in the polar environment
- The loan of cold equipment including full wetsuit (for snowmobile days), cold boots (for the week), a cold jacket and over-mittens (for sleigh days). Deposit to be paid on the spot.
Not included
- Round trip flights to Kuusamo
- Any other welcome and transfer A / R other than Kuusamo airport
- The visit to the reindeer farm 10 €
- Your cancellation / repatriation insurance: we do not offer insurance against cancellation and / or repatriation. We strongly advise you to take out this type of insurance and bring your documents with you during the trip.
Notes
- OPTIONAL
Single room supplement at the hostel: 220 euros / person (subject to availability depending on the season)TO PAY ON SITE - Personal expenses
- The drinks
- The snowmobile insurance deductible: 1500 euros / snowmobile / person (deposit per imprint of your credit card)
- On site rental of equipment cold (if you want to keep the equipment lent during the days of activities all week) Deposit for the equipment by footprint of your credit card: 50 euros for the boots, 50 euros for the suit, 50 euros for the cold jacket.The order of the activities is given as an indication in the day by day: the effective order of the practice of the different activities will be announced to you on the day 1. This itinerary will be modified according to the meteorological conditions. Your guide will be decision maker of these conditions.Possibility of aurora borealis all winter depending on weather conditions.
International flights
Before booking your flights, please contact our advisors so that they can validate your flight plan, before any purchase. If, however, your flight plan does not match ours, we reserve the right to ask you to wait for the next transfer or apply a surcharge.
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
We strongly recommend that you take out personal travel insurance for your trip with Norwide as soon as your booking is confirmed. We advice you to purchase a travel insurance policy which covers flight cancellations, luggage loss and emergency health care. Please look carefully at which activities are covered by your insurer and do not forget to bring all necessary documents and information with you (name of the company, name of the contract, insurance policy number, telephone number...)
Practical info
Staff
Supervision by French and English-speaking guides specializing in the polar environment (French-speaking or English-speaking snowmobile guide, musher ...)
Food
Finland is not famous for its gastronomy, although some specialties are really delicious! Due to climatic conditions and the isolation of Hossa Park, fresh produce is scarce. For this stay we propose a simple food but adapted to the energetic needs. During your stay, you will have the opportunity to taste some Finnish specialties: marinated salmon, salmon grilled over a wood fire, reindeer meat. At the hostel meals are buffet style with a rich breakfast.
During activities:
- at lunchtime we will most often have a picnic in the form of grilling on the campfire.
- on the evening: meal at the hostel
Accommodation
Our base camp is located in the heart of Hossa Park. 100 km from the first town and the first shop. We are very far from the big mass tourist centers like Rovaniemi, Ivalo, Kitila. No Santa's village! In Hossa there are 23 inhabitants, mainly reindeer herders. There are more bears than inhabitants! We live there in autonomy! We work closely with the park management organization. During your stay the opportunities to meet the locals are rare, maybe you will meet some fishermen on ice or Finnish spring cross-country skiing. You will be able to enjoy the Finnish presence on our team!
For this stay you will sleep 2 nights at the base camp and 4 nights in a tent and 1 in a trapper's cabin:
- Base Camp: The accommodation is in a traditional chalet. They are composed of the following elements: two single beds, a sofa bed, a kitchenette as well as a bathroom and a private sauna. Sheets and blankets are provided as well as bath towels (we advise you to bring a second set of towels for the sauna).
- Trapper huts: These are refuge type log cabins in France. The comfort is basic. Consisting of a single dormitory or a room of 4 to 6 people with a main room. There is no running water or electricity. The heating is done by a wood stove. We arrive quickly despite the negative outside temperature to be warm inside. There are dry toilets outside. The cabins are almost all equipped with a traditional sauna. That's what makes all the charm we love!
- Tent mess: for nights in tents you will be under a tepee tent heated by a wood stove for 8 people.
