Raid Mosquito 2007 News

The final infoletter of 2nd June 2007

Only 36 days - or less - to Raid Mosquito!

An importsnat infoletter was e-mailed to all raiders on 2.6.2007. BMOG asks you to send a quick reply, so that we know this important letter has reached you.

The letter should contain information on all possible topics. Read it carefully, please.

The letter is downloadable for raiders also on Raiders Only -area (Informations).

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Newsflash of 16th March 2007

Time is ticking nearer, actually you can check the number of remaining days from
http://www.sitruuna.com/mosquito/index.html but do not panic.

The website is your main source of information, please use it efficiently. It will be updated more and more frequently during the spring. On the main page, you can see when the latest updates has been done and where.
The "Raiders Only" area is entered using the password given to you.

- the FORUM is a very trendy and easy to use discussion area for all the raiders and it also contains ultra-important information from the BMOG. Surprise your neighbour and children by using this modern way of communication. All you you need is a specific username and password for it, but these have been sent to you by our webmaster Toppo in the beginning of 2007. If you can´t find them or you are new in the group, send a complaint to toppok@hulifer.net
The forum is open for all kinds of discussion: jokes, links, tips, questions, swearing.... There are actually some good ones at the moment there. PLEASE, USE THE FORUM!
- the RAIDERS' PAGES contain the list of participants and new faces have just been added in. You can add nasty messages to the fellow teams' pages using the "comment" button below each team. If your photo is still missing, please send one to toppok@hulifer.net (otherwise we'll take care of this and look for some "nice" pictures of you)
- the INFORMATION section contain all the previous informations for downloading

The Route Map section now has some interesting new day-by-day information of our route and overnight spots and a lot of updating will happen in near future. Actually we are working on a number of new ideas.
The Links include many kinds of useful links and has also been recently updated by new ones. If you have found a nice website that might be interesting to all raiders, send the address to toppok@hulifer.net (and copy to fin2cv@saunalahti.fi)

The Online Diary will be opened by Toppo as our trip starts and everyone is asked to write stories so that others not on the raid can read and comment them from their homes.
On behalf of the BloodyMosquitoOrganizingGroup

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Newsflash of 27th December 2006
The new Official Raid Mosquito Forum "Mosquito BUZZ" has been opened.

The idea of this forum is to create useful and useless discussions between participants so that everybody can read and enjoy them.
As a registered participant you should have received a separate e-mail message titled "Welcome to Mosquito forum". It contains your personal Username and Password which you need to enter the actual forum. This password is different from the general one you use for Raiders Only area.
In principal, our forum works much in the same way as most forums in the internet. If you never used them, it is time to try! Instructions have been emailed to you and you can also re-read them in the forum (FAQ section).
To enter the forum go to "Raiders Only" area.
Try and learn, it is quite easy and safe. If in doubt, ask Toppo (our webmaster) by e-mail toppok@hulifer.net

Have fun and please use this great forum!
The BMOG

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Newsflash of 10th December 2006 (emailed to participants)

Hallo Raiders,
Raid Mosquito is coming closer and closer. Most of the overseas-raiders have booked their flights meanwhile and are in contact with BMOG about this and that to be done before Raid Mosquito starts. European raiders are getting hotter all the time and some are coming to Finland already in February (Miniraid Vehu http://www.sitruuna.com/raidvehu/ , you are invited!).

So time has come to ask you for the preliminary-registration-fee...

Read More at Raiders Only area (informations)>CLICK HERE.

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Newsflash of 27th November 2006 (emailed to participants)

