EXPLORE NORTH PARK


YOUR GUIDE'S INVITATION:

"The Explore North Park itinerary is a major route in the history of Lappitrek.  Back in 2017, only a few months after the creation of the company, I was hiking it for the very first time. What impressed me the most?  I will answer that I experienced a deep feeling of beautiful solitude. This is a journey to meet with yourself, and what is greater than you. We will progress under a big sky. We will our eyes up with endless views. We will accomplish much every day to make this adventure unforgettable. It's not certain that we will meet other people. "

WHEN: from November to April

DURATION:  7 days (5 + 2 days)

MEETING: In Kittilä or Levi

DISTANCE: 65 km.

LEVEL: Very demanding

ENVIRONMENT: This Winter trekking adventure occurs in a National Park's wilderness. We progress through the forest and fells, which are potentially exposed to winds, deep snow, and/or icy ground. Expect a total elevation gain of 1200 m. The itinerary gives access to multiple dry toilets and huts.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Perfect physical condition. 

2067 euros/participant if 1 booking
1771 euros/participant if 2+ bookings
1540 euros/participant (13-18 years old)

Price includes: the private mode of the trip (= not mixed with other people/groups), local transportation, the use of the trekking gear (backpacks, snowshoes, hiking poles, Arctic sleds, Winter sleeping bags, sustainable Kupilka dishware, thermos flasks...), all meals and snacks mentioned in the program, accommodation in a private wilderness cabin for two nights, sauna, guiding work, pictures, permits and taxes 

Price does not include: your clothing, which must be adjusted to a hike in the polar cold (ask for advice from the guide on the possibility to rent in town), your round trip home-Kittilä-home, your accommodation before and/or after the trek

Payment: 20% at registration and full payment 45 days before the departure by bank transfer
Discounts: Single parents, students, individuals in ministry, or clergy. Contact us.
Free of charge: All additional programs related to the specificity of our agency. On request. 

DAY 1
- Welcome to Kittilä, 150 km above the Arctic Circle, in Lapland, Finland!
- You stay the night in a local guesthouse in town.
- Later in the evening, the guide meets with you to prepare for the trek.
- Good night!
DAY 2:
- Early in the morning, we hit the road for a beautiful 1h20  trip on the scenic road of Pallas National Park. We can make stops to take pictures and take time sizing the length of the mountain range and the vastness of its major lake.
- Arrived at the trailhead, we load the Arctic sleds, finalize the packing, and equip ourselves with snowshoes. We're ready to go!
- The first kilometers embark you on a journey through a luminous forest of conifers. This is the land of the reindeer herders. We pass some of their structures before going down to "the Big Lake" which is kind of small actually. Three kilometers further, a beautiful open kota, built in front of a small lake, awaits us for lunch. That first section was quite flat. More elevation gain is on the menu for the afternoon. We make a small detour to contemplate the view from the top of Pippo Mountain. Our mountain cabin is hidden at the bottom of a small valley. 

- We make ourselves comfortable and take some rest. Later in the evening, the guide cooks dinner.
- Weather and solar winds permitting, we spend the beginning of the night contemplating the sky, and hopefully the Northern lights.
- Good night!
TREK BOOK: 13 km. 300 m elevation gain. Boreal forest and tundra.
DAY 3:
- Good morning! We eat breakfast and get ready for the second stage of the trek. We leave all our stuff at the refuge.
- This stage is a section of the second day and a section of the third day of the trek "The Tour of Pyhäkero". No warm-up! We open the day with the climb of the beautiful Pyhäkero Mountain. We embrace more and more the immensity of Finnish Lapland as we're progressing towards the summit. The whole Southern area of the mountain range of Pallastunturi National Park unveils itself to you. We hike down at a fast pace and have a break in a wilderness hut to eat lunch. Then we enter into a mysterious narrow corridor bordered by small cliffs, walls of snow, and mountain birch trees. Then, the view opens on the Eastern side of the Sammal hill. We progress in a different environment where the vegetation slowly disappears again and makes way for landscapes of vastness and immaculately snowy, barren fells. We get back to our mountain cabin shortly after we have reached a pass between two fells.
- It's time to relax and rest. The guide cooks a dinner made of local/Nordic/organic products. We enjoy the meal in the cozy atmosphere of the cabin.
- Weather and solar winds permitting, we spend the beginning of the night contemplating the sky, and hopefully the Northern lights.

- Good night!
TREK BOOK: 15 km. 500 m elevation gain. Rugged terrain, open fields, and Arctic mountains.
DAY 4:
- We eat breakfast and get ready for the third stage of the trek.
- This is a long-distance stage, but not the longest in time. This day is a journey through an intimidating immensity. It is wild. It is raw. It is big. This is probably why a German mathematician and astronomist selected the top of one of the fells to implement its triangle chain running from the Black Sea to the Arctic Ocean, which was a measurement tool back in the 19th century to calculate the size and determine the shape of the Earth. There is no shelter along the way. We might have to eat a quick lunch in the middle of nowhere or at the next cabin. 
- We arrive at the mountain cabin. It's time to relax and eat dinner. 
- Weather and solar winds permitting, we try to chase the Northern lights.
Good night!
- TREK BOOK: 14 km. 150 m elevation gain. Tundra.
DAY 5:
- Good morning! We eat breakfast and get ready for the day. We leave all our stuff at the cabin because we come back later in the afternoon.
- Today's goal is to explore around "the Mushroom Hut". That hut is located in a well of snow! Surrounded by tall spruces and close ravines, the structure sees tons of snow falling on its roof every Winter. Not much light penetrates this reclusive spot. We eat our lunch there around the fire pit. Then we leave the darkness to find light and wide open views on the top of "the Good Mountain"
- Back to the cabin, we treat ourselves with a time of relaxation in a wilderness sauna! This is a great opportunity to experience real Finnish sauna in the middle of nowhere.
- We eat dinner.
- Weather and solar winds permitting, we spend the beginning of the night contemplating the sky, and hopefully the Northern lights.
- Good night!
-TREK BOOK: 10 km. 150 m elevation gain. Bogs, boreal forest, and Arctic mountains.
DAY 6:
- Good morning! We eat breakfast and get ready for the last stage of the trek. 
- Our itinerary takes us back to the plateau where herds of reindeer might run out of nowhere at any moment. Finding our path isn't as easy for us as it is for those animals, as we often have to make our way in deep snow. In the Ruota Valley, the creek's water doesn't completely freeze in Winter. After passing the small bridge, we enjoy the vastness and the desert of the plateau for a few more kilometers. Then, we get back to the trail in the forest we hiked on the first day.
- We drive to Kittilä and the guesthouse. You take some time to relax.
- Later in the evening, the guide meets with you to get all the gear back. Then we end this adventure with a dinner at a restaurant in Levi (included in the price)
TREK BOOK: 10 km. Less than 100 m elevation gain. Rugged terrain, tundra, and boreal forest.
DAY 7:
- Good morning! The guide transfers you to Kittilä Airport or the bus station.
- End of the trip. Thank you for adventuring with Lappitrek! See you again maybe for a trek in Summer or Autumn! 

Note: Places are not mentioned to protect the guide's work. More details are given when registration is complete.