It was ten degrees Celsius below freezing on a beautiful winter morning. I was climbing with ski poles up a snowy slope of the steep hill of Valtavaara in the forest in northern Finland. This place is known for its spectacular views, but especially just after snowfall, the trail in the deep snow can be very challenging even with backcountry skis.
The rising sun dyed the skyline with pastel colours despite the cloudy weather. I was alone in complete peace and quiet while snow-covered spruces surrounded me on all sides. After some time, the sky began to clear. The blue and still partly cloudy sky formed a beautiful colour combination against the white landscape.
When I climbed higher, the trees began to be shorter, and among the coniferous trees, there were more low-growing birches. The sun was shining low, making the snow sparkle beautifully on the branches of the birch trees.
I stopped every now and then to photograph the landscape. Finally, after a few kilometres of trekking, the treeless hilltop provided good visibility in all directions. The biting wind affected my photographing time there, but the impressive scenery compensated for it.
