The results of the early
winter’s variable weather are already discernible for hikers. The trails in
Northern Finland are now covered with snow and ice – which means, of course,
that they are slippery. Hikers should tread carefully, especially on rocks and
stones, duckboards and wooden bridges. When the sun warms wooden structures and
rocks, the ice and frost on them easily come loose under the shoes, making the
surface treacherously slippery. The chilliness and humidity of the night freezes
trails surprisingly quickly.
People usually equip themselves with bigger burdens on winter hikes, and
their backpacks may weigh well over ten kilos. Especially on long winter hikes
it is worth remembering that a backpack or even rucksack, which has been tightly
or wrongly packed, changes the hiker’s centre of gravity and makes walking more
difficult. You would be wise to practice walking with your backpack beforehand,
performing various movements while carrying it.
On day trips and particularly when hiking you should wear proper shoes. Often
the problem with hiking boots is that they allow no sensation of the walking
surface, due to their heavy, stiff soles. Anti-slip traction aids fastened to
the bottoms of your shoes help you walk more safely. There are a variety of
these on the market: fixed, equipped with buckles or clasps, or flexible models
that are easy to fit over the shoe. You can also have a shoemaker fit your
winter trekking boots with studs.
Sticks for walking, Nordic walking or ordinary ski-sticks can help you stay
upright, too. If you would rather have one hand free, take just one stick
instead. It will give you support in the difficult parts of the track.
At many popular national parks and trekking destinations there are companies
that rent equipment for winter trekking.
More information on the weather and trail conditions of trekking
destinations:
- Weather services from
Foreca.fi
(www.foreca.fi) and the Finnish Meteorological
Institute (www.fmi.fi)
at customer service counters and
at Outdoors.fi from some of the Hiking
Destinations from the link What’s New?
- Hiking in
Finland
