Picture a Saturday run in Singapore: hot, humid, towel round your neck before the first kilometre. Now picture the opposite. Dry snow squeaking underfoot, a husky team pulling your sled through silent forest, delicious local meals prepared for you, with a relaxing sauna awaiting at the end of the day.
That's the Finland Arctic Challenge: five days of winter adventure, 200 km above the Arctic Circle, from 7 to 13 February 2027. You don't need to be an ultra athlete. You don't even need to have touched snow in your life. It's a fun, totally different (for the usual Singaporean) adventure challenge that will give you plenty to go 'wow' about. Experience the unique Finnish culture and hospitality and come back dreaming of sledding through a magical landscape transformed by white powder (that MRT ride home is never going to be the same again).
Two Singaporean participants, Tabitha and Nicholas, leap into the air on a snowy trail at sunset. Photo: Finland Arctic Challenge.
Five days, five ways to move through snow
The route runs through Pallas-Ylläs National Park in Finnish Lapland, starting in Ylläs and finishing in Levi. Over the five days, you'll cover the standard route of around 100 km, or take the light option of 60 km. That's roughly 60% of the full course, and you can choose your route each day, so there's no need to commit in advance. Each day is a different kind of outdoor day:
- Snowshoe up one of the Seven Fells around Ylläs.
- Run or hike a marathon or half-marathon along a historic lumberjack trail.
- Back-country ski through forests and frozen wetlands. No skiing experience needed.
- Husky sled: meet your team, learn to handle the sled, then drive it through the wilderness.
- Fat bike along snowy, winding trails.
Expect six to seven hours a day outdoors. Evenings are for the good stuff: sauna, ice dips, lumberjack cabins and a proper shot at the Northern Lights. It's a small group, and just eight places are left at the time of writing.
A husky team pulls a sled through snow-covered forest. Photo: Finland Arctic Challenge.
Lapland beyond the postcard
After the Second World War, forestry helped Finland rebuild and pay its war reparations. Tens of thousands of people worked in the northern forests, living for long stretches in remote lumberjack bases, far from towns and roads. Life was simple, physical and tough.
Some of those bases still stand, kept alive by locals. The challenge links three of them. You travel between them on skis, snowshoes, bikes and your own two feet, sleep in the same simple cabins, warm up in traditional saunas and eat homemade Lapland food. Resort hotels bookend the week, so you start and finish in comfort (yeah!).
Did we mention catching a glimpse of the northern lights?
A snow-covered log cabin glows under the northern lights. Photo: Finland Arctic Challenge.
Why it suits our RDRC community
Most adventure races ask you to be a specialist. This one asks you to be fit, curious and willing to try things.
It's all-inclusive, except flights. Transfers, sporting equipment, accommodation, meals, a winter suit and warm boots, the finish-line celebration and official event photos are all covered. You sort your flights and travel insurance, and pack a 35 to 40 litre day pack.
No winter sport experience needed. You'll learn to handle a husky sled and back-country ski on the day, with the Arctic Escapades team running the event. They support you from the moment you register, including online info sessions and preparation tips.
Stamina, not superhuman stamina. You need reasonable fitness and a sense of adventure. If you train consistently and can stay on your feet for a long day, you're in the right place. On any given day, you can switch to the light route if you'd rather take it down a notch.
And you won't be the only one from the little red dot. Tabitha Ang and Nicholas Eu from Singapore took on the 2025 challenge (Tabitha pictured below emerging from an icy dip).
Photo: Finland Arctic Challenge, arcticescapades.com
Tabitha and Nicholas look out over the Lapland fells on snowshoes. Photo: Finland Arctic Challenge.
Quick answers
Will I freeze? It can drop below -25°C, so yes, it's properly cold. Sporting equipment, warm winter boots and an evening winter suit are provided, and the info sessions cover how to prepare.
I've never skied or sledded. Is that a problem? No. You don't need previous winter sport experience.
How fit do I need to be? Reasonable fitness and stamina. If a long day outdoors is something you already train for, you're set.
How do I get there? Fly into Kittilä airport (KTT). Ylläs and Levi are both under an hour away, with shuttle buses.
How big is the group? It's a small group, and eight places remain at the time of writing.
What does it cost? Check out arcticescapades.com for the latest pricing. Plus, sign up under the RDRC x Arctic Escapades campaign and get S$500 RDRC gear credit.
What should I pack? A 35 to 40 litre day pack. The team has an official packing list, so you'll know exactly what else to bring. And stay tuned for our RDRC Special Packing List coming up soon.
Participants raise a glass together at a candlelit dinner. Photo: Finland Arctic Challenge.
Flying from Singapore: plan around Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year falls on 6 and 7 February 2027, so Day 1 is the day before the challenge starts and Day 2 is arrival day. Flights can fill up around the holiday, so book early. From Singapore, flights typically connect via Helsinki into Kittilä (KTT), so allow time for the connection and aim to land in Lapland on 6 February, ahead of the 15:00 briefing on 7 February. You may need to book an extra hotel night for that.
One upside: Monday 8 February is a Singapore public holiday, which saves you a day of leave.
Discover more
Your next challenge could look very different. RDRC is working with Arctic Escapades on the Finland Arctic Challenge, and we'll be giving away a S$500 RDRC gear credit incentive for participants who sign up through our campaign. Which is perfect for when you want to kit up for the challenge (don't say boh jio!). Take on a whole different type of adventure in a supportive environment for bragging rights over an icy plunge, or cuddling a husky puppy in the middle of a snow-covered forest—your 'gram will appreciate it.
Dates, route, what's included and how to register are all on the Arctic Escapades site: explore the Finland Arctic Challenge. Want to ask the team directly?