I’m standing outside wearing, wait for it… thermals, a T-shirt, leather trousers, thermal overalls, a scarf and hat, thermal socks layered under woolly ones, snow boots, two pairs of gloves, and a long, quilted coat zipped up to my nose, with the hood very firmly up.
‘Could I BE wearing any more clothes?’ I wonder, in Joey-from-Friends fashion.
It turns out I could – because, despite feeling like a walking wardrobe, my hands and feet still feel frozen solid, while my eyelashes and the wisps of hair poking out from under my hood have iced over completely.
I’m in Rovaniemi, in Finnish Lapland, in the middle of a particularly cold snap and the temperature has plunged to a brutal -35°C (-31°F).
It’s so cold, in fact, that when I later return to London, I discover one of Finnish Lapland’s two airports – thankfully not the one I flew from – was forced to shut, leaving thousands of Brits stranded.
It’s even too cold for the huskies. That’s the disappointing news we’re given when we arrive at Apukka Resort for our GetYourGuide husky-sledding experience.
Thankfully, our spirits lift quickly when we’re told we’ll receive a full refund – and still get some playtime with the pups.
As we’re led over, the dogs come bounding towards us, jumping up and barking with excitement.
Somehow – despite me being the most covered-up I’ve ever been in my life – one manages to plant a big, wet, slobbery lick right on my face.
I’m not sure who’s happier at this point: me or the dogs.
Hayley Minn spent a weekend in Rovaniemi, Finland – AKA Lapland – where temperatures were -35 degrees
The harsh temperatures were even too cold for the huskies – so Hayley and her husband were only able to meet the pups rather than go sledding with them
When I spot some of the huskies wrapped in doggy jumpers, lifting their tiny paws to avoid touching the frozen ground, it really hits just how extreme this weather is – even for animals who are literally built for the cold.
In fact, over the whole weekend, I don’t see any wildlife at all. Not even birds. The temperatures are simply too harsh.
Even our original snowmobiling experience is cancelled because of the icy weather, though we manage to rebook another slot with Apukka at a discount after the husky ride turns into more of a farm visit.
When we finally arrive for the snowmobile trip, even the staff – who do this every day – tell us we’re ‘mad’ for braving the conditions.
‘I’ve never actually snowmobiled in weather like this,’ our guide admits, instantly putting the fear of God into both me and my husband.
To say it’s freezing is an understatement.
Despite my many, many layers, my nose is in agony as the wind bites, while I cling to my husband’s waist as he drives.
He’s a confident driver and we follow our guide in convoy, weaving through frozen, tree-lined scenery that looks like it’s straight from a Christmas card.
Behind us, someone comes a cropper, sliding off their snowmobile momentarily before hopping back on. I’m wearing so many layers I can’t look behind me to check on them.
Despite wearing many, many layers, Hayley’s eyelashes froze over
‘Could I BE wearing any more clothes?’ Hayley wondered, in Joey-from-Friends fashion, ready to go snowmobiling in temperatures so cold even the guides were scared
Hayley in Santa Claus Village, where she met Santa and his reindeer
I don’t dare remove my mittens to take photos or videos – I tried that yesterday, and my hand turned blue in under a minute – instead, I’m forced to simply take it all in, and be far more present than usual.
Because of the extreme temperatures, our snowmobiling experience is broken up into three shorter-than-usual rides across two hours.
In between, we stop at an incredibly welcome campfire inside a teepee, where we’re handed hot lingonberry juice.
‘Drinking hot drinks is the best way to stay warm,’ the locals tell us, so we drink as much as is physically possible – even if I feel slightly nauseous bouncing along on the snowmobile afterwards.
Hot juice, it turns out, is a local obsession. Reindeer meat is another.
It appears on almost every restaurant menu, apart from an excellent Korean spot called Hanki, where we demolish a huge bowl of spicy chicken and rice, alongside a Diet Coke and unlimited coffee, for just €16 (£14/$18.65).
At Sky Kitchen – a high-end restaurant with stunning views of snow-draped trees – I decide to brave reindeer steak, feeling slightly conflicted after meeting Rudolph and his pals at Santa Claus Village earlier that day. How does it taste? Delicious.
While we do meet Santa in his Arctic Circle office – he’s there year-round – the real reason we’ve come to Lapland isn’t to prolong Christmas.
It’s to see the Northern Lights.
Hayley and her husband got to see the Northern Lights very clearly – more than making up for the freezing temperatures
The Northern Lights ripple and dance across the sky, twisting and twirling in a way that feels almost unreal. Hayley says they’re far clearer than when she saw them in Iceland, something the guide explains is partly thanks to the cold
Finland is just as good as Norway, Sweden or Iceland for spotting them, but far more affordable.
For €80 (£69/$93) per person, we book a Nordic Adventures Northern Lights tour through GetYourGuide, complete with a Lappish barbecue.
Having seen the Lights only briefly in Iceland years ago – after hours of driving and chasing them – we keep our expectations firmly in check.
However, as we arrive at our dinner spot, a 40-minute drive from our hotel – the Postmaster Hotel in central Rovaniemi – our brilliant guide, Gigi, steps out of the car and says: ‘I recommend taking your phone out right now and putting the camera on Night Mode. We’ve had a very lovely welcome in the sky.’
I look up – and there they are.
The Northern Lights ripple and dance across the sky, twisting and twirling in a way that feels almost unreal. They’re far clearer than when I saw them in Iceland, something Gigi explains is partly thanks to the cold.
Less moisture in the air means clearer skies – and a better chance of seeing the Lights.
I’m so transfixed by the glowing sky that I completely forget it’s -35°C. It’s like I’ve become a local in under 48 hours.
As if that wasn’t enough, we’re treated to a traditional meal cooked over the campfire: sausages, salmon soup (much nicer than it sounds), and a Lapland twist on s’mores made with ginger biscuits.
It’s the perfect end to a short weekend in Lapland – and more than makes up for the freezing temperatures.
