The Winter Season Starts in the Summer

Most people think a local guide’s work begins when the first snow falls in Lapland.

In reality, the next winter season starts almost the moment the previous one ends.

Summer is the time when I prepare every detail for the coming winter. I improve my tours, learn about new developments in Lapland’s tourism industry, create new experiences, and perhaps most importantly, gather local ingredients that my guests will enjoy around the campfire.

A few days ago, I spent an entire day on a cloudberry bog.

I picked around six litres of fresh cloudberries and later turned them into 7.5 litres of homemade cloudberry jam that I will serve to my guests during the winter season.

Many people imagine berry picking as hard work. For me, it is one of the most relaxing experiences Lapland has to offer.

There was no one else on the bog.

Just endless wilderness, the sounds of nature, buzzing mosquitoes, curious reindeer that came to see what I was doing, and the peaceful silence that makes Lapland so special.

I even filmed part of the experience, so you can see where the berries on your plate actually come from.

A Taste of Authentic Finland

Whenever one of my tours includes a campfire BBQ, I prepare one of my favourite Finnish delicacies.

I slowly grill traditional Finnish squeaky cheese (leipäjuusto) over the open fire until it becomes wonderfully warm and soft. Then I serve it with homemade cloudberry jam.

It is difficult to imagine a more authentic Finnish dessert.

Cloudberries grow naturally only across the northern regions of the Northern Hemisphere, and leipäjuusto is one of Finland’s most traditional cheeses. Together they create a flavour that many visitors remember long after returning home.

For me, serving local food is much more than simply offering dessert.

It is another way of telling the story of Lapland.

Preparing for Another Amazing Winter

The coming season is already taking shape.

My first guests are currently expected to arrive on 16 August, and from there the season gradually builds towards the magical winter months.

There is still plenty of work ahead, but that’s exactly what I enjoy.

Being a local guide isn’t just about showing beautiful places.

It’s about spending time in nature throughout the year, learning something new every season, and sharing those experiences with visitors from around the world.

When you join one of my tours next winter, there’s a good chance that the cloudberry jam on your plate was picked by me during a peaceful summer day on a Lapland bog.

And I think that makes the experience just a little more special.

🎥 A peaceful summer day on a cloudberry bog in Finnish Lapland.

📷 The final result: 7.5 litres of homemade cloudberry jam, ready to be served with traditional Finnish grilled leipäjuusto during my campfire BBQ experiences.

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