What if there's no snow...?!

I like to look in on the TripAdvisor Äkäslompolo forum occasionally.  It's a good place to see the sort of questions that people are asking about our area and to try to help if I can. 

TripAdvisor Äkäslompolo Forum

Every so often, someone asks a question that makes you think a bit. 
Today was one of those days. 

"We were hoping for lots of snow so the children could do ski-ing, sledging, husky rides etc but looking at the webcams there seems to be only a slight smattering of snow at the moment. I am hoping this improves (will it?)

But what suggestions are there for things to do if the snow doesn't improve?"

First off it's pretty unlikely that we will still be snow free in three weeks, and I'm pretty sure there has never been a "Black Winter" here, i.e. no snow, ever. 

But, it's a good chance to review and highlight some of the things to see and do here that don't need snow.

So, forgetting about downhill and cross-country skiing, snowmobiles, husky sled rides, Santa trips , snow-showing and tobogganing - what is there to see and do in and around Äkäslompolo?

First of all, I think it's fair to say I didn't answer the original question very well! 

Given a bit of thinking time, and the chance to do what any man should do when faced with a tricky question, i.e. ask his wife... we came up with the following list... (Suggestions for additions most welcome!)

Outdoor Activities 

Not having snow around is no excuse for not getting out and getting active!
It's strange starting out in the cold sometimes, but when your body gets used to the cold, it's a great feeling when you get to the point where you are generating enough of your own warmth to keep things balanced. 

Ice Skating

If there is no snow, by the time it gets really cold, the lake in Äkäslompolo is one fantastic, huge ice rink for skating!  
When it does get covered in deep snow, there are cross country ski tracks cut on the lake and it becomes a handy shortcut between the two sides of the village.

There are quite a few lakes around and most of them are great for skating on. 
Of course it's good to check with a local, or see some locals skating on a lake to be sure it is safe. 

This was my effort at skating last year.  

Walking

Äkäslompolo has one of the best networks of cross-country ski tracks around, something approaching 400 km of tracks.  If there is no snow, these are fantastic walking routes taking you in and around the hills or deep in the forest of the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park without fear of getting lost but seeing some of the most fantastic scenery.

Lots of the trails have cafes on the way, like Velhon Kota where you can top up on fresh Finnish baking, donuts and hot chocolate, coffee or berry juice to fire you up for the next leg. 

Running

It's quite a dry cold here so it can  really be quite cold before it starts getting advisable not to stay out too long.  Even at -20C it's quite nice going out for a run. (Ok, I once went out at -20C and that was pretty parky, but down to -15C really is ok).

The peace and stillness out running here is well worth experiencing.

Ice Fishing 

The frozen lake also provides a perfect opportunity for ice fishing.  It's easy to hire the equipment at the sports shops and get out on the lake, drill, and wait. 
I'm not much of a fisherman, but it's a popular activity here and, even if you don't get lucky, you have a great view of the skaters.

Cycling

Cycling is also a growing activity here with a new cycle route from Äkäslompolo to Levi having opened this summer and all sorts of bikes, including "Fat bikes" for serious off-roading, available to hire.  There is even a mountain bike track that starts at the top of the mountain, for the brave, which you can tackle over and over taking bikes up on the cable car after each descent.


See my Hullun Polkasu blog for details of how big cycling is getting in summer here too.  After 40 of us completed the route last year, there were over 120 this year.  It's not too early to book to join us next year :)

Wildlife Galore

You can go horse riding here for a different way of seeing the national park and nature, and, if your interests are in more varied wildlife the Äkäslompolo petting zoo is worth a visit too.  

Of course Äkäslompolo is a fabulous place to watch all the arctic wildlife and you are bound to see lots of reindeer wandering around, normally much more slowly than the squirrels that keep eating the nuts we put out for birds and Arctic hares, and you might even see an elusive Arctic fox. 

Oh, and there is a fantastic array of birds here, including the Kukkeli or Siberian Jay that will quite happily perch on your hand to eat any offered food.  


If you can't immediately find a Kukkeli, get yourself to one of the ski huts on the cross-country ski trails and cook some sausages on an open fire and you'll soon have a "Band" of Jays, no, not the O'Jays (Sorry, showing my age!), around you.

Here's one that we spotted earlier.

Sauna

You probably already know that sauna is a major part of Finnish life, and you will probably have a sauna in your cabin or hotel.  The "Real" Finnish sauna experience can be had down at the lake, where the Lakeside Sauna can be hired.  



