Halti Backcountry ski tour Wild Hikes Finland

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1 Halti BC ski tour Product manual Halti Backcountry ski tour Wild Hikes Finland An exclusive hut-to-hut arctic fell backcountry skiing tour in the Käsivarsi wilderness area in Northernmost Finland: Daily skiing distances about 20km in real backcountry partly without any trail, partly on snowmobile track No need for previous experience of BC skiing is required, but fair physical fitness is a must On guaranteed departures groups are international and guiding language is English The tour is demanding and it offers a quite high level of solitude Suited for adults over 18 years old Maximum group size is 8 persons No minimum group size in guaranteed departures

2 Product page with pictures Departure dates winter The trip is standardly run from saturday to saturday and the season for the trip is from early December to mid-may. For guaranteed departures, there is no minimum amount of people joining. In season there are seven guaranteed departures (polar night & Finland 100 years special without sun rising nor marked trails, and where visiting the roof of Finland in 100th independence day!), note the exceptional dates for this departure (trip running from sunday to sunday)

3 Key Aspects A remote arctic hut-to-hut wilderness BC skiing trip in Scandinavian fells completely above the treeline, inside the Käsivarsi wilderness area in northernmost Finland. We use the new OAC Kar skinbased skis with universal bindings that can be easily used with any warm winter boot It is good to know that BC skiing (especially on the soft snow) is much harder work compared to cross-country on the track, especially when pulling a sledge Prior to departures there will be a thorough briefing what to expect and what clothing etc. One needs for the trip. All the gear used (including sleeping bags and emergency shelters) is provided for the customer English speaking guide guaranteed For private groups of 4-8 guaranteed departures without a minimum number of participants Takes place in a beautiful but remote and exposed wilderness area, and temperatures can occasionally drop below -30 C degrees (or even -40 C), especially during the polar night. Heavy storms and blizzards are possible (but not frequent) Note on tour safety: being in exposed area, arctic fell tours are highly demanding due to natural variables. The tour follows a route that avoids steep cliffs and avalanche risk areas, but there is a chance of severe coldness or unexpected blizzards. High-quality 4-season tents are carried as a safety precaution, and even if this does not happen very often, customers should be prepared to spend extra time in the huts or tents if the guide renders the planned activity dangerous due to weather. If there is a high risk of blizzards and storms recognised before the tour starts, the activity is cancelled altogether, and a substitute hut-to-hut tour is organised in more protected area. Blizzards and severe coldness are considered force majeurs, and therefore Wild Hikes Finland offers no refunds in tour changes due to such occasions, but WHF will make sure to offer best quality guided substitute program. For us, the safety of the customer comes first always. Pricing There is a simple pricing with the end customer price being 1280 euros/person, including VAT and the 20% commission to the agencies. Included in the price Airport transfers to and from Kittilä airport

4 Three meals a day Accommodation on the tour in the simple reservable rental beds inside wilderness huts (there can be other people staying there as well). Optional tent accommodation in a yard for the willing Hotel service level accommodation between the sheets at the end and the beginning of the tour, including restaurant dinners, breakfasts, and sauna Skiing gear (OAC skinbased skis with universal binding that fits any winter boot, + skiing poles) Camping gear (tent, sleeping bag and sleeping mat) + sled/backpack (with notice you are of course allowed to use your own). Tents are carried as a safety precaution, and also as an option for those who wish to have the experience, even if there is a chance of spending every night in a hut. Cooking equipment Guiding (24/7) Flights, airport transfers and trains The joining point for the trip is Kittilä airport. Transfers from the airport to the first accommodation and back to airport from the last accommodation are included in the tour price. Transports are organised to coincide with the following flights: Arrival: Saturdays AY 593 Helsinki Kittilä 16:05-17:35 Departure: Saturdays AY 637 Kittilä Helsinki 12:15-14:50 Special transport for the Finland 100 years tour on : Arrival: Sunday AY 639 Helsinki Kittilä 16:35-19:15 Departure: Sunday AY 639 Kittilä Helsinki 19:05 21:15 Please note that we organise only one airport transport to each group! Before making any flight reservations we advise you to check us the transfer schedules. Due to the remote location, private transfers are both hard to organise and very pricey. If you are using different flights than listed here, you should wait at the airport or in the town. There are several hotels and other accommodation available in Kittilä and Kilpisjärvi should you need to wait there because of flight schedules or simply wish to extend your stay.

