Snow shoe walk on top of Levi
What is there to do on a dark night in Levi that you can not do back home?
Well I was lucky enough to be invite on a snow shoe walk on top of Levi this week to see the northern lights.
At 8pm a group started to gather near the Levi info centre to meet with Raiski of Lapin Luontoelamys for a guided tour via shoe shoes to see the northern lights. It was a mild but cloudy evening and the small group headed by van to the base of Levi.
Laura, our head guide dispensed the snow shoes and a pair of poles to each of us. The first surprise was how compact the shoes were, not the big tennis rackets that you see on the movies but a very light and narrow design with every good metal grips to bite into the snow.
Getting the shoes on was relatively easy, some needed that little extra tightening by Laura ans Anni to avoid them falling off.
After a brief chat on how to walk, brake, what to expect and a safety check we were off up the slope.
The first leg was a gentle slope that increased as our walking skills improved. With a guide front and rear, it was very reassuring that the party would stick together and not get lost. Just as well as the cloud had set in hard and visibility was down to 10 metres at best.
As it turned out the cloud engulfed us for the whole trip, we may not have seen the northern lights this time but everyone enjoyed the added sense of adventure of walking into the unknown and back.
At first the 3 hour trek may sound like a lot of hard work, but the reality is that it is broken up into a number of short stints followed by an informative talk on the highlights of each spot and the local history of the area.
There was hope that it may have been clear once we got to the top, unfortunately it was not to be, it was windy on top and trying to read the map was a challenge.
After conquering the summit it was time to head back to base camp.
Part way down was a stop at a local tepee type hut where Raiski had been busy preparing a roaring fire and snacks.
Once inside the group gathered close to the warm open fire to grill a sausage as the flames danced around our sticks. Hot juice in a tradational Finnish wooden cup and a hint of English with a basket full of fruit mince pies were served as our guides spoke more of the Sámi way of life.
Going down got a bit tricky with some finding it tough at first. After the odd fall into the soft snow they were happy to dance down the front slope in various styles. The groomers had just been past so the front slope was a dream to run down with the snow shoes on. Some tried sliding down while the more insane run then tumbled down the slope.
Raiski showed her years of local knowledge by gracefully gliding down the slope on her back side.
Would I do it again? Of course!, going on a cloudy evening was actually good fun, so make sure you give it a try regardless of the weather.
Next time I would like to try it on a clear night which would be a different experience, it is not often that you can try such an adventure so close to the village yet feel like you are in another world..
Things to bring.
Dress up very warm, if in doubt bring more than if think you need in a small back bag. A head lamp would help at times to read the signs or see how to get the snow shoe back on if it comes loose.
A wind proof jacket with hood. Just a hat may not be enough as it is cooler at the top with a slight breeze.
Meet at Levi Info Centre 8pm Wednesday and Sunday evenings.
Click here to see a panorama image
There are more photos are of both our walk and a day walk the followings week