The traditional Lapland trip of the Guild of the Cross will be organized in the week preceding Easter from Friday, March 22nd to Saturday, March 30th, 2024. This year, the destination is the winter sport hub of Levi in Finnish Lapland. Welcome to sign up for the best trip of the year! The registration is open until March 1st, but take advantage of the Early Bird discount by registering soon!
(Prefer Finnish? There is a Finnish version of this page as well.)
Please read the information package below before clicking the "Submit" button on the form. Additional questions about skiing and the program will be addressed closer to the trip. While waiting, feel free to ask the organizers anything. So, at this stage, please fill out the form to the best of your knowledge, but changes can still be made (please inform the organizers of any changes).
Why Join the Lapland Trip?
Winter activities can certainly be considered the main reason to come on the Lapland trip. However, based on previous years' experiences, the time spent together with guild members has been the most memorable aspect of the journey. So, you can expect an excellent combination of getting to know each other, shared profound moments with the Christian message of Easter, board games, sauna sessions, crazy antics, and so on. Not to mention the wide range of winter sports and activities offered by Lapland.
If school assignments are piling up, no worries – you can also stay at the cottage for a day to tackle any urgent deadlines. This year, conveniently, there is a holiday at Aalto during Easter, so during the trip, you'll only miss 3 school days, and after returning, you'll still have an additional 4 days of holiday!
Schedule and Transportation to Lapland:
The journey will begin by bus from Otaniemi on Friday evening March 22nd around 9 PM, with the exact departure time to be confirmed later. Our overnight journey will likely follow the route Otaniemi – Tampere – Jyväskylä – Oulu – Rovaniemi – Levi, and we should arrive on Saturday around noon. During the bus trip, there will be several short breaks and at least one longer brunch/lunch break. The return journey from Lapland starts on Saturday morning March 30th, and we will be back in Otaniemi in the evening. So, we will spend a total of 7 days in Lapland.
It is also possible to join the trip along the way or arrange for pick-up in Levi or Kittilä Airport for those arriving independently. Please inform us of any special arrangements you are aware of in the registration form or as soon as they arise. In such cases, we will also discuss the cost of the trip separately with you so that you don't pay unnecessarily for bus rides.
Destination and Activities:
Levi offers ski slopes, snowshoeing trails, and hundreds of kilometers of cross-country skiing tracks with charming trail cafes – a winter sports enthusiast's paradise. We will receive group discounts at the ski resort, and transportation will be provided daily from the accommodation. Many of Levi's services are within walking distance. We are also considering a day trip, for example to Ylläs ski resort for downhill skiing, enjoying the nature around Aakenus fell in the national park, or to greet huskies and reindeer on a farm, if there is enough interest.
The accommodation itself is Dealer Kieppi Cottage (Paloniementie 34, Kittilä), located in a peaceful area just over 4 km from the center of Levi. The accommodation can host a total of 36 people in shared 4-person rooms. The main cabin has enough space for the entire group, with views over the lake to Levi. There is a fireplace room suitable for board games, a wood sauna that is heated up every evening, and a beautiful grill hut in the yard. During the trip, meals will be prepared in teams, meaning everyone takes turns using Kieppi's kitchen facilities. Don't worry, as the main dishes are mostly prepared by catering, the kitchen facilities are good, and there will be instructions and experienced camp cooks available.
Price of the Trip:
The estimated cost of the trip is currently between €340 and €400. The exact amount will be determined only after the trip, and it will be lower the more participants we have. Several factors may affect the cost of your trip:
- If you are a guild freshman (first-year participant in the Cross Guild activities) and a guild member, you will receive a freshman discount of a whopping 50% off the base price!
- By registering no later than Wednesday, February 7th, you will receive an Early Bird discount of 5% off the base price.
- If i) you are no longer a bachelor's or master's student and ii) you are employed, you can support the students' trip by paying an additional 20% of the base price.
(For example, a freshman who registered during the Early Bird period will pay 45% of the base price, an alumnus who registered during Early Bird will pay 115%, and a last-minute registered alumnus will pay 120%.)
The price includes transportation, meals at the destination, and accommodation. However, meals during the outbound and return journeys, the costs of ski passes, and equipment rentals will be in addition and are acquired as a group order to benefit from group discounts. Early Bird or freshman discounts and graduation bonuses do not apply to these extra expenses.
If your financial situation is tight but you still want to join, financial assistance for the trip is possible. In such cases, feel free to contact the host of the Lapland trip, Joosua.
Registration and Its Terms:
The registration period starts on January 17th and ends on March 1st 2024 at 11:59 PM. The trip can accommodate a total of 36 participants, and spots will be filled in the order of registration. Guild freshmen have priority during the Early Bird period until February 7th, even if the trip is already full.
After the official registration period ends, your registration becomes binding. Subsequently, you are generally required to pay half of the trip cost, even if you decide not to participate, unless a replacement participant is found (or unless you find one yourself) from the waiting list. In case of acute illness or other unexpected situations, it is advisable to contact the organizers as soon as possible to find a fair solution – it's in everyone's interest to have healthy participants on the trip.
A confirmation message will be sent upon your registration. The official camp information letter will be sent later. In the same letter, you will be asked about your enthusiasm for skiing, the Lapland trip's program, and other details, so please be patient regarding those matters :)
With eager anticipation for Lapland,
Joosua Uusikumpu, Host of the Lapland Trip
joosua.uusikumpu@aalto.fi
+35844 282 6886
TG: @joosuus
Usva Uusikumpu, Hostess of the Lapland Trip
usva.uusikumpu@aalto.fi
TG: @usvakumpu