Dipping in a frozen lake between sessions in the sauna is crazy, but it really has health benefits, and you'll never feel better than you do on the walk home after that experience, even without stopping for a refreshment at the Selvä Pyy on the way past! 

Eagle Safari

For the last couple of years, two local entrepreneurs have been running an eagle hide out on the forest here.  See my earlier blog on this too.  If you have any interest in birds or bird photography, this is a fantastic experience to see the most majestic wildlife at close quarters. 
You can find out more about this here.

http://www.wildlifeyllas.com/en/

Warmer Activities

Once you've tackled outdoor activities to burn off your excess energy, you might be ready for some more relaxing pursuits before you think about dinner or a few drinks in one of the local establishments. 

The lovely Kellokas building hosts the tourist information centre, has a fantastic little interactive museum and exhibition area, explaining a lot about the history and life in the Arctic.  It also has a nice cafe and a cinema (Kino Kellokas) that is the perfect place to watch some of the latest releases. 

At the cinema, most films that aren't animations are in English!  The tickets are only 10 Euros and you might just find your local blogger working as the projectionist!

Retail Therapy

For the extra cash that you can't spend on skiing lessons, it's well worth a visit to the Jounin Kauppa shopping centre.

There, you might even bump into local superstar Sampo Kaulanen "The Crazy Shopkeeper" and if you "like" his facebook page, you could win some unbelievable prizes, like 10 000 Euros or a car for example.  

There are also local galleries and craft shops highlighting and selling some of the best locally designed and produced items, these two for example, both well worth a visit. 

Navettagalleria                       

Lumiperhonen 

As well as these locally produced crafts, you can also find the bigger Finnish brands in the Seita and Marimekko stores in the shopping centre and the two sports shops, Sportia Ylläs and the Äkäslompolo Sport Shop both have great ranges of winter equipment and clothes and will also rent you any equipment you need. 

Northern Lights

Of course, up here in Lapland, one of the most incredible spectacles on the planet is available freely, if not predictably.  

The Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis have already been in good form this year and, with only a few hours of full daylight in late November, you have a great chance to see this phenomenal spectacle of nature without falling into a deep snowdrift while you are walking and gazing upwards at the same time.  
  
If you want to see some great examples of the shows we have had here, take a look at Markus Kiili's site or find him on Twitter (@kiili).  He is a local photographer that also runs Aurora photography courses. 

Evening Entertainment

Of course there are lots of excellent restaurants and bars to visit, often with live music, but I think that needs a separate entry, and some more time for testing!

Finally, if you still have energy left after all that, you could go ten-pin bowling in Ylläsjarvi, or join in the karaoke at the Joikupub before walking back to your cabin or hotel through the cold night air and the sparkling ice crystals forming in the clean, pure night air. 

It's a wonder that anyone finds time to ski at all!

Hullun Polkasu 2014 (The Mad Cycle)

Äkäslompolo, Finland: Thursday 3^rd July 2014

It’s been light all night as it always is at this time of year in Lapland.  This far north, we have around two months of midnight sun with what they call “nightless nights” when the sun never sets.

Fortunately, this morning sees it a bit cooler and overcast, as we are up early, drinking strong coffee, repacking and trying not to think too much about the fact that we are about head off, with a group of fit Finns, on the longest cycle we’ve ever attempted – The Hullan Polkasu or, in English, the Mad Cycle.

Hullan Polkasu  

Sampo Kaulanen (left) owns and runs Jounin Kauppa, the supermarket and shopping centre here in Äkäslompolo. 

One day, in the heat of summer (yes, as well as being light for 24 hours it often tops 30C in Lapland) he was looking at a map of the area while trying to think of some ideas for a summer fun event.

He thought about the short distance to Norway, and came up with the idea of going for a cool refreshing swim in the Arctic Ocean off the coast of Norway.  

With typical Finnish consideration for the environment, he decided it would be best to cycle there,  all 350 km, and the idea for the first Hullun Polkasu was born.

The one proviso was that he put details of the event on Facebook, and would only go ahead with the cycle if it got 50 000 “Likes”. 

Within a few days, the number of “Likes” sailed past the 50 000 mark, and Sampo had started training!

Of course, it's no fun to cycle such a long route on your own, so Sampo sent out a general invite for people to join him on the trek.

