Finnish Wilderness Week

135 Reviews

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  Anonymous
  Written on May 3, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  A fantastic holiday really enjoyed all the activities especially the Huskys and the Quinze Building (felt like a real achievement to build and sleep in it). The surrounding area was beautiful and it felt like a real break to re charge batteries.  Accommodation and food were ideal and the guides were all really helpful, professional, good fun and along with all the other great people I met, made the holiday.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?The Quinzee building day was great it was a real team effort and a real achievement to spend all day building it to then sleep in it even though it was -14 outside and -4 inside. You had to trust your building skills and the help from the guides. To wake up and see the sun rise on a frozen lake surrounded by beautiful views was amazing.What did you think of your group leader?Teddy was great fun, really helpful and great at instructing everyone. We appreciated his knowledge of the area and it came across that he enjoyed his job which allowed him to pass on his enthusiasm to us.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?We took a travel kettle which was great if we wanted to chill out in our room. If you want to see the northern lights properly you need a good quality camera and the guys all had tripods as you are waiting around a bit in the cold.Just get involved and try and do everything as some things could be daunting (ice climbing) however everything is set up for all abilities so worth a shot.Additional experiences are quite pricey so if you do want to do the extras best to save up some pocket money!
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  Anonymous
  Written on April 26, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  Great week in the finish wilderness with so much snow. Eventhough we stayed at the same place for one week, there was no boredom: every day we did new activities and got to know the area from a different perspective! Perfect winterholiday, would recommend it to everyone.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?During the day of husky-sledding, warming up on a fire in the forest while it was snowing.What did you think of your group leader?Teddy was amazing! Great ambassador for Finnland and Exodus.
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  Anonymous
  Written on April 17, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  Fantastic week in an absolutely stunning landscape. A great mix of winter activities - definitely something for everyone!What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?I enjoyed the whole range of activities we did throughout the week. Husky dog sledding was a personal favourite and snowshoeing and cross-country skiing across the frozen lake were magical. We were also lucky enough to see the northern lights- a tick for the bucket list! The hot tub and sauna were a welcome activity at the end of the day and sitting in the hot tub watching the sun set and the stars come out was a great way to end the day!What did you think of your group leader?Teddy was a fantastic leader. He was skilled at all of the activities, made them all really fun (playing ultimate frizbee in snowshoes was a highlight!) and was very knowledgable about the local area. He was very patient in our repeated requests of "when can we see the northern lights?"! The other guides and staff at Basecamp were fantastic too.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?A brilliant trip and opportunity to try a range of winter activities in a stunning landscape. Highly recommended!Is there anything else you would like to add?Can't wait to go back!
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  Anonymous
  Written on March 23, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  A holiday that`s completely different-the furthest North I`ve ever been-close to Arctic circle, fantastic scenery and climate- great activities, aching in every muscle when i got home, so I know it`s been a good holiday!What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?Husky sledding up on a high fell.. surreal snowy blobs that are trees, fantastic golden light and sky, what a place to get to. and the only control needed for the dogs was to stand on the brake.Also really pleased I tried Ice climbing- excellent equipment, brilliant instruction, and i got to the top of all 3 routes! lovely to have reliable ice and snow to try all these things. And Not be cold!What did you think of your group leader?Different activities led by different staff members- consistently good teaching in use of equipment, techniques, humour and patience shown at all times-and by us!Do you have any advice for potential travellers?Give it a go- it`s easier than you think Leave your everyday life behind- go out to play in the snow-the right gear and the right teaching-  and a truly fabulous environment- you can achieve anything if you tryIs there anything else you would like to add?Crikey I sound a bit positive ... but this holiday`s alright...!
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  Anonymous
  Written on March 19, 2013

  4.0 - Good

  My holiday starts with the planning. I wanted an experience.
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  Anonymous
  Written on March 19, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  Very varied trip. The chance to try out a variety of winter skills in stunning scenery. Oh! And Northern Lights.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?The dog sledding trip through a wonderful forest was the highlight for me - even better than seeing the Northern Lights on 3 nights.What did you think of your group leader?We had several leaders - Bjorn and Martii - were the main ones. Both were excellent teachers and added quite a bit of humour to their lessons.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?Take a travel kettle for your room. Best to take thermal underwear but all the other equipment was in excellent condition.Is there anything else you would like to add?I have done a fair bit of travelling but this is one of the best trips I have been on.
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  Anonymous
  Written on March 18, 2013

