Autumn Nature Trip in Kilpisjärvi

In October the sun is still high and the days can be pleasantly warm, but they can also be cloudy, rainy and windy. The nights are frosty and the first snowfalls cover the ground. The lake starts slowly freezing over.

Autumn turns into early winter in November. The days grow quickly shorter until finally the polar night, called ”kaamos” in Finnish, sets in at the end of the month. The sun dips below the horizon, not to rise again until the middle of January. This is the time of the beautiful blue dusk which replaces sunlight around noon hours. The ground is wrapped in a blanket of snow which provides plenty of light, and the lake starts forming its solid ice cover. While the average temperature is just below freezing in October, it’s – 7 degrees Celsius in November.

During the Autumn Nature Trip we’ll walk from the village towards Lake Tsahkal, admire a waterfall on the way, continuing the trek above the tree line, observing the signs of winter’s arrival. The route is a varied nature trail. A picnic lunch is enjoyed around open fire.