2026-01-06 64 25

Location

In the Kempeleenlahti bay in the Baltic Sea, about 1.2 km from the nearest accessible shore.

The point on a topographic map: [1]

Participants

Kripakko

Plans

It should be easy to walk or ski to the point from a shore. Since it has been freezing in the region for several weeks, small bays like this have been covered in fast ice that is safe to walk on. [2] I will probably be there around noon, coming from either Äimärautio (northeast) or Niemenranta (southwest).

Although the weather forecasts disagree with each other, the weather will definitely be cold and windy. The Finnish forecasters FMI and Foreca [3] predict temperatures of −25 °C and −18 °C respectively at noon, of which I would perhaps trust the latter considering that FMI’s forecasts have been way too pessimistic for a while now.

Expedition

In the morning, I reconsidered the mode of transport and decided to cycle from home to Äimärautio where I could enter the ice and potentially cycle on it. I have studded tyres, so the slippery ice is no problem, but a thick snow cover might be. In that case, I could walk from the shore, though the distance would be long. I could also take ice fishing equipment with me, and then I could measure the thickness of the ice and try ice fishing for the first time this winter.

I prepared myself for the freezing weather by wearing as many layers of thick clothing as possible and went cycling. When I left, the outside thermometer displayed a temperature of −21 °C, and as it was not going to change much during the afternoon, I consider it the outside temperature of today. It might have been slightly colder on the ice, but in that case this is a conservative estimate. Anyway, I got to the seashore, found out that there was only a thin layer of snow on the ice and thus continued cycling on the ice. It was mostly not too bad, except when I encountered thicker banks of snow where I lost speed and had to push the bicycle. I eventually reached the hashpoint without any more trouble and felt warm enough at that point.

I drilled a hole in the ice and tried to catch fish at the hashpoint. The ice was about 30 cm thick, so totally safe to be on. (For reference, 5–10 cm is enough to support a person.) I did not catch anything there, but after giving up and returning closer to the shore I was able to catch a perch with a combination of a vertical metal lure and a mormyshka. A few other fish also bit the mormyshka but were not caught in its hook, so the perch ended up being the only catch of today. Still something to eat as evening snack, and as I found out later its abdomen was filled with a huge sack of delicious roe.

After having been outside for two and a half hours, my toes and fingers gradually started getting cold. As the sun set and the daylight began to diminish, I wrapped my stuff up and cycled to the shore and back home. My toes were seriously numb by then, but I was able to revive them by drinking a big cup of hot tea once I got inside. The total distance of the trip was about 12 kilometres.

Tracklog

File:2026-01-06 64 25 tracklog.gpx

Photos

The ice situation of the Baltic sea on 2026-01-05 with the geohash location shown.
The weather forecasts of FMI and Foreca on 2026-01-05 with the predicted conditions at noon highlighted.
The temperature was −21 °C when I left from home.
At the seashore, 2.7 km to go.
Entering the ice, there are some cracks and funny ice formations (this one may be human-made though).
Hashpoint reached, proof of location.
Proof of date and time.
Stupid Grin™
Ice fishing at the hashpoint.
The perch (Perca fluviatilis) that I caught later.
The sun is about to set.