Is this the coolest, most purposeful holiday out there?

Once Martti has concluded drilling, we’ll be taking freshwater samples and passing them through a filter to collect environmental DNA that will tell us the animal species present in Juuma Lake. Then, in eight weeks’ time, we’ll receive a report revealing if we’ve detected any endangered species, which is quite likely since, sadly, one in nine species in Finland is threatened. All our data will be added to the eBioAtlas, a global map launched in 2021 that tracks life in freshwater bodies, and will be used to help protect all creatures great and small. It’s expected it’ll take up to three years of Exodus’ Citizen Science departures to build a reliable picture of the biodiversity in this region of Finland, which, so far, is an unmapped wilderness.

FROM SAMPLING TO SLEDDING 

We may have to wait a couple of months to discover some animal species we’ve crossed paths with here, but the Siberian husky isn’t one of them. I hear the hounds before I see them at Kota-Husky, which is the first husky-sledding business in Finland to receive Green Activities and Sustainable Travel Finland labels. The healthy, happy pups are ready and raring to go on their 10-kilometre dash through the dense forest of Finnish Lapland, howling in anticipation. Setting off is a speedy move, with the six huskies carrying my sledding partner and I reaching speeds of 30mph. We are thankful then, for the sled’s capacity to brake when necessary. We are also grateful for our multiple layers of clothing and a warming vegetable soup served fireside post-sledding. The sub-zero temperatures of -19°C are biting, but I don’t mind the chill: numb extremities are a small price to pay for this exceptional experience, and Basecamp Oulanka’s sauna, hot tub and hearty meals promise guests cosy, hygge evenings. 

WILD AT HEART 

Of course this is a “wilderness week”, and so there’s the opportunity to spend the night not in the comfort of your lodge but instead in a snow shelter traditionally built in emergencies. But before my group and I attempt such a daring snooze, we must craft this lodging known as a “quinzee”. We choose a suitable spot on the ice of Juuma Lake, which is just a snowball’s throw from Basecamp in case we lose our nerve, and stomp on the metre-thick snow to compact it before using giant shovels to pile it up into an egg-shaped mound.

Once Martti is pleased with our achievement, he gives us the go-ahead to start hollowing out said mound. My fellow adventurers and I split into two groups and begin tunnelling from either end, racing to meet in the middle. It takes about 20 minutes of hard graft, and we cheer in glee when we hear the clang of shovels indicating success. A little more fine-tuning and we have ourselves a quinzee that will comfortably sleep four, so we retire to Basecamp for a well-earned stew and soak in the hot tub after dark. 

While we are chatting outside and sipping on Cointreaukaakao (hot chocolate with Cointreau), I happen to glance upwards and fail to suppress an excited expletive. The aurora borealis is shining bright, an arc of iridescent green stretching across the inky and star-studded night sky like the rarest of rainbows. We rap on the window of Basecamp to coax others outside and they don’t regret it – the northern lights shimmy from north to south, west to east, dancing a seductive salsa and sporadically exploding into a breathtaking mist of magenta and forest green. It’s the bucket-list moment every intrepid traveller seeks, and I’m lucky enough to relish it with like-minded people I return home calling friends. I think the Finns are onto something with this “fresh air syndrome” – I’ve never felt more euphoric. 

Book it: Exodus’s eight-day Finnish Wilderness Week costs from £2,549pp, including flights and all meals. The next Citizen Science departure is on 9 December 2023 and comes at no extra cost; portal.ukadventuretravel.com 

Exodus has introduced Citizen Science departures on 16 more popular itineraries in 2023, in addition to Finnish Wilderness Week. These are Zambezi Canoe Safari; Wildlife & Wilderness of Botswana; Kenya & Tanzania Adventure; Discover Costa Rica; Inca Trail & Amazon Rainforest; Western Explorer (USA); Cycle Indochina & Angkor; Vietnam Adventure; Dolomites, Lake Garda & Venice Ride; Portugal Walking & Wine; Walking the Prosecco Hills; Classic Dolomites; Discover the Baltics; Hidden Treasures of Jordan; Uzbekistan Uncovered; Highlights of Georgia & Armenia. For Citizen Science departure dates, visit exodus.co.uk