On paper the plan seemed simple enough, we would spend a few days riding the resorts of Ruka and Salla, combining this with activities including snow shoeing, ice karting, snowmobiling, reindeer and husky rides and a search for the Northern Lights!

The journey to Kussamo was uneventful until the pilot warned us that the “Landing is doable, it’s snowy and icy and we may skid!” Minutes later we landed without skidding and the pilot received a rapturous applause for his skills. We had made it to Finland where the Arctic Circle awaited; it had certainly been a memorable start to the week!

After a 30 minute drive from the airport we arrived at Ruka to be greeted by the deepest snow we had ever seen. Excited, we quickly checked in to Ruka Village, a luxury modern apartment complete with a built in sauna!

The heat could wait, I was excited by the prospect of getting on to the mountain, where the illuminated slopes were open till 19.00. I quickly hopped on the first chair not even knowing where it would take me, at the top the slopes were deserted, perhaps it was the -19 conditions and high winds putting people off, but it proved a great way to brush off any cobwebs gathered during the off season!

The next morning we headed to the Ruka Ski School where we metout Maaria, an expert Ski School instructor, who showed us the best pistes Ruka had to offer and I was impressed with what I saw. Modern lifts linked to a variety of slopes designed for riders of all level. Beginners will particularly love the forest run with Reindeers. We gave it a go to warm up, before heading to the red and black pistes for some steeper terrain including an FIS run. A quick chairlift ride later and we were looking at the impressive half-pipe that dominates the Vuosseli slopes. Ruka also has an impressive park on the Saarua slope that has a variety of rails, boxes and kickers that wind down the slope. Ruka was clearly a freestyle hotbed, which given the talent coming out of Finland it seems to be working.

The day ended with a trip to Riipinen Wild Game Restaurant. It was here where we met Mats Lindfors, the CEO of Ruka-Kuusamo Tourism Association. Mats talked about the area and how all the food was locally sourced. After some local beer we opted to eat deep fried Vendace and sautéed Reindeer which came highly recommended. We learnt that Mats used to be the CEO of the Finnish snowboard team and talk turned back to the freestyle side of Ruka. It transpired his son, who had just finished 8th in the X-games, is a regular here! Clearly the Finns were up for a contest and Mats, with a glint in his eye, informed us he would see us again for an ice karting challenge!

The following day, after more slope time we took a night-time snow shoeing excursion with Ruka Safaris. We learnt the basics before setting out into the dark forest aiming for a local fell top. The forest silence was broken with the occasional cry of help as myself or another member of the group found ourselves waist deep in snow, waiting to be rescued.

Arriving at the top we raced into a wooden hut to grill sausages and brew coffee on the open fire. We were glad of the rest and the warmth and I was just getting cosy when we had to descend. Concentrating on the path ahead I imagined Wolves and Wolverines lurking in the woods waiting for their next victim. Exhausted on finishing the walk we hit the local bar for a nightcap.

Mats arrived early the next morning looking quietly confident, whilst we arrived bleary eyed and wolfed down breakfast. We headed to Ruka Adventures where on arrival at the ice track we donned our uniforms and helmets, before learning how to drive the karts. With spikes on the tyres it was not as scary as I first thought, but there were still plenty of spins as we competed our qualifying laps. We lined up with Mats in pole, myself in second and Danni in third. During the 10 lap race there were multiple spins on the ice and at one point I was involved in a little tussle with Mats. It was to prove costly as afterwards when we were demoted to second and third, with Danni claiming the first place and the coveted trophy. With a bruised ego we sat down for lunch, a hearty stew made on a warm fire. This was becoming a regular theme in Finland, and one we could not get enough of.

After a few hours on the slopes we headed to Rukan Salonki a Finnish spa and sauna with luxury lodges to rent. Taking a look around the we could see why Rukan Salonki won the award for Finland's Best Ski Chalet in 2013 and 2014 at the World Ski Awards.

Midweek is not usually transfer day, but this week was different. We bid a fond farewell to Ruka and were on our way to the resort of Salla. This being Finland we could not head straight there though as we first had to learn how to drive a husky sled, before taking a snow shoe trek to the frozen waterfalls of Oulanka.

The Erä-Susi Huskies centre had a 10km husky ride planned for us. The sessions began in a straightforward fashion, with the husky farmer going over the basic riding and safety information before letting us loose on the sleds. Once ready the guide headed out in front on a snowmobile. Everything started smoothly enough and I quickly got the hang of the sleigh, helping to push when we headed uphill, and learnt to steer reasonably well. It was good fun until about the halfway point when the ride took a strange turn. One husky decided now was the perfect time for a spot of love making, the driver quickly raced back to separate the dogs and our fella’s moment in the snow was over.

Unfortunately we now had a 30 minute wait as the dogs recovered. It was a funny incident, but the schedule had gone to pot and we headed back at a brake neck pace where we thankfully arrived without any further amorous adventures. It was certainly a talking point during the afternoon as we wondered if there would be any husky puppies forthcoming from the romantic interlude.

Arriving at the Oulanka Visitor Centre (Oulanka National Park) we were kitted out with our snowshoes. The last (and first) time we wore snow shoes we were fumbling through the dark forests of Finland. Thankfully in the daylight we had a much easier route to follow, although no less spectacular.

The 3 km walk to the Frozen Kiutaköngäs Rapids enabled us to slow down and reflect on the beauty of the landscape, where trees loomed overhead like giant frozen sculptures, although with up to three tonnes of weight hanging on them we decided it was wise not to linger. The tour took us to a protected fire place where we stopped for a famous Finnish sausage and coffee stop. The guide pointed out that these huts double up as shelters for those tackling the full 80km long trail. We hiked back the way we came and took time at the end to check out the impressive visitor centre where we learnt about the whole area. It was time to leave the wilderness of Oulanka and make our way to the final destination, Salla, in the Arctic Circle.

Click to read A Week in the Wilderness Part Two: Salla

Crystal Ski Holidays (www.crystalski.co.uk; 020 8939 0726) offers a week's stay at the four-star Ruka Suites from £395 per person (based on four sharing) including flights from Gatwick and transfers departing on 10 January 2016. A week’s half board at the four-star Rantasipi Rukahovi Hotel costs from £589 per person (based on two sharing) including flights from Gatwick and transfers. Book early and get 2for1equipment hire.