Urpo Heikkinen is the founder and owner of the company. Outdoors and trekking have always been Urpo’s passion and after attending a wilderness guide course in 1999 he founded Upitrek. The first tours were organized in winter 2000 and as long as the company was a one-man business Urpo guided all groups himself. Nowadays running the day-to-day operations, logistics etc. keep him busy during the seasons so unfortunately there is no time for guiding anymore. Urpo’s wealth of knowledge and extensive experience are priceless when it comes to planning new tours and ensuring the smooth operation of tours. 

Niina Jämsén has been involved in some way with the family business since 2002 when she completed her tourism studies at Kajaani University of Applied Sciences. Along the way she gained valuable experience as secretary for several regional, national and also international sports events. In 2011 she made the move and began working full-time for Upitrek. Niina’s realm is the office where she is responsible for sales and marketing as well as “anything digital” from website to webshops etc. Beyond that, Niina also manages Upitrek’s outgoing agency Kunnon Lomat.

We are fortunate to collaborate with a dedicated team of professional freelance guides who join us each season. Many of these experienced guides have been integral parts of our team for several years, sharing their expertise and passion to make our adventures memorable. 

Moreover, each season brings the excitement of welcoming new, enthusiastic team members. It’s rewarding to note that some of them initially embarked on their journey with us as trainees.

On our winter tours 2024-25 you will meet Anna, Anna-Maria, Anton, Chris, Jere, Jeru, Kaisa, Kassu, Maarit, Maria, Marko, Pekka, Petri, Pike, Riikka, Ruben, Tarmo, Tapani, Tomasz, Tuula and Toni – among a few others. 

Here are brief introductions to some of them—the rest you’ll get to know during your visit!

My name is Jere. I am French and 35 years old. I graduated in 2018 from the International Wilderness Guide School in Kuru.

Since then, I have been guiding all around the Nordic countries: Norway, Sweden, and Finland. I love being in the forest, listening to the song of the wind, and skiing under the stars. I enjoy sharing my love for the North and telling stories by the fire. I am an expedition leader, but I also enjoy shorter tours in the forest and searching for the northern lights.

This will be my first year as a guide for Upitrek in Hossa, but I already have several winters of experience.

My name is Tomasz, and I am from Poland. I’ve been living in Finland for six years. I moved here because I found peace, an environment that fulfills my soul, and a wonderful person who makes me want to stay here permanently. I love spending time in nature, admiring its beauty, and gathering its gifts—mushrooms, berries, herbs, and various pieces of wood.

I graduated from the International Wilderness Guide course in Kuru, Finland, in 2020. This is my fifth season with Upitrek, guiding a variety of winter tours.

As a tour leader, I enjoy sharing my experiences and knowledge about Finland with others. My favorite activity is snowshoeing through the forest, where I can talk about nature and observe wildlife activity along the way.

I speak Polish and English fluently. Finnish is my third language, which I now use daily. However, as it’s often considered the most difficult language in the world, I know I still have a lot to learn to truly master it. 🙂

I’m Ruben, a Belgian (Dutch-speaking) guide who has fallen in love with the North. After studying biology, my sense for adventure led me to Finland, where I studied to become a wilderness guide. During my course, I completed a trainee period with Upitrek, and it immediately felt like the perfect fit. Upitrek’s focus on small-scale, sustainable, and authentic tourism, far removed from the masses, aligns perfectly with my values. This is my fifth winter season with Upitrek, and I’m certain there are many more to come.

For me, the interaction with participants is what makes every trip truly unique. Sharing laughter, marveling at new experiences, and witnessing a group of strangers become friends brings me immense joy. This is why I love my job, alongside my passion for being active outdoors. To me, a guide is not just someone who ensures the safety of an activity but someone who helps you explore a new country in an authentic way, learning about its nature, culture, and history along the journey.

I guide in both English and Dutch, and I’m already looking forward to meeting all of you!

Hei! My name is Riikka. I’m 40 years old, born and living in the Finnish countryside in eastern Finland. I love being outdoors year-round, enjoying the changing seasons and a variety of activities depending on the time of year—hiking, skiing, trail running, and mushroom and berry picking, to name a few.

As a guide, I enjoy exploring Finnish nature with our guests and showcasing the many experiences it has to offer. In addition to guiding, I also work as a visual artist, creating sculptures from various materials. This is my second season with Upitrek, and I’m excited about all the trips this winter will bring!

I’m Maria, a wilderness guide born and raised in Eastern Finland. I have several years of experience working as a wilderness guide in the northern and eastern parts of Finland. I first worked for Upitrek in 2019, made a ‘comeback’ in 2024, and will be returning again in 2025.

During the winter season I love roaming outdoors and doing different kind of sports: cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, freeriding, ice climbing, ice-fishing etc. Finnish nature and especially the east of Finland will always have a special place in my heart. I want to show Finnish nature and its beauty to our visitors and make everyone fall in love with it, just like I did.

I’ll end this introduction with an old Finnish proverb “Lyhyestä virsi kaunis” which means “The short hymn is beautiful”. But don’t worry, I have a lot of stories to tell when we meet!

Having grown up surrounded by the forests and marshes of Northeastern Finland, I feel truly at home in the woods and in nature as a whole. The calming and grounding effect of nature is one of the key reasons I chose to study to become a wilderness and nature guide. As someone who values physical activity, any form of movement in nature holds a special place in my heart.

I completed a training period with Upitrek in the spring of 2023 and was captivated by the personal touch of their facilities and programs—something that sets them apart from mass tourism. This is my second season working for Upitrek, almost in my home region, and I am delighted to share the uniqueness of these surroundings with visitors from afar. Alongside my work as a wilderness guide, I also work as an organist and cantor in Hämeenlinna.

Petri is currently the guide with the longest history with Upitrek groups having guided them for more than 15 years. Over the years Petri has led a wide range of activities in  both summer and winter and many happy customers have returned for “another tour with Petri”.

Petri loves to tell stories about Finnish culture, traditions, nature and life in the north. If you do a tour with him you will definitely find out about ”Sisu, sauna and Sibelius” – the three Finnish symbols.

Hi, I’m Maarit. I am a trained tour guide with over 20 years of experience in various guiding roles. I joined Upitrek at the beginning of 2020.

Winter tourism is my specialty, and I love everything winter has to offer, including skiing, snowshoeing, skating on natural ice, camping, and winter fishing with nets. Meeting people is the most rewarding part of being a guide. Some of my best experiences have been in peaceful forests and pristine nature, and I’m eager to share these moments with you.

English is my strongest language, but I can also communicate in German, Swedish, and Spanish. Above all, safety is always my top priority in every activity. I look forward to welcoming you to experience the magic and uniqueness of the winter landscape with me!