Photos and text: Eeva Mäkinen
Jochem Van Den Bosch, the Operations Manager at Ruka Safaris, first became acquainted with Finland through his father, a tour operator, during his childhood. He visited Finland for the first time at the age of three, spending time mainly skiing with his family.
After several holiday trips to Finland, Jochem’s father asked him to work as a guide during the winter season at Ruka, as Ruka Safaris needed a guide who could speak their customers’ language.
Jochem arrived at Ruka’s Iisakki Village in the November dusk with other guides, where they were immediately put to work building ice igloos. Without proper winter clothing, the season began hectically.
However, the winter at Ruka was rewarding, and after the guide season, Jochem’s passion for the nature of Koillismaa truly began.
One thing Jochem regretted as a seasonal guide was seeing people always arriving exhausted from their flights.
“As a guide, my best reward was watching their exhaustion turn into happiness and energy over the course of the week,” Jochem fondly recalls.
During the winter seasons, Jochem took customers to incredible places as a snowmobile guide, such as the Hossa snowmobile safari and exploring Ruka among snow-laden trees. He also had the opportunity to snowmobile across the border into Paanajärvi in Russia during a Ruka Safaris familiarization trip before the border was closed.
“The other guides played a joke at the border, asking the Russian border guard to tell me I couldn’t cross, but luckily it turned out to be a joke,” Jochem recalls.
Snowmobiling through the Paanajärvi area in March was an unforgettable experience, as was staying overnight in a local village. In the evening, cheap vodka flowed, despite having to cover 500 kilometers in three days.
Seven years ago, Jochem met his future Dutch wife at Ruka Safaris, and the idea of permanently moving to Kuusamo began to appeal to the couple. The move was also frightening, as it felt like diving into the unknown.
“We carefully weighed the pros and cons of a permanent move. Many people want to move, but they don’t dare. We dared, and we’re happy here,” Jochem rejoices.
The shift from living seasonally at Ruka for four months to living there permanently was significant. Everyday tasks, like changing tires, had to be done in Kuusamo, the closest town 20 kilometers from Ruka. Jochem found himself in a challenging situation with the tire shop due to the language barrier, which became an obstacle, and the tire change didn’t go as planned.
The language barrier was a challenge in the new country. Jochem felt that the Finnish way is to let people learn new things independently, often throwing them into the deep end, so to speak.
Nevertheless, he received invaluable support from the Ruka Safaris work community, which he considers a small family.
The busy work life at Ruka Safaris is most hectic in winter. During other times, Jochem has more time to pursue hobbies, and he enjoys nature the most by hiking with his wife.
The couple’s favorite spots are natural locations with as few other people as possible. They prefer to spend nights in wilderness huts, rental cottages, or cabins without electricity and running water.
“The first time I went to a wilderness hut, I was very skeptical about how I would manage without electricity and running water. I managed just fine, and when I returned home, I realized it was exactly what I needed for my hectic life,” Jochem sighs contentedly.
A new hobby unexpectedly entered Jochem’s life when one spring, he noticed that the Nuts trail running event was a month away and decided to participate in the 36-kilometer competition.
Intensive four-week training paid off, and Jochem challenged himself on the occasionally still snowy trails of the Karhunkierros.
The work community at Ruka Safaris is close-knit, and most of Jochem’s local friends have been made through work. What the friends working in tourism share is the same passion for providing customers with an unforgettable experience at Ruka.
“The experiences that work brings are very valuable, and most people do this job for the adventures,” Jochem notes.
Ruka has become so dear to Jochem that he has tattooed the Ruka hill chain on his arm. His favorite place at Ruka is Iisakki Village, where Ruka Safaris operates and where he has spent much time both during his guide years and now as the company’s Operations Manager.
“Ruka has everything in one place, with the quiet nature right next to the cozy Ruka village,” Jochem praises.
Jochem, who values tranquility, enjoys life in Koillismaa, as the Netherlands has become busy, and it’s hard to find peace in the cities. He hopes more young people will move to Kuusamo, knowing that such a peaceful place may not be suitable for everyone.
“I hope that people living here and those moving here will continue to appreciate nature in the future,” Jochem concludes.