Lapland Finns are typically fit and very keen on the outdoors, so soon people were signing up from all around Finland to join in. 

As part of the small contingent of Brits in the village, and badly in need of some exercise, we decided to sign up too.  Now, on the morning of the first day, it seems a bit rash to have made that decision only three weeks ago!

Äkäslompolo –> Hetta (Enontekio) – Day 1

As we gathered outside the supermarket at 7:30am we found, somewhat to our relief, that not only were there indeed quite a few other people ready to take part, some very well prepared with racing bikes.

Age no Barrier

Fortunately, there were some people that looked like they might go at a more reasonable pace, including a couple of fellas on a tandem, quite a few bikes with cuddly animal passengers and a lady on a traditional Tunturi bike with no gears!

The youngest participant was 11 and the oldest 63, excellent examples of the characteristic Finnish “Sisu”. 

After a quick pep-talk from Sampo and a brief group stretching and warm-up session, we all dropped our bags with Nils-Samuli in the Jounin Kauppa “Support van”, which was to follow us for the full route.


This was to prove a valuable lifeline as, along with carrying luggage, it was stacked with goodies!

Just time then for a group photo of a bunch of enthusiastic cyclists before setting off on the first part of the trek.

140 km to the lovely Sami village of Hetta (or Enontekio as it’s shown on the map). 

The road out of Äkäslompolo has one steep climb, perfect for warming up the cycling muscles.  

Once we had puffed our way up that, we were off at a good speed, and in no time, we had passed the road to Akäsmylly at 20 km, marking the furthest we’d previously cycled in that direction. 

The first Pit-Stop

Several Jounin Kauppa suppliers had contributed food, fitness drinks and energy bars to the cause, so after about 30 km, there was a pit-stop set up at the roadside for a quick refuel.  

This was the first time we really understood the benefits of having a support team, as they handed out much appreciated food and drink.

After a couple of minutes relaxing and watching a few other participants coming and going, we pressed on for the next 40 km to the lunch stop at the Loimu restaurant in Raatama, where there was lots of gorgeous Lappish salmon soup to get everyone raring to go again.

By this point, it was clear that we had spread out quite a bit, with the “Elite” riders well ahead, and the rest spread over quite a distance, in small groups, making new friends as people of similar speeds cycled together (some closer than others) or regularly passed each other.

By the time we hit the 110 km mark, it seemed that most people were feeling the effort taking a toll on their legs, and it was perfect to have another pit-stop to top up energy levels which helped the last 30 km fly by.

Welcome to Hetta

On arrival in Hetta, most of us were staying in the Hetan Majalta hotel.  Anticipating the arrival of a lot of weary Finnish cyclists, the hotel knew exactly how to prepare; getting the beers chilled as the sauna heated, providing the perfect welcome for the end of day 1.

The Hetta locals had arranged a welcome festival for the cyclists in the market square in the evening, with stalls selling coffee, cakes, sausages and

other post-cycling delights as well as laying on some locally flavoured entertainment, the highlight of which was a young singer performing a song that she had written especially for the Hullun Polkasu event.
  

Then back to the hotel, to bed.  

Day 2 – Hetta -> Kautokeino - Let’s go North of the Border

Day two dawned and it was apparent that the promise of lovely weather had been a little optimistic.  

Heavy clouds covered the village, and it didn’t look like the light rain was planning to stop anytime soon.

Gathering to start from Hetta market square, the villagers gave us a fantastic send off, with a quick Zumba session to warm up weary legs and a great sing-a-long of the Hullan Polkasu song, which even the Finns couldn’t understand as it was in the Sami language; not that that stopped everyone joining in with the chorus.

So many options!

Everyone started off in cheery spirits and was soon clocking up the miles to the first café stop after about 30km.  That bit wasn’t too bad, especially with the thought of lunch on the horizon.

The second half of day two was promising to be a bit tougher, with everyone setting off still damp after lunch, and with full stomachs and some steeper uphill sections, it was all getting to be a bit of a slog.  Then two things happened that really boosted us. 

First, we came to the border crossing between Finland and Norway.  It was an easy border to pass, with no stops and checks, but it was nice to get a cheery wave from Norwegian customs as we pedaled past.

Then the Jaunin Kauppa support van drove past with the team handing out energy drinks and chocolate to all the cyclists, on the move! 

