IWG week 16 - 27

There has been so much have happened since my last up date on IWG. Basically all my time was taken for the school related work and whenever I had time for other thing, spent on trying to do more school work. 

Before the Christmas time, I was working for the company call " hiking travel HIT" located in Tampere making trekking sledge at them work shop.

After the new year, back to school planning on customer gig / profession exam of overnight customer guiding skill and at the same time, preparing for the 1 week skiing trip.

The customer gig... 

Team work activity "Fire making competition"

This was part of the guide certificate profession exam and we needed to perform overnight guiding skill with real paid customers. Since it was a exam, there was a accessers with us evaluating our skills and performance.

Basically we have created a "get out of your daily life and get refreshed" package. The product was based in old logger's cabin located in Seisteminen national park and customer stay over night in the cabin. Day time was filled with fun team building activities and snow shoeing in old glowth forest of Multihariju.

This guiding experience was hard, but very rewording and enjoyable. I especially have enjoined the part guiding through the old forest, talking about the nature, surroundings, history of the area.

old loggers' cabin at night.

The skiing trip...

hauling the wooden Swedish army sledge

there was originally has planned so that we are only going somewhere closer from school... but this year in Finland, we do not have enough snow. especially around south part, we have not seen good snow at all. so needed to drive 11 h up north from Kuru to reach Hossa, where we can have enough snow for proper skiing.

How the trip went, that would be better seeing than reading about it, so here is the video. But on this blog, I would like to share about the new equipment I have included as part of gear.

- Nokian rubber boots:

This one is different from one I have used in Russian trip. It is the winter boots and functions as a ski boots as well. It is known as the Finnish army winter boots and in my opinion, the best winter boots you can buy. It is well insulated by 1 cm thick 100% wool felt inner and thick shoe sole.

- ET shelter:

3m x 3m tarp.
red: attachment point for loue
blue: folding line for loue

I have made this one based on DD hammock design but more attachment point. the point of adding more attachment points is that to make it able to set up the shelter faster and can make it more combine-able with loue.
It came out really satisfactory and setting up is much easier. Unfortunately, I did not have chance to test its capability during this trip, because of the weather was too warm so could not feel the benefit of heat refractive coating.

Internship at "Hiking Travel HIT"...

After the Sunset at on the ice cafe.

Back from the skiing trip, I was back again working at company Hiking Travel HIT in Tampere.
This time, I was more for the customer service. to be exact, I was at them on the cafe and rental service shop, providing ice skating service on lake Näsi. The cafe was set up on iced lake right next Lake Näsi's light house. It functions as a stopping by place for all the winter sports enthusiasts.

Also had chance of accompanying the ice skate trekking as a assistant guide. spending day after day on natural ice was very interesting experience. learning alot about natural ice, enjoy seeing how the ice changes everyday.
here is a video from the ice skate trekking. Hope it will show how wonderful to travel on ice with skate.