Kaamos Hike 2007
Group Active II

Tuesday 2.1.2007 (Jaana)

We started our trip from Raja-Jooseppi about at 7 o’clock in the morning. Our route was quite easy as we followed trails made by skidoos. We had lunch before the great bridge. Before getting to our overnight site Kiertämäjärvi we had some downhill skiing training. Some of us were a bit scared, some enjoying a lot. In the evening we had a campfire and a fine dinner of course. Total we skied today about 20km.

Wednesday 3.1.2007 (Tiina)

I didn’t freeze at all in the night and I slept over ten hours. So I woke up full og energy at 5.30. Also today we followed those trails, today’s result was a bit over 20km. We were here at the cottage of Anterinmukka about 3 pm. This was a good day (at least for me) though we missed the sunrise and sunset because of clouds... The best of the day was anyway sauna, which sounds even too luxurious during a hike. Now I can go to sleep fresh and tired.

PS (Jaana): We met frontier guardians at least three times today.

Thursday 4.1.2007 (Sunna)

Today we skied from Anterinmukka to Muorravaarakka’s cottage up and downhill in thick snow without any trails. At first we followed the small river Kaarreoja which was very nice despite fog and broken skiing stick, luckily we had a reserve one! Climbing up the river valley wasn’t too hard either but going down was a whole another thing! In the beginning many of us fell down but at the end downhill skiing felt very nice when the slope became less steep and dense. This cottage is not as luxurious as the last one but I’m sure we’ll sleep at least as well here too. Alltogether we skied approximately 10km.

Friday 5.1.2007 (Sami)

We left Muorravaarakka a bit before 8. First we crossed a river (Muorravaarakanjoki) by walking. Then we started to climb up towards Lumikuru. Climbing was hard work because of soft snow and our heavy backsacks, but finally we reached the treeline. We decided to continue climbing through Lumikuru whose slopes were very steep. So steep that eventually we had to take skis off and continue by walking. At uppermost part of Lumikuru we had a lunch which provided us some more energy to keep going. When we continued skiing, it was so foggy that we couldn’t see anything but white. With the help of compass we, however, managed to ski around Lumipää and found the valley of Pälkkimäoja. Going down was easy this time, despite the bad visibility.

We continued to ski along Pälkkimäoja and we found a skidoo track, which we followed. Skiing became much easier and faster ans we enjoyed this ease of skiing. Towards the end of our journey we became more tired so especially the crossing of Luirojärvi seemed to be much longer than it was. Totally we skied about 15km today. Having sauna in the evening was a pleasure after a hard day.

PS (Jaana): At the same cottage there were sleeping a group of four girls. One of them had 25-years-old-birthday party and they invited us also to eat some lettuces, that were really really good tasting.

Saturday 6.1.2007 (Saulius)

We waked up at 6:30 and left Luirojärvi at 8:40. It seemed to be a hard day as yesterday was quite hard and everybody got tired. First kilometers were quite easy. We followed girls' group and their track. Weather was quite good. It was the first day in our hike when it wasn't snowing. Even photos were brighter and had more colors. At 11:30 we arrived to Tuiskukuru where we had a lunch. We met there the same group of women who were skiing using sledges. They were going forward to Suomunruoktu. We had already skied 8 km and had to ski 15 km more. So we moved. The way along hills seemed to be quite difficult and monotonic. It was already dark when we started to go downhill. It was quite funny as we didn't know where to go and to turn until last meters.

Express group of the funny 4 guys caught us and went forward very fast. At last we reached Suomujoki where we met again the same group of women we've met in "laavu" . They were preparing for a night. That night was cloudless with moon and stars. It was cold. Iced skis, the last difficult 5 km - and we arrived to Suomunruoktu at 19:00. Cottage was full of people. There was also an old guy who hiked alone. Then the other SOOPA group and a few quite old bearded men. We had a cocktail party on the roof of the cottage with these guys from express group whom we're meeting already the third night. Good people, bright moon, stars, beautiful weather, what else is needed. Sami, Boi and Jaana went to sleep to tent, other slept in the cottage. It was really good evening when difficulties of the day sank into the nice beautiful evening.

Sunday 7.1.2007 (Boi)

Today we woke up at Suomunruoktu quite late (8 am). Sami, Jaana and Boi slept in tent without problems and we had a good breakfast without hurry. We left around 11 am following tracks up to the valley. We left the tracks and we started climbing Raututunturit which took a long time. We saw some reindeer and found a main track that we followed. Uphill was really windy and freezing but quickly we started going downhill and it was fast and funny. We reached a day cottage where we made a fire and took lunch. We spent long time there because we were very comfortable there. But we left laziness when it was already dark. We skied fucking fast through 7,5km because we followed good tracks and the wind pushed our asses. So we got around 6:30 pm to Luulampi where other SOOPA people were already making a fire and, of course, we ate a huge dinner with all our food left. Im a little bit sad ´cause the end is near ans I dont want to go back to civilization, and it has been an amazing great hiking.

PS (Jaana): Boi was sleeping so well the night that he may not know that me and Sami woke up one hour earlier than him. At least I was waiting for morning since 4 o’clock because of cold weather (-14 degrees) and need for toilet.

Monday 8.1.2007 (Jaana)

We slept the night well and woke up at 5 am. We ate porridge with Jaana’s butter for breakfast and started skiing in wind at 7 am. We reached Kiilopää quite easily at 8:30. Jaana, Sami, Boi and Saulius took a bit more up and downhill skiing without backpacks before sauna and huge lunch. At the bus we read our best poem but just because we didn’t have more than one vote and that couldn’t be given to ourselves, we didn’t win the competition. Anyway, as Saulius said, we all are winners when taking part to this wonderful hiking. Thanks to our whole group active two!

Skiing race 1

Congratulations to all
for surviving the hike long.

Sami was the winner
of making the dinner.

Boi was the second
and made the fall down records.

Saulius was the third
and took all photos, so I’ve heard.

-Sami, what now after being the best?
-I’m going to have some rest.

-Did you have any problems at first pit stop?
-Well, the soup was a bit hot.

-What did you like about nights?
-In the cottages there were no mice
and that was nice.

-Boi, did you enjoy the snow?
-More than you know.

-How was it on the top?
-There was a lot of fog.

-Saulius, did you have too hard way?
-No, because we had sauna every second day.

-Did you have any nice surprises?
-Well, we were invited to birthday and cocktail parties.

-And now some comments with your own languages, please.
-Oli se ihan ok.
-Tots plegats ens ho hem passat de meravella
gaudint esgotats daquesta terra tant bella.
-Aciu visiems uz nuostabia kelione,
poliarine nakti, grazia svajone.