Day-by-day program
Saturday
Arrival to Kuopio Airport and evening-transfer to Eräkeskus. Here you get to know your guide and get some basic information about the week, we serve dinner, later overnight in your room in the guesthouse.
Sunday
After breakfast in den Lodge, we make a short sled-theory to remind you of the most important things. Then we start out for our warm-up-day and drive about 15 - 20 km to get back the feeling of snow and sled. After the late lunch-soup you have time for your own. Enjoy a sauna, relax or make a winter-walk until we serve the dinner in the lodge. All needed information you get after dinner from your guide, the rest of the evening is for relaxing and packing your little bag for the Aittokiski-trip. Overnight in the guesthouse.
Monday - Tuesday
After breakfast we meet in the kennels, prepare the teams and start out to our AIttokoski-tour. With a little bag containing only our personal things for 1 night, we drive 30 – 35 km north to the Aittokoski. All material for the dogs is already in the cabin. After arival everything goes hand in hand: snacking the dogs, straw check, cooking, making fire, heating the sauna, etc. We do not need a cabin-caretaker or start-helper, as we all know the system!
On next morning we clean the cabin and the dog-area, then re-pack the sleds and start driving south back to Eräkeskus. Depending on trail-conditions we can use the mountain-trail or the one passing by the Änäkäinen Lakes. We are back at Eräkeskus around mid-afternoon and after a well deserved soup you have the rest of the day for your own plans. Dinner in the evening in the restaurant and information about the Ruunaa-Tour.
Wednesday - Friday
After breakfast buffet in the lodge, we pack again our things to the sled. This time it is much more to load: Snacks,dryfood, meat for the dogs, the overnight-chainsand of course food for us. With the fully loaded sleds we drive then south, crossing the hills of Hovivaara and reach the holiday cottage in Ruunaa after about 35 km. Here we stay for 2 nights. After arrival, we first have to prepare the overnight chains, then we can unharness the dogs and make their beds ready. Dry straw is available in the cabin, to make sure our dogs have a dry and warm bed at night. We get installed in the cabin and relax for the rest of the day. Cooking, sauna heating, dog feeding etc.
On the next day we drive the famous „Koskikierros“-Trail. Around35 km on and nearby lakes, rivers, over the 2 hanging bridges, over swamps und through dense forests. The Trail is really amazing and of course we make picture stops. We drive with empty sleds and when we return to the holiday cottage, the dogs happily fall asleep on their strawbeds.
On Friday after breakfast we pack again all things to our sleds, take with us also the overnight-chains and drive north again back to Eräkeskus. Of course we and the dogs get snack breaks again on the route and we arrive around mid-afternoon in the kennels. Rest of the day for your own activities. Dinner in the lodge.
