From Takavaara to Pihtipudas

Day 10 – 03.03.2025

Today was another day where we had to cover a lot of distance. The day began with a dreamy winter wonderland as we woke up. Reindeer were seen right at the accommodation in the enclosure. At 9 o’clock we set off towards Oulu, where the next action challenge was to take place.

Snow-covered driveway leading to a cabin with a red vehicle parked nearby and tall pine trees.

Man and woman in winter clothing taking a selfie outdoors with snow-covered trees in background

On the way, we stopped at the village of Santa Claus in Rovaniemi. Unfortunately, it was quite disappointing because it was totally geared towards tourists and sales. At this point we also crossed the Arctic Circle again and left the polar region.

Stone pillar with Arctic Circle sign and Santa Claus Office with snowy roof in Finland.

Rotating display stand with Christmas-themed Ty Beanie Babies including snowmen, Santas, and reindeer.

At 1:45 PM, we received the riddles for the Secret Mission. After solving it, we found out where we had to go to collect points. It was right by the Baltic Sea, which was completely frozen over here.

Two people in winter clothes stand on snow next to a vertical blade monument with wind turbines behind.

Rusty metal anchor with chain on snow-covered ground under cloudy sky at sunset.

In Oulu, Viator heroically went ice bathing in the 4-degree cold water to get the action points. Afterwards, he immediately went to the outdoor whirlpool to warm up. Today we collected all the points we could get!

Man in winter clothes carrying orange and blue fabric walking on a snowy path near residential buildings.

Three men in an outdoor hot tub on a wooden deck with string lights and a snowy landscape.

For dinner, we stopped in Pulkkila. The menu read “We’ll be surprised” because everything was written in Finnish. The nice cashier then helped us in English.

We reached our overnight stop in Pihtipudas at 9:30 PM, after 11.5 hours and 660 kilometers. Tomorrow we continue to Helsinki.