Adventuring in Lapland's Wilderness
"Our plan: go north, as far north as possible during the frigid winter months and stand outside for a very long time in the dead of night."
As if February in London were not cold enough, we decided to head north for half-term break. Way north. North Pole north, at least that’s where we were according to the airport postcards and my Instagram location mapper. Technically we were in Lapland, Northern Finland, bordering the Arctic Circle. About as close as you can get to the North Pole without riding on a sheet of ice in the Arctic Ocean. So, cold. This was all in search of my lifelong bucket list adventure: to experience the Northern Lights. I have always dreamed of seeing the sky light up and dance with bright greens, reds and pinks and the best way to see it is to go as far north as possible in the frigid winter months and stand outside for a very long time in the dead of night.
We arrived at the Muotka Wilderness Hotel at midnight, but they kept the soup on for us, a steaming bowl of mushroom broth with a hunk of freshly baked bread and poured us a stiff drink upon arrival. A few guests were still in the main lodge, lounging on deer skin rugs in front of the fireplace, talking into the wee hours. Our room was in a cabin just across the way with a private attached sauna. The Finns have solid priorities
The next morning was a flurry of guests getting ready for their outings. We had wisely scheduled a snowmobile trip to a reindeer farm at noon so we could ease into the adventure. My goal was simple: plan lots of activities so that the trip would be fun even if we did not see the lights. Snowmobiling was thrilling, if a bit exhausting to maneuver. Kids were pulled in sledges by the guide, and the rest of us coupled up and took turns driving. A couple people veered off the path and had to be rescued by the guides, but for the most part everyone faired well on the hour-long ride to the farm. The reindeer really do seem like mythical creatures. Their expressions are those of an old soul, bewildered at the world around them. They pulled us in sledges through the Arctic wilderness and we took in the breathtaking whiteness of the snow covered forests.
Husky sledding the next day was a magical experience, and your trip is not complete without it. It is equally fun to drive as to ride, and I was able to do both on our outing. The dogs have a pecking order and it is fascinating to watch them interact as they run through the snow, six to a sledge.
There is no guarantee that the aurora borealis will appear on any given night, and in booking a trip such as this, you take your chances that you will get to witness it even once. We got lucky. The Northern Lights graced us every night of our six day stay. They were not what I expected but still spectacular. The fabulous colors that appear on photos are not as visible to the naked eye. The camera is able to capture more than we humans can. While we saw the colors—mostly bright, almost neon greens, they were much more subdued than what the camera captured, and in some cases, appeared white to us until we looked at our pictures. But they danced in the sky in such a dramatic manner that it was hard to look away and we stood each night as long as we could in the bitter cold, taking them in. On day two, as everyone sat in the warm lodge, eating dinner, drinking wine and talking, someone ran inside and announced in a loud, booming voice that the lights were appearing in the sky. Everyone in the lodge jumped up from their tables all at once, leaving their food and drinks and ran outside. It was quite a sight to see and well worth it as we left our dinners to get cold and stood in the snow staring at the sky for the next 45 minutes, chatting with each other as the children danced about.
On night three we embarked on an “Aurora Hunt” with a guide who took us in a van on a chase to follow the lights and find the very best views. It was well worth it and the best we saw was late in the evening from the top of the longest toboggan run in Finland.
Nightlife in the Finnish wilderness consists soley of cozying up in the lodge and talking with fellow travelers. There is nowhere else to go and nothing else to do. But we looked forward to relaxing in the lodge each night. It was rustic and cozy with a buffet supper that each night offered a variety ranging from sautéed reindeer to moose stew and always with the best salmon I have ever tasted. The guests all gathered in the lodge and it was a very friendly atmosphere, with a warmth that stayed with us through our time there and still in the memories of our Lapland adventure.
10 Lapland Wintertime Activities:
Most of these activities can be arranged through your hotel and they pick you up at set times.
For those not booked through our hotel, I included a link.
- Husky Sledding:
About 3 hours. It is two to a sled, one driving and one sitting. You can switch off. Children can ride,
but not drive. The sledding was about an hour, followed by a hot soup lunch in a rustic cabin. - Cross Country Skiing:
On the hotel property, there are trails. - Downhill Skiing:
We went to Saariselka Ski & Sport Resort. They also have tobogganing. - Snowmobiling:
The hotel had these. You can do this as an activity alone, or on your way to the Reindeer Farm. - Reindeer Farm:
Snowmobile ride of about an hour to get there. Children are pulled in a sledge. The reindeer are incredible.
We were pulled in a sled which lasted about 10 minutes, but there are other activities and a talk about reindeer during a hot soup lunch. - Aurora Hunt:
This is late night, as it happens after dark. We arrived home at midnight. We went to the best viewing spot for
the aurora and were not disappointed! We had plenty of time for great pictures and to really see them with no light pollution. - Ice Karting:
We visited Frozen Ring ice karting circuit. Our 8 year old loved it and was able to drive her own kart. It is an enclosed track with walls of snow. Sort of like bumper cars. - Tobogganing:
Saariselka has the longest toboggan run in Finland at the Saariselka Ski & Sport Resort. It was incredibly fun,
we flew down the mountain, but felt in control the whole time. Could have done this all day. - Snowshoeing:
I find snowshoeing to be meditative. Certainly helps you get around in the snow! - Ice Fishing:
This did not appeal to me, but was an activity that was offered. Maybe next time!
5 Tips for Planning a Lapland Wilderness Adventure:
- Plan activities for every day. There is nothing to do other than the planned activities, and they are all well run and worth it.
You will come back exhausted and a late afternoon relaxing with a book by the fire is a dreamy way to end the day. - This is not a trip for very young children. At 8 years old, our daughter was a good age, but younger than this may prove difficult.
- Bring some games to play in the evenings.
- The lodge provides Arctic snowsuits for all activities, but pack for very cold weather.
- We rented a car which gave us a bit of freedom to do some outside activities such as tobogganing, ice karting and downhill skiing.