Transportation
6 days of snowshoes and pulka
This trip allows you to discover all the mysteries of the Taiga Lapland via a mode of travel very suitable for the medium: the racket with pulka. This is an opportunity to practice in very snow-covered areas, off the beaten track, at a relatively fast pace. 5 to 7 hours a day with low unevenness. The course which is proposed to you represents a hundred kilometers, to be covered in harsh climatic conditions. In addition, you are in total autonomy which means that you carry, thanks to an ingenious towing of pulkas, all your belongings and the common necessities for the whole week. Finally, the conditions of accommodation affect the movement: every day, you take into account the time of establishment of your camp in your daily commute time. The bivouacs are spent in heated mess tents at the wood stove. Every day, you must set up camp for the night and re-cast it each morning before attacking your new snowshoeing stage. The tracks are drawn and maintained but thanks to the freedom offered by snowshoeing, you will also venture out of the trails and make your mark, each participant in turn, in the vast white areas.
Supplied equipment
Equipment included in the circuits:
- For the whole week: cold boots (Sorel type), cold jacket, over-mittens, balaclava and waterproof bag
Vital equipment
- High protection sunglasses
- A ski mask
- A personal pharmacy kit
- A tube of sunscreen (useful from February when the sun starts to heat up)
- Vaseline or moisturizer without water to avoid freezing
- A headlamp
- A thermos to have access to your hot drink. During lunch, the guide will provide you with hot drinks.
- Driver's license for snowmobile
- Credit card for equipment deposit
Helpful equipment
Provide a "3 layers" system:
For clothing, the multilayer method is the best. It is about wearing several layers of clothing, the closer to the body easily let out sweat. Other layers retain heat or preserve the body from external conditions.
- Base layer (on the skin) Underwear full warm (tights and long sleeve top).
- The middle layer A warm sweater or thick polar fur.
- The outer layer cuts you wind and snow. We recommend a GoreTex jacket or warm ski jacket.List of recommended clothing:
- Waterproof shoes or winter hiking shoes or after ski
- Slipper or small basketball at the hostel
- Pairs of woolen socks
- A warm jacket (warm ski jacket or down jacket)
- Ski pants or combination
- Warm sweaters or polar furs
- Underwear high and low. This is the first insulation you will have, heal it. Fine technical fibers, such as Carline or Polartec are very effective, warm, flexible, comfortable and lightweight. They dry very quickly
- A pair of waterproof gloves
- A pair of undergloves wool cap Neck warmer or balaclava Scarf
- A swimsuit (sauna)
- A towel (sauna)List of essential personal belongings:
- Driving license for snowmobiling
- Your credit card for the equipment deposit (an impression will be taken). The deposit is 50 euros per item provided and 1500 euros per snowmobile
Luggage
All of your luggage must be divided into 2 bags:
- a travel bag or suitcase (maximum 20kg in hold)
- a backpack (25/30 L capacity) for your day's belongings
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
For French nationals, valid identity card or passport (Finland is part of the EEC).
For other nationalities, inquire at the consulate or embassy.
If you travel with your children, please note that minors, regardless of their age, must also have an individual identity card or an individual passport.
ATTENTION, from January 15, 2017, a child who travels abroad without being accompanied by one of his parents must present the following 3 documents:
- Valid identity document of the minor: identity card or passport + possible visa according to the requirements of the country of destination (to be verified by consulting the country sheets of the diplomatie.gouv.fr site)
- Photocopy of the valid identity document of the signatory parent: identity card or passport
- Exit authorization form signed by one of the parents with parental authority. For further information: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1359
Visa
UK passport holders do not require a VISA to visit Finland which part of the Schengen cooperation.T
he 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 itBe careful with fire
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of other visitorsOver 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
- Discovery Hiking Winter
- Duration
- 8 days
- Group
- 5 to 8 people
- Code
- R8
- Price
- From €1,060
- Level
- 4/5
- Comfort
- 2/5
- Language(s)
- French / English
Strengths
- Different activities everyday: dog-sledding, snowmobiling, winter walking, snowshoeing...
- Discover a remote wilderness area, unspoilt and far away from everything
- Our comfortable accommodation in the heart of Hossa National Park with sauna access