A Crossing of Lake Inari
In March 2025 Dan Jones and I plan to ski 200km across a frozen Lake Inari in the far north east of Finland. Our route will take us in a loop around the outer edges of the lake, which sits above the Arctic Circle right on the border with Russia. In the 80’s a Soviet missile crashed into the lake. Let’s hope that was a one off!
Dan and I completed a crossing of the Finnmark Plateau in February and shortly after made plans to do another trip together. I’ve already been to Norway and Sweden multiple times, so managed to persuade Dan that Finland, a country I’ve never visited, should be our next target.
Wikipedia will tell you that Inari (or strictly speaking Inarijärvi) is the third largest lake in Finland, with a square footprint of 1,040 km2. The lake is close enough to the north to drain out into the Barents Sea.
A camp scene from our Finnmark trip in February 2024
We plan to ski a circular route of around 200km in 10-12 days, pulling small sleds packed with equipment and provisions behind us. The daily distance is manageable, with an average of 20km a day should we wish to finish in 10 days. The route will stick to the lake, which will be frozen enough to ski, walk, and camp on. In March, temperatures could plausibly range from -5°C to -30°C, though I would expect them to be more around the -15°C mark.
Inari has been described as the “wilderness sea” of Northern Finland, and has become more popular with cross-country skiers over time. It is better known as a fishing, boating and kayaking destination though. Arctic guide Jaakkoo Heikka suggests the main challenge on the lake is weather, due to its large open area attracting high winds, and the potential for white-outs if temperatures and snow fall increase. Around 3,000 islands dot the lake, so we will have some navigational weaving to do as well.
A preliminary route plan. The Russian border can be seen on the right.
As noted earlier my travel companion will be Dan Jones, who may be known to some as the Business Development Manager at Valley and Peak. They are a family-run online retailer of specialist outdoor gear for backpackers, hikers, campers, and thru-hikers. They will supply some of our equipment, including a Nortent dome tent. You can see my initial kit list here, though it does need some tweaking.
All being well you’ll see us spamming social media with our images from mid March 2025. For friends and family who are interested in following our journey, you can follow progress via a link which I will share here closer to the time.
Dan Jones in camp on the Finnmark Plateau
