Many of our guests, especially those who are going to ski for the first time, wonder if the camp is physically demanding. The short answer is no, the camp is not only light paced, but also quiet flexible and adapts to each participant's needs and wants. Below we will discuss how demanding are different and how to possibly prepare yourself for the camp.

Skiing

The most physically demanding part of our ski camps is the skiing and snowboarding. If you have already visited ski resorts and skied for more than at least 2 hours straight, you will feel more than comfortable in our camp. We usually have two ski sessions a day with lunch in between them. The first session lasts 2-3 hours and the second one can last up to 4 hours. If you feel tired or want to head back to the cottage after lunch, it is always possible.

Our ski sessions are not strictly structured and you can always ski at your pace or rest as much as you want. We love to ski in a group and share the emotions together, and we also adapt group's pace so that everyone's having fun. Moreover, we try to have two groups of different levels. However, if you feel like it, you are free to ski however, whenever and wherever you want. You are only limited by the movements of our van.

Mobility can be equally, if not more important than strength exercises.

If it is your first time skiing or snowboarding and you will be participating in the course, it might be a bit more demanding, but still quite light. Lessons can feel a bit difficult or really easy, depending on your physical fitness or how trained the particular muscles used in skiing/snowboarding are. What we can say for sure, from our experience beginner snowboarders have it harder. However, you can rest assured our teachers are experienced professionals and will not let you struggle.

Either way, for total beginners we recommend preparing for the snowboard (or ski) lessons by doing simple exercises some weeks before the camp begins. It is not mandatory in any way, but will make the learning process easier and let you progress faster. Here are some of the good exercise plans we have come across for snowboarding: Mobility Duo (has many great videos on snowboarding), Pro Ride, Burton, Rei; and for skiing: Atomic, Rei. Please remember that mobility can be equally, if not more important than strength exercises.

Another aspect that is often overlooked in beginner skiers and snowboarders is the psychological factor. We have heard, from multiple skiers, that one of the hardest parts of learning was mentally overcoming themselves. Although this is not a common issue, especially if you're learning in a comfortable environment (which we hope we provide!), we still believe that it is only fair if everybody is aware of this and knows that they're not alone. The difficulties can arise from the fear of falling, group pressure, or basically anything. Just remember, skiing has only one purpose: to make you feel good and have fun. And if that's not happening and thinking of another ski day brings more stress than excitement, don't endure it silently; we are always there to support you.

Low temperatures

It is no surprise that it can get very cold in Levi and overall Lapland. Although it can definitely be a challenge, it is nothing to be afraid of. This is especially relevant for travelers coming from warmer climates with mild winters. Traveling around the world and hearing questions such as "Do you go outside in the winter?" or "Can you breath in negative temperature?" made us realize that the cold climate is something that not everybody knows about. However, we believe that -25°C sounds much worse than it actually is.

Naturally the most important and maybe the only way of preparing yourself for the low temperature is the right clothing. Wrapped in the correctly layered textiles and fluff you can stay outside in very low temperature for as long as you want, and even ski (relatively) comfortably. You can read about proper clothing in this article. We do not really believe that cold plunging or other methods, despite how healthy and fun they are, significantly help with acclimatization or are required.

Activities

There are hardly any activities in Lapland that would require any preparation or be demanding in any way. Of course riding a snowmobile requires an average amount of strength and endurance, but husky and reindeer sleds are pure relaxation, the ultimate way of achieving peace. Cross-country skiing and showshoeing are both physically demanding activities, the former being the most demanding of all. But they can still be done moderately so they don't have an entry barrier either.

UPDATE 28.8.2025: Updated links to ski and snowboard exercises.