Things are proceeding slowly, but now we are happy to announce a few important updates on the webpages.
- List of the participants is now there. Go to "Raiders Only area" and click "Raiders' pages".
Now we need your faces to be placed on the list and perhaps a picture of your car or anything else. Send in your photos directly to our webmaster toppok@hulifer.net (and a copy to FIN2CV@saunalahti.fi). Please send a good quality jpeg-image (the usual camera format). We will downscale it for the website.
You can also send greetings to teams by using the "comment" button below each team section. Later, it will be possible also to write a "full story" about yourselves if you like, but please send in the photos first.
- Links page:
some interesting information about the Finnish Culture and language added.
The webmasters are next working on a more developed forum for raiders. Hopefully we do not experience the same what happened to Raid Australia forum recently; it was taken over by hackers.
In very near future we will ask you for the preliminary participation fee. There will be two bank accounts; one in Finland for European money transfers (easy within EU with IBAN and BIC codes) and another one in an Australian Bank. More soon...
We have been very busy with new nice ideas for the route. Anyhow, it seems that we should leave Vehu already Sunday afternoon (July 8th) to be able to do everything planned. More soon...
There are still teams in a waiting list so if there are any changes in the status of your participation, please let us know know.
Important notice: Andreas had to change his email and it is now:
andreas-belz@t-online.de (just a dash added). Please change it into your files.
In addition to our new talented webmasters Toppo and Sirpa, also Rauni & Nalle (most superfinns know them) are strengthening our organizing team now. Also as the organ player of the legendary "Frozen Ducks" (Etienne) joined the raid, the "Blue Mosquito Band" will probably perform every now and then during the trip and certainly at the 2CV Blues meeting.
All other Finnish participants, please get in touch with Jukka. There are many things you could help with.
One more detail good to know already at this stage of preparations: each team will get a very detailed map book of Finland at start, so you do not need worry for a big Finnish map. At the moment we can not supply a map of Sweden anyhow.
Cheers,
BMOG (Bloody Mosquito Organising Group)

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Ferry to Finland (emailed 13th September 2006)

On 13th September we have e-mailed the registered overseas participants some information about a joint ferry booking and you have been asked to reply to this promptly. If you did not get the info, contact us, or dowload it from the Raiders Only section

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The first infoletter (emailed 24th August 2006)

was sent to the pre-registered teams 24th August 2006 and participation confirmations are asked by the end of September. After getting all the replies we can see if more teams can be taken in from the Waiting List.

Below some general information about the raid:

3rd Raid Mosquito 8.-24.7.2007

The organizing committee is really thrilled to see the big success with pre-registrations for the 3rd Raid Mosquito. We got pre-registrations or serious enquiries from about 50 teams in four weeks after sending out the first information. We have stopped taking in more teams directly, the next ones will go into a waiting-list and we will later see if a participation is possible. Our aim is to limit the maximum number of teams somewhere around 40. The raid is dedicated to overseas visitors of Scandinavia and thus the number of Finnish teams is limited to those who will be able to help with the organization. At approximately the same time there will be another raid organized by the Finnish 2CV Guild and a second international one by Dutch Ami drivers and some cooperation with these three groups is being planned.

Who are the organizers?
Raid Mosquito is organized by a group of private 2cv-minded people. Our common background is participation in many raids together, especially Raid Laponie and in this way being members of the “SSSF“ (Secret Society Super Finns). We are in no way official responsible travel organizers, but we just want to bring 2CV friends together and show them this unique Northern part of Europe. The Finnish 2CV Guild is also in the background, but not directly involved. The aim of this raid is also not to make any financial profit.

Basic principles
The organizers make a route proposal for this raid and will make the reservations for camp grounds. The participation on this raid happens entirely at your own risk. A participation fee will be collected just to cover the basic costs of organization. Let’s share the fun and the responsibility and spend a trouble-free holiday together – in the original spirit of 2CV raiding.
The raid is meant especially for 2CVs and derivates including the HY. There will be many teams from far-away countries, e.g., Australia, and thus we cannot demand that everyone would bring their own car. We are flexible and fully understand, if some rented Citroens are involved for this reason. If you need to rent a car, contact Andreas Belz. With a little luck that could be a 2CV.

