Global Adventure - Dayhike the Northern National Parks of Finland

Arrive in Helsinki and transfer to your hotel on Aug 27. If flying from  Seattle, you may need to depart on Aug 26 to arrive on the 27. We will begin with a guided tour of Helsinki at 11am on August 28, 2024.  The following day we will take a short flight to Kuusamo airport (not included in trip price) where we will meet our local guide and transfer to Jatkonsalmi cabin inside Hossa National Park, have dinner and spend the night.  The following days will be spent in hiking and/or cultural activities in the area accompanied by our local tour guide.  The trip ends after breakfast in the morning of day 13, Sept 8, 2024 where following transfer to Ivalo airport, participants can fly back to Helsinki and then home the same or following day depending on flight time connections. An additional hotel night in Helsinki (self-pay) may be necessary due to limited flight availability from  Ivalo.

Itinerary Highlights:   After arrival and overnighting in Helsinki (Day 1) we will begin our adventure the following day (Day 2) with a guided tour of Helsinki to see the most important and interesting areas in the city.

The next day (Day 3) we will take a short flight from Helsinki to Kuusamo, where we will spend the next 3 days (Days 4-6) exploring Hossa National Park with our local guide.  We will first hike through beautiful pine and spruce forests to the Varikallio Cliffs where we can view 4000-year old shamanistic rock paintings and enjoy a picnic lunch (9.9 mi/393’).  The following day we will learn about Finnish berries and have the opportunity to harvest some and make berry soup in the morning and in the afternoon, participants have the option to take a canoe tour on the lake (booked and paid independently and separately) or have free time.  The final day in this park will be spend hiking through the heathlands and lake shores, stopping at the Visitor’s Center for lunch (7.4 mi/ 320’). 

Day 7 will be in Oulanka National park where we will hike the Small Bear’s Trail passing rivers, mountains and sheltered forests (7.4 mi/606’), then check into our hotel in Ruka, the famous ski resort in Finland.  After breakfast on day 8, we transfer to Valtavaara nature reserve and hike a portion of Finland’s long distance hiking route, Bear’s Trail (12.4 mi/2214’).  From the highest point, we can view the surrounding hills and lakes. On Day 9 we travel to the Arctic Circle with a stop at a reindeer farm to meet and feed the reindeer and learn about reindeer husbandry, and then continue to Rovaniemi, the hometown of Santa Claus.  In the afternoon, we will have a guided tour of Arktikum, a science center and museum of Lappish culture. 

The final 3 days of our adventure will take us to Urho Kekkonen National Park where we will hike through the middle of stunning fell scenery at the Killopaa Fell Center (6 km nature trail), hike to the Rumakuru Gorge created by meltwaters during the last Ice Age (8.6 mi/1017’), and hike the Ahopaa trail (8.6 mi/902’), to view the effects of massive amounts of ice on shaping the scenery. 

After breakfast on day 13, we will transfer to Ivalo airport where participants can fly back to Helsinki and then home. Depending on flight times, participants may need to overnight in Helsinki before their flight to Seattle.

Time of Year:   Late summer when the temperatures are warmer (60’s), the berries are ripe, and we can experience the midnight sun.

Lodging:   Wilderness cabins (2-4 people) with nearby showers/toilets; and hotel rooms (2 people).

Food:   Included- 12 breakfasts, 7 lunches (days 4-8 and 11–12), and 7 dinners (days 3–6 and 10–12).  Breakfasts will be provided by lodging establishments, lunches will be picnic style, dinners will be at nearby restaurants or lodging establishments.  Remaining 5 lunches and 5 dinners will be on your own.  Opportunities will be provided for participants to pick up lunch items at local grocery stores, and local restaurants for dinners can be with the group or on your own.  Some accommodation can be made for vegetarian and gluten-free diets, but no guarantees that all dietary requirements can be met.