5 Alternative airports You can use also Rovaniemi or Norwegian Alta airport, where there are more arrivals coming. From both airports you can find a bus connection to Kilpisjärvi. Check further information below. Trains and buses it is possible to take a train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi or Kemijärvi, and then a bus from Rovaniemi or Kemijärvi to Kittilä. Schedules and prices for trains can be found from and for buses from Please note that the transport prices vary depending on the date of purchase and may take a long time. Especially the train + bus option will require about one extra day for travelling Tour Highlights This is a full arctic experience all of the tour takes place above the treeline in the arctic fells with luxories such as overnights in huts and partly following a marked trail (meant primarily for snowmobiles) Extremely remote arctic fell area with no permanent human habitation inside the vast wilderness of 2206 square kilometers Lunches outdoors by the majestic fells Sauna at the beginning and the end of the tour All over 1000meter fells in Finland are located in the wilderness area where this tour takes place Visiting the highest point of Finland (1324 meters) Seeing frozen waterfalls

6 Arctic BC skiing experience Northern lights and even wildlife sights with some luck Learning first-hand arctic winter wilderness skills from the expert guide Itinerary and Accommodation All accommodations apart from the beginning and end are simple wilderness huts with no electricity. Please note that since this is a remote wilderness tour, some changes to the itinerary are possible on the location due to weather and similar reasons. We will carry tents, sleeping bags and sleeping mattresses with us as a safety precaution. The sleeping bags are also used for sleeping in the huts. Every night you also have the chance to go sleeping in the tent for the night. Day 1, arrival to Kilpisjärvi Hiking Center Arrival to the Kittilä airport (at 17:35), where your transport to Kilpisjärvi is waiting you. 3 hours transfer to remote Kilpisjärvi village, where we will spend the night before the tour. Checking in the hotel and getting to know each other. Going through the gear for the week. Kilpisjärvi Hiking Center Kilpisjärvi Hiking center is located at Kilpisjärvi, within 7 km of the Swedish and Norwegian borders. It has a restaurant (with Alcohol serving license), sauna, a small souvenir/hiking gear shop and both hotel rooms and small log cabins. All accommodation has electricity and the rooms come with own bathroom including shower. We shall be staying in the shared standard 2-person hotel rooms or 4-person cabins (depending on the availability). There is a free Wi-Fi available at rooms.

7 Standard room for two The log cabin interior Day 2 To Kuonjarjoki wilderness hut, 20 km of skiing; 400 meters of ascent Today after having breakfast at Kilpisjärvi and leaving our unnecessary gear behind, we will set off to the skiing tour up the fells following the snowmobile track up to the fells. We have lunch on the way from the food thermoses (that are provided by us), and rather soon after our departure we will lose the cell phone reception for the whole of the week! The snow is always packed making it good for skiing, but the distance and elevation gain make this a hard day. The night is spent at the Kuonjarjoki Wilderness hut with reservable beds, or those who wish can try spending the night at the tent. Inside the hut we will use sleeping bags with liners (both provided by us) Kuonjarjoki hut The Kuonjarjoki rental hut is a simple finnish wilderness hut with bunk beds. No electricity, located at the Käsivarsi wilderness area. Heating with a woodburning stove, drinking water from the springs/snow, a dry toilet, and a campfire site. Mattresses on beds. Note that in reservable huts we are only

8 Halti Backcountry ski tour product manual allowed to reserve beds for guests, not the whole hut for our own use, so there might be other people at the hut as well. The huts also have open huts next to them, where there can also be more people. This is likely in the departures taking place in high season on April/May, whereas before there is very little amount of people using the huts. Day 3 To Pihtsusjärvi wilderness hut, 20km of skiing, 400m ascent (and 300m descent) Today, after the tasty breakfast, we will continue first our journey skiing through beautiful snow-covered arctic landscape to the next hut, located only 10km from Halti Fell peak. The day has lots of ups and downs. Today we will enjoy the lunch after descending only time during the tour below the treeline having few dwarf and even fewer Fell birches by a cascade where we can take tasty fresh water. Pihtsusjärvi Reservable Wilderness Hut Pihtsusjärvi is again a similar reservable wilderness hut located at the shore of the lake Pihtsus, with every basic thing being the same as in the previous hut too. A stove and a gas cooker. Basic cookware (pot, frying pan, coffee pot). Bunk beds with mattresses, pillows and blankets. Please note that it takes some time before the hut is properly warm.

