Day 35 – at Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park

The weather is supposed to be turning a lot colder this coming week, but for now, it is the Arctic at its finest, cool nights down to 4 or