On a thin ice

Walking on a thin ice

After skiing at Saariselkä 5 days, I took a bus to Rovaniemi early on a Thursday morning and joined other students for the 15th school period of Nature Experience Instructor studies. The theme for this 4-day period was firstly to learn safe practices on a thin ice and secondly do couple of courses and exams related to safety and healthy practices at travel business.

Getting out of the freezing water

In addition of subjects already mentioned we had our traditional night shift of kayaking at swimming hall. This time we had a privilege to practice series of crazy and weird tricks with kayaks.

Capsizing kayaks

E.g. we practiced how to move kayaks by swimming with our hands, when the kayaks are upside down. And how to do it with pairs and even with our eyes closed.

Under the water

Skiing at Saariselkä

Welcome to Saariselkä!

Tampereen pyrintö sporting club has been arranging ski camp at Saariselkä last 10 years at this time of the year. This year I decided to join them and on Friday we headed towards Saariselkä in the hope of snow and skiing possibilities. It has been very warm recently in Finland and thus the snow hasn't fall down yet to Southern part of Finland. We had to drive until Sodankylä to encounter first snow on the ground!

Snow at last

It has been nice to ski first kilometers, but at the same time tough, because body has not been used for it. The muscles on my legs, arms and back are realizing the usage of different muscles than before. We have faced reindeers on the ski tracks, enjoyed smoke sauna and dip onto frozen river after ski exercises. However Santa Claus has been hiding and he has not been skiing at this area. Perhaps we see him during the rest of the week!

Towards Kiilopää - fell

Prizes and awards

T6d Suunto heart rate monitor

Now it's the time of the year for giving awards and prizes for those, who have succeeded well in races and competitions throughout the year. E.g. paddling club Vihuri remembered the talented and gifted paddlers who have succeeded in world cup and different championships during the summer time. Well, I am not competing, but it was nice to notice that even paddlers, who mostly do it only for pleasure and as a hobby were considered equal to competitors. I was awarded because of paddling Finnish coastline this summer by the "Light on sea" - book, which introduces Finnish Lighthouses during the years 1753-1906. Those lighthouses were guiding my paddling trip and giving safety and shelter on a constantly changing conditions.

At the same time Suunto heart rate monitor, which I won a couple of weeks ago were delivered to me.

Now it's time to take skis from the warehouse and head to the Saariselkä for skiing...

"Light on sea" - book

Suunto T6d heart rate monitor

It was only about 2 weeks ago when I was lucky and won a sea kayak in a lottery. Well, it seems my lucky days are not over yet...

In the spring I decided to participate a bet organized by Hevoskuuri, which is a site specialized on publishing endurance sport news to Finnish sport lovers. There were altogether 12 different competitions during a year to bet and actually it was a long and tough journey. Especially at the summer time, when I was kayaking on a sea 6 weeks in a row, I had a very few possibilities to focus and participate the bets during that time. I couldn't in my wildest dreams to think I would be competing head to head with the best ones.

When the final results finally came, I was totally surprised. My 122 points were good enough for the #1 position with one another contestant having the same amount of points. Well, the final ranking between us was a draw and I was picked up as a winner of this bet competition. Final results can be found from here.

The first prize was a Suunto T6d heart rate monitor.

Let's see if my luck still continues or will I confront Mr. Murphy at it's worse. I'll cross my fingers, that Mr. Murphy would be staying as far away from me as ever possible...

Days full of ropes courses

Climbing to a swinging beam at 10 meters

It has been mentally and physically challenging visit to Rovaniemi because current school period has been filled with all kind of ropes courses. There has been low and high elements to experience and to overcome own's fears of heights. I must admit I have fear of heights and I have encountered a real fear factor...

Walking on a beam

Absolutely most horrible of the courses were a swinging beam at 10 meters, which you had to reach by climbing small ladders and then walking roughly 20 meters on swinging beam getting support only from the vertical poles located approximately 4 meters from each others. In addition of the quite long distance the poles were covered with plastic tubes, which were rolling when you touched them. Just ultimate adrenaline shot!

Focusing to reach the next pole

The other high elements like Trapeze jump at 10 meters high, climbing Jacob's ladder or abseiling upside down were piece of cake for this swinging beam stuff.

Abseiling face towards ground

The low element courses included several rope courses just 10-50 cm from the ground, which involved trust to others, balance and problem-solving capabilities.

Working on a low rope course "crux"

The third day was a special day for us. We had a possibility to build and test a 50 meter zip wire on Hiidenkirnut cliffs. It took couple of hours to build anchor points for the upper and lower ends of the ropes and to tighten the ropes with pulleys ready for the sliding down the cliffs with the help zip wire.

Building zip wire high on the cliffs

And sliding down on a 50 meter zip wire

Winning in a lottery

Pideraq, sea kayak

Today I drove to Welhonpesä store and picked up my prize, which I won in a lottery arranged by Finnish Canoe Federation. Everyone, who were participating this summer Finnish Canoe Federation courses were automatically included into a lottery at the end of the season. The prize was Pideraq, 530 cm long sea kayak made of diolen / fiberglass. What a nice surprise for me, when I got the call from Canoe Federation!

Well, now I have 2 sea kayaks to paddle. Perhaps I should fill lotto for this week as well...

1 hour each and every day through 8 years

Couple of days ago it started. I got the sore throat and during the previous days it has gone worse. I have a flu and have to rest and stay inside, so it's a perfect time to look back and see what I have been doing and achieving within previous 365 days...

In the end of the last year I decided to list few objectives for this year 2011. The list was

1. Paddle over 1000 km
2. Visit at least 10 new lighthouses by kayak
3. Accomplish 4 sport events at "Kalevan kierros"
4. Run in a "Jukola" orienteering relay at Virolahti
5. To become as a certified Paddling Guide authorized by Finnish Canoe Federation
6. To become as a certified Rope Work Supervisor authorized by Finnish Climbing Association
7. To become as a certified Rafting Guide authorized by Finnish Paddling and Rafting Federation

All of these goals were achieved, which was a bit surprising! As an extra bonus I even managed to paddle whole Finnish coastline, which wasn't originally planned. Coastline paddling has been promoted and originally invented by Finland's long distance paddlers and everyone who successfully paddles Finnish coastline during one season will be honored (list of all-time paddlers).

Over the last year I have been exercising on an average 1 hour and 20 minutes each and every day, which totals 509 hours. It's more than my average on a longer period. When I was curiously checking the average amount of time per day used for exercise during the last 8 years, I was amazed and shocked! Through the last 8 years I have been training on an average over 1 hour each and every day!!!

Next year's 365+ training hours are waiting and the countdown will start on Tuesday 1.11.11. Thanks for everybody who has been running/paddling/orienteering/cycling/swimming/skiing/trekking/... with me during these marvelous 8 years!

The year 2012 will be the 10th anniversary and so it will be something special. I remember 10 years back when I was in a such poor condition, I had to rest 2 days after I managed to walk 1 km! Since that there has been plenty of memorable moments from the cycling exercise in a cold rain at the beginning of May 2003, when I was just crying together with rain drops cause it felt so damn good to be alive and to be able to cycle. At the end of 2004 I was looking death into it's eyes in Andes, when spending night over 6000 m on a glacier without any camping gear and totally lost.