How to get to Finland
For those driving to Finland there are plenty of ferry connections to choose from:
Germany-Denmark-Sweden-Finland, see general info from http://www.aferry.to/ferry-to-finland.htm and http://www.aferry.to/ferry-to-sweden-ferries There are several connections like Travemünde(D)-Gedser(DK), Sassnitz(D)-Trelleborg(S)…etc. Sometimes cheaper joint tickets are available for making all the way to Finland. From Denmark (Copenhagen) you also can drive over the astonishing 16 km Øresund Bridge into Malmö, Sweden, http://www.oeresundsbron.dk
Germany-Finland:
Rostock-Hanko: Superfast Ferries, operated by Tallink nowadays, http://www.superfast.com
Travemünde/Lübeck-Helsinki: Finnlines, www.ferrycenter.fi/finnlines/
Sweden-Finland
Stockholm-Turku or Stockholm-Helsinki:
http://www.silja.com, http://www.vikingline.fi , http://www.seawind.fi (usually the cheapest),
Umeå-Vaasa, http://www.rgline.com
Estonia-Finland
Tallinn-Helsinki: http://www.tallink.fi, http://www.silja.com, http://www.vikingline.fi
There are plans to try to go together in one group by ferry (either with “Superfast” or with “Finnlines” directly from Germany to Finland. This will be definitely not the cheapest way of travelling to Finland but we’ll be there in about 24-30 hours. If you are interested in joining this part of the trip, please contact Andreas Belz.
We have many overseas participants who will fly to Europe and get a car for example in Germany or in Finland. From Germany you could use for example the low-fare airlines like Ryanair and German Wings. Andreas Belz can guide you upon this when the time comes nearer. See for example http://www.sterling.dk, http://www.germanwings.de, http://www.ryanair.com, http://www.air-berlin.de . Of course there are also the normal airlines like SAS, Finnair, Lufhansa etc, to travel to Finland.

The accommodation
The accommodation will be based on camping, but in some places beds are also available for those interested, but binding reservation has to be made for that in advance. We try to get as many private grounds for the group as possible, but a few times we will stay at regular camping places among regular tourists.
In principal, it is possible to “bush camp” even on private land in Finland free of charge as long as you don’t stay next to the houses and make campfires. Anyway, for a big group like us it is unlikely to find suitable places for that and therefore we will make reservations for the campgrounds in advance and share the costs. If you want to make your own explorations other than the planned schedule, the organizers must be informed in advance (before the start). Anyhow, we are planning perhaps to offer a “Bush Camping Day” up in the northern part of the country when you may arrange the form of accommodation on your own.
You need a solid tent, preferably water proof, and good sleeping bags. A smaller tent can be more practical than a large luxurious model – at least because of its weight. An additional pavilion tent (3x3m “gazebo”) is not a bad idea either. In theory it can freeze during the nights, but not normally. Anyhow, be prepared for low night temperatures.

Driving in Raid Mosquito
We drive mostly in small groups and everyone may freely choose the daily route and places to visit on the way. You are free to form groups or just follow the organizers, but we are not going to drive in one long convoy. Take your time and follow your own interests and ask us for more information. There is so much to see and to explore!
The route stays mostly on good quality roads, not always paved though. Sometimes we may make adventures to smaller forest tracks, but there is always an alternative route available, too. You are totally responsible for the route choice yourself. Each evening we plan to hold a Drivers Meeting “Ajajakokous” (memorize that word!) where we discuss the next day’s route and program together and maybe listen to some nice stories from last day’s adventures.
A good map of Scandinavia is needed. We recommend detailed regional maps or an entire map book. These are easily available in Finland (we may ask for special offers). Black & white copies of our route will be provided at the Drivers Meetings, sorry Ajajakokous.
Your 2CV should be in a good legal road condition. No modifications are required, but if you plan to take forest tracks on your own, we recommend at least a protective plate under the engine and gearbox. Finland is a stony country; some regions are extremely rough. Carry extra fuel with you (5 liters minimum) as petrol stations are sometimes less frequent as we head North. Take along the basic spares as well as spare oils, brake fluid, windscreen washer fluid etc. Spares are available in Scandinavia, but it may take a few days for shipment to reach our remote areas so try to keep your car rolling. Before the start we can check what kind of tools and spares each (European) team is going to bring so that the sortiment would cover most usual needs. Check your spare wheel (or two) and the changing equipment and don’t forget to bring one an additional tube with you. There will probably be a HY as a service car with spares and some tools in our group.
A first aid kit is always a good idea. If any of the participants is a professional doctor / nurse / fireman / mechanic, please let us know.
The traffic is amazingly quiet especially in Lapland. Anyhow, look out for the wild animals, especially the deadly moose. Reindeer accidents are also quite common, but seldom fatal. A reindeer is actually never a wild animal, but always belongs to somebody. Therefore such an accident must always be reported to Police for compensation both to you and the owner of the poor animal. This has happened a few times in Raid Laponie. Please, use your seatbelts and follow the speed limits. When you see warning signs for animals (moose, deer, reindeer, cow…), slow down and pay attention to the sides of the road. You will see those signs most of the time. The moose especially starts moving when the sun is setting.
The general speed limit in Finland is 80 km/h, but on bigger roads it is often 100 km/h. Towns and villages have 50 or 40 km/h limits. In addition to speed cameras, speed controls are sometimes made. If you drive on the dirt roads, be careful in the curves, which can sometimes be quite slippery if there is loose gravel and your 2CV is heavily loaded. Try loading your 2CV so that the rear axle is not considerably lower than the front one. The limit of alcohol in the blood is 0.5 promille in Finland and controls are made now and then. If caught under influence of alcohol, your driver’s license will be taken by the police. In Sweden and Norway, the limit is as low as 0.2!

