Blog

Middle East: Mint teas and roller coaster 4x4 drives

Riitta Hänninen

Dec 26, 2024

Middle East: Mint teas and roller coaster 4x4 drives

Egypt and Jordan were some of the early locations for our desert races. The breathtaking scenery, warm-hearted locals, rich culture, and...

Memories of Epic Places Around the World - Far West China (Xinjiang)

Riitta Hänninen

Dec 26, 2024

Memories of Epic Places Around the World - Far West China (Xinjiang)

I have had the opportunity to organise races on all seven continents during my 12 years in this job. Although it’s been really hectic,...

Riitta Hänninen

Nov 28, 2024

What makes the job interesting?

“Industry” of remote ultras Organising events within your own country is one thing. But taking races to distant, exotic locations and...

Riitta Hänninen

Nov 28, 2024

My why - What makes the job valuable

I believe we all need a calling for doing the work we do every day. It's not just about ticking off tasks, but finding a deeper purpose,...

TALES FROM THE DESERT - Diary of Adventure

Riitta Hänninen

Nov 28, 2024

TALES FROM THE DESERT - Diary of Adventure

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Why this blog? My life so far has been quite extraordinary and filled with adventures. I’ve been fortunate to see and accept...

TALES FROM THE DESERT

Iltapäivälenkki ☀️ - back in the office, but I managed to leave on time to catch the sunset. This week at 5:30pm.

Office is good in Lapland too 😊✨️❄️

#crosscountryski #xcski #Lapland #arctic

One last ski before the happy rush! We have an exciting gathering here in Lapland this weekend, as we kick start the Finland Arctic Challenge 2025! ✨️💎

Many participants have already arrived, some more will be joining us tomorrow. Sooo nice to see old friends and meet new ones as well! ❤️ This small event is about gathering a great group of people together for a new experience and skills (this year from 14 countries!) and doing something very cool together with our locals:

This gives us an opportunity to share our culture and heritage along the lumberjack route and the source of our happiness, our wilderness. The owners of the lumberjack cabins in the Seven Fells area are cooking for us, saunas are hot, ice dips freezing and the Northern Sky magical! 💎💚

If you’d like to see what’s happening from this Sunday till Friday, 14 February, you can get a glimpse of it at on the LIVE site (check our bio 🔼) and following @arcticescapades

#FinlandArcticChallenge #Lapland

@jacquelineeastridge @niwalker256 @majonesdvm @dickens.toby @mykehphoto @trailrunnerroby.movimentor @tabbbbbbb @euznick @danielafrieden @wilbakellnaomi@yasuyoshiokamoto @astridtschiedel @thomas_luetkemeier @amanda_de_kock @cutter_hatter @theknownface @piyushmaheshwari

Kung Hei Fat Choi, Happy CNY from the Arctic Lapland 💚

Great to be back in Lapland, and soooo nice to have Beth and Jon here again. This week is all about getting ready for our Arctic trips and keeping fit 💎❄️

#arcticfun in #lapland

@bethwhitwa @arcticescapades @beth_wandertours

A few weeks back, I had the opportunity to join @julia_washbourne for the The Grow Bamboo Initiative by @Bamboa. We travelled to Sri Lanka, where we met the local team and spent a few days in the highlands of Kandy, visiting local communities that Bamboa is supporting and helping to grow bamboo. What an amazing, sustainable plant it is, and such wonderful people 🙌. Also it was great to be back in the Kandy region but this time less busy (last time I was organising a race).

Just a few highlights / perks:

✨️ A few days in a Tuk Tuk on the tiny mountain roads got my seating muscles nicely trimmed.

🪴 The encounters with the locals from monastery lunch to home stays. Not the typical tourist experience but so much better.

✨️ A visit to a local orphanage in Kandy that has given a good future for hundreds of children ❤️

🪴 Hikes and runs on the highlands through local villages, friendly people all around.

✨️Bamboo planting itself, hard work but fun. And once the roots are in, wonderful things start to happen.

