New Year Family Program
28.12.23 - 02.01.24
We invite you to a winter fairy tale on the White Sea Coast!.
Winter is a fabulous time in the White Sea Region, when a snowstorm is wandering along the sea ice and the snow-covered coast is traced by trails of snowmobiles and skiers, and one can meet a black grouse or a capercaillie on a forest walk. The sun shows just a fringe over the snow-covered sea, and the northern lights shine in the evenings.
We are glad to offer our guests: silence and snow purity of the Russian North, walks and snowmobile trips along the snow-covered shore of the White Sea, combined with biological and geological excursions, cross-skiing trips, sled riding, ice fishing, hot Russian and Japanese bath, and, of course, a superb friendly community, visit of Father Frost (Santa Claus) and Snow Maiden with New Year's gifts and congratulations. As for divers, they can get winter training and New Year Eve dives!/span>
You can book your participation in the program right now on our website!
Check out our guests' reviews about their New Year's holidays at the "Arctic Circle"!.
Provisional program schedule by day
December 28, Day 1
Check in the hotel of the tourism center. Breakfast and getting acquainted. Briefing. Sightseeing walk around the Karelian village of Nilmoguba and its surroundings. Tea on the fire on the Big Epishkin Isle or at the Dry Riffle. A talk about the winter life of the sea and forest. We'll collect some frozen birch buds, cowberry leaves and make the forest herb tea on the fire. Cross-skiing and snowmobile trips are available upon request. A hearty dinner in the evening, Russian bath (Banya), games for children.
December 29, Day 2
Breakfast and a snowmobile trip to the Nilmoguba Sea Riffle after it. A talk about ebb and flow, marine life under the ice, birds wintering in this Nothern region. Observation of the change of flow. Some information on the local history. Picnic by the fire.
Return for a late lunch. Evening gathering, games, conversations and biological or geological lectures. Russian Bath. Dinner.
December 30, Day 3
Winter fishing on the lake.
There is nothing more delicious than fish soup cooked in the fresh frosty air! We invite you to winter ice fishing. Taste the fish soup cooked over a campfire. In the evening: biological classes, dinner, hot bath.
December 31, Day 4
In the morning - an excursion to the Nilma River. Man-made dam and other stories of the 20th century.
After dinner - decoration of the Christmas tree and the living room, some rest before the evening New Year Party.
Divers prepare for the New Year Eve dive. Applications for participation in the New Year's dives are taken in advance!!!
At 22-00 we gather by the table to see this year off, at 23:30 everybody goes out to the pier to welcome the New Year and meet the ice divers, who have spent the New Year Eve under the ice.
New Year's dives for certified divers and swimming in the White Sea for all comers.
After it we return to the festive table, meet Father Frost (Santa Claus) and Snow Maid. Gifts, congratulations and fun until the morning!
January 1, Day 5
A geological excursion to the CANYON (Panfilova Varakka Mount) is planned after a late breakfast. All participants of the excursion are taken there in sleighs driven by snowmobiles. There was a quarry at the beginning of the previous century, pegmatites, quartz and mica were mined there. The extraction of stones from the quarry has stopped long ago, now it has turned into a beautiful canyon, with slopes full of quartz, biotite and feldspars. Streams flow down the slopes of the canyon from winter till autumn, and in winter they turn into real icefalls. There is also a wooden geodesic tower - triangular - on the top of the hill. Besides you can ride a sled along a slope in winter , walk along the snow-covered canyon and have a picnic by the fire.
Lectures and discussions in the evening. Interesting, informative and just funny games in the living room, dinner and Russian bath (Banya).
January 2, Day 6After breakfast - excursion to the muskeg (oligotrophic bog). A talk about peat bogs - a pantry of the sun and an oxygen donor on our planet. Plants of the the muskegs. After lunch - an excursion to the reindeer farm. Deers are tamed, they can be patted and fed. You can ride a sled driven by the reindeers along a snowy forest road (extra charge).
In the evening - farewell dinner, hot Russian bath. Packing up and making ready to go home.
Additional events in the program:
- Interaction with our darling pets - northern sled dogs of the "Arctic Circle"! Our friendly dogs are looking forward to snow and frost, to run with you and play together!
(Events with the participation of sled dogs are paid extra)
The program schedule may be changed according to the weather and other conditions
Diving program should be developed and confirmed additionally.
EXPECTED CLIMATE CONDITIONS
There may be both warm sunny days and windy, dull, frosty weather in January. The average air temperature on the White Sea Coast is about -15°C at this period of time, but it can drop to -35°C as well.
We'll be monitoring the state of the sky in these January days, and notify our guests about the Northern Lights if there are some.
LIST OF RECOMMENDED CLOTHES AND OTHER THINGS:
- a set of warm clothes for cold weather: warm anorak and pants (preferrably windproof and waterproof), warm cap covering the ears, scarf, gloves and/or mitts, thermal underwear;
- pants or jeans, woolen sweater or fleece jacket;
- warm socks - 2-3 pairs;
- warm and waterproof high shoes (boots, winter tourist boots);
- ski mask for protection against wind;
- lip care stick and cream to protect hands and face against frost and wind;
- personal hygiene products (there are towels, toilet paper and soap in the rooms);
MEDICINE CHEST
We recommend to take a small kit with the medications you need.
There is a first-aid kit at the dive centre. If you take specialized remedies or you know you might need some urgently, then it's better to take them with you.
DOCUMENTS
When packing up before the trip, do not forget to take with you:
- Passport (international passport);
- Tickets for a train or a plane;
- Diver certificates and a log book;
- The policy of compulsory medical insurance (or other health insurance);
CHECK IN / CHECK OUT RULES OF THE "ARCTIC CIRCLE" TOURISM CENTRE
Check-in and Check-out time is from 6:00 am till 11:59 pm.
If you need to do it after 00:00 or before 6:00 am, please inform us in advance.
You can easily book your participation in the New Year's program right now! Send us an e-mail booking@dive.ru or send a request using our web-form and we'll get in touch with you as soon as possible!
The cost of participation in the program for the coming season is given in the Educational Programs price list