The costs
The basic participation fee will be something between 50 and 100 €/adult and will be collected in advance. By paying this you ensure a place in the group and get some beforehand material. If you cancel, this fee is unfortunately not returned. We will inform you, when the time comes to pay this fee, but as the number of enquiries is still growing, we may have to ask for this sooner than planned.
The second part of the participation fee is to be payed at the start in Vehu. This will cover the materials provided and also a part of the basic accommodation and programmes. Unfortunately, it is impossible to evaluate the amount of this fee at this stage. The estimated camping fees could be something between 0-10 €/person/night. We will make all possible efforts to make the costs as low as possible with our big group.
Some fees will be paid directly at the site. It is the wish of the Organizing Committee that we do not need to carry big amounts of other people’s money in our pockets. We believe it is better to have a shared risk and responsibility within the whole group.
Petrol prices in Scandinavia are about the same level as other Europe. Let´s hope the situation will not get much worse in the near future. At the moment the prices are 1,40-1,50 € / litre.
In Finland we use euros (€) like most of the European Community. 1c and 2c coins are not used here (but they should be accepted anyway). In Sweden and Norway they have their own national currencies: Swedish and Norwegian crowns (SEK and NOK). You can do the exchange during the trip, but easier to do that in the Southern areas. The borders are almost non-existing in Scandinavia and often there are no exchange spots available there. The prices concerning this raid will be given in €. The organizers can only accept cash payments and in €.

