Peltsi and Osmo

In this documentary series the well-known Finnish outdoorsman Mikko ‛Peltsi’ Peltola swaps his usual high-performance activities into more offbeat nature romps. Peltsi and his 12-year-old son Osmo leave the town behind and head for the wilderness and scenic Finnish national parks. Osmo has Down Syndrome, which gives more colour to their capers. Peltsi is a seasoned outdoorsman and we see him teach his son the basic survival skills. However, the main focus of the series is having fun together and enjoying the great outdoors. The duo also has plenty of time to mull over the big questions, like, what makes one happy. ‛Being outside is fun’, says Osmo, and promises in turn, to take his father along his hikes, when Peltsi grows old. The gist of the six-part series is to encourage parents to take their children into the great outdoors. The imagined hassle of going into the backwoods stops too many of us from setting forth. Peltsi and Osmo prove that notion false and show that it is always rewarding to venture out together. The series features many splendid National Parks but they also visit their own neighbourhood in the Helsinki metropolitan area, which just goes to show that you don’t necessarily have to stray far to experience nature in all its glory.