Sauna Talk #056: Sauna Sherpa

Sauna Talk

Sauna Talk global series continues. Today we welcome Sauna Sherpa to Sauna Talk. His real name is Kimmo Raitio, but he’s known around many of the many saunas in Finland as Sauna Sherpa. He is a Sauna Sherpa guide to Finnish sauna.

Like many Finns, (all Finns?) Kimmo grew up with sauna. Like many Finns (all Finns?) Kimmo takes good heat seriously, and welcomes those interested in learning more about sauna with a clear and open mind and discussion. And this is what you will hear in this episode.

More and more tourists and business travelers were coming to Finland with a keen interest to experience the Finnish sauna. And so Kimmo began taking people around to different saunas in his homeland. This was how the concept of Sauna Sherpa came about. The global pandemic has put a hold on Sauna Sherpa, but the love for an appreciation of good sauna is still very much deep in his bones.

Sauna Sherpa guide to Finnish sauna

In this episode, we hear interesting antidotes of the Finnish sauna. When asked about what makes a good sauna, Kimmo, answers in succinctly Finnish style (very few words).

1. Ventilation
2. Heat
3. Steam (humidity).We touch upon the nudity in sauna subject, and how it is in Finland, compared to Germany, Great Britain, and the United States.

We discuss the rebound of the public sauna, as it is in Finland paralleling many parts of the World.

The connection between Japan and Finland.

Drinking beer, and the ethos of being healthy and happy with sauna.