Everyday survival
The weather during summertime in Finland is close to the rest of Europe. Daytime temperatures between +15°C and +25°C are to be expected, but be prepared for rain and lower temperatures as well with your clothes and other equipment. The nights can be much more chilly sometimes. Rubber boots can be very useful (normally for sale all over the country). Raid Mosquito was also arranged in 2000 and 2002 and the weather was always on our side. On the other hand, remember that the snow disappears from the ground normally not before June in Lapland.
According to the possible temperatures during this time of the year it is a good idea to have a warm sweater and a raincoat beside T-shirts and some long-arm-shirts with you too!
The sun does actually not set at all in Lapland, and in the South it will do so just for a few hours so it will never get really dark. The further North you go the longer the day will be! The period of Midnight Sun in Northern Europe is as follows:
North Cape 12.5. - 29.7.
Ivalo 23.5. - 22.7
Sodankylä 30.5. - 14.7.
Rovaniemi 6.6. - 7.7. (Arctic Circle level)
This means that you really can see the sun over the horizon between these intervals. The nights are lighted long before and after these dates. On the other hand the sun does not rise at all above the Arctic Circle in certain periods in wintertime. In Hetta (or above) we will actually arrive just on time to see the real Midnight Sun!
See that the zipper of your tent closes completely to prevent the mosquitos getting in and spoiling your sleep with their singing. If you plan to sleep in your car, consider that the mosquitos will find their way in (but never out) from the smallest possible holes. At the start, we will provide you with some protection for the insects. Honestly, we have found that the stories about the mosquitos are much wilder than the reality. The density of mosquitos can vary very much according to the location. If you know of a possible allergy of insects, please consult your doctor in advance for medication.
Cooking is possible in most overnight spots, but it is more practical to bring your own gas or spirit burning equipment. Refill for “Camping Gaz”-system can be sometimes difficult to get in Finland. For example, Australian gas systems would normally not fit to the local one whereas the Coleman-system is very practical. Common meals are sometimes planned and we will keep you informed about his. Please, feel free to make any suggestion for things we could do together. We will organize a food tasting event (degustation) so that everyone could bring some local specialities for others to sample.
A couple of times we will arrange common meals for the group. Normally, everyone stops for meals when and wherever convenient. It is also easy just to stop along the route at a nice lakeside and make your own meal. The restaurants serve meals all day long, but lunchtime, about 11-14 is cheapest on weekdays. A menu in English is usually available. Dinner and breakfast is available at many campgrounds. Try the regional specialities, e.g,, mustamakkara, kalakukko, and rönttönen.
In Southern Finland food, drinks and petrol are easy to get, but the more North we go the more self-contained we should be. Most petrol stations have automats, which accept Euro banknotes or international credit cards.
Shops are open typically 9-18 or 9-20 on weekdays, 9-16 or 9-18 on Saturdays, and 12-21 (not every shop) on Sundays. Credit cards are widely accepted in bigger shops. In Finland, alcohol including wine is only available at special shops called “Alko”, sometimes they have limited opening hours. Beer is available at regular food stores (a 0.3 l bottle is typically 0.6-1 €). The local breweries are very strong in the market and usually offer good quality regular lager. We make wine in Finland, but not from grapes. You will have a chance to explore this during the raid.
GSM network covers practically the whole country. The country code for Finland is +358. If in trouble, use the GSM-numbers of the organizers. Ask your GSM provider about roaming agreements with the Finnish ones for the cheapest possible calls. As you may know, because of Nokia’s Finnish origin we should be on the top concerning mobile technology. Free internet connections are usually available at libraries and hopefully we will have a laptop with gprs connection during the raid. Pathfinder systems cover the whole country unfortunately. It may be a good idea to use prepaid GSM card from a finish company for overseas-raiders to cut down the costs of using the mobile phones. We will compile a list of mobile phone numbers of the participants so that it is easy to send SMS (or phone) whenever needed.
As already partly explained, in Finland and Sweden we have something called “everymen’s rights” in the nature. You are free to fish (with a hook), pick berries and mushrooms and even camp anywhere if you just keep away from houses and if you do no harm to the nature. It is not allowed to litter or make an open fire, but you can to do it in a properly prepared fireplace. Regional “forest fire alerts” are usual in summertime; then all open fires are banned, only barbecues etc. allowed under supervision. Finland lives from forests so they are protected in many ways, but at the same time it has been made possible to enjoy the nature free of charge.
Sauna is something extremely Finnish which everyone should try if you come here. Practically every house has a sauna if not two. It is an essential way of the Finnish lifestyle so don’t be shy to join in. We hope you do not feel neglected when the Finns want to go to sauna practically every night, it is just something we like and have to do in the summertime. We are sure you could discover the enjoyment too. In Finland, sauna has practically no sexual context at all, but usually separate hours are arranged for women and men if we are not talking of a family. Often sauna is open for both male and female later in the evening.
In connection with the daily Ajajakokous we often arrange entertaining competitions as part of “Raid Olympics”. Everything is voluntary, but we hope you would like to participate. In the end of the raid, the overall winners or the competitions will be rewarded.

Sponsors
We are hoping to get sponsored support for the whole group. The sponsorship could take place for example in the form of prizes, spare parts or other useful stuff for the whole group. Direct financial support is of course welcome as well. We can offer our sponsors visibility in our website and advertising space (stickers) in out cars during the raid. Hopefully our group will be notified also in several newspapers, magazines and perhaps even in the television. If you know a possible sponsor for the group, please let us know.

