Engelbrektsloppet

Norberg

The first one of four sport events of Svensk Klassiker has been completed. Engelbrektsloppet ski marathon at Norberg, Sweden was shortened from 60 km to 46 km due to lack of snow. The skiing day however was as beautiful as it could have been. The sun was shining, birds were singing and temperature was a pleasant -2 degrees. It felt like skiing at spring time in Finland when sun is shining and you can just enjoy skiing with bare hands and without a wool hat.

After the finish line

17 months

It has been 17 months since I started Nature Experience Instructor studies at Santasport at Rovaniemi. The last 4 day period of the studies were conducted this weekend. The days were fully booked and long when we covered still themes and activities left for the studies. On Thursday we had a chance to try scuba diving, but only at swimming hall. This was the first time for me to dive with oxygen and regulator.

On Friday we moved outside and headed onto a snowmobile tour. I haven't had a possibility to try out snowmobile before, but this one day course gave a good view about snowmobile driving technique and possibilities at deep snow as well as at ready made tracks. The views were amazing and the heavenly warm fish soup eaten at the cozy cottage during the blue hour just crowned the tour.

The next day I had all my muscles sore, but couldn't complain at all. We had a 15 hour final test ahead of us. It started with paddling test at swimming hall and ended 15 hours later with 18 km triathlon race (skiing, running and swimming). The first leg was 13 km skiing followed by 4 km running leg. At this point we had to swim at frozen lake and after freezing swim run still 4 km to reach the finish line.

All in all it was tough weekend, but at the same time I am extremely happy to successfully graduating from the school gaining huge amount of new knowledge and skills.

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