Challenge yourself and embark on a multi-day backcountry ski adventure

Learn winter wilderness skills and build your own snow shelter

The chance to see the magical Northern Lights - if the conditions are right

Ever wanted to try an expedition? Embrace the outdoors and the elements with this self-sufficient expedition, ideal for first time explorers.

Explore true wilderness including the north’s oldest boreal forests

This is cross-country skiing — just taken into the wild. Also known as Nordic skiing or Fjellski in Norway, backcountry cross-country skiing uses slightly wider cross-country skis with metal edges. They give you the stability and control to cut your own tracks through deep snow, across frozen lakes, and along forested valleys.

It’s all about purposeful, steady gliding through remote, snow-covered landscapes — a way to travel simply and self-sufficiently through the wilderness.

You don’t need previous cross-country ski experience to join, though it’s definitely a bonus. What matters more is that you’re comfortable with the idea of gliding, have good balance, a high level of fitness, and a mindset that can carry you through challenging conditions.

This is a beginner expedition and a brilliant introduction to winter endurance sport if you’re up for something physical and rewarding.

If you'd prefer a little more time to build your ski confidence first, one of our beginner’s cross-country ski holidays or our Backcountry Ski Adventure with more coaching might be the better place to start.

Either way, this is about getting out there, embracing the elements, and experiencing winter in its most raw and beautiful form.

Become a true winter wilderness warrior by learning how to build your own snow shelter. Not only that, but you also have the option to test it fully with a night out sleeping in it.

There will also be the opportunity to spend one night in a traditional Finnish Kota - a cosy tent-like space constructed of wooden poles and reindeer hide, similar to a teepee.

It is during these wilderness nighttime hours that you will have the best chance of experiencing the spectacular Northern Lights.

We can’t guarantee you’ll see the Northern Lights, but with little to no light pollution and the northerly location you’ll be in the right place. We’ll be keeping everything crossed that mother nature delivers!

Your adventure begins with your arrival at Ivalo airport. We’ll connect you up with all those on the trip, so you’ll likely have someone to travel with. Our set transfer will then take you to Lemmenjoki National Park.

On our first night we will stay in a comfortable log cabin, where we’ll start our preparation and packing for the adventure and check our equipment. We’ll also receive a trip briefing and get to know each other!

After a hearty breakfast we’ll head out on a 5km ski tour in the forest. Here’s where we’ll teach you how to move efficiently through the snow on skis and make sure everyone is comfortable with their equipment. Over the course of the week you’ll then develop your backcountry ski skills.

In the evening we’ll head back to our cabin for dinner. You can use the sauna, and there may be an opportunity to feed some local reindeer!

Today we set off on our expedition! Today we will cover roughly 15km along the Lemmenjoki river valley, stopping for lunch around a fire in the snow. We’ll get used to moving with our pulkas, before settling down to a dinner of expedition style rehydrated food and a well earned rest in the first wilderness hut.

After breakfast we’ll tackle the journey to the historic Morgamojan Kultala hut. The journey is shorter, at about 9km, but it’s a gradual ascent along the Goldtrail. The hut itself was built for winter use when the gold mining industry was thriving in the area. It has no electricity, but the outdoor sauna means you can wash with warm melted snow water! This will be our base for the next two nights

Today we leave the skis behind and hike to Morgammaras fell, where, if time allows, we’ll learn to build a quinzee (snow shelter). In the evening we’ll head back to Morgamojan Kultala hut for dinner, a sauna and a second night’s sleep!

We’ll put our skis back on as we head through fells and forests to our final wilderness cabin. We’ll cover approximately 12 km today, pulling our pulkas through the stunning snowy scenery, with the reward of another sauna and final expedition dinner when we reach our home for the night!

After a week in the wilderness, we’ll ski the final 15km along the icy river and back to civilisation. We finish up back at the log cabin we started our adventure at for a sauna and shower, before enjoying a final dinner as a group.

It’s time to say goodbye! Refuel with a delicious breakfast before our transfer takes you back to Ivalo airport.