Yet another 15 hours bus trip (only just had enough time to recover from the last bum numbing hell tour back from Russia - but this time complete with seatbelts) and we were soon crossing the Arctic Circle.  After a couple of attempts of the incredibly original 'hey, look to the left there's a couple of reindeer' to avert innocent eyes from the right hand side windows (where 'Santa's home' was just begging to be seen), we made a quick detour outside Rovaniemi to check out the big man's home.

The Russians and I armed ourselves with cameras, coats and childhood innocence before crossing the road to every child's Christmas time dream  - the Santa Village.  The Finns took it upon themselves to loiter usefully at the service station, drinking coffee and getting a nicotine fix.  Considering they had lived their whole lives in Santa's home, they all gazed in opposite directions, each trying to out cool the next!  Unfortunately it was a little late for Mr Claus, who had already hit the sack, but nonetheless it didn't dampen our enthusiasm and I watched with wonder as the films barely touched the inside of the Russian's cameras as they snapped away.

Thank god I have a digital.

Driving into the Kemihaara station late on the 10^th we were greeted with the prospect of warm beds and a distinct lack of snow.

Not more than six hours later we were packed and ready, waiting outside for Laurie and Kalle, our first daily leaders, to give the go ahead.  In a brave last minute decision, after a lengthy discussion, they decided to leave the sledges that were to carry our heavy Kotas (see picture at top of page) the 10 or so kilometres through the forest to our first campsites.  I'm not entirely sure where the choice lay, as even though I'm not an expert in all things snowy, I assume that it is quite difficult to drag a sledge on dirt. 

With the 10 kilo Kota being passed on to the next person's shoulders every 10 minutes or so, our group split into 2 smaller hiking teams; we headed southerly and the others headed to the north.

About 3 hours in Henkka pointed northwest.

'You said that you missed mountains.  Look over there.'

'Where?' I squinted into the gloom.

'Over there.'

I tried hard to look where he was pointing.  My eyes eventually grew accustomed to the dreary light and if I half closed my eyes and looked out the corner of my right eye I could see a slight elevation, where there trees in the distance looked taller.

'Yep, that's Atimysvaara, the highest fell in the area.'

'How high?'

'470 metres.'

'How high are we now?'

''bout 250 metres.'

'Right.'

The next day we left before light to hike to the top of the fell and meet the other team on the opposite side, before swapping camping spots with them.  Despite having spent the rest of the day before taunting Henkka about Finland's 'Mountains', it was the absolute highlight of my trip.  With frosted white trees and rocks covering the top, which stretched a square kilometre or so, the view was incredible.  I suddenly felt a whole lot higher than 470. 

By evening we were settled into the other team's camp, and they had hopefully scouted ours from the rough dot drawn on their map!  The temperature had dropped slightly below zero and I was quite happy with this whilst walking and wearing all my clothes.  However come night time I soon lost my obliviousness whilst trying to find the sleeping position that allowed the least of me to touch the ground, as the cold crept up through the frozen earth. 

The next two days we spent with Martti, as we practised and practised fire lighting and wood chopping. 

I found this practise useful for my day as daily leader, our last full day in the forest, when it only took me 1 hour instead of 2 to get the morning fire light.  I left the rest of the day to 'move with the wind', i.e. I had nothing planned.  I knew that the people in our half of the class liked their freedom, and the incredible amounts of planning and organising I had done in the past had gone unnoticed.  I let Martti take us for more lessons, and then took everyone for a river crossing.  It was our last fairly relaxed day before packing our camp and leaving the next morning.

At 6am, as we walked out of the forest, the flakes started to fall, and feet found other's clear footsteps to follow in, as snow piled past ankles.  While the Kota weighed down on my shoulders, I had daydreams about the sledges sitting at the station in the trailer, unused.  The forest was filling with white as we walked, and it felt like winter was really truly on its way.

As we packed the gear into the trailers, and tired bodies filled the cars, Martti pulled me aside. 

'Your daily leading was very good.'

'Really?'  I asked, thinking back to my lazy day.

'Yes, you're very good at organising.'

I got into the car and shook my head.  No, it seems that after three and a half months I'm not getting any closer to understanding the Finns.

Kemihaara Wilderness Area (302 sq.km.) was founded in 1991 and is located in Commune of Savukoski in eastern Lapland.  The only facility for hikers is the Uittipiekka wilderness hut on the southern part of the wilderness area.

The main purpose of the this Wilderness Area is safeguarding the Sami culture and nature-based forms of livelihood, and also of developing the multiple uses of nature and the conditions required for this.

The average temperature is -15^oC in February and +16^oC in July. There is snow from late October until April. The layer of snow is an average 60 cm in March. The maximum thickness of the ice on the lakes is 70-75cm in winter. The ice on the lakes has been melted by mid June. This melting causes heavy floods.

Pine dominated heath lands cover 75%, spruce dominated lands cover 22% and fell birch woods cover 2% of the wilderness area. Pine forests are dry with heavy reindeer lichen cover and other plants like crowberry, bilberry, heather and lingonberry. Dry and thin spruce forests where the ground is blanketed with moss and bilberry can be found near Hill Ätimysvaara. The fell birch woods are dry and generally have a carpet of lichens.

Reindeer herding is the most important occupation in Kemihaara and it seems it will retain its special status there. There are about 700 reindeers in the area. Reindeer herding and traditional hunting play still an important role in Sami peoples live's.