Adventures in the heart of winter
February is a great time for camping and outdoor activities. The sun shines and the frost hits. The trees are covered with a blanket of white snow, and an incredible fairy-tale forest of snow-covered trees forms on the forested slopes of the fells. The higher we climb in the fell, the fewer trees there are and the amount of cannon snow only increases. Until a completely white "paljakka" opens up in front of us - the treeless top of the fell.
Heavy snow
Snow is beautiful and charms us, but it is a huge burden on the trees. At this time of the year, you can see trees on the slopes of the fells, whose trunks have even broken from the weight of the tree. It is incredible to think that the snow cover of a full-grown pine tree can weigh up to 800 kilograms!
The frost bangs and crunches
I love to walk, snowshoe or ski in January-February. Then the frost crunches and that's a sign of proper freezing weather. It's also a great feeling when the cold pinches your cheeks and you get red cheeks from being outside. A person from the south might think that -20 degrees is far too cold for outdoor activities, and of course it is if it's windy. When outdoors in arctic conditions, it is important to dress appropriately for the weather. Layering is an asset. I personally choose merino wool as the bottom layer, it doesn't feel cold on the skin, even if you sweat during exercise. My choice for the next layer is also wool. Nothing beats old-fashioned long woolen trousers and a hand-knit sweater. With a merino wool collar, I protect my neck and, if necessary, also my cheeks. The hat, mittens and socks are also made of wool. On top of this, shell clothes and leather gloves keep the wind out. For rest stops, I reserve a down jacket that fits in a small space in the backpack and a ski skirt that can be put on quickly if the wind picks up. These will go a long way and if necessary you can reduce the layers.
Short daylight in January
When moving on the fells in January, you have to take into account the short daylight hours and plan the stages according to the light. You should also remember that the weather can change quickly. In the fells, it is not a good idea to go forward if the conditions become really bad, but stop at the first deserted hut, hut or even camp.
A memorable hike to Nammalakuru
My longer trip in the middle of January went from Vuotisjärvi to Nammalakuru. My friend Sanna was my hiking buddy. The severe frosts brought a little worry to the trip, the meter dropped to -39 degrees in the village of Sirka just a couple of days before our departure. Fortunately, the frost thawed and we were able to go on our way. On the morning of departure, when we headed the nose of the car towards Palla, it was still dark. Gradually, the morning began to dawn and as we approached Pallas kero, we began to distinguish the contours of the fells and the white blanket of snow that covered nature as far as the eye could see. We picked up the keys to the reservation at the nature center and at the same time left behind the comforts of the modern world with running water. Of course, we still drove to Vuontisjärvi, where our trip to the wild arctic nature began.
I was equipped with a rucksack and snowshoes, and my friend Sanna was pulling her backpack and snowshoes behind her on a stick. In the parking lot, we laughed at how my pack could be so heavy for a one-night trip. I had cooked a delicious soup in a thermos and there were two thermos flasks full of hot tea and honey. I had also brought tasty reindeer sausages and made a lot of ready-made sandwiches. A bag of mixed nuts and chocolate was bringing energy. You wouldn't go hungry on this trip!
Aslak-Niila and the reindeer
When we got going, we did an extra 5 km round, because while excitedly talking, we just followed the signs for Nammalakuru, which some genius had turned to point in the wrong direction! This little tour took an hour and a half, because beautiful filming locations came up at a fast pace, and when we were finally on the right path, it was already close to one o'clock. We got a smile on our faces again when we met the reindeer herder Aslak-Niila, who was pulling a magnificent antlered reindeer in a sleigh behind the snowmobile, which was lying calmly in place. Aslak-Niila had gone to rescue a reindeer from a snowbank, where it had wandered because it was cold and hungry. In Lapland you meet wonderful people and stories, I never would have thought that a semi-wild reindeer would lie contentedly in a sleigh behind a snowmobile! We heard from Aslak-Niila that the reindeer herders had had a problem with the fells in the last few days and the route to Montell's Maja and from there to Nammalakuru was very busy. In the national park, only reindeer herders and the park's care staff have the right to ride a snowmobile.
This information made it easier for us, so we didn't know that snowshoes would be stuck in the snow, but that the trip would proceed comfortably on the beaten path. After taking the first lunch break, we started to climb up to the fell. Ahead of us was a 4 kilometer climb to Montelli Maja and from there another kilometer to Nammalakuru. There were only three hours of daylight left. The lower part of the trail was a tall spruce forest and a lot of powder snow.
Nature's fairytale
Our trip was at a comfortable pace, as you can easily walk along the route. Gradually, as we ascended, the scenery began to open up and we could admire Lake Vuontisjärvi and the distant white dangers. The trees became lower and the amount of snowdrift increased. On both sides of the path, a true fairyland of nature opened up, where each tree played its own role; when the figure next to the path was a dog, a bear, a loving couple or a horse with a rider. We were completely enchanted by the winter play and there were frequent filming breaks.
