In March 2025, myself and one of our ambassadors Ash Routen will ski 200km across the frozen Lake Inari in the far northeast of Finland. Our route will take us in a loop around the outer edges of the lake, which sits above the Arctic Circle, right on the border of Russia. This journey will offer a unique opportunity to experience the quiet and beauty of this remote, frozen landscape.
Lake Inari, the third largest in Finland and the largest in the Sápmi region, covers an impressive surface area of over 1,000 km². This vast lake is not only home to a rich variety of local fish species, but also boasts around 3,000 islands, adding to its stunning and diverse landscape. The lake’s unique ecosystem and natural beauty make it a truly remarkable place.
PREPARATION
Preparation for this journey began back in April 2024, shortly after our crossing of Finsmarkvidda in Arctic Norway. That expedition marked our first trip together, and with any new partnership, there’s always a degree of uncertainty. Ski touring across a frozen plateau with someone you’ve never worked with before carries its risks. While we both had confidence in each other's abilities, there was still the question of how we’d work as a team, how we’d handle the challenges of the trip, and whether certain aspects of our personalities might clash while hauling all the gear needed for such a trip.
We quickly found that working together was no issue at all. Even in the cold, with temperatures dropping to -33°C, we discovered that a wicked sense of humour was essential for staying comfortable, especially with the added windchill. Thankfully, we both had plenty of that, which made the experience not only more enjoyable but, above all, manageable.
Prior to Finland, we have found time in our busy schedules and the daily grind of normal life to meet up occasionally for wild camps. These camps not only strengthen our camaraderie but also give us valuable time to discuss the finer details of the trip. Alongside our wild camping trips, we’ve gone over kit choices, route planning, booked accommodation before the start line, and kept track of the weather and ice thickness through local weather reports and ice fishing websites to ensure we’re fully prepared for the journey ahead.
Ash, with his experience in Arctic travel, has laid the groundwork for the route we’ll be taking. I’ve focused on booking accommodation and sourcing key pieces of kit, including the tent. Our partnership with Valley and Peak has made this process much smoother, helping us secure essential equipment like gloves, the tent, and clothing. Anyone who’s planned an expedition will tell you that getting to the start line is the hardest part—the skiing is the easy bit!
With the route more or less finalised and most of the equipment in place, save for a few last pieces, the crossing of Lake Inari is all set. The beauty of Arctic travel is that it offers that same sense of adventure and challenge as a polar expedition, but in a much more accessible and affordable way. The conditions can sometimes be colder than Antarctica, making it the perfect training ground for anyone wanting to take on vast, remote crossings. With flights booked to Helsinki and a connecting flight to Ivalo, the hard work of the past 10 months is finally behind us.
With the final preparations underway, we're focusing on the essential pieces of equipment—checking the pulks for damaged straps and buckles, and testing the liquid stoves. We've made some small, but important, tweaks to our gear to enhance functionality. Since most tasks will be done while wearing gloves or thick mitts, we’ve added large corded loops to zippers. This simple change makes it much easier to open and close zippers without fumbling in the cold. Little adjustments like this can really make a big difference when you’re battling the elements.
At this point, our main concern is staying injury-free. For a short distance like this, being in superhuman shape isn’t necessary, but a solid level of fitness is crucial to haul a 30-40kg pulk over the terrain. Above all, though, it's about mindset—how well you cope with the cold and, most importantly, managing smooth tent operations when it’s time to set up camp.
TENT SELECTION
The tent is often one of the most expensive and essential pieces of equipment on any expedition, and getting it right is crucial. During our trip to Norway, we used a Hilleberg Keron 4 GT to help us cross the largest plateau in Norway. You’d be surprised how much space you actually need when you're in the tent. Polar and Arctic gear can be bulky, taking up valuable real estate inside, and even with a four-man tunnel tent, moving around often became a challenge.
While the Hilleberg served us well and proved as strong as expected, we decided to opt for a different style of tent this time. Since we’ll be camping on the ice, a flat surface, we’ve chosen a fully freestanding geodesic tent. This design offers ample headroom and space to move about, while still being sturdy enough to withstand the harsh Arctic conditions.
The tent we’ve chosen for the trip is the Nortent Gamme 4. It offers plenty of interior space, and while it doesn’t have a vestibule, the ventilation system is designed to effectively manage condensation. With a built-in snow skirt that runs all the way around the tent, along with expedition-grade 13mm and 11mm poles, it’s built to withstand the conditions we’ll face. This combination of space, ventilation, and strength should give us the reliability we need for our time on the ice.
Given the weight of the tent, we’ll be splitting its contents between both of our pulks. Since we’ll be on the lake, we may face strong winds, which can be unpredictable and shift direction—unlike the more consistent winds we encountered on the Norway plateau. Geodesic tents tend to perform better in these conditions, as their design allows for greater stability and resistance to shifting winds. This should help ensure we have a more secure and comfortable shelter, no matter what the weather throws at us.
We’ve decided to strip the tent of the inner and groundsheet to create more space and reduce weight, helping to keep our overall pulk weight down. While we’ll be sleeping directly on the snow, our Thermarest Z-lite foam pads placed under our inflatable mats will provide the insulation we need. Snow itself is an excellent insulator, protecting us from the ice and helping to keep us warm.
FOOD
Food will make up the bulk of our weight load. To last the duration of the trip, we'll need 12 days' worth of food, equalling roughly 4,000 kcal per person each day. Our main meals will consist of freeze-dried options for breakfast and dinner. To supplement these, we'll source local cheeses and fatty meats, as well as bringing along chocolates and homemade flapjacks for extra energy and morale.
Each morning, we'll need to melt enough snow for drinking water and to prepare our freeze-dried meals, which will amount to around 3 litres per person. It’s a laborious task at best. We’ve set aside an hour each morning to melt enough snow for breakfast and hot tea to fuel us through the day’s skiing, and another hour in the evening to prepare our main meal and ensure we have enough fluids to last through the night. Staying hydrated is just as crucial as getting the necessary calories, so our stove truly becomes our lifeline.
Freeze-dried meals are ideal for Arctic travel because they’re lightweight, compact, and easy to prepare in cold conditions. Since they only require hot water to rehydrate, they save both time and energy, which is crucial when every resource counts. Additionally, freeze-dried meals retain most of their nutrients and have a long shelf life, making them perfect for extended expeditions where fresh food isn’t an option. Their minimal weight also helps keep the pack load manageable, which is essential when hauling heavy gear over long distances.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
We fly out to Finland on the 28th of February, and with everything now in place, we’re ready to put our preparations to the test. From final gear checks to route planning, we’ve taken every step to ensure we’re well-prepared for skiing across Lake Inari. Now, it’s just about executing the plan and adjusting as needed once we’re on the ice.
