Days 44 to 48 - Dr. Livingstone I presume?
Wednesday 23rd to Sunday 27th March
Kilpisjarvi (Finland) to Kautokeino (Norway)
Leaving the utterly marvellous Lapland Hotel at Kilpisjarvi
We have now been traveling for 48 days and our ski-ometer says we have covered 1,035 km.
Finland. My favourite because no huge mountain passes await
Finland has been good to us. The weather has been fair and the marked ski-scooter tracks have made progress quick and easy.
The terrain has been undulating rather than the hills we had become used to. Altitude here is fairly low, around 400m, so we are seeing a lot more of the dwarf birch trees. These hide grouse, which we hear rather than see. I think they are wise to humans and particularly the hunters we have met along the way.
Managing to not get lost in Finland.
The ski scooter tracks are very well marked here and stretch for many hundreds of kilometres. Brand new by the look of them, we pass numerous piles of old and worn out markers. The new ones are surprisingly close together at less than 50m apart. Possibly an indication of how poor the visibility can get in these parts.
Ski scooter track marker graveyard
Other methods of transport are available
We passed close to a Sami settlement at Raittjärvi. The people here live in this remote place all year round and have around 2,000 reindeer. Unfortunately we pass too far south to visit.
There are thousands of reindeer out there. This is a picture of where they aren’t
The thing that has stood out for me here in Finland is the people we have met. Finns, Norwegians, Swiss, Germans. There are more people out now as we approach the Easter holidays and we saw more skiers doing multi-day trips than we saw in the first 36 days of our trip.
This blog is about those people and one meeting in particular.
About an hour out of Kilpisjarvi we overtook an older couple pulling ancient pulks. He spoke English and is keen to chat. They are possibly the only people i will ever overtake. And I do mean “EVER.”
Then a Norwegian chap who is skiing & hiking from the eastern most point of Norway to Lindesness. When he gets there he intends on turning round and doing it the other way! Apparently he’s already done this with the NPL a few years ago. Trond says he has read about this guy in the papers, or on Facebook.
The only people I will ever overtake (slowly)
This chap is traveling to Lindesnes and back again. That’s more than 5,000km!! (And it’s not even the first time he’s done it!)
Then a Finnish couple. He with 2 pulks. Her getting over covid. They said the previous day had been the wettest they had ever got skiing. Justified our decision to take a rest day.
A Swiss guy we met outside one lovely hut was running a ski skating trip for a group of Swiss and German skiers. He was very friendly.
Trond outside a hut filled with Swiss, Germans and Finns.
Then an incident I shall never forget.
I was a little way behind and I saw Trond had stopped to talk to a skier coming in the opposite direction. As I arrived he was chatting away in Norwegian. Then a second skier turned up who was clearly with the first skier.
He took one look at me and said; “Are you Neil Pitts?”
“I am” I said
Not quite Henry Morton Stanley’s greeting to Dr. Livingstone upon meeting on the shores of Lake Tanganyika in 1871, but nevertheless. Fame at last. Even if it is via Instagram.
I realised who they were straight away. Collectively they are #Guttapålangs.
Frikk and Jørgen. We follow each other on Instagram. They are doing the NPL, but in reverse. We chatted for around 30 mins. They said they knew my story and were very impressed how well I had been doing considering my initial lack of skiing ability. My how my head did grow.
A really nice couple of guys and clearly good judges of character.
They have no rucksacks and a huge pulk each. I dread to think how heavy they are. They were carrying a large ice drill on top of one of the pulks because they intend on fishing for char when they get to the Dividal area. They have a very relaxed attitude to their journey (a very good attitude). They started on skis, but they will finish on foot and take as long as it takes. They have some support who will help them swap skis and pulks for hiking boots and rucksacks later on. I wish them every good luck.
I did think we might meet them, but not so soon.
#guttapaalangs - Frikk & Jørgen (or possibly Jørgen & Frikk)
Light snow outside the Wilderness hut, Hirvassvuopio
Trond desperately searching for his hair brush (inside the Wilderness hut, Hirvassvuopio)
Passports please. Crossing the Finnish/Norwegian border
Tonight, Sunday 27th March, we are at the Thon Hotel in Kautokeino where, at second breakfast, we meet a lovely chap and his mother, who had been at a wedding. He still had his traditional clothes on (and possibly a hangover). His mother and I chatted about Henley-on-Thames, where she had visited and loved a few years ago.
Traditional Sami dress ably demonstrated despite the hangover
Sorting out food for the final push at the Thon Hotel, Kautokeino
Despite the hotel kitchen being closed the marvellous head chef, Nils, cooked us traditional bidos. Two big hug plates each,, because we obviously look hungry.
The marvellous Nils at the Thon Hotel, Kautokeino, who cooked us the traditional Sami meal, Bidos despite the kitchen being closed.
If all goes to plan we could reach Nordkapp in 12-14 days. Trond is very keen to be home in time for Easter and I am very much looking forward to returning to Mrs P.
To do this we will be doing some big days and praying for good weather and conditions. There will be signal as we go forward and, as always, I will post the blog and update Instagram as and when I can.
