I visited the European winter wonderland with reindeer racing and 200 days of snow
A REINDEER farm in Finland is the last place I expect to find myself racing Max Verstappen.
And during a whistlestop sled ride in the country’s northernmost region, Kuusamo, it is clear this furry namesake was named after the Dutch Formula 1 driver for a reason.
I’m snug and secure in blankets but the experience at Palosaari Reindeer and Fishing Farm steals my breath as we career through pine trees on snow so pristine, it sparkles.
This winter wonderland is known as Lapland – one of the snowiest places in Finland, less than 40 miles south of the Arctic Circle.
It’s minus 10 degrees but sixth generation herders Satu and Mika laugh at the suggestion that the temperatures are a little extreme, with the rosy-cheeked lady of the house declaring: “Dad always told me when we hit minus 52, then it’s cold.” It’s the Finnish power of “sisu” at its finest — the name given to the grit they need to make it through life’s hardships.
Settling into my luxurious log cabin needed little tenacity, though.
Rukan Salonki is a private resort in the heart of the countryside, with traditional Lappish chalets fit for four to sixteen guests and all overlooking a silent, frozen lake.
I was elated to find it was the ideal setting to view the Northern Lights, which set the sky ablaze above our cabin in a flood of pinks, greys and greens.
After a late night watching the aurora with a glass of rich, red wine from our cosy living space, a morning on the lake was the bracing wake-up call that was required.
Fuelled by a hearty breakfast of the local delicacy of reindeer meat — sorry, Max! – and fried eggs from the resort’s Kultana restaurant, I strapped on short, spiked skis to snow-shoe across the frozen Tolpanselka lake to find a spot to try out ice fishing.
This is totally unlike the genteel fishing I know from home.
Instead we used steel augers to drill a hole in the 5in-thick ice, wrestling to turn the giant corkscrew as we grappled on our knees in the snow.
A warming swig of peppermint-flavoured, local liqueur Minttu helps as we then wait for a catch with our fishing rods.
But it doesn’t take long to get our first bite, because the fish are firstly hungry and secondly, left largely unbothered by anglers.
Our triumph was short-lived, though, as the good-natured guide declared the roach fish “trash” due to their size and suggested we toss them back into the lake.
Fingers numb, I head on to warm up with a sauna experience at Pohjolan Pirtti & Kievari.
Owner Tanja explains that Finnish children are taken to sauna from six months old — something I draw on for strength as I sweat in the 80-degree smoke sauna before dashing down the hill in my swimsuit to plunge into the icy lake.
The minus 26-degree shallows sting my legs like needles but the rush of adrenaline I feel on making it to shore is potent and I’m straight back into the sauna ready for another round.
Sunlit snowscape
As well as these traditional activities, the Kuusamo region is well set for modern adventurers too.
It snows 200 days of the year, making it ideal for ski and snow sports, with Ruka well-served by a slick gondola up to the slopes of Valtavaara Nature Reserve and Oulanka National Park.
There’s not so much concern over dwindling powder on the pistes, as experienced in other parts of Europe.
And from June the region gets glorious sunlight 24 hours a day, when you can enjoy canoeing, bear watching and cycling on the extensive 900km of gravel bike routes.
After quickly working up an appetite, we head to recommended Ruka Peak, a quaint hillside cabin, for their juicy moose and reindeer steaks.
Our digestif came as a fun, apres-ski party with live music at The Zone where we caught a Bon Jovi tribute act.
After a one-hour, 30-minute connecting flight from Kuusamo to Helsinki, I abandoned any need for sisu when I got to enjoy Finnair’s newly refurbished business-class offering on the flight home to London.
The private, lay-flat bed felt a million miles from the ice cold lake and is so luxurious, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the real Max Verstappen on board.
GO: Finnish Lapland
GETTING THERE: Finnair flies from Heathrow and Manchester to Helsinki and offers year-round flights to Finnish Lapland with an easy connection to Kuusamo.
Return flights from £252pp in economy and £657pp in business class.
See finnair.com or call 0330 8081188.
STAYING THERE: Rooms at the Ski-Inn Hotel Ruka Valley from £83 per night.
See ruka.fi/en/.
A two-night stay at Rukan Salonki in a six-bed villa is from £1,084 in total or £90pp.
See rukansalonki.fi/en/.
MORE INFO: See visitfinland.com.