Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Organization tasks before starting a winter tour

Before conducting a winter tour in Scandinavia, you have to organize some basic matters:

  • Journey to Scandinavia and back: Find out about train and plane connections, think about alternative connections if your time planning fails due to weather problems etc. If you are using skis, you should inform your aviation company about the additional luggage and book the transportation of your equipment in advance. Cheap flights you may book at www.flysas.com, www.lufthansa.com (book very soon), www.blue1.fi and www.norwegian.no.
  • Plan your tour route: Which route or which part of the trail you want to do?
  • Organize your tour route: If you plan to sleep and use self service huts of the Swedish or Norwegian mountaineering assocoations, you have to become a member of the associations early enough to recieve your membership card and the standard key for the huts before starting your tour. The Finnish huts are normally free of fees and provide basic equipment as a gas stove, fire wood, an axe and sleeping area.
  • Check your equipment: You should check your equipment some weeks before starting your trip. Do you have all necessary equipment? Do you know how to use it? More about equipment you may find here.
  • Security and safer trekking: Tell at least one person about your tour route and when you will be back latest. Thus it is easier to start rescueing somebody in the vast fjell areas.

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