T-shirts, stickers etc.
We are planning to print some t-shirts for the participants. If interested to get one already before the raid, you can pre-order one as soon as we know the prices. Stickers and labels will also be printed before the start of the trip.

The route proposal
The route plan is under construction and therefore it is perhaps too early to give a very detailed plan as a lot of changes can happen and new ideas may arise. A route map will be placed on the website and will be updated as plans are being confirmed. Anyway, the one below gives you an idea of the possibilities:

Fri 6 - Su 8.7. There will be a 2CV Meeting in Vehu (South of Soini) and the raiders
will gather there little by little during the weekend.
The official Raid Opening will happen Sunday night 8th July after the other meeting participants have left Vehu.
Mon 9.7. Vehu – Kuopio area 250 km
Tue 10.7. Kuopio area. Seeing places of interest in the region by your 2CV or by boat. For example visiting “Museum” of Mechanical Music in Varkaus.
Wed 11.7. Kuopio - Joensuu region, (100 –200 km) Valamo Orthodox Monestry with its winery is worth visiting.
Thu 12.7. Joensuu region-Nurmes 200 km Visiting Lieksa with Ruunaa rapids. Staying probably at Hyvärilä camping where the10th 2CV world meeting took place in 1993. Possible to make a short day-visit to Russia one of these days, we are researching this idea. Interested?
Fri 13.7. Nurmes-Kajaani region (Vuolijoki), joining the 2CV Blues-Meeting, usually one of the most popular meetings in the Finnish 2CV scene
Sat 14.7. 2CV Blues Meeting, enjoying the music and program, sightseeing in the region around the big Lake Oulu.
Sun 15.7. Vuolijoki-Kemijärvi area , about 350 km. Crossing Arctic Circle with ceremonies!
Mon 16.7. Kemijärvi area-Sodankylä, about 150 km. Staying at the Meteorological Institute area.
Tue 17.7. Sodankylä-Kittilä (Levi), 110 km. Levi is Finland’s biggest ski resort, but no snow in summertime.
Wed 18.7. Kittilä-Inari area, looking for suitable places there, about 200 km. We are planning a “Bush Camping Day” at some stage. That would mean everyone could arrange the place to camp on your own using the unique “Everyman’s right”. Maybe here?
Thu 19.7. Inari -Hetta (Enontekiö), 280 km via Pokka or 200 km via Kautokeino (Norway, silver smiths etc.)
Fri 20.7. Enjoying life at Hetta with sauna,good meals and the Lapp nature.
Now those who feel like doing some more kilometres can optionally drive on their own to the North Cape. It is 450 km one way (tunnel toll about 10 € one way, very high inevitable parking fee at Northcape). It is possible in two days, even one if you are crazy enough. Maybe you have to do this, if you never been there before, but we can assure Hetta is much more relaxing.
Sat 21.7. Lapp Entertainment in Hetta. The North Cape Expedition comes back in the evening for a party together.
Sun 22.7. Hetta – Sweden (place not determined yet). Now we have to do some more kilometres per day, min. 500.
Mon 23.7. Second driving day in Sweden, maybe down to Östersund area, something like 600km
Tue 24.7. and finally last 400 kilometres to Borlänge and the 2CV worldmeeting!

Life is too short for raids without challenges – let’s do the Mosquito!

Cheers, BMOG (The Bloody Mosquito Organizing Group)

Info addresses:
General information and contacts in Finland:
Jukka Isomäki
Mäntymäentie 7
FI-65200 Vaasa, Finland
Fin2CV@saunalahti.fi
Mobile + 358 40 72 00 211
Home + Fax + 358 6 31 23 971
SKYPE: jukiso

Registrations and contacts in Germany:
Andreas Belz
Berliner Str. 23
D-55457 Gensingen, Germany
andreas-belz@t-online.de
Mobile +49 151 15 72 51 99
Phone + 49 6727 89 26 79
Fax + 49 6727-89 26 78
http://www.sitruuna.com/mosquito