No one could fail to be lifted by that kind of surprise, and with it being a shorter day, covering only 80 odd km, we soon had Kautokeino in view through the low clouds and a lovely downhill section to the Arctic Motel and Camping site to finish.

This time, some of the participants were staying in cabins at the Kautokeino camp site and some were up the hill at the Thon hotel.

After checking in, we headed off to relax in the outdoor hot-tub under the watchful eye of some of the local reindeer.   

As we sat chatting with some of the other cyclists, the weather started to clear, with the magnificent Norwegian mountains and scenery gradually appearing through the clearing clouds.

It’s at times like that, you realise what a special place Lapland is.

Gallery Visit 

With an earlier end to the cycling at 3pm, we had time to visit Juhls’ Silver gallery in Kautokeino.

The building and all the exhibits (most of which are for sale) were designed, build and collected by Frank and Regine Juhls since settling here in the 1950s.

It's a welcoming and fascinating place with an amazing history and a free guided tour.  It's no surprise that people travel from all over the Nordic countries to visit.  Highly recommended. 

Day  3 - Kautokeino -> Onward to the Arctic Ocean

After the wet weather of day 2, it was something of a relief to see that the more typical Lapland summer weather had returned.  

As everyone gathered outside the hotel, we started off in good spirits, though with dire warnings of mountains between us and our final destination, Alta, to be tackled later that day, ringing in our ears. 

  

The only en-route stop on day 3 was after 70 km at the top of the one steep uphill section, the first tough section that we had encountered that day.  

Photographer Stepi enjoys lunch

The support team had somehow managed to get hold of a vat of sausage soup, which, accompanied with cheese sandwiches and a fantastic view of Norway was the perfect pick-me-up for the second half; and what a second half it was!

As we descended from the stopping point, we seemed to hit one downhill after another, and were keeping up a much higher speed with far less effort than before.   Even the few uphill stretches seemed easier. Then we started to see the mountains in the distance, looming closer with every km.

Each km seemed to expose more and more impressive Norwegian scenery, with high cliffs, still topped with snow, gushing waterfalls and majestic lakes around every corner.

As we arrived at the mountains, to our surprise, the road seemed to go downhill more and more steeply, with the bending road snaking down through the mountains, where only the bravest of cyclists stayed off the brakes completely.

   

Keeping the UK end up

Past the mountains, it was easy to keep up the momentum, and keep the UK flags flying, as the last few km flew by and we were soon arriving at Alta River Camping, the end of the cycling route.

It was great to catch up with everyone there, enjoying the camaraderie, a relaxing beer, a sauna (of course) and some dinner in the sunshine.

A Refreshing dip

In the excitement of finishing the cycling, we almost forgot that the objective of the event was to swim in the Arctic Ocean.  

Fortunately, one of the Ylläs coaches had been laid on, and by 9pm we were all boarding to start our unusual trip to the seaside.

A couple of km outside Alta, we stopped at a lovely little beach with Norwegian mountains and sky perfectly framing the Arctic Ocean.

The end of the challenge and time for quick photo, just giving a few moments to think about the prospect of the final swim in the Arctic Ocean. 

Then into bathing gear to charge, run or paddle into the sea.

The water was quite cold, but wonderfully clear and refreshing after days of cycling.

It’s hard to imagine how the last day could have been better.  The gorgeous weather the Norwegian scenery and the fun of swimming in the Arctic Ocean really made it a special experience.

Big Thanks

Special thanks to Teemu Haavisto & Ylläs Sportia for support and technical services and to the Jounin Kauppa support team for helping us all to make it to the end, and of course to Sampo Kaulanen for the original idea and for making the event a reality.





Thanks also to Stepi Sundberg for taking so many great photographs of the event during all three days, and especially for allowing me to use some of these here.  You can see more of his work on his web site by clicking on his name.

Not forgetting Ylläs Express for picking us up and taking our bikes back to Äkäslompolo, especially since I’m not sure any of us could have cycled back up the long climb back out of Alta!

Video Footage

To get an idea of the spirit of the event and see some of the magnificent wild scenery, Veli-Matti Näränen took some excellent video footage during the event…

And the team from JVPS did a fantastic video blog!

Roll on Hullun Polkasu 2015!

Join Us?

If you fancy taking part in Hullun Polkasu 2015 and experiencing some of the summer magic of Lapland, please feel free to contact me or visit the Hullun Polkasu Facebook page.