Holidays are approaching and the snowy Lapland is calling for many travelers. It is often a good idea to plan your vacations beforehand to make sure you get everything out of the time – even if it was short. This way you get to create great memories and experiences to be shared with others. Pallas-Yllästunturi national park is one of the most famous in Finland, and for a good reason. Trips and activities are available throughout the year and the local professionals are offering their help and services for many kinds of adventures.
One of the great winter activities to try is snowshoeing. Wide, light and well-fitting snowshoes make walking in the deep snow a lot easier and therefore you get to enjoy the wintery trails – even with meters of snow. If you’re heading outside of the marked trails, it is always a good idea to turn to the local guides to make sure your adventure is safe and enjoyable. On a guided tour you get to experience the extreme nature of Lapland, carefree!
Beautiful day-trip to Tuomikuru’s kota
In Ylläs you can find several trails for snowshoeing. One of these is the trip to Tuomikuru’s kota, where we went for an adventure a few days back. The difficulty level is medium but every step is worth the effort. Arriving to the refugio, you get to enjoy the warmth of the fire inside the kota, looking over the beauty of the snowy nature.
To get to the refugio you need to climb slightly uphill, breaking the sweat! The marked trail starts from the Ylläs -ski center and curves into the forest. The trail gets a tiny bit easier towards the refugio and the last part before arriving is already flatter. On the way back to the starting point, your muscles get to relax a bit in the slight downhill – following your previous tracks or continuing the circuit of Tuomikuru (Tuomikurun kierros).
What do I need for a snowshoeing trip?
Snowshoeing does not require any special equipment apart from the snowshoes. Also, in the snowy and hilly nature, poles make the trip a lot easier. Using poles while walking, your upper body muscles get to work as well – you won’t do all the hard work with your lower body. When choosing your poles, it is important to make sure they are the right size. Thumb rule in this is to have your elbow in a 90 degree angle, while the pole is resting on the ground and your hand on the handle.
What about clothing? Often, especially in winter sports, the correct clothing is a somewhat question mark. The magic word is layers! High quality first layer (wool, wool and one more time wool), that removes sweat from your skin, is a must. For winter sports in cold weather, the material of your other layers needs to maintain heat. The secret in staying warm is the air that stays between the different layers and lastly the top layer that stores the heat underneath. Pack a warm winter jacket and possibly an extra pair of warm pants as well – especially for those snack breaks when you’re not moving around.
Gloves that don’t get wet in the snow and a warm beanie are very important. Also make sure you will have comfortable warm high rise shoes and those woolen socks – who would want to climb up the fell in wet socks with toes frozen?
You can check more tips and advice for choosing your winter adventure’s clothing from this link!
Make sure you’ll also bring snacks and a flask with warm drinks to make sure you’ll maintain your energy levels and keep warm throughout the trek.
With us you have the opportunity to experience the untouched snowy forest and hidden trails also on snowshoes!
Check details for our day adventures here!
Have fun snowshoeing!
