Saturday 21-28/3/26 Club XC Ski Trip to Saariselkä, Finland

Photo: Olaf Schneider https://way-up-north.com

About this trip

This is a recreational ski trip to Finland’s most northerly resort, which sits 250 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle.  The village centre of Saariselkä is surrounded by 200 kilometres of cross country ski tracks (34 kms of which are illuminated), which delve into the national park of Urho Kekkonen, and the two fells of Kaunispää and Iisakkipää.Start of the tracks in Saariselkä 2015 (P Styles)

• The trip offers the opportunity to cross country ski on varied terrain ; typically Lapland offers extensive stretches of flat/undulating forest and scenic lakeside tracks, allowing good distances to be covered.  There are some moderate hills and the opportunity of taking wilderness classic trails.
• Ski trail cafes are available and several warming huts and shelters, as well as the famous “Dancing Bar” in Laanila.
• The intention is to ski in groups and explore the area.
• There are also opportunities to hire snowmobiles, take reindeer sleigh rides or husky sled rides, or go winter hiking or snowshoeing.  There is also downhill skiing if you fancy a change of technique.  This is a holiday after all! 

Who is this trip for?

The trip is open to LRNSC members, and those wishing to join the club.  It is suitable for confident improvers, intermediate and advanced level skiers, who are able to ski on their own on the sort of terrain that might be expected, for several hours at a time. You can see the definition of levels here.

It is not suitable for novice skiers.  There won’t be any coaching, and whilst we will ski in groups, and more experienced skiers may give tips, you will ultimately be responsible for yourself and your own safety.

About Saariselkä

The village centre of Saariselkä is quite compact and has a supermarket and a few restaurants.  The tracks start just a walk away from most accommodations, and a ski bus will take you further afield to ski and help with tired legs at the end of the day.

There is some wilderness skiing in the area which is groomed for classic only. These tracks are marked with a blue cross either side of the trail, and they are in locations where you can really discover the remoteness of the area.  
There is a €30 track fee for the week which you can buy online.

See the interactive ski trails map.

Here is the ski bus information and route.

The Saariselkä website has lots of other information, including what ski tracks are open.

Accommodation

You should book your own accommodation and if you would like someone to share a room / apartment with, please indicate that on the sign-up form and we will try to pair you up.

The suggested place to base ourselves is the Holiday Club Hotel and Superior Apartments. This is centrally positioned in the village, and has a lounge space large enough to convene in the evenings to plan. We will use this as our main hotel to book, but other accommodation is available throughout the town to suit your own situation.

Take a look at the options available with this booking agent or the usual Booking.com

Ski hire

This is available locally.

Travel

The suggested indirect flights from London to Ivalo changing in Frankfurt or Helsinki are:

21/3/26
LHR Lufthansa 08:30 – 11:05 Frankfurt 1hr 35
1 hr to connect
12.05 Frankfurt – 16:45 Ivalo 3h 40
6hr 15 mins
or
LHR Finnair 10:20 – 15:15 Helsinki 2hrs 55
1 hr to connect
16:15 Helsinki – 17:55 Ivalo 1 hr 55
5hrs 35mins

28/3/25
Lufthansa 17:40 – 20:10 Frankfurt 3 hr 30
1hr 20mins to connect
Frankfurt 21:30 – 22:15 LHR 1 hr 45
6hrs 35mins
or
Finnair 13:15 – 14:50 Helsinki 1 hr 35
1hr 10mins to connect
Helsinki 16:00 – 17:00 LHR 3 hrs
5 hr 45 mins

There are flights with other airlines or you can combine airlines.  The current price on skyscanner.net is £335 (Lufthansa) and £382 (Finnair) without baggage (at 10/5/25). Flights are available on Friday 20th and are a little cheaper, and flights on Sunday 22nd are a little more expensive.

If you book the Lufthansa flights, you should add a hold bag as your luggage.  This should be transferred for you at the connection, but recheck that when you check in.  If you are also taking skis, these are carried free of charge, but MUST be booked more than 72 hours before departure.  Here is the link to the booking form.

Transfer

There is an airport bus from Ivalo to Saariselkä which takes 30 minutes. Tickets are purchased on the bus so do not need to be prebooked. Timetables change each month.

Itinerary

Each evening we will meet to discuss options and plan the next day’s activities according to the weather forecast and people’s preferences.  This will either be during/after dinner if we are eating out together, or an appropriate place within accommodation if we are catering in.

We will ski in groups according to pace. This is very easily worked out on the first day once we see people ski.  If this is your first independent ski trip here is what you can expect:

• Whatsapp will be used to liaise, so if you can’t make the planning session, the arrangements for the next day will be posted there, and you can send in your preference beforehand.We’ll ski a variety of terrains, some of which may not be suitable for all on the trip.  You are responsible for choosing your best options each day as there should be a couple of choices.
• As a group of Club members skiing together with no specific leader, we are each responsible for ourselves.  If you are skiing as part of a group, you can expect that the group will wait at junctions for the slowest person.  If there is a tricky/fast descent we will regroup at a safe place at the bottom to ensure all are down safely to continue.
• However, should this prove difficult to maintain due to the slowest skier/s lack of technique/speed resulting in the rest of the group waiting too long, options to ski more locally/take tuition would be suggested.
• Advanced skiers, if happy to ski solo, are free to explore the vast expanse of tracks in the area. We just ask that you tell the organiser your plans for the day and check in with the group on return.  NB It’s generally safer to ski with one other person, if possible.
• Ski tours for the day will differ in distances of around 10, 15, 20+ km. These could be in either technique, depending on the terrain and ability – it’s your choice.  At least one day will be a skate day with an appropriate tour, but you can join it on classic skis if the route allows.
• Apart from these basics, the rest of the trip is up to you.  No one is in charge of leading each day, but those more experienced in skiing independently will invariably take the lead if no one else does.  However, this is also an opportunity to learn how to plan for yourself and become more confident.

Please note:
Everyone on the trip is recommended to have their own travel health insurance policy that covers the Covid-19 situation. Rules are changing all the time, so please be aware of what is required at the time of travel. The GIC (Global Health Insurance Card) issued by Gov.uk is also recommended in case of emergencies.

Costs

All costs and bookings for flights and accommodation should be made individually.  Once transfer arrangements are known, these may be coordinated centrally, but if you wish to make your own arrangements you are free to do so.

What to do next

Stage 1

• Complete the registration form.  This will confirm that you want to come on the trip, which accommodation you’re likely to book and request a roommate if appropriate.  There is no deadline to do this, but the organiser is unlikely to be able to help pair people up nearer to the time of departure.  Accommodation and flights are available at present, but this may not be the case in a few months’ time.

Stage 2

• The organiser will send you an acceptance email and information of accommodation sharing, if appropriate.
• You will be added to the Whatsapp group (please indicate if you do not wish this on the form)

Any questions?

Please contact Pauline the organiser.