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The Far North & Winter Activities

I am sitting in my room by a cosy log fire in the far north of Finland. The dark nights are here again and it is a windy, rainy night outside but the snows will soon be here. Just looking out of the window there was a white Arctic hare looking completely out of place in the grass and bilberry bushes! Earlier today I passed a good number of reindeer herds as I drove north across the Arctic Circle to Luosto. Tonight I am staying at the homely Aurora Chalet, a small, family owned and managed hotel in this village resort.

A meal of goat’s cheese salad followed by a lovely tender fillet of reindeer steak with beetroot rosti was much appreciated after the drive. Good food and hospitality is always enjoyed here in Finland, the meals are freshly prepared from local produce.

This last weekend I was at a large lakeside chalet in the picturesque Hossa region of eastern Finland consulting with nature providers in on a project called Wild Taiga. I can assure you that soon there will be some exciting developments for discovering the nature of this biome with bear watching being one of the main highlights.

You may have explored the savannah and deserts of Africa, the jungles of India, the rainforests of Costa Rica or the Amazon basin but this huge ecosystem circling the northern parts of our planet warrants attention. There is plenty to interest and the Finns know their forests well.

In the meantime we are excited by some new programmes for this winter. In eastern Finland we introduce a winter activity week from another great hotel near Kuhmo. Our popular dog sledding weeks have changed and we introduce Suvi and Jussi, wilderness guides, with big, strong but exceptionally friendly Greenland dogs. Their tours spend each night in comfortable accommodation: cottages, farmhouses and the like. Not only will you drive your own dogs but there is the chance to learn from an expert, following the signs of nature, perhaps finding wolf tracks?

On Thursday night I saw the northern lights as we travelled to meet the dogs. From now until April you have the chance to be amazed by fantastic light displays. Our ‘Searching for the Northern Lights’ programme is still in demand and there is still some availability at the Aurora Chalet and log cabins in the village. For families wishing to see the aurora borealis or do some winter activities we have managed to secure the remaining rooms for February half term.

Winter in the far north is a magical time and not so far away. We are looking forward to helping you enjoy this snowy land.

Aurora Borealis photos taken Thursday 25 Oct 07 © Dr. Steve Banner FRGS

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