Leader’s Experience:   Linda Shewey (lshewey@comcast.net) has been a Mountaineer’s hike leader for 14 years and has led several multi-day trips.  This will be the fifth Global Adventure trip she’s led or co-led.  She has visited Finland previously (Helsinki) and hiked in several National Parks there, as well as doing some berry picking and Finnish sauna.

Participant Requirements:   Must be a current Mountaineers member with an up-to-date waiver on file.  This outing includes several consecutive days of hiking easy/moderate trails, on varied terrain, so participants need to be in good aerobic condition and show proven ability to hike multiple days in a row. Participants should have a positive attitude, ability to be flexible, an inquisitive nature, appreciation for the natural world and history of the culture, and a demonstrated ability to get along well with groups.  Day packs, sun protection, sturdy shoes and trekking poles are required equipment.

Covid Prevention:

1)     Participants must be fully vaccinated to participate in the trip. 

2)     In addition, participants are expected to practice conservative covid behavior before and during transit to the trip including masking at airport and in planes and avoiding crowded indoor spaces whenever possible.

3)     Self-test proactively any time before or during the trip, when they experience a symptom commonly related to covid (this means participants need to carry self-tests).  Any positive test will mean that the participant will need to wear a mask and isolate from the rest of the group members as much as possible, and if seriously symptomatic they're asked to leave the group and quarantine at their own expense for at least 5 days (or longer if not symptom free, per CDC guidelines) before flying home.

Note:  As a Mountaineers group we will operate as interdependent, capable travelers making our way together and helping one another succeed and be safe.  You are responsible for your own safety and that of your fellow travelers. You must have the ability to navigate on trails with a map and compass.  

Trip Price Detail:   $3000 including 12 nights accommodation, 12 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 7 dinners, airport transfers from Kuusamo on arrival and to Ivalo airport on departure, local transfers, English-speaking guide throughout tour, daily sauna (except arrival night), guided tour of Helsinki, admission to reindeer farm, guided tour of Arktikum museum, berry educational session and picking.

Not included:  Airfare (approx. $1500), transportation from Helsinki airport to hotel and back (about $40) , 1 night in Helsinki hotel on departure if needed ($200), remaining lunches and dinners ($150), travel medical and evacuation insurance (about $200) and tips for guides/drivers/hotels (about $220).

Registration Instructions:   Please complete the application form at the button below and email it to the leader.  After the leader’s approval, go to the listing and click REGISTER.  The website will send you to a shopping cart where you will be asked for a credit card to pay the 50% deposit ($1500) in order to hold your space on the roster.  Roster spots cannot be held without payment of the deposit.  Registration will close on Mar 1, 2024 or whenever the roster fills.  The balance of the trip payment is due by May 15, 2024.   After registering, please also complete the Trip Agreement and Release forms.  The Supplemental Information form is meant to be completed in the final month before the trip with any updated information.

APPLICATION

TRIP AGREEMENT

RELEASE

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

Cancellation Policy:  If you cancel from this adventure, you may receive a refund less non-recoverable expenses incurred as follows. 

• Cancellation made more than 65 days before starting the tour (up until June 22, 2024): All but 100€
• Cancellation made 65-47 days before the start of the tour (June 23-July 11): 90% of the price
• Cancellation made 46-21 days before the commencement of the tour (July 12- Aug 5): 75% of the price
• Cancellation made 7-20 days before the commencement of the tour (Aug 6-Aug 19): 50% of the price
• Cancellation made 3-6 days before the commencement of the tour (Aug 20- Aug 24): 25% of the price
• Cancellation made less than 3 days before the start of the tour (After Aug 24): No amount is refundable.

In addition to these fees, there will also be a $100 administrative fee for any cancellations.

 No refunds for cancellations within 3 days of the trip start date.  If you cancel prior to that 3-day deadline, you have the option of delaying your refund to see if your space is backfilled.  If it is backfilled, you can be refunded the trip cost (less $100) after the participant has paid the registration fee.  If the space is not backfilled, there will not be any refund.