One week (from sunday to friday) demanding training of winter-time wilderness skills in a far-north natural environment for people looking for bit different experiences. Includes overnighting in various different shelters suitable for demanding winter conditions, learning of techniques and even a self-planned two night wilderness trip at the end (with a guide)! This trip is organized in February and March and is a must-do for nature lovers and bushcraft enthusiasts, or anyone wishing to gain confidence in demanding winter-time backcountry activities.

This is an excellent opportunity for the experienced 3-season hiker to enlarge her set of skills for safe winter time touring on a naturally beautiful and remote environment at the northernmost treeline. Join in to enjoy the wild side of winter.

• Level of solitude 4/5 (very high, because of the season and location; it is most likely that apart from the staff and rest of the group, you will not meet anyone during the tour)
• Difficulty 3/5 (we are staying close to heated cabins for the first training part; short 2-night wilderness tour after the proper training)
• Suitable for: persons over 16 years old, who have previous experience in backpacking and wild camping, and have moderate physical condition
• Group size 4-8
• Guiding languages: English (Finnish for solely Finnish groups, and there is also a possibility to German speaking guide)
• The tour lasts from sunday to friday, and planned starting dates are: 19.2.-24.2.2017; 26.2.-3.3.2017; and 5.-10.3.2017
• other dates possible on request

During the week you will have first hand experience in sleeping in a tent, in an open shelter, and in a self-built snow shelter. You will try skiing, snowshoeing and with the group you get to plan your own two-day trip to the wilds supervised by the professional guide. You will get familiar with cooking your own meals by open fire and using different camping stoves, and you can just simply enjoy the nature in a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

During the week, the first three nights are spent in the remote camping area close to Sevettijärvi village in Northern Finland. This way, while the idea is to try different winter-time shelter options during various nights, you are always close to the heated cabins where you can have a rest and store your personal gear. During this time we go through different aspects of wild camping in winter, including trying of different ways of moving around the snow, preparing food and using the equipment and building different shelters. You get the chance to spend one night in a tent, another in an open shelter (traditional Finnish Loue or tarp) and the third in a shelter made out of snow (the type of the shelter depends on the snow conditions). During these three days you are always staying close to the cabins, just in case. After the three days of practicing the essential skills, we will head to the wilderness to put them into action in a trip you get to plan yourself. An expert guide is all the time with you during the trip. After the trip, the relaxing sauna and delicious meal waits for us by the log cabin housing.

This program gives you good set of skills and understanding about what is needed in winter time hiking, and it is also gives you access in some of the more demanding WHF winter-time programs. All of the equipment needed will be provided to you by us, but if you happen to have your own gear you would like to try safely on a demanding winter conditions, this is a good chance of doing just that. Remember that this wilderness week is also an memorable way of spending holiday in the nature. On the location you will most likely see reindeers, and with some luck the fantastic northern lights. Book now to get your place for next winter!

Minimum charge 4 persons

Included in the price is:

• all the foods
• tutorials and professional guiding services
• safety plan and licenses for the self-planned wilderness trip
• shelters + cooking equipment
• all the other gear needed, excluding clothes and winter sleeping bag
• Renting a winter sleeping bag through us is possible, but pricey and depends on the particular model you would like to use (because of the high price for washing them). Rental prices for winter-time sleeping bags start from 40euros/trip

Making reservations and addressing enquiries is possible by emailing to joose@wildhikesfinland.com, calling +358 45 619 8260 or using the contact sheet below: