Communal meditative trek 10.–17.8.2021 in Tsarmitunturi wilderness area, Lapland – Practical details

Covid information

At the moment it seems likely that the event can be organized considering the current Covid regulations in Finland.

We will take extra care of hygiene during the trek (e.g. by bringing hand sanitizer). However, as it can be very difficult to take strict precautions against infections within our group in the trekking conditions, medical help is difficult to get in the wilderness, and we also hope that we can enjoy each other’s company during the trek without worrying too much about infections, we ask that everyone would follow some extra precautions before the trek:

– Please do not join the trek if you have clear symptoms of a possible Covid infection (flu or stomach symptoms) just before the trek.

– Please avoid unnecessary contacts and exercise care in other ways one week before the trek. If possible, this could also mean a full self-quarantine for that week.

– We recommend getting yourself vaccinated before the trek, if possible.

– We recommend testing yourself with a home Covid test shortly before the trek. Home tests can be bought in pharmacies and they cost about 9 euros.

If someone wishes to keep a safety distance from other people and/or wear a mask during the trek, it is possible and welcomed. However, this is not required.

Price and donations

The base price for the trek is 230 €. The base price covers the travel expenses of the managers, the food expenses and some other practicalities. The bus from Rovaniemi to the trekking area is included in the price; train tickets to Rovaniemi and meals during the bus trips are not included.

We feel that financial situation should not prevent anybody from participating, so we are willing to offer the trek for a reduced price, if needed. If the base price is too high for you, please contact us at retriitit2@nirodha.fi and let us know how much you are able to pay. If you would like to support those in a difficult financial situation, you can pay more than the base price.

The organizers do not receive any payment for their services, but offer these freely. This principle of generosity is very central in the teachings of the Buddha, and has made it possible that we can still practice meditation 2500 years after him. The participants may support the organizers by donations after the retreat; we ask you to take cash with you for this.

Registration and cancellations

You can sign up for the trek by filling in the registration form. You will receive an invoice for the registration fee (30€) by signing up through the registration system. Please sign up by 5.8.2021.

About 6 weeks before the trek, we will send you an invoice for the rest of the event fee. Make sure you pay the invoice by the due date, or your place will be given to the next person on the waiting list.

If you are paying the fee from a non-euro account, you have two options: 1) Pay by using PayPal. The recipient’s email address is talous@nirodha.fi. Use the reference “Community trek registration fee” in the PayPal message. 2) Send the money to Nirodha’s account by using Wise. If you pay from abroad from an account which is not with your own name, please inform us about this to retriitit2@nirodha.fi; tell the payment date and account holder’s name.

In case you need to cancel your participation, we kindly ask that you tell us as soon as possible, so we can give your place to the next person in the queue.

In case of cancellations, the registration fee is not refundable. If you have already paid the second invoice but need to cancel, we will unfortunately be able to refund you only if we can find another participant to fill in the empty place.

If you are coming from abroad, please note that we are not able to provide any documents for visa applications because of limited resources.

Time, place and travel arrangements

The trek starts on Tuesday the 10th of August. Our bus leaves from Rovaniemi railway station at around 7:45 a.m. and takes us to the Tsarmitunturi wilderness area, where we start trekking in the afternoon. The trek ends on Tuesday the 17th of August. The bus picks us up so that we are back at Rovaniemi railway station by 8 p.m.

A good way to travel from Southern Finland to Rovaniemi is by taking a night train from Helsinki. The recommended train leaves Helsinki on Monday, 9th of August at 18:42 and arrives in Rovaniemi at 7:29 the following day. For the return trip, we recommend the train that leaves Rovaniemi on Tuesday, 17th of August at 20:57 and arrives in Helsinki at 9:15 in the morning.

Train tickets are not included in the event price and the participants should purchase them by themselves. If you need help in this, please contact us. It may be worthwhile to buy the tickets as early as possible to get the lowest price.

We will arrange a place close to the trekking area where it will be possible to store some equipment (like spare clothes for the journey back) for the duration of the trek, and have a sauna after the trek.

Trekking conditions

We will walk partly on paths and partly outside of them. In some places the terrain may be wet or stony. We will wade across streams and small rivers. Nights are spent in shared tents, and food will be cooked with portable stoves. There will be no toilets available. Washing is possible in cold streams and lakes; it is also possible to spend a week without washing oneself. If clothes get wet, it may not be possible to get them dry immediately.

The conditions in August vary a lot from year to year. There may be big swarms of mosquitoes and other biting insects, or almost none; in any case, it is good to bring a mosquito hat and maybe even a mosquito jacket, too. The weather may vary from hot to cold; most probably daytime temperatures will be between 5 and 25 degrees. The temperature may go below zero at night.

Tsarmitunturi wilderness is a remote area, and we will be mostly on our own there. Mobile phones will not work everywhere. The organizers will be carrying a phone for possible emergencies.

Equipment needed

The equipment needed for the trek can be found in the equipment list.

If you do not have everything on the list, please try borrowing from your friends or use a rental service (e.g. Kuinoma). Good equipment is rather lightweight, as we will have a lot to carry, anyway.

We will send the participants other useful information closer to the retreat.

We do not have an insurance for the participants. It may be good to have your own personal insurance, which also covers trekking type of activities.

Food

On the trek we will eat trekking type of food, which is light to carry. We eat three meals a day, and there will also be some common snacks. It is good to bring some personal snacks as well. All the food will be vegetarian/vegan. Please tell us about your food allergies in the registration form. If you have very specific requirements, please contact us beforehand to ensure that we can accommodate your needs.

We will get the drinking water from the streams and lakes; the water is safe to drink as such. The trek is a drug-free event.

Lastly

If you have any questions, you can contact us at retriitit2@nirodha.fi. We wish this will be a fruitful and meaningful event for everyone!

You are warmly welcome,

Havu Pellikka (practical arrangements, havu.pellikka@iki.fi, +358 50 499 1131)
Anna Backholm (practical arrangements, +358 40 5362 946)
Marianne Kautiala (registration, +358 50 531 8228)