🐘 Visit to an Elephant Sanctuary where we got to hang out with Nona 🧡

#SriLanka #Bamboo #sustainability #community
@bamboa

Happy New Year!!! May your 2025 be happy, healthy, and peaceful ✨️🥳

Some Boxing Day reading 🌏 - I've just added a couple of pages to my 'Tales from the Desert and Arctic' blog. If you'd like to read about Far West China, race recces, mint teas, and roller-coaster 4x4 drives, you can check it by clicking the link on my bio 🔼

Credits for these photos go to the many talented RacingThePlanet photographers. The worst ones are naturally mine, in the middle of the action!

#blog #BoxingDay #TalesfromtheDesertandArctic #sahara #gobi #jordan #xinjiang #racingtheplanet

Merry Christmas! Hyvää Joulua! 🎄✨️❤️

Spending it with the HK family and my 21-year old Sushi who's still very active and doesn't do what she's told 🤭.

Lovely hike with Seagods alumnus, followed by Christmas carrols is a good start to a few relaxing days. Happy holidays everyone! ✨️

The stunning winter season in Lapland has started and our first guests from Singapore enjoyed their @arcticescapades 'Best of Lapland' week thoroughly. Here's what we have in store ✨️

𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲
💎 Hosting group of friends from Hong Kong. It will be a week of stunning time in the snow based out of a luxury villa. Huskies and reindeer rides, snowshoeing, back-country skiing, saunas, ice dips and great Lapish meals.
💎 Hosting a bespoke travel tour from the United States jointly with Beth Whitman. Can't wait to see her again!

𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲
💎 Finland Arctic Challenge 2025, 9-15 February. Great people from around the world are joining! If you are interested, we have a couple of places left in the upcoming edition ❗️
💎 We are open for private groups too, be it families, friends, colleagues or a mix.

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥
💎 Cross-country ski camps in 0 to hero style. If you would like to learn a new skill, we would love to host you.
💎 We also organise Hut to hut hikes and multi-activity trips, any excuse to enjoy the warm part of the winter and long days with loads of sunshine!

✨️ A big part of the Arctic experience is learning and everything we do is beginner friendly. I really enjoy the dialogue with guests and the planning process - it's just exciting and fun: visitors learn how to stay warm, what to wear but also learn new skills and experience our culture and traditions.

This is why I recommend tailored trips over package tours ❤️

If you would like to come and experience my part of the world at the most mesmerising time of the year, (or even just a little bit curious), do let me know! I'm very happy to give tips as well to anyone travelling to Lapland. 🙌

#arctic #Lapland #bespoke #allinclusive #wilderness #winter #retreat #learning #growing #inspriration #travel

A quick 4 day trip to lovely Yangshuo. A few days of bicycling, river trips, and great food - can't think of a nicer escape! Much recommended ✨️

Getting there is much easier than 18 years ago when I last visited the place: 3 hour fast speed train from Hong Kong, plus an hour taxi drive. Visas are exempt these days for many nationalities as well. Easy peasy!

#yangshuo #guilin #china #fastspeedtrain

I had the absolute pleasure of speaking at the Royal Geographical Society earlier this week.✨️ Great to see so many of you interested in the behind-the-scenes stories from races and expeditions in breathtaking locations like deserts and the Arctic. The places that I've been lucky to call my office.

An hour felt short, but I mentioned my blog— check the link in my bio 🔼

During the races, I kept a quick bullet point diary that I later turned into a journal. Well, it’s finally ready! I’ve created a blog where you can read more about these adventures (start with the oldest). I’ll be adding more over the next few weeks...

I put this together so that I have something to reflect on while sipping white wine spitzers with other grannies at the elderly house. But if you find this fun to read, then it serves a dual purpose.

