Christmas training

Christmas Day training in Lapland; cross-country skiing 20 km, sticky snow, + 5 C degrees. That got me thinking of last Christmas, it was -32 C and we went snowshoeing to the Kellostapuli fjell. I had just started this project, trying to find out lots of things, because I knew practically nothing about mountain climbing.

Nina Ehrnrooth, my childhood sailing friend, now CEO for Partioaitta, helped me a lot. She introduced me to Greendoor's V-P Mölsä, a member of the Paratroopers guild (Laskuvarjojääkärikilta). They had an expedition to Everest some years ago. V-P gave me so much valuable advice, especially about safety. He sold me the idea of the warmest ever duvet jacket, a lifesaver as he called it. He told me he has slept in that coat in the snow in -28 C ! I had thought I will manage with a down overall that I already bought in Kathmandu in September and left in storage over there. But it is true, me as an always freezing person, I will need all the warmest possible equipment. V-P also found me the warmest shoes available! Thanks Nina and V-P!

Mostly wet in +3 C, but it will take  while before the snow melts, probably until May. If it freezes now it will be really speedy skiing!

Back to the training today. The wind was all the time against me, funny when I made a circle, but finally it didn't matter. The last kilometers went like flying. Two reasons, first there was a man that I passed in the last uphill and he said, "sähän nouset vauhdilla", meaning "your upward skiing looks really fast". And the other reason was that the temperature dropped near zero.

Merry Christmas to everybody!