Paljakka, the white fell
Almost imperceptibly, the birch trees appeared and a white outcrop was already looming in front of us. The trail became softer for me and the bike, and when I sank up to my thighs, I happily dug out my snowshoes. The sky started to turn red and the sun began to sink towards the horizon. We now had to hurry to get to Montell's Maja before dark. The heaviest and most demanding climb of the route began. The rise was already felt. The pinkish colors of the blue sky began to turn red and the sun disappeared below the horizon. The wonderful colors of the sky mesmerized us and gave us the strength to continue climbing. The last kilometer was tough and when Montelli Maja finally started to appear far above, we felt relief, we would soon be able to rest for a while. There were fires ready at the lodge, which Katri, who had arrived before us, had lit.
Montelli's House
Rarely has sitting by the fire felt so good, we drank cups of tea and ate sandwiches and then it was time to continue our journey before it got dark. We continued in the dark, but luckily the route markers were not buried in the snow yet, and we can follow them all the way to Nammalakuru. Before we got there, night fell on the fell and we took out our headlamps. It was a great moment when we started to descend into the gorge and saw a small light twinkling from the windows of the deserted hut. The first stars lit up the sky as we descended into the gorge.
in Nammalakuru
However, it wasn't time to rest right away, instead the heating of the cabin started first. The temperature inside the hut was close to zero. When the fire crackled in the fireplace and we had lit the candles, the room started to feel like home. We fetched water from a spring, which we found easily with the advice of the inhabitants of the deserted hut in the dark of the road. After a while, they started walking romantically under the starry sky towards Lake Vuontisjärvi and we were left alone in the gorge.
Now I was thanking myself for the warm soup I had prepared and carried in a thermos and an extra thermos of tea - it was amazing to sit at the table and enjoy warm vegetable puree soup, sandwiches and ginger tea. When we were able to change our wet underwear and socks into dry ones and the warmth gradually started to arrive in the room, we can finally relax and stretch our muscles and enjoy.
Clear starry sky and northern lights
We went outside to admire the starry sky and the constellations, both familiar and unfamiliar, were incredibly bright and clear in the dark sky. The starry sky was like a dome above us, in it, under the universe, I felt so small, and my everyday troubles took on a new dimension. Inspired by the stars, we drew angel cards, tarots and power animal cards in the room, and the atmosphere in the glow of the candles was magical. Sleep began to oppress our eyes and midnight approached. We decided to go outside one more time and what a heavenly spectacle awaited us: the colorful green aurora borealis blazed in the northern sky. Their dance in the sky crowned our day and now, with my mind dancing in the sky with the northern lights, it was time to put my head on the pillow and fall asleep.
Morning dawn and drizzle
When I woke up at the crack of dawn, the tip of my nose felt cold and it was time to add wood to the extinguished fireplace and slip into the warmth of the sleeping bag for a while longer and doze while we wait for the cabin to warm up. When I got up refreshed, I admired the windows of the hut, on which the snow had drawn icy snowflakes. A snowy and white gorge could be seen from the windows.
I've never eaten morning porridge before, admiring the bare landscape of the fell through such a beautiful window. After breakfast, it was time to put the cabin in order, carry a wood box full of wood from the wood storage and leave to enjoy the return journey.
A blue moment in the fells
Yes, the gorge looked different in the daylight; Pallas' high Taivaskero here as a white peak in the south and Vuontis and Lumikero in the north. The sun was still behind the fells, but its bright light made the snow shimmer around us. When we got to climb up from the gorge to the fell, I can't describe in words the completely white landscape that opened up in front of us! We saw Katri going down the white slopes on sliding snowshoes, now we didn't stop at Montelli Maja but enjoyed going through the powder snow on snowshoes. It was a great feeling to walk on the white bare ground while the sky was colored a beautiful soft blue-pink. It felt empowering to fill the lungs with the cleanest air in the world. What a feeling of freedom always overwhelms my mind and heart here at the top of the great mountains! These beloved fells are so rugged and beautiful at the same time. They are enchanting in every season, this is the landscape of my soul and I feel very grateful to live at the foot of the fells in the village of Sirka.
The trip was easier than yesterday's hikes and soon we were already in the shelter of the forest, sheltered from the wind that had started to blow in the morning. We continued to descend and arrived in a snow-covered fairytale forest, where we tried to look for familiar characters from yesterday, but the wind had shaped a new magical fairy tale with new characters.
Return to Pallas and sunset
Even though at first the descent had seemed easier and even though we took breaks for drinks and snacks, the pack started to get heavy and the step no longer felt so light. The amazing landscape and the beauty of nature that opened up in front of us kept our spirits high and as we walked through the spruce forest, it felt like the end was already looming! No time at all when we arrived at the car. On the way to Pallas, dusk fell and the short January day began to sink in. On the halibut, we could admire the red-yellow sunset. It was like the final act of a great trip among friends. Nothing could have been more; we had been able to enjoy two short but sunny days, the sky had shown us its blue moment, the white landscapes of the top of the fell had enchanted our minds, we had been able to admire an incredibly dark and clear starry sky and we had been able to witness the northern lights dancing in the sky. The company of a good friend and the magic in the Nammalakuru hut crowned the whole trip! We drove home with a heart full of gratitude, Lapland's nature always enchants me with its beauty.
