Saturday 1th February: minus 16 on the polar circle

Taivalkoski - Naruska 222 km

Today we drove from our hostel in Taivalkoski to this former borderpost in Naruska. 

But first the was the crank-start competition, it was won by our german team Tim and Nils 👍🏻. 

After that we took off. In Taivalkoski we first visited the oldest shop in Finland to have a look. 

It is a nice shop with traditional things, but we didn’t buy anything this time.

After the old shop we visited a modern shop to buy the things for the Polarcircle ritual and then drove off to be at the polar circle at three. We hit the coldest temperature until now, -16,3.

On our way to the pole circle we had a little d-tour past a restaurant with a dutch owner Gert-jan knows. He wan’t there but we had a coffee brake.

Then it was time te get to the polar circle, and because we didn’t seem any reindeer yet Tanguy and me dressed up in our reindeer suites just before the polarcircle.

On the circle every we had the ritual with the Sürströming, great group, almost everybody eat it and nobody vomited 🤮.

Gertjan was in his garbagedag outfit for this.

And offcours there were the traditional pictures with the polar circle sign. We have a Christmas card ready for next year now.

After this we were on our way to Naruska, an old bordercrossing with russia. On the way there we wanted to change the oil in the car, but al the garages were closed, and as temperatures are getting warmer we decided that maybe there is no need to do it. So we drove further north.

It was a nice road with lots of snow. The hostel for tonight was a former school in the border crossing village. We slept in the former library and classroom. Well actually the others did, Tanguy and me slept in the former teachers room, finally some privacy, except for the lack of curtains.

That night first it was sauna time, fiest the ladies and afterwards the men. And we had to cook our own diners. We had some salad and pasta from the other teams and our own sausages.

Diner

The dragon duck was a gift of the raid teams as thank you for our work and effort.

After diner there was the save arrival drink and the award ceremony of the crack-start competition, followed by a very nice evening in the former gym. 
There was a pooltable so we ended up shooting some balls and having some drinks. 

Winner of the crank-start competition 

The price

A bit later as normal we turned to our beds after a full but pleasant day.

Friday 31th of January: lots of snow and wind and husky’s, an excellent day.

Aholansaari to Taivalkoski via Koa-husky: 592 km

Today we made a really aerly start because of the long route and the visit to Kota Husky today. So we got up at six, had breakfast at 6.30 and then got on the (ice)road at 7.00 hour.

This tim we took the left turn on the ice road so we could get of in the other side of the lake. Weather was getting colder, it was snowing and a bit windy, perfect weather for a winter raid.

Half of the teams were still sleeping.

Snow shovel

Getting colder outside

We had a wonderful tour that showed landscapes full of white. Their was not much traffic accept for an incidental snow shovel and truck. When a truck passes you you won’t see anything for seconds because of the swirling snow, so that can be a bit scary sometimes. You need to have a good look at the road and remember if ther will be a curve or not. Luckily the navigation makes it a bit easier.

There are not many tank stations so we filled up from the tin.

At precisely 13.00 hours we arrived at Kota Husky for the sledge tour, together with the other four teams that would go in the first trip. It was great to see Lauri again, and nice to see his little son in real for the first time. The trip with the huskies was great as always. It was colder and challenging for the dogs because of the lose snow. The wind had blown it back on the track and made snow dunes. We even has the sledge trip over because of a dune. Luckily we, nor the dogs got hurt. I just got cold and wet. But it was also fun as usual.

The first five teams.

Getting sledge driving lessons.

Ready to go

Save back home, thank you doggies

link to Kota Husky

After the ride we had a tour on the farm and warm drinks and some snacks in the kota. The second group was supposed to start the trail then but unfortunately non of the teams made it to Kota Husky. So they all missed out on this great experience.

We got back in our cars to go to the sleep over for this night, a sports hostel in Taivalkoski. It took some looking to find it, but we arrived well in time. No dinner in the hostel, but in the village was a pizzeria were most of the teams went. We decided to have some sausages in the hostel which we had left and get some rest. It was a long and exhausting, but beautiful day.

At 22:00 hours when everybody was back in the hostel we had the safe back drink. The drivers meeting will be tomorrow morning at breakfast at nine this time. Now it’s time to get some sleep.

Good night 

Thursday 30th January, music, sausages, an ice road and sauna

Jämsa - Aholansaari (with a stop in Varkaus and Suonenjoki) 359 km

After a good night sleep we got up pretty early, today we had a busy program so an early start was handy.

It was still dark when we came outside, which is not really surprising over here. 

First and only Elk so far

After a very good breakfast we left for Varkaus, to visit the museum of mechanical music.

It had snowed last night so the roads were nice and white.

Pitstop for coffee

It has the whole history of mechanical music shown, from 1850 until today. There were many special instruments shown. 

Stereo record player

After the museum we had to hurry to our lunch. This was organized by the Finnish 2cv club. They arranged a little BBQ with sausages and coffee. Very nice of them. And nice to see some old friends again.

The BBQ hut

Fixing the starting engine

At the BBQ hut we had some chats and a bit of working on the cars, all accompanied by sausages and coffee or tea. A nice intermezzo today.

Some time later we had to say goodbye an head for our sleeping place of today, the island of Aholansaari, only to be reached by ice road. The road towards the ice road was also pretty amazing.

On the ice road

Looks almost like a normal road

We made it

This night we had to cook our own meal on a woodfire in a BBQ hut. It’s basically a large indoor BBQ in a wooden hut called Kota. Everybody brought their own food and drinks and we enjoyed a meal.

Together around the fire place. Naturally whe started with the safe drive drink followed by the drivers meeting. The last two teams joined us today, so the whole Extreme raid group is complete now. After the drivers meeting it was diner time. We grilled salmon for the boys and cheese stuffed paprika’s for all three of us. We did buy sausages as well, but I was still satisfied after todays lunch so we save them for another day.

After this great evening we went back to our cabin where I had some me-time in the sauna followed by a dive in the snow outside (no pictures to prove, Tanguy was too late and it was to cold to wait). 

Now I am ready for bed, I had my nightcap and am sleepy from the sauna.

Tomorrow we have to make an even earlier start because of the Husky trail. We have to get up at six and be on the road at seven, and I thought I was on holiday 🙈.

So good night again.