  4.0 - Good

  Great winter holiday away from the madding crowds with lots of new experiences and activities to tryWhat was the most inspirational moment of your trip?Husky sledding through the snow-clad treesAn amazing Northern Lights display before spending the night  in a Quinzee snow shelter while the outside temperature was -20CWhat did you think of your group leader?We had no Exodus leader but the Basecamp staff were very friendly and spoke very good English. Slightly disorganised at times but always helpful with lots of useful and interesting information.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?Although all clothing was provided, we found particularly the base layers weren't always well-fitting so preferred to use our own.  It was too cold not to wear several layers and if the base layer was baggy or a bit short etc, it had a big impact on overall comfort and keeping warm.Is there anything else you would like to add?We chose this holiday as we had skiied before and wanted a change but didn't know what activity to choose. Finland appealed as it was a bit off the beaten track, and the Wilderness Week offered lots of different exciting activities. We also really hoped we might see the Northern Lights, which we did!Several activites are included in the trip price but there are a lot of optional extras which we found quite expensive. Instead, we found there were lots of opportunities for self-guided day, half-day or evening trips from base using the provided snow-shoes or cross country skis. The routes were not particularly promoted/explained by the staff, but they can be found on the map boards located by the base and on the lake-shore by the village.  Having cross-country skiied before, we particularly liked the three ski trails that went out from the base, although they are apparently only prepared as ski routes from mid-February onwards.There were two Exodus holiday groups staying at Basecamp at the same time, our Wilderness Week, and also a snowshoe week group, so the group size for meals etc was around 36. Some activity groups overlapped with theirs. The holiday itinerary should be used as a guide only, as some activities such as husky-sledding have a max group-size of 5-7 so some people were allocated different times/days to those stated on the itinerary which in some cases meant people did two activities on the same day, creating an additional "free day" to amuse yourself.The food was lovely, featuring lots of tasty elk and fish, and just what was required after an energetic day in the cold. Lunch was provided at base every day for an additional cost of 11 Euros per person. You could get a packed lunch for the same price, or just take your own lunch snacks with you (there are no shops apart from the base reception which sells various food items).Our best day was the last free day where we did the optional full-day husky expedition, which was brilliant. The weather was beautiful (if it had been snowing hard it might have been less pleasant) and the dogs loved every minute. Lunch by a fire was provided and the food was extremely nice. This day was well worth the extra cost.
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  Anonymous
  Written on March 17, 2013

  4.0 - Good

  I really enjoyed the weeks activities, I had been concerned about my fitness levels before I went on the trip but as the sessions were usually half a day this was not a problem. All the activities were well supervised and mostly well organised although as nearly all the group wanted to do the whole day optional dog sledding it did give the organisers a few logistical issues.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?The scenery in the national park was stunning, we were lucky enough to have sun shine on the day we tried the dog sledding and it gave the park a magical quality.What did you think of your group leader?Although Teddy was our designated leader for the week we were looked after by a team of individuals all of whom were great.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?If you want to try a selection of winter activities then just book this trip it is alot of fun. Just make sure you check the trip notes for the additional extras as these are expensive and so is the alcohol - 5 Euros for a can of local beer and 21 Euros for a bottle of wine.There is no need to worry about packing any winter gear other than your thermals as the rest is supplied for you although I may have been more tempted to sleep in the quincy if I had taken a winter coat and pair of waterproof trousers with me.Is there anything else you would like to add?I thoroughly enjoyed my week away, it had been over 15 years since I had been on a winter holiday. The snow shoeing, cross country sking, dog sledding, quincy building and ice climbing were all throughly enjoyable and I did find muscles I forgot I had by Saturday morning. This did stop me from going on one of the optional snowshoeing trips, but I spent an enjoyable couple of hours with 2 other members of the group cross country skiing around the lake which was great.I have to say I was a little disappointed with snow shoeing as for some reason I did not expect it to be quite so noisey which means you don't get to see/hear much wildlife when walking through the forests, unless of course you give yourself lots of time and have lots of long stops. All in all a very good trip. 
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  Anonymous
  Written on March 10, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  Such a beautiful winter paradise. Just point your camera in any direction and click.A great range of fun activities. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?The magic of the wonderland of the Oulanka national park. Husky sledding  - the amazing snow scene - stunning sculpture-like landscape - the beautiful dogs.Cross country skiing - an achievement that I learned a few basics and managed to keep upright!   What did you think of your group leader?Martti gave clear instructions for all the activities and shared his knowledge and enthusiasm of the country with us throughout the week. He was well supported by all the centre staff team.All the staff provided over and above service to fit in everyone's needs and preferences eg for extra activities and timings.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?It does work out quite expensive with the additional activities.However, if you want a special winter holiday, this is the one! 
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  Anonymous
  Written on March 4, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  Great week that allowed the group to be as active as they wished. Amazing food and lovely, warm accommodation. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?Too many although the memory of trekking through the forest at night to make and throw a snowball of " wishes" into the rapids will stay with me for some time. What did you think of your group leader?Marti was great - passionate about the Park and ensuring that everyone enjoyed themselves in a non competitive environment.Do you have any advice for potential travellers?Took me a full week to recover in return to the UK!!! I was shattered but it is really up to you how much activity you do on free days and afternoons. Extra activities are a tad expensive so be prepared.Is there anything else you would like to add?If you have any doubts, just go for it - an excellent taster of many winter activities in beautiful surroundings.