Russian Border Adventure: A wonderful playground is waiting for you in Eastern Finland, right next to the Russian border. Boreal forests, frozen rivers and lakes, and this magical silence that wild North offers. With your lovely and faithful huskies, you will enjoy 200km of great trails, roaming by the taiga and its traditional huts and shelters. An enchanting area with the most beautiful landscapes and with a loving connection to the dogs. (Quite demanding with basic comforts in wilderness cabins).
Explore a remote area of Finland on the Russian Border. Rolling hills, lakes and open forest. Travel by husky sled (4 days) and snowshoe walking with huskies (2 days). Hotel or cottage and then wilderness cabins when on the trail. Sunday to Sunday.
Russian Border Adventure 2024/25 Dossier
Kuusamo Airport, Finland
Transfer to your hotel (about 1 hour). Settle down in your log cottage or in your hotel room. The guides will meet you at the restaurant for a welcoming dinner. Information for the week will also be given.
Accommodation: Cottage or hotel.
Your first encounter with your huskies, you drive a team of 4 to 5 dogs for adults or 2 to 3 dogs for children. Then we leave for short 10 km tour. In order to practice the activity gradually, some races on lakes will give you more and more confidence into your dog team. Then the circuit becomes more forested and sometimes a little more technical. Picnic at a hut, by the lake. After lunch, we leave for a very varied circuit of about 25km. With more experience you start to enjoy the flowing forest trails when all too soon we reach our bivouac site, Peurapirtti, with its simple cabin. The wood stove crackles, the camp is settled and our dogs are finally quite and sleeping. Active: 4 to 5 hours.
Overnight in wilderness cabin.
The tracks lead us to Lakkujärvi, about 30 km up to the North, in an area where it is usual to see herds of reindeers. We travel on lots of forest lakes that can have many different shapes and that give way to hidden paths in the woodlands. The wide track sometimes narrows and with your dog team you sneak into the heart of the wild taiga. Later in the afternoon, we go back to the basecamp, where it will be necessary to take care of dogs and equipment. Active: 5 hours.
Overnight in cottage or hotel.
Put on your snowshoes and leave with your guide for a two-day hike in the park. You will walk over the frozen lakes and through the deep snow in the boreal forest. Snowshoeing is the best way to explore this beautiful and silent nature. Overnight in a simple hut sharing a convivial dinner prepared on the wood fire. Active: 4 to 5 hours.
Accommodation: wilderness cabin.
You take your snowshoes again for a new day inside the taiga. This time we will walk to the crest of the park, to have an overview of the boreal forest. Maybe you will have the chance to see a moose or a bear! Lunch at a fire place and we head back to base at the end of the afternoon for a very welcome sauna. Time: 4 to 5 hours.
Accommodation: Cottage or hotel.
This second safari leads us to the south. The trail goes through the forest to Tolosenvirta where we and the dogs take a rest and have lunch. The trail sometimes narrows and leads us to the park’s highest top: Jatkonvaara hill. From there we will have a wonderful view of the surrounding landscapes and we will measure how vast are the Lappish snowy stretches. After a 30km ride we finally get to our simple cabin, located nearby the lake. Time: 4 to 5 hours.
Accommodation: wilderness cabin.
Last day with the dogs. The trail goes through splendid and impressive ridges that will punctuate this last day. The pleasure of riding your sledge is intense and the idea of leaving this magical atmosphere and your team of huskies starts making you feel nostalgic. Arrival for the end of the safari middle or late afternoon, depending on your speed. For dinner we have a traditional Lappish meal: Käristus, or reindeer stew with cranberries. Time: 4 to 5 hours.
Accommodation: Cottage or hotel.
Transfer to Kuusamo for your departure flight home.
