5 Night Expedition

1,500.00

Three countries in one go! This scenic 5 Night Expedition will take you through pristine nature in the border region of Norway, Russia, and Finland.

Also, being a slow paced expedition, you will have an optimal opportunity to learn and practise the essential skills involved in ski expedition travelling.

Booking flexibility: Book a period that works for you. First come, first served.

Trip Profile

Duration
5 Nights
price
EUR 1,500
Location
Pasvik Valley
Grade
Intermediate
group size
2-10
Arrival
Kirkenes
Departure
Kirkenes
accomodation
Lodge & tents
meals
all inclusive
season
Jan-April
5/5

Trip Highlights

Profile of guest & experience needed

No prior experience to skiing or winter camping needed. However, you should be able to comfortably walk at least 12km per day, and also keep in mind that being reasonably flexible and agile is an advantage when pitching the tent in snow and manoeuvring inside the tent.

What's Included

Itinerary

  • You will be picked up in Kirkenes at your hotel or at the airport before midday, and we proceed to the small village of Svanvik by the Russian/Norwegian border 40km away. Here we will check in at the cosy NIBIO Svanhovd, which is part of the NIBIO Research Institute that monitors and studies the unique biome of the Pasvik Valley.
  • After lunch we spend the afternoon with practical introductions, getting you comfortable with clothing, boots/skis, packing and pulling the ‘pulk’ (sled), tent pitching, digging out a kitchen in the tent, using a stove, etc.
  • After dinner it will be possible to use the sauna and visit the extensive exhibition on display featuring the unique environment, culture and history of the Pasvik Valley.
  • After a good breakfast we will finish packing our equipment, and are transported about 40km south to the small settlement of Hauge, where we start our expedition trip.
  • For an easy transition into back-country skiing, we will start off by following a well prepared snowmobile track that leads the way inland.
  • We set up our camp for the night near the Juomisjarvi lake or by the wood cabin of Lerkevannskoia, having covered around 8-10km for the day.
  • A full day of skiing awaits, and, after breaking camp, we start making our way south-west towards Lake Varsselinjarvi, following the Finnish border for a good part of the day. 
  • On the way we stumble across ‘Haglklumpen’ (literally translated meaning ‘The Lump of Hail’), by the Finnish border. Haglklumpen, 338m above sea level, is an elevated treeless plateau with a spectacular 360 degree view over the entire region.
  • Descending from Haglklumpen, we use a trail used by Finnmarksløpet, Europe’s longest dog-sled race of 1200km. With luck we may see a dog-sled team out practising.
  • Camp is set by the south-western end of Lake Varsselinjarvi, not far from Følvannskoia, another wooden wilderness cabin. we slowly turn in a north-easterly direction and find a suitable place to set camp.
  • By now, you will probably already experience setting and breaking camp being much easier than the first time you toiled with the tent in the snow. Also, igniting the whisperelite stove and managing the kitchen will hopefully feel more like a routine.
  • We change to a north-easterly direction, following lakes and streams where possible, towards “Lille Spurvvatnet”, the little sparrow water. On this stretch we may encounter challenging snow conditions, which is ideal terrain for hardship craving expedition members to spend up front breaking the trail for the rest of the group. 
  •  We set up our last camp near Little Spurvvatnet.
  • Victory march day! Not long after breaking camp we will encounter the trail we started following on our first day, and head towards our starting point where an awaiting bus will take us back to NIBIO Svanhovd – and a warm shower!
  • A nice farewell dinner will be served, and hereafter it will be possible to use the sauna.
  • After breakfast you will be taken back to Kirkenes.

 

Essential Information

What our customers say

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