9 Halti Backcountry ski tour product manual Day 4 Halti fell tour to the roof of Finland and overnight at the Halti wilderness hut, 13km with 600m ascent (and 400m descent) Today we ski first 7 km to Halti hut, where we can leave most of our stuff behind and enjoy the lunch inside. After lunch we start going up the Halti fell (3km, 400m) with light daypacks, and after about hour and a half we reach the highest point of Finland. There we will check the views, enjoy a tea/coffee from thermoses, and can even pick-up cell phone signal for sharing brief greetings to the outside world! After some time spent at the roof of Finland we ski back down following a nice and fast but not too steep powder downhill. (no previous down-

10 Halti Backcountry ski tour product manual hill skiing experience required). It will take us only about half an hour to get back to the cabin down at the Hillside of Halti! The Halti wilderness hut Again we have an accommodation in a simple log hut with one shared room. There is again a wood-stove, gas cooker, and an outhouse (dry toilet) but no electricity. No additional luxuries other than the peaceful quietness of the surrounding arctic wilderness and the nearby Fells. Day 5 Skiing to Meekonjärvi wilderness hut, 20km Today we start our skiing back to Kilpisjärvi, this time going downhill most of the time. This is a very welcome relaxed day after the fell tour and long days of skiing mostly uphill, and we can even enjoy nice lunch on the Pihtsusjärvi hut. The track follows route that we have already covered when getting to Halti, but of course this time we are looking it from a different perspective. Meekonjärvi Wilderness Hut Meekonjärvi hut includes a stove and a gas cooker. Basic cookware (pot, frying pan, coffee pot). Bunk beds with mattresses, pillows and blankets. Please note that it takes some time before the hut is properly warm. Day 6: skiing to Termisjärvi wilderness hut through trailless powder snow, 20km Today we navigate our own route through trailless landscape between the fells ending up in the Termisjärvi Wilderness hut. This day completes the arctic

11 experience, as there is no snowmobile track to follow this time. We go through the wide canyon-formation surrounded by magnificent fells, and have a lunch from food thermoses on the way. The night is spend at Termisjärvi wilderness hut. Termisjärvi hut Once again a familiar and cosy wilderness hut without unnecessary luxories apart from good company. A stove and a gas cooker. Basic cookware (pot, frying pan, coffee pot). Bunk beds with mattresses, pillows and blankets. Please note that it takes some time before the hut is properly warm. Day 7: skiing back to Kilpisjärvi, 15km Today we will start slowly moving back to civilization, following an easy snowmobile track back to Kilpisjärvi center. Like all the days, the lunch is served

12 on the way. Once back to the Kilpisjärvi, we will be served with a tasty concluding dinner at Kilpisjärven retkeilykeskus and have the chance of visiting a final sauna of the tour washing away all the dirt cumulated during the heavy ski touring. At the evening there is an option of visiting the local pub and have a well deserved beer. Day 8: farewells and transport back to the airport Today we will have first a breakfast at the Kilpisjärven retkeilykeskus, after which you will say farewells to your guide and there is a transport back to Kittilä airport to meet the 13:20 departure flight. Alternative options for private bookings and extended stays On all the guaranteed departures, the route follows the general guidelines given before, excluding severe weather conditions (blizzards, severe coldness, avalanche risks and other force majeurs), in which case it is up to the guide s judgment to make whatever changes to the route plan required to keep the group safe. Inside the guaranteed departures people will have the chance of sleeping in tents (as they are anyways carried with us on the tour), and if people are willing to extend their stay it is possible to do so by staying in one of the various hotels at Kilpisjärvi or Kittilä center. They will be given a ride back to Kittilä center, where they can participate in one of the many activities such as dog sledding, snowmobile safari, or downhill skiing. None of these optional activities are included in the tour price, though, nor is the additional hotel prices, and the tour operator is in no way liable about anything happening during these optional tours. Furthermore the customers wishing to extend their stay are themselves responsible in getting back to the airport at time. Level of Difficulty and distances covered On this tour the daily skiing distance is 20km in back country. As it is a fell ski tour, the snow is always packed and at least relatively good for skiing, but especially on the beginning of the tour we will climb up the fells which adds up to the demandingness. Most of the tour follows a snowmobile track which will make the skiing a bit easier. The skiing time is between 6-8 hours including lunch breaks and several shorter breaks. Skiing is done all the time in one group with always changing the person breaking the trail (when necessary). While skiing, all the stuff is carried with participants and guide on sledges and backpacks. To participate, one should have good physical condition and some previous experience in skiing. Depending on snow conditions and weather variables, backcountry skiing can be surprisingly heavy work!

