Working in Lapland and life as a guide in Reindeer farm

Have you ever consider how it would be working in Lapland during the winter season? Perhaps working outdoors, no matter how cold it is or how much it’s snowing? Last winter I was working as a guide in a reindeer farm in Sodankylä, and this winter I will do it again! So yes, I can recommend season working in Lapland, even though it might seem better idea to stay in the bed when your toes are freezing outside the blanket.

Reindeer farms and herders are different. Reindeer herding usually goes from the generation to generation, and not all the herders use their reindeers for tourism for example. Reindeers are semi-wild animals, and they all belong to some herder. Mainly the herder’s incomes come from the reindeer meet and other products made from different parts of a reindeer. Beside that they might have different services like tourism.

Now I will tell you something about my work in the Jaakkola reindeer farm in Sodankylä, where every day is different. There are many same tasks to do every day, but it varies a lot too. Usually my day starts by walking to work, about one kilometer way. At the beginning of the winter is still “kaamos” –time, and usually it’s dark when you go to work and dark when you return back home. But walking wakes me up well and I enjoy listening some music during the walk. Once I arrive to the farm I’ll start the engine of snow-mobile, let it warm a while and during that I’ll make the campfire inside the hut.

After the engine of snow-mobile has warmed enough (it will break if you don’t let it warm in a freezing weather) I’ll take the snowmobile and sleigh behind it, drive them to the storage where we keep all the stuff you need to harness the reindeers. I’ll take as many reindeer hides as we will need during the day, harnesses for reindeers (each reindeer has their own) and also the blankets for the customers to wear during the sleigh rides. I’ll also grab some first aid –packages and lichen with me. Reindeers get treats after the ride, as a reward!
Then I’ll drive to the fence, where the reindeers are. I clean the sleighs from snow and ice, put them in to queue and start to find the reindeers who has working shift for the day. That’s the part when I need to recognize which reindeer is which one (they all have their own names).

There might be also a certain order to pick them up, as some of the reindeers are calm and lets you harness without caring at all, and some of them wants to play with you and tries who is the boss in the house. I can reveal, that last winter there was a time when I was laying my face down in the snow, hanging in the rope because one of my dear furry friends wanted to try if I was awake. It was quite fun actually. And I’ll sure you, after that snow-wash I certainly was awake!

After I have harnessed every reindeer to their sleighs and took the hides and blankets for the customers, I might have a couple minutes to enjoy a hot soot pan coffee. When the customers have arrived and I have wished them welcome and introduced myself, it’s time to tell the safety instructions, which are very important for everyone’s (also the reindeers) safety. Ready for a sleigh ride!

All in all, my work includes mostly taking care of the reindeers and giving the customers a wonderful experience to meet reindeers in beautiful snow-white scenery. Working as a seasonal guide I have made new friends, got many great experiences and memories, enjoyed the authenticity of our Lapland and also learned lot of new things and expanded my work experience in the field of tourism. Love it!

By Jenna Käppi/Visit Lapland
jenna.kappi@ourlapland.fi