Snowshoeing in Finland

A relaxing week spent in glorious Finland. If you like snow to feature in a holiday then you cannot beat Finland. The people are lovely, the venues calm and relaxing and the activities can be as full on as you want them to be. This trip can be very relaxing and had less guided walks than I had anticipated but you can participate in many optional extras or take as many unguided walks as you like. If that doesn't appeal then sit and relax by the fire and eat plentiful and delicious food.

I was looking for a trip that I could go on with my wife who is not happy with camping and wishes to have some degree of comfort. This trip seemed to tick all the boxes with a great balance of activity, plenty downtime and a relative degree of comfort compared to a freezing tent and basic toilet facilities at over 5000 metres up a mountain. The area of Oulanka National Park is one of outstanding beauty, peace and cleanliness with zero pollution. The easy snowshoe walks mainly in pristine forests were enchanting and did not require much in terms of effort or bravery. All instruction and a safety briefing was given and we all felt very secure. Our group of 12 mixed well staying in the comfortable and well heated logging cabin after Exodus changed the accommodation due to an issue at Basecamp Oulanka. Our guides Ismo and Mary Louise were absolutely fantastic. They conveyed their enthusiasm for the beautiful environment and we learnt so much from them in such a short space of time. There was much raucous laughter as our group got to know each other all encouraged by Ismo’s gentle humour. Everything to make us comfortable in the cold in the way of clothing and hot food and drink was provided and the food was tasty, plentiful and varied during the week. The cabin was really warm even when the outdoor temeperature dropped to -26C, hot water for showers was unending, the sauna and an outside roll in the snow was invigorating and the WiFi was good enough to catch up with the news back home and watch content on Netflix when relaxing in the room. Snowshoeing requires no special skills and is a wonderful way to spend a fun week in this enchanting place. We also experienced other optional activities on the 2 free days, including a visit to a reindeer farm, snowmobiling and husky riding, however these are an expensive add on but worth trying. Everything was so well organised that we found our week both relaxing and refreshing. We even ventured out to walk at night on a number of occasions under the light of the moon, hearing the amazing forest sounds and saw the Northern Lights. I can not recommend this trip highly enough.... really great fun!

This was my first holiday with Exodus, but I knew of the Company by reputation and word of mouth. I was not disappointed. From start to Finish (!) this was a well organised trip with people who knew what they were doing. The accommodation was excellent, the staff and leaders were very knowledgable and helpful and the other participants were great company. Food was wholesome, filling and tasty. The snowshoeing started with an easy and fun introduction and soon progressed to longer day outings in stunningly beautiful scenery. I've massive numbers of photos to show what a wonderful holiday this was.

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.

A fabulous week in a wonderful place. We were lucky enough to have sunshine and clear skies, so good views of the Northern Lights several nights running. The accommodation is warm and cosy and the food almost too good!

Finland is beautiful and Oulanka Basecamp a superb place to spend an active week. The facilities, equipment, food, activities and above all the staff - for whom nothing was too much trouble and who all clearly loved their work - were first-rate. The room accommodation was comfortable and the communal lounge, bar, sauna, hot tub and dining area in a separate building a few seconds walk away. We wanted and expected cold weather - which we got - but were never cold because everywhere was well heated and the winter clothing and boots provided were of the best quality (and all in with the price). The Basecamp is in the middle of nowhere - again, wanted and expected - in an area of forest, lakes, rivers (aka Finland!) but also unexpected hills and, at times, steep climbs. What I liked best? Pretty much everything and there were not enough hours in a day to do all I wanted. Also being wonderfully tired every evening after a hard day of snow shoe walking, cross-country skiing, snowmobile and/or dog sledding were a great aid to a good night/s sleep. Highlights major and minor - in no particular order - were: 1. The food. Loads of it and delicious, including the packed lunches and special energy bars. (We burned a lot of calories). 2. Eating lunch around camp fires at wilderness shelters in a gentle snowfall. 3. My first time on skis. (We haven't laughed so much in ages). 4. Falling a lot. (Yes, I'm serious. I fell off everything - snow shoes, skis - level and downhill - snowmobile and dog sled), and once nearly ended up in a river, but only hurt myself a bit a couple of times.) 5. Dog sled day. A marvellous experience and enough to turn this dog-phobe into a husky fan. 6.The company of like-minded strangers to add to wife and two good friends. Lowlights: Not a thing, other than we didn't get the Northern Lights, but that's beyond the Basecamp's control, and I couldn't do everything. We'll have to go back! The rooms are of two types. The upper rooms are a bit bigger, have a small mezzanine for storage or to sleep in and a balcony. All heating and hot water comes from a wood pellet-burning boiler and a wood-burning fire in the lounge. All clothing and gear is provided to reduce luggage weight - a small detail ,but a nice idea - and almost all food provided sustainable and locally sourced.

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

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.

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.

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.