Snowshoeing in Finland

A good introduction to snow shoeing in a stunning location.  Accomodation, food, equipment and tuition all excellent.

The holiday was fantastic. We saw the Northern Lights at the end of our first full day. Husky sledding was great fun, as was ice climbing. Riisitunturi National Park with its trees bent into strange shapes under the weight of snow was amazing. The accommodation was comfortable and the food was delicious. All the Basecamp staff were friendly and helpful.

Wonderful base in beautiful part of the world. Excellent facilities and equipment provided. Superb guides. Delicious locally sourced and home-cooked food.

Another fantastic Exodus trip. 7 great days at a very special location with a lovely group of people. I was a bit concerned about how I would cope with the very low temperatures but need not have worried because the gear provided keeps you warm and cosy. Snowshoeing is great fun and I would recommend this trip to anybody who loves being out in spectacular scenery.

Never having done snowshoeing before we were not sure how easy it would be but if you can walk you can snowshoe! It was a wonderful novel way of exploring the woodlands around the basecamp with plenty of time to chill in the sauna at the end of the afternoon.

The remote forests of Finland are a very peaceful place, and tramping through them in snowshoes is an ideal way to immerse yourself in their tranquillity. The trees are laden with snow and you cannot hear a thing. It feels like a scene from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - you half expect to come across a lamppost and a fawn. The centre is well run, and the guides are absolute enthusiasts and keen to pass one their passion for the trees and the wildlife. At night the stars are bright, and the Northern Lights make an eerie appearance. All in all, a magical place. The UK seems very busy when you get home.

Where in the world can you snowshoe in a forest looking like it is peopled by snow trolls,eat by an open fire by a frozen lake or learn to distinguish otter tracks from elk.Our guide Marti showed us how to tell from strange indentations in the snow which direction an artic hare was hopping.We were in the most magical and remote wilderness I had ever seen.

5 days very easy snowshoeing over well walked trails. The optional trips were good in particular the hire of a snowmobile in Ruka plus the short dog sledding experience at the Arctic Circle. Accommodation was basic but found that the underfloor heating in the bedroom section was not up to it as the room temperature dropped to +10 with warmest being +14. Would have rated it as Excellent if there had been more chance to walk in virgin snow instead of keeping to previously walked trails. Also lack of fresh fruit at Basecamp.

You really are in the middle of nowhere. The silence was deafening. The Northern Lights obligingly came out at least a couple of nights during the week - they look better through a lens I discovered. The rooms are basic and surprisingly warm - underfloor heating seems to work for the most part even though the temperature outside remained stubbornly well below zero for the majority of the week. The scenery was breathtaking, not exactly mountainous but with so much snow around there were plenty of picture postcard moments. Winter clothing is provided, but the fashion conscious snowshoer (is there such a thing) might be disappointed. It works, that's all you need to know. There are many prepared trails in the area and walking solely on them could have proven to be a bit boring, but thankfully our leader, let's call him M, was happy to go 'off piste'. The walks were a little shorter than I would have liked and the current itinerary is definitely aimed at the beginner. However the last walk of the week - along and around the Little Bear Trail was simply stunning. Sitting around a campfire at lunchtime slurping some piping hot soup from a flask definitely was a plus in my books. There are optional activities on offer - snowmobiling is a definite must for any boy(or girl) racers out there. The visit to the reindeer farm lacked a certain something . . . speed. The reindeer ride was definitely underwhelming - if they'd gone any slower we'd have been travelling backwards. Just as well then that the course was very short indeed. Ruka is the closest urban centre which offers limited but floodlit downhill skiing and a host of winter activities including cross country skiing (it's compulsory in Finland), ice karting and fat biking. Back at basecamp the sauna and hot tub is a good place to unwind at the end of the day, and rub snow all over yourself in between - you'll only do that once! Food in the evening is excellent and there's plenty of it. Drinks are pricey, but this is Scandinavia. Overall a relaxing week away from the hectic life back home. No masks (within basecamp) and if you can leave that phone or tablet alone you really can forget about all that 'covid stuff'. Anybody can snowshoe - only your stamina dictates how far you'll want to go. Enjoy.

A wonderful trip which I loved from beginning to end. Amazing scenery in a beautiful country. I've finally discovered a winter activity I can really enjoy and if you like the great outdoors I can't recommend this trip enough.