Our journey began in mid-July at the Helsinki airport, where we arrived one by one to the international concourse. Once assembled, we were eight in total hailing from the United States, the Netherlands, Italy, Argentina, Venezuela, and Finland. After a brief round of introductions, we packed into the rental van for the drive to Kouvola, just a couple hours north-east of Helsinki. For half of the group, this was our first time in Finland. Nevertheless, the van ride was mostly silent as we all sat in awe of the sprawling old-growth forests that greeted us immediately upon leaving city limits.

Kouvola is home to Repovesi National Park and what was soon to become our playground for the remainder of “Trail Camp”. The dense forests of pine and birch that populate the region are characterized by rolling hills, rugged cliffs, winding paths, and never-ending carpets of moss that made it the perfect location for putting KARHU’s newest trail shoe to the test. Over the next three days, our group took to the trails in and around the national park with the sole intention of exploring new places on foot. For most, this was a great excuse to ignore the numbers on our watch and instead focus on being in the moment—running together, carefully calculating each footfall, and never hesitating to pause and take in the view. At the completion of each session, we made sure to plunge into one of the many blue lakes dotting the park before recapping our adventures from the day in front of the campfire.

Back at our Airbnb, we’d stay up late into each evening telling stories around the dinner table, playing card games that we’d taught one another, and imparting wit and wisdom from our respective homelands. Our shared love of running and the outdoors made us fast friends, and through that connection we were able to learn a lot about each other in just a few short days.