The Original Midnight Sun Packraft Adventure
Trek, paddle and navigate through the arctic wilderness.
Kairacross Vätsäri is the legendary packraft expedition race –
4 days and nights, non-stop and self-supported in the magical maze of lakes.
To Whom?
Kairacross Vätsäri is for anyone with the outdoor skills needed to be entirely self-sufficient for four days in trackless wilderness.
The race format allows every team to choose its own pace and challenge—up to 100 hours on the course.
Teams consist of at least two members in men’s, women’s or mixed teams – you can even form a team of up to five friends.
Participants aged 16–18 may join as long as they’re on the same team with their parent.
What?
The goal is to cover a ~300-kilometre route as quickly as possible—or at least as far as possible within the 100-hour time limit.
The course consists of checkpoints marked on the map, some accessible only by water using a packraft carried along by the team.
In addition to the packraft, all gear and supplies must be carried throughout the race — there is no outside support along the route.
Where?
The race takes place in the Vätsäri Wilderness with the event centre located in the village of Sevettijärvi, Inari.
Inari is Finland’s largest municipality by area and one of the country’s most international travel destinations, known for Arctic nature tourism.
Sevettijärvi, a village of around 350 residents located about 120 km north of Inari, lies along the Eastern Arctic Ocean Road.
A significant part of the local population is Skolt Sámi, and Sevettijärvi is the only place in the world where Skolt Sámi language and culture remain a living part of everyday life.
Event Centre: Sevettijärvi School, Sevettijärventie 9076, 99930 Sevettijärvi.
How to get there?
The nearest airports are Kirkenes (Norway) and Ivalo (Finland), both with car rental services.
Buses operate to Ivalo and onward to Sevettijärvi on weekdays only.
If there is enough demand, we’ll arrange a minibus transfer from Ivalo to Sevettijärvi on Sunday, 26 July – let us know if you need a ride.
For those arriving by car, enter Sevettijärventie 9076, 99930 Inari into your navigator.
When?
Preliminary schedule – subject to minor changes.
All teams must be at the event site by Monday 10:00 at the latest.
We strongly recommend arriving already on Sunday to allow time for route planning and preparations.
Sunday, 26 July 2026
17:00 Event centre opens
17:00–19:00 Dinner (pre-order only)
17:00–21:00 Map & race-packet pick-up
Monday, 27 July 2026
08:00–10:00 Breakfast (pre-order only)
08:00–10:00 Map & race-packet pick-up
11:00–12:00 Race briefing & gear check
13:00–14:00 Transfer to the start line
14:00 Race start
Friday, 31 July 2026
18:00 Finish
19:00 Closing ceremony (included in the entry fee)
How to follow?
Each team will receive a GPS tracking device, allowing spectators to follow their progress online. Tracking will open shortly before the race begins.
Race updates will be posted on kairacross.fi/live, where followers can also comment and discuss.
You can also follow the event on Instagram and Facebook.
Hashtags: #kairacross #kairacrossvatsari
Maps & routes of previous races:
Instructions
Insurance
Participants take part at their own risk. The organiser holds event organiser’s liability insurance, but does not insure participants.
We recommend all competitors have their own sports or accident insurance that covers participation in wilderness racing and any potential evacuation costs.
Entry fee
The entry fee includes
Closing ceremony meal
Transfer to the start line
Two map sets per team
Race souvenir patch
Post-race refreshments
Showers at the event centre
Event photos for personal use
Retrieval service for teams that withdraw (from locations accessible by car)
Entry fee per participant
249 € until 31 Oct 2025
269 € until 31 Dec 2025
299 € until 30 Apr 2026
349 € until 30 Jun 2026
Late entry 399 € until 15 Jul 2026
Registration
Partners
Organizer
Kairacross Oy
Race Director: Jouni Junkkaala, tel: +358 40 342 4493
Event info | Race instructions | Rules | Equipment | Register