Ice Force (Levi, Finland)

Four nights at Levi in Finnish Lapland, guided, ice driving in a Porsche 911 Turbo S, with the price quoted on application.

This is the entry point on the operator’s Levi ladder, and the car choice is deliberate: the Turbo S is four-wheel drive, which is the forgiving end of the range and the right place to start learning on ice.

Kittila airport opens it, with a shuttle to the Hotel Levi Panorama and a welcome dinner at the Cloud11 restaurant, which sits at the top of the hill above the resort. Three driving days follow, each one starting with breakfast and a briefing, then instructor-led training across the Porsche Arctic Center’s range of tracks, which take in handling circuits, braking and steering exercises and longer flowing courses on prepared snow and ice. Track dinners fill the evenings and a farewell dinner closes the programme.

The 911 Turbo S is provided for all the driving sessions; the full inclusions were not itemised on the operator’s page and are worth confirming at booking. The price is given on application. The programme runs in the depths of the northern winter, when the ice is reliable and the daylight is short, which is less of a drawback than it sounds since the tracks are lit and the low sun is part of the appeal. For anyone who has never driven on a low-grip surface, three days of this is the most useful driving tuition available anywhere, and the group format keeps it sociable as well as instructive.