AccessLapland Ice-Karting

In Rovaniemi, on the edge of the Arctic Circle, AccessLapland offers something you will struggle to find anywhere but northern Finland: karting on an ice track of around five hundred metres, laid out afresh each winter a few minutes from the town centre, on the bank of a frozen river. CRG petrol karts slide across the groomed ice, and the driving has little in common with tarmac. It is all about anticipation: you feather the throttle, set the kart up before the corner and ride the slide rather than fight it.

The activity is open from age ten and a height of one metre forty, with no previous experience needed. Safety gear is provided, a briefing covers the basics, and then everyone goes looking for grip wherever it hides. Allow about an hour and a half on site, enough to get to grips with a surface that shifts with the temperature and the daylight. Drivers used to conventional tracks rediscover fresh sensations, while beginners make quick progress thanks to the gentler speeds the ice imposes.

Rovaniemi is the capital of Finnish Lapland, known for its snowy expanses, its northern lights in season and the Santa Claus village set on the Arctic Circle. Between sessions, the region lends itself to walks through frozen forests, husky and reindeer rides and long Arctic nights. The track runs in winter, depending on the state of the ice and the weather, so it is worth booking ahead during the cold season.