My particular itinerary promises adventures galore: husky sledding, snowmobiling and snowy sauna circuits. And the latter is precisely why I, along with six other ‘Flashpackers’, am standing shivering in my swimwear, having just stepped out of a lovely toasty sauna.

Our guide Val gives the signal and we pick our way down to the lake, on tiptoes with clenched fists in the bitingly cold snow. Taking a gulp of freezing air, I grip the railings and lower myself quickly into the water (which is hard, given it’s an icy two degrees). Immediately, the breath is sucked from my lungs and my skin burns from the intense cold. But the group, who were just names to me a day ago, yell words of encouragement, and when I emerge after a (decent, I think) 40 seconds in the water, the camaraderie between us feels like we’ve been friends forever.

We warm up back at our accommodation in Torassieppi village, a snow-slathered collection of traditional wooden cabins set on the banks of a frozen lake next to a reindeer farm (could it be any more Finnish?). As well as these communal cabins (I’m sharing a place with two other Flashpackers; single rooms can be booked for a supplement), you’ll also find ‘aurora domes’ scattered throughout the forest here.

Why Finland is the ultimate solo travel destination