SCANDINAVIA - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 94

123 croSS-counTry
SKiinG in KuuSAmo,
finlAnd

The Alps may be the European capital
of downhill skiing but the Nordic
countries are the place to go for the
cross-country alternative. A great
place to develop the art of kicking
and gliding across long flat terrain is
the resort of Kuusamo in northeast
Finland, which has over 500km of
prepared tracks.
A small family-run company,
Northtrek, organizes cross-country
treks from its base in the resort,
including a 17km overnight forested trail to the
Kero Wilderness Camp in Oulanka National
Park. At the camp you can learn how to read
animal tracks and take part in survival-
skills training, before relaxing in a sauna and
eating dinner in the cosy cabin. Northtrek also
arranges snow-shoe treks, cross-country horse-
riding and ice-fishing. And don't think you'll
miss out on the kind of nightlife you'd expect at
a European ski resort: head into Kuusamo one
evening and you'll see that the Finns take their
après ski just as seriously.

where you can swim, canoe or enjoy
messing around in a rowing boat.
The forest site is only part of the
story, for if you sit still for a moment,
Kolarbyn's enthusiastic manager
Marcus Jonson will whisk you off on
one of his adventurous moose-and-
wolf safaris. You're guaranteed to see
moose because the king owns the land
and keeps it well stocked for hunting.
Encounters with wolves aren't so likely,
but Marcus knows the best places to
go to hear them howl. Alternatively
you can try tracking the wolves on
horseback, staying out overnight in a
traditional lavvu tent (Sami tipi). After
a night out in the wild, the primitive
charcoal huts will feel like a hotel.

Need to know The most practical way to reach
Kuusamo is to fly from Helsinki (1hr; W www.innair.
com). For details of activities, prices and directions
see W www.northtrek.net; T [phone]
832.

Need to know Trains run hourly
from Stockholm Central Station to
Köping, from where a bus connects to
Skinnskatteberg - the owners will pick
you up from here by arrangement. For prices plus
details of accommodation and tours see W www.
kolarbyn.se; T [phone]. Nature
Travels ( W www.naturetravels.co.uk; T +44 (0)
1929 463 774) organizes multi-activity tours
throughout Sweden and includes all activities at
Kolarbyn in its itineraries.

124 STAy in A chArcoAl huT AT
KolArbyn, SwEdEn

(From top) Charcoal hut at
Kolarbyn; the first brew of the
day; A cosy home fit for a hobbit

Fit for a hobbit, Kolarbyn's forest huts are
modelled on the dwellings of the former charcoal
workers in this forested region of Sweden, two
hours from Stockholm. The huts are basic but
cosy, with sleeping bags on hard beds, but it's
just a 5min walk to the beautiful Lake Skärsjön