Growth happens outside your comfort zone—get out there and explore whenever you can! 💎

#deserts #arctic #events #races #travel #Lapland #expeditions #Finland

@racingtheplanet @arcticescapades @rgshk

Photo credits: 📸 @racingtheplanet @thiagodiz @run_n_shoot @lusher_photography

I'm just adding the final toughes before presenting at the Royal Geographical Society tonight ✨️If you'd like to hear stories from behind the scenes of races and expeditions, you can get the details from my bio 🔼

#RGS #HongKong #RoyalGeographicalSociety #Deserts #Arctic

RUN Hong Kong sure knows how to organise a great race. Beautiful trails, long due catch ups, and a great after party. All with and for the refugees:
www.runhk.org

@runhongkong #refugees #support #empowerment #sports #community #trailrunning #hongkong

If Lapland is on your bucket list and if you enjoy authentic challenges, check this one out ➡️ The video by Thiago Diz brings back great memories from last winter.

The next edition of the Finland Arctic Challenge is set for 9-15 February 2025. This is a unique, one-of-a-kind opportunity to explore Arctic Lapland based out of lumberjack cabins in the middle of the wilderness just in 5 days.

Designed for those with a passion for adventure and the outdoors, this event provides an authentic experience of Arctic Lapland, while allowing you to learn new skills and make new friends.

To learn more about the event, follow @arcticescapades

#FinlandArcticChallenge #Lapland #Arctic #Wilderness #Challenge #Expedion #lumberjackcabins #Finland #Adventure #ArcticEscapades

One of the best things in Sri Lanka. Spending time with Nona the Elephant, feeding, walking and bathing. #happyelephants #srilanka #conservation #elephants

I'm back at my Hong Kong home for a couple of months (and so great to be here 💜). If you're around and would like to catch up over a coffee or hike, let me know!

Lunta odotellessa... while waiting for the snow ❄️ ✨️

Some long due catch ups in the UK over the last few weeks, with a great excuse to explore the Lake District and Cornwall (stunning!), more of Sussex plus an adhoc visit to Holland! Thanks for making time 😊❤️ @jolliffej @andrew_strachan_ & @howaboutsleep_coaching, Paul & Kate @stevepalmier, @hannahwalshcoaching @cdsw8 @tashafanshawe Ilya & @karinvdav

The past few weeks in Brighton have gone so quickly. A lovely place to work, colourful town (really a city but feels like a town), open-minded and friendly people, and a fun office. Good water sports, running and cycling... sorted 👌Here's a few pics from in and around the town.

Nice long weekend in the UK. Good outrigger paddle training sessions with Steve's team and today, the Seven Sister's hike, this 15k bit from Seaford to Beachy Head. Followed by a beer and curry, I think I'm pretty English now 😜

Have you got any exciting plans for next winter??? Whilst still enjoying summer, I'm starting to shift my mind towards snowflakes. Below is what's in store next season! If you're interested or would like to recommend to your friend, you can see more details at @arcticescapades 🙏

💙𝗔𝗿𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 coming up in January 2024! – This is a 5-day photography trip hosted jointly by a top photographer, @WilliamFurniss, and Arctic Escapades.
We’ll take you out to the most amazing scenery to capture your best Arctic photos. If you would like to get more details, please message us for more details.

✨️𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 9-15 February 2025 – This is a bucket list experience, a multi-sport expedition in the most stunning wilderness of Lapland.
While pushing your limits in the Arctic, you are supported by experienced operational and medical teams. Stages include snowshoeing, back-country skiing, fat-biking, and a half-marathon on snowy trails, plus husky-dog sledding. Based out of wilderness cabins, you will experience Lapland in the most authentic way! Check out the event details on the bio.

💙 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗸𝗶 in the Pallas – Ylläs National Park that has one of the largest cross-country ski networks of groomed trails in the world! Over 300 kms of stunning tracks, you will not get bored! Our trips include daily XC-ski lessons and guided ski trips in the National Park. For more details, please click our bio.

✨️𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 – Would you like to bring your family, friends or colleagues to experience Lapland in the most authentic way? Surrounded by the pristine snowy landscape, your time in Lapland is an escape from everyday life. We’ll tailor unforgettable experiences through tailored escapades and programs from multi-day expeditions and team building events to all-inclusive winter holidays. Let's start by having a call. See more details on our website.

