Adrenalin junkies should head to Finland

Anyone in search of a good adrenaline rush need look no further than the snowy banks of Finland’s Pajakkakoski river. For it’s here, right in the middle of the little town of Kuhmo, that year-round river swimming is taking place. Regardless of any nip in the air, intrepid adventurers are donning survival suits and life jackets to float one at a time downstream – under expert supervision – along sections of deep, slow-moving water and fast-flowing rapids.

“When you have experienced this you will know what it feels like to be a ‘human pooh stick’ on the shoulder of a big river,” says Finnish Tourist Board director Anne Lind. “There’s liberation, exhilaration and a great sense of achievement when you reach the finishing point downstream and someone hauls you out and sends you back for another go.

“The thermal survival gear keeps the cold and the wet out, while at the end of the afternoon there’s ready access to plenty of fortified hot chocolate,” she says. “As for the actual floating itself, it can be as relaxing or as fast-moving as you want it to be, because of the different stretches of river being used.”

The two specific stretches of river rapids used total around 400 metres long. The adventure takes place all year round, as this part of the river never freezes, even in the harshest winter temperatures. The cost per person, including all equipment and tuition, is 157 euros.

For more information go to: visitfinland.com.