Parts of Rosvokomppania participated in this year’s edition of the Vaasan Marssi (Vaasa March). For simplicity, I won’t refer to it as Kesäyön marssi (Midsummer Night’s March) as it should be called Vaasan Marssi and nothing else.

On Saturday, both 25 km and 42 km were on the agenda; I walked 42 km myself. As usual, it was a rewarding experience, and despite it only being three weeks since the 4Daagse, all the ailments from that event were gone. For my part, it feels good now that I don’t feel as much stiffness or chafing anymore. This is something that has really improved over the past year. A group of new reservists walked with us, and we found new candidates among them. They were eager and, above all, willing to learn. It wasn’t like what you’re used to, where people stick to the same old tactics they’ve always used, despite the usual poor results.

On Sunday, I walked the shorter distance of 21 km to meet the other soldiers from countries including Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and the USA. It’s always fun to hear about their experiences and, at the same time, pick up things we might be able to do better. They were mostly interested in the overall experience and didn’t focus as much on the walking itself. It’s a bit like I often say: you don’t participate in the 4Daagse just to walk—if you want to grind 160 km of asphalt, you might as well do it here at home.

The most regrettable thing about the Vaasan Marssi is the absence of both local and other Finnish reservists. Even though it is an IML event, only around 70 people participated. Everyone needs to step up next year.