You can't go wrong with spending the summer in Finland's Lakeland. Apparently it's the largest lake area in Europe. It doesn't matter which one of the thousands of lakes, there's plenty of swimming, paddling, lake side saunas and cabin life to enjoy.

A couple of pics from the other nights paddle at home, followed by -> sauna -> swim -> sauna. It actually gets dark now at 11pm!

#Finland #Lakeland

HER ULTRA - Film Premier in London. Beautiful display of Finland and achievements of the 8 women most of whom took on their first ultramarathon.

It was great to relive the race and see everyone again. Great work, Kristin and the @riverplacefilms team, for capturing the story so beautifully (3 years of hard work and 60 hours of footage!), @hannahwalshcoaching and all the super star ladies 🔥 and our @racingtheplanet
team.

Lapland is a magical place. Hope to see many of you back on our beautiful trails.

Link to the trailer on the bio 🔼

#HERUltra #ultramarathon #racingtheplanet #stagerace #finland #lapland #PallasYllasNationalPark #yllas #Levi #ArcticEscapades

Ihan pienestä asti on tullut seurattua kuumailmapalloja ja kaikkea muutakin lentävää kun tässä kentän kupeessa on kasvanut. Nyt vihdoin lähdettiin lennolle perheen kanssa - aivan parasta 💛💛💛.

✨️ Palokasta lähdettiin noin 21:00 (pallon valmisteluun ja täyttöön meni noin tunti) ja siitä se raidi sitten alkoi. Tikkakoskelle leijuttiin 1 tunti 16 minuuttia. Meno oli kaunista ja tyyntä, ilmakuopat ei kuulemma kuulu tähän lajiin. Välillä mentiin matalalla lintujen selkiä katsellen, välillä kilometrin korkeudessa.

🎈Pallon kaasu lämmitti mukavasti, tämä on kuulemma myös erinomainen talvilaji (ja seuraavaksi mulla plakkarissa) mutta muutenkin oli lämmintä!

🌍 Parhaitten Keski-Suomen maisemien yli
päädyttiin muutaman kuusen latvan kautta aivan turvallisesti varuskunnan hiekkakentälle 22:16.

🎈Pallo varusteineen painaa noin 3000kg ja siitä ilman paino on 7000 kg, joten pikku latvat ei tuntunu missään. Uutta oli itselle se että koska palloa ei varsinaisesti ohjata, niin lasku paikkaa tulee välillä niin sanotusti kärkkyä 😆. Pallon menevä kolo riittää. Siinä matkalla tuli sitten myös heiluteltua kyläläisten kanssa yms yms.

Koulustakin tunnetulla Kapteeni Sipisellä on yli 4000 lentotuntia takana joten meno oli oikein rentoa.

✨️ Nämä oli Raijan (ja ehkä samalla vähän samalla Virpin ja munkin 40 juhlat) ja meitä oli koko konkkaronkka, iskä ja äiskä lentoässinä mukana menossa myös.

Suosittelenko? Lämpimästi! Aivan huikean hieno kokemus. Uskoisin että jopa niille ketkä eivät korkeista paikoista niin yleensä välitä.

Jos yhtään kiinnostaa niin kannattaa kysäistä kyytiä @aeronautfinland 🎈

Tässä vähän kuvia lennosta, ja myös pallon laitosta.

#Finland #Lakeland #hotairballoon

A couple of lazy days in Venice and the surrounding islands. Besides the colourful history, what's really impressive is their everyday logistics around the water ways.

Four stunning days of hiking in the Dolomites and we've just seen a little corner of it. There's hardly anything better than packing a rucksack with bare essentials, and thinking nothing but each step ahead, or the next lunch break, while admiring these sceneries. Just what I needed right now.

We started from Cortina at 1200m and hiked up and around Mt Tofana, through a 2700m pass and some historical climbing refuges, to Rifugio Giusani. That first night up in the mountains, under the towering wall of Tofana's highest peak was my favourite. There's obviously no car access here so the beers and dinner were brought to us by a little supplies lift over the peaks. Nights in bunk beds are always fun and the discussions were aptly, kindergarten level.

