Snowmobiling in Karelia

An English- and French-speaking guides, as well as an experienced insrtuctor will accompany you and ensure your safety. Before you start the trip, our coaches will train each participant how to drive a snowmobile and give you a full safety briefing.

All instructors have completed the Red Cross First Aid courses, and in case of injury, they can provide qualified assistance.

The price of the tour includes three meals per day. Breakfasts and dinners will be served at the base. 

Lunch will be served on the route: chicken broth, sandwiches with cheese, sausages, pâté, red fish. Tea / coffee with cream, chocolate, tea cupcakes. At the second day you will have lunch with national cuisine in the museum during the tour to old Kinerma village.

In the journey two-seater BRP Lynx Adventure LX 550 snowmobiles are used. Luggage is transported by an escort car or in a cargo sleigh behind the instructor's snowmobile.

It is more comfortable to travel alone on a snowmobile. But if yout budget is limited, or your partner is not confident in driving, two people can be accommodated.

You will be provided with the following equipment: 

• warm windproof overalls 
• snowmobile helmets with visors 
• balaclavas 
• snowmobile shoes 
• snowmobile mittens

Documents:

• passport
• voucher

Personal equipment:

• loose outdoor clothing (warm windproof jacket, warm trousers)
• outdoor thermal underwear or warm woolen sweater and cotton pants
• warm loose shoes
• wool socks
• knitted hat
• mittens or gloves 
• clothes and shoes for home
• bath towel, slippers
• personal cleaners
• personal first aid kit

Please pack your personal items in bags or backpacks without a rigid frame. So, it will be more comfortable to transport them along the route.

The weather in Karelia is not stable in winter. The average temperature is -15°С. Thows and frosts are also possible. The temperature can lower up to -30°С.

Please, pay attention: the tour will be canceled in case temperature is higher than +3-5°С for more than a day. Conditions will be dangerous for riding snowmobiles. We will inform you in advance. 

If you wish, you can replace your visit to "Three Bears" zoo complex with a dog sled tour (for an additional fee). It includes:

• excursion to the largest sled dog kennel in Russia. You will get acquainted with the high-speed mestizos who are bred for sports. And also, with Siberian huskies and aboriginal dogs of Taimyr and Chukotka, which still help people to survive in the Arctic.
• training in working with a dog team. You will learn how to harness dogs and drive a sled. Then, you will go to the trail through the forest (10 km)
• lunch at a restaurant

The program is comfortable for participants with average physical fit. It is better when two people drive a team of six dogs together. Like this it will be easier to manage, also, you will have a chane to rest. Children from 12 years old can participate in this program.

It is important to inform about the wish to replace the visit to the zoo complex with dog sledding at the stage of booking the tour.

Children over 10 years old can participate as passengers on the tour, but the child must have winter travel experience. Persons under the age of 18 are not allowed to drive snowmobiles.

Participation in a snowmobile tour is not recommended for:

• pregnant women
• people with spinal injuries
• people who have central nervous system diseases

Before starting the route, you will receive a safety briefing. It consists of a theoretical and practical part. You will be introduced to the basic rules of safety, traffic rules in a convoy and signals that will be given by the instructor for announcing obstacles.

The itinerary is designed specifically for beginners. Average speed: on forest roads — 20-40 km / h, on wide roads (graders) — 40-60 km / h, on lakes — 60-80 km / h. You will have stops when changing terrain (going from lake to shore, going from road to snowmobile trail).