by Lainey Blayney

When we told our friends we were planning to spend a week in Arctic northeastern Finland on a week’s snowshoeing and cross-country skiing trip, quite frankly they thought we were mad!

It has to be said that my husband and I are well into retirement, but as it turned out, so were many in our group. Luckily there were a few “young’uns” who reduced the average age profile somewhat. Our leaders, Lesley Emin and Gerry Kenny provided excellent advice in terms of the fitness and stamina levels we would need to achieve in order to ensure that we enjoyed the trip to the fullest extent possible. We were also given an extensive list of the clothing, snowshoeing and ski gear we would need (including a bivvy emergency sleeping bag, thermal blanket and head torch) to cover all eventualities. Temperatures in northern Finland can fall below -20ºC in early March. Fortunately, while we were there it was a balmy -2 to -8.

The venue for the trip was Kiilopää Fell Centre in the Urho Kekkonen National Park, which is situated some 250km inside the Arctic Circle. Gerry had been introduced to Kiilopää in 2023 by James and Liz Athken who have been members of AAC(UK) for over 50 years. We all benefitted from that happy introduction. Our week spanned 29 February to 7 March 2024. The trip was aimed at aspirant langlaufers and snowshoers of all grades, including complete beginners. As this described us exactly and as we had always wanted to try cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, we set about upping our fitness levels - which, we soon discovered, was just as well!

We flew from Dublin to Rovaniemi. The 3.5hr bus then short taxi journey to the Fell centre was uneventful and we arrived in the dark. The next morning the bleak, beautiful, undulating white landscape became evident during our first hike, which was an introduction to snowshoeing. We walked 10km that morning and soon got the hang of walking “cowboy style” with a wider gait so as not to trip up on the cumbersome snowshoes. Venture off the compacted trails without snowshoes and one will be knee-deep in unconsolidated dry powder snow. Later that afternoon we had our first attempt at langlaufing and so by day’s end we were ready to ease our weary bodies in the sauna. Our hardier friends also dipped in the icy cold (0ºC) waters of the outdoor river plunge pool. The daily sauna followed by the plunge pool was a great way to unwind and ease tired muscles.

For the remainder of the week we explored the peace and tranquility of the vast expanses of the Urho Kekkonen National Park wilderness, Finland’s 2nd largest protected area, on showshoes and skis. In the distance lay the Russian border. We occasionally saw Finnish military helicopters flying past us keeping a wary eye on their border. The information boards at regular intervals along the trails provided welcome opportunities to catch one’s breath while we perused details about the local flora and fauna including the annual cycle of reindeer. We delighted in the views of Luulampi, Poropolku and the Rumakuru Gorge.

What makes the location of the Fell Centre Lodge stand out is the immediate start of the langlauf trails outside the Fell Centre in all directions. Unlike some alpine resorts, there is no need to buy a ticket to access them and there are red, yellow and blue trails all round. The area also differs from alpine lauglauf centres in that there are both looped and multi-day trails hut-to-hut and, with novices in mind, plenty of areas with no major ascents or descents. For those who love cross country skiing this really is your place with no downhill skiers, lifts or palaver! The lodge itself was perfectly adequate although lacking an area with comfortable seating where we could meet up and exchange stories before or after supper. All the staff were both friendly and helpful. The staff in the rental shop underneath the Lodge were particularly accommodating and keen to ensure that we got the best from our skiing and snowshoeing equipment. The food was wholesome lodge fare, if somewhat repetitive. However, after a day out in the fresh air, it was always well received. A pint of beer cost €9 so we were decidedly abstemious during our week.

One surprising development was that norovirus hit both the remoter huts and the Fell Centre itself during our stay but luckily no-one in our group was affected. We were very fortunate in our group of 14 companions. They were such a friendly, caring, encouraging and open group of people who were a delight to spend time with whether on the hikes or around the dining table. The weather for the most part was sunny with exquisite sunsets, which revealed the colourful Siberian Jay, willow grouse (below the tree line), ptarmigan up on the fells. Some participants also saw squirrel and snow hare.

To view the Northern Lights had been a longstanding wish of mine. To be honest, this certainly influenced my decision to go to KiiIopää. I noted that there would be a new moon while we would be there. This boded well for seeing the Northern Lights, provided the skies were clear. We all downloaded the appropriate app so we would know when they would be at their closest and brightest. The skies did not cooperate for the first four cloudy nights. However on the 5th night the clouds parted and our phones “pinged” to signal that the aurora were visible. We rushed outside. Ultimately, while the vision of the aurora borealis may not have been as bright or as dramatic as I would have wished, it was nonetheless a marvel to behold and I am so grateful for the privilege of having seen it.

On our return, the same friends asked how we had “survived” our week and if we would return to Northern Finland. Our answer was unequivocal; we thoroughly enjoyed our adventure and would certainly return given half a chance.

Additional input from Tania Banotti.

This page clockwise from top left: Triumphant summiteers!; Getting the hang of langlaufing; Heading off to the Rumakuru Gorge Lesley Emin Having a well-earned break Alec Blayney.

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