The next day, after great coffee and breakfast, we started early through snow, glided, hiked, scaled and scrambled down the pass to the other side (some sections were quite sketchy, so with mixed feelings of amazing, otherworldly and shit if I fall doen now) to a mountain valley at 1900m for a sunny lunch on a rock. After a couple of glacial river crossings and wet feet we started climbing slowly towards the top of Lagazuoi (2800m). Having had a glorious sunny day for most of it, it was on the last steep snowy switch backs when the rain and clouds caught us. So no views other than what was 1meter forward when we reached the top.

On the third day we left the big mountains for a bit and hiked along green trails and rugged scenery to Cinque Torri, a group of these unique carst cliffs, and then through meadows and pine forests towards Croda da Lago. Today's feature was mud as the weather changed from drizzly to rainy to sunny to rainy. Descending for hundreds of meters and after a few rolls, we all develop our own techniques. Then a couple of hours of ascent through a beautiful forest until we reached the lake. There was a local welcome committee (a heard of cute horses) by the refugio so that meant hugs and scratches, and then all horse smelly it was time for the usual 5pm beer o'clock, followed by grappa, some fierce card games, Italian dinner and bed.

Insta tells me I'm out of space, more on Facebook 😃

Mistä tietää että on tullu vanhaksi? Siitä(kin) että muistaa nähneensä Manneken Pissin mutta ei muista kuinka monta vuosi kymmentä siitä on, mikä reissu, ja lopulta ei oo varma edes maasta 😃. Toisaalta noita pippeli patsaita on maailma täynnä.

Muutama kuva työviikosta Belgiassa. Thank you @jolliffej for hosting 😎

I've been a bit busy over the last three months but it's so worth it when a great event comes to life…. The last 2 weeks have been nothing short of epic being on the road organising the Natwest Baton Relay in partnership with the NatWest Group and TeamGB

🚴🏽⛵🚴🏽🏃🏾‍♀️🚶🏼‍♀️🚴🏽🚴🏽🏇🚴🏽🏃🏾‍♀️🚴🏽🚣🏿‍♀️🚴🏽🚴🏽🏊🏻‍♀️🚴🏽🏄🏻🚴🏽🛶⛵🏃🏾‍♀️🚶🏼‍♀️🚴🏽🏁🥇

In summary, 10 days across the UK from Edinburg to Folkestone: 1,000 miles, 4 countries, 50+ branches, 300 colleagues taking part in 24 events and 8 Olympic disciplines!

So many positive outcomes 🧡 The event brought together thousands of colleagues through sports and well-being, fundraising, while gaining new skills and overcoming boundaries.

The input? Long hours of planning, preparation and creative problem solving 💪This has been team work at its best and a very unique project to be part of. For me personally, I’ve got to know many stunning parts of the UK!

Next, a bit of time off and travelling before tackling the next projects 🙌

#NatwestBatonRelay
#TeamGB
@ThresholdSports
#MoreIsInYou
#LetsGetGoing
#eventplanning
#teamwork
#offseason

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About Me

My name is Riitta Hänninen. I’m originally from Finland, but much of my life I've spent living and working in far-flung corners of the world—specifically, in the deserts and the Arctic. These breathtaking locations not only shaped my career but also blessed me with the opportunity to meet and collaborate with incredible people.

I decided to write down these memories, mostly for myself—a collection to look back on one day while sipping white wine spritzers with fellow grannies at the retirement home. However, if you happen to enjoy reading them, then my stories serve a second purpose.

Stay tuned—there’s more to come in the weeks ahead!

Explore

Blog

Middle East: Mint teas and roller coaster 4x4 drives

Memories of Epic Places Around the World - Far West China (Xinjiang)

What makes the job interesting?

My why - What makes the job valuable

TALES FROM THE DESERT - Diary of Adventure

TALES FROM THE DESERT

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Follow me on Instagram

About Me

TALES FROM THE DESERT & ARCTIC