13 The terrain is arctic fells staying almost all the time above the treeline. The exposedness of the area and route makes this tour very challenging and participants should be prepared to face less than optimal weather. Note that route selection can change according to the guide s judgment depending on the conditions and the group abilities. Safety of the group is always the number one priority in all WHF tours! The route is in the real wilderness area of 2250 square kilometers with no inhabitants, nor cell phone reception. Once entering the area, skiers have to be self sufficient. The guide will carry a satellite communicator and teach everyone its basic functions for alerting help, but please note that it takes a long time for the help to arrive, and it is to be used only in real emergencies. Weather and temperatures This tour can be organised from dark winter months in early December until late spring in mid-may. In Kilpisjärvi the polar night lasts from 1st of December to 13th of January, during which time the sun does not rise at all, but there is civil daylight between 9AM and 3PM. Until early February, the Temperatures can occasionally drop below -40 C, but with the spring they start slowly increasing as the days get longer. Towards the May the daylight hours increase to 20hrs. As the tour is organisable in such different periods of seasonal change, the nature of the tour varies greatly depending on the departure date. We arrange few special (mostly private) departures during polar night, which is the most demanding time of year to participate to the tour. It is both the darkest as well as coldest time of year, and there might not be any snowmobile trails to follow to the fells. On the other hand, these departures offer the greatest level of solitude, and also improved chances of seeing the northern lights due to the long hours of darkness. The main season starts at the latter half of February, which is already warmer and offers a good balance of daylight and darkness for seeing the northern lights, still not having too many other ski tourers on the fells. This time you already need to have good goggles and suncream to avoid burns. The busiest season is between mid-april to May, when there is lots of sunlight and warmth during the 20hrs daylight. The springtime means that the temperature is much warmer compared to midwinter. The average temperature in March is -10 C. Typically the temperature varies between -5 C and -25 C, but may occasionally drop below - 30 C. The earlier departures are colder and the temperature is more consistent throughout the day, whereas later departures tend to have more variation between day and night (it is possible to go between -25 up to +5 C). If the night is very cold, the temperature typically rises rapidly during the day as the sun rises.

14 The weather in these months can be cloudy or sunny and there can be high winds and blizzards. Some snowfall is very typical during the tour. Weather forecasts can be seen on Food We pay a lot of attention to provide the best possible food to keep you going on the tour. In the accommodation at Kilpisjärvi, delicious buffet dinners and breakfasts are included in the tour price. All the other times the food has to be prepared on the tour. Lunch is typically tasty dehydrated menu that is easy to prepare by just adding some boiling water to it, and guide always makes sure the water is brought into boil. Dinners are prepared by the guide in the huts simple kitchen. All breakfasts, lunches and dinners are included in the tour, but if you wish to have some of your own extra snacks during the day, please bring them with you. Alcoholic drinks are not included in the tour price but are available in the restaurant at the first and final day of the tour. You are also of course free to take with you a little flask or similar for use during the tour, but remember that everything needs to be carried by yourself! Breakfasts are typically around 8-9AM, Lunches on 1-2PM and Dinners at 7-8PM. The food is prepared to be nutritious and tasty, and it typically consists of multiple ingredients including vegetables, flours, meat, fish and fats. If you require special diet, please inform us in advance, as there is simply no means to tailor the menus once in the wilderness! Equipment and clothing Typically we will provide you with all the gear you need, apart from clothing, so please pay most attention to things you are going to wear! The items marked with the text looking like this are provided by us and you do not need to take them with you unless you absolutely want to use your own gear. In that case, please let us know prior to the trip so that we can confirm their suitability for the demanding winter conditions. The items in (brackets) are not absolutely necessary to take, but are worth considering. The list is easiest to use so that you print it out and then strike through the items you have already packed.

15 Clothing for skiing Underwear (prefer woollen or technical material, do not use cotton!) Briefs (with windshield) Long underpants Long sleeved undershirt Woollen neck warmer or scarf Socks compatible with your footwear (two socks are good if you are prone to having blisters) Mid-layer Check changeables and mid layer below under the heading: Equipment carried in the backpack or sled Suitable shoes: the middle pair might not be best for the coldest days, but should suffice later on during the year. The removable felt liner as in the shoes both on left and right guarantee the warmest possible skiing experience! Shell-layer: has to be windproof, preferably without lining (waterproof breathables or windproof poly-cotton will work as a material) Jacket or light anorak Long shell pants (Gaiters to cover your footwear: especially if not using boots) Skiing mittens (preferably unlined over-mittens with loose woollen or fleece inner mitten) Hat (windproof if there is no hood in the jacket), wool is best material balaclava Sunglasses/skiing goggles Winter boots/warm hiking boots with prefereably removable felt lining (our standardly used bindings will fit basically any shoe, but you want them to be warm. Ask about a possibility to rent the boots)

