Immerse yourself in nature and embrace the wilderness within.
7 day Winter Expedition Across the Islands of Saimaa with 4 nights in the wild and 1 night before and after at Olo Center. Explore the largest lake in Finland by snowshoes or skis.
997€
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- 2 Zoom-meetings to prepair for the expedition and get introduced to other participants
- A 4 night guided expedition around the frozen lake Saimaa
- Two nights at Olo Center
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner starting with dinner on the evening of arrival and ending with breakfast on the morning of departure
- All necessary equipment
- Sauna upon return
- Learning about winter camping and cooking outdoors, equipment, snowshoeing/skiing among many other subjects
- Transportation from Savonlinna to Olo Center and back, aswell as from Olo Center to Kolovesi and back.
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The schedule is indicative and includes the main activities of the day. Everyday will include gatherings, self-reflection exercises and/or other content, which will receive their time in the schedule based on the needs of the group.
16.2.Arrival, opening remarks and preparations 15:00 —>
Dinner 19:00
17.2.
Breakfast 08:00
Transport to starting point 09:00
Start of the expedition 10:30
18.2 - 20.2.
Expedition
21.2.
Transport to Olo Center in the afternoonSauna and dinner in the evening
22.2.Breakfast
Evaluation & closing remarks
The Olo Expeditions Formula
Personal Empowerment - Striving Community - Nature Connection
In the efforts of making sense of the world we distinguish three unique though interconnected layers: the individual, the collective and the environment.
Individual - Personal Empowerment
How we relate to ourselves serves as the foundation for any extended pursuit of making sense and caring about the world we live in. Understanding how we function on the different plains of being human, from the body to the soul, empowers us to navigate and meet life at larger scales.
Collective - Striving Community
Though communities need empowered individuals, in human history what we do has always surpassed what I do. We’re coming to an increasing understanding that how we coordinate is the greatest determining factor in our wellbeing and accomplishments.
The Environment - Nature Connection
The force of empowerment and communities has to be bound by a greater cause. For choice making that considers the health and perpetuity of all life, we need to experientially grasp the interconnectedness of everything and nature inseparable from ourselves. Moments in the wild open us not only to ourselves and each other but the world at large.
Guiding the Expedition
Tuure Manninen is a wilderness guide specialized in ecopsychology. The nature experiences he facilitates range from rejuvenating workshops in the nearby forest to multi-week expeditions across the Nordics. The wide range of experiences all circulate around three fundamental aims: empowering the individual, building striving communities and deepening our connection to nature.
Tuure studied at the Finnish wilderness guide school - Outdoor Academy, working to deepen his understanding of nature, being human and the relationship of the two. He also holds the “Wilderness First Responder” first aid certificate.
Nature is the Teacher
Just like with Olo’s Sound Journeys, with our expeditions there’s a recognition that nature is the protagonist. The role of our guides is to provide a space where the interaction with nature can occur in a safe and fruitful manner.
Holistic Approach
Olo Expeditions take on another layer of depth in the realm of nature excursions as it is building upon a holistic list of natural elements not only consisting of the physical environment. Everything from the home grown or self -picked wild food, to genuine relating, and the unrushed rhythm of the days and the soft integrative landing afterwards.
The Food
During your stay at Olo Center, you get to enjoy delicious, healthy meals from the finest wild, locally sourced organic ingredients, some even grown in our own garden. Our cuisine is seasonal and combines the best of the Nordic and Mediterranean flavours. Our food philosophy focuses on natural and nutritious ingredients without forgetting the deliciousness!
During the expedition you will be learning the depths of winter expedition meal planning and cooking. We take care of the camping food for you, so you only need to bring your personal equipment and snacks. In the winter, energy demand is high and it is best to focus on nutritious and energy-rich meals.
It's recommended to pack plenty of high-energy snacks for the trip that help generate body heat during the chilly weather. You should consider the weight too - dried snacks are lighter than fresh foods that contain a lot of liquid.
Meal planning is an important step and we are happy to accomodate any dietary restrictions. Since we are carrying all the food with us, we focus on dried ingredients - some of which come directly from Olo Center's organic garden. As for water we melt snow and boil it with our camping stove.
One of the best parts of the expedition trips is to gather around the fire for a shared meal. This gives space for unhurried interaction and a sense of community.
Whether cooked over an open fire in the heart of Saimaa or served at the cozy dining hall in Olo Center, our meals will leave you nourished and satisfied.
Integration
At Olo, the expedition itself is only seen as the planting of seeds. For insights to grow and evolve into persisting ways of living they need to be nurtured. After the expedition we give necessary time for integration of the experience at Olo Center. There’ll also be chances to connect and process the shared time later on through follow-up check-ins online and voluntary contact sharing.
Value Promise: Independent Expeditioner
With all Olo expeditions, our promise is that you will gain the necessary knowledge and skills to embark on a similar expeditions independently in the future.
You will learn about:
Primary and secondary risk and safety analysis
Food preparations & outdoor cooking
Navigation
Team work & task division
Group dynamics, leadership and followership
Skiing/snowshoeing technique
Packing a sledge/backpack
Winter equipment
Camplife & overnighting
Logistics
We recommend travelling with public transport. There are daily busses and trains arriving to Savonlinna from around the country. For busses see: https://www.matkahuolto.fi/en and for trains: https://www.vr.fi/en. We’ll then be able to pick you up from Savonlinna.
For those coming from the capitol region we recommend the bus that departs from Kamppi 09:35 and arrives at Savonlinna 14:10. If you prefer the train we suggest the IC3 that leaves from Helsinki 10:13 and arrives to Savonlinna 14:30. Please note there is change from IC3 to Kiskobussi 745 in Parikkala.
Upon registering you will be asked about ride sharing options. Shared rides will be coordinated as their supply and demand clarifies.
Equipment
The rental of skiing/snowshoeing gear (snowshoes or skis, poles, boots) and the camping gear (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mattress) are included in the price of the trip and provided by the organizers. Please let us know if you want to bring any of these yourself rather than using the ones we provide.
See the packing list here: https://www.olo.center/winter-expedition-packing-list
A thorough walkthrough of the equipment and precautions will occur during the preparatory phase. You’ll have a chance to ask any question during our zoom-meetings.