"Rovaniemi's got a small-town feel like Hamilton or Invercargill," Patterson says. "It's nice to have what feels like a little city behind you in the build-up."
The athletes are paying their own way for the excursion before they come under the New Zealand Olympic Committee's budget in Glasgow.
The strength symposium includes lectures from veteran Bulgarian coach Ivan Abadjiev, whose methods Patterson swears by. Abadjiev's modus operandi is to subject the body to constant loads of heavy stress from repeated explosive movements so it adapts to handle increased weight.
Complementing the workshop is a bespoke weightlifting gym which includes about 20 lifting platforms and equipment which the New Zealand team will effectively christen.
They will stay in an on-site 'sport hotel' at the high performance centre which also caters for alpine sports and volleyball. Meals, massages, ice baths and saunas are included in the cost.
Patterson says the sauna culture might take some adjustment for first-time visitors.
"It's their social outlet," he says. "Everybody saunas. You do it after a day of work or in the weekend before you go out with friends.
"It's quite unique for Kiwis because you've got to get naked and most of us can be a little reserved. When I first went up there, it was like, 'right, you've got to get rid of your pants'. It's a culture shock, but I enjoy it. Everyone is on the same level when you're naked. Finns often have business meetings in the sauna because the bosses feel like everyone's on the same level with no trousers on."
Patterson says it can come with awkward moments for those newly exposed to the practice.
"They have mixed and separate saunas. One time, I walked into [a women's] one, said 'whoops', and turned on my heel.
"Another time, I went to one at my friend's house and, when we came up the stairs, the whole family had arrived, including his girlfriend and her Mum. I was like, 'we're naked' and he said, 'don't worry, they've seen it all before'. So I kept a straight face while I strode past the family. They also gather branches off the birch tree for the new season leaves. It's not a tough wood. It's quite soft. After a sauna, you tie a bunch of them together and strap them across your back. It sounds painful but it actually feels nice. It stimulates and brings the blood to the skin."
Commonwealth Games competitor Cody Cole used Rovaniemi as a base before the junior world championships.
"It's quite relaxing," he says of the birch treatment. "I've had it done myself. But you have to be naked. Underwear is banned. Them's the rules."
Cole is competing in the under-69kg category after recovering from two hip surgeries in the past four years. He says constant daylight can be a challenge, given they will be about 13km from the Arctic Circle.
"It's a little weird waking at 3am with the birds chirping outside. They've got blinds that block out the sun and I'd pop on some music to drown out the birds. However, the facilities are world-class, you get buffet meals three times a day, accommodation is on-site and the revamped gym is state of the art."
Cole's biggest challenge is controlling his weight.
"Before the surgeries, I used to compete in the under-77kg class, so I struggle. Sometimes I balloon to 86kg and have to lose 7kg over the course of a few weeks, which is tough.
"I tend to dehydrate the night before, when I look to lose 2-3kg. I live on lean meat, eggs, veges and fruits. Breads are on the banned list for me. We weigh in about two hours before competition and can then eat and drink what we like."