16 Skis, poles and bindings will be standardly provided by us, so you do not need to worry about them. If you want to use your own backcountry skiing equipment it is possible, but please let us know in advance so that we can confirm their suitability to the tour! Equipment carried in the backpack or sleds Pullover or similar warm garment (Hat) Extra socks Undershirt Briefs Long johns Mittens The following can be nice to have, but are not absolutely necessary: (Down jacket) (Insulated/down overpants) (bivy booties) (Camera) (Binoculars) If you use underwear in thin synthetic material it may be wise to have the extra underwear in warmer material (fleece or wool) Other equipment Backpack (if you do not tell us otherwise, one will be provided for your use by us) Headlamp or torch Thermos flask Small towel for saunas Personal medication That s it, that s all you need to bring with you on the trip. Below you can find what we are providing you with: Sleeping bags, liners and closed cell mattresses we will provide you with, but you still need to carry them yourself! The skiing equipment including pulkkas and backpacks Toilet paper Cutlery Cup Plate or bowl Note! Quite regularly, unfortunately, the luggage doesn t arrive as the passengers arrive. We recommend you to bring in your hand luggage such

17 clothes and shoes that you can participate the first activity day without problems even if your luggage doesn t arrive with you. Luggage storing All the items that we need on the wilderness will need to be carried with us. We use sleds and backpacks, and everybody will contribute in carrying his/her share. If you are not pulling a sled, you will carry a backpack and vice versa. The sled pulling turns can be swapped. You can leave your unnecessary stuff (such as luggage) behind when we leave to wilderness, and you can have access to them again when we return. Remember that whatever you might need while in the wilderness you will have to take with you as there simply ain t going to be any means to access those items once in the wild. Skiing equipment We will use short and wide Finnish skinbased skis that are well suited to the backcountry wilderness conditions. The skis have universal bindings that can fit all large winter boots, hiking shoes, and even sneakers. A warm boot with removable felt liner is most recommended, but especially on warmer time of year (the April/May departures) also waterproof long hiking boots/shoes can be used. Using of sneakers we do not recommend, as they neither give enough support for skiing nor are warm enough! Skis and the bindings

18 The bindings with different shoes The typical sled or Pulkka we use If you want to use your own skiing equipment, please consult us in advance to make sure that the equipment is suitable to the conditions! Equipment rental We can rent suitable skiing boots with 40 euros price, but please let us know in advance to make sure that we will find boots your size. Travel Insurance It is essential that clients are covered by an adequate travel insurance. We also recommend to apply for the European Health Insurance Card which is available free of charge for the citizens of EU/EEA and of Switzerland. The holders of the card are entitled to medical care while staying temporarily in another EU/EEA country or in Switzerland (with same regulations and co-payments like the residents of the country). More information about the card is available in internet Having this card helps a lot in the case of accident because without the card a client has to pay all the costs on spot and they can be due to long distances from several hundred euros up to one thousand euro. TIME ZONE Time in Finland is 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

19 CURRENCY The Finnish currency unit is the euro (EUR), divided into 100 cents. There are some currency exchange offices at Helsinki-Vantaa airport but the exchange is not possible during the tour. Grocery shops at Ivalo and the camping place at Kilpsijärven Lomakeskus can take card payments. ELECTRICITY The electric current in Finland is 220 V (230 V), 50 Hz. A two-pin plug system, familiar throughout Europe, is used. Adapters are available in airport shops. INTERNET Internet access can be shared from guide s smart phone at the base camp at Kilpsijärven Lomakeskus. There is no public internet available in any of the places, and inside the national park not even cell phone reception. PASSPORT AND VISA Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland provides information on required travel documents. Read more: e=en-us HEALTH REGULATIONS Finland is one of Europe's safest countries in terms of health and hygiene. No vaccinations or inoculations are required before arrival. Finnish pharmacies are well stocked with all the basic medicines, but note that some medicines that are available in stores and supermarkets in other countries - such as Aspirin and various ointments - are only available in pharmacies in Finland. There are also no such pharmacies in the wilderness, so remember to take your personal medication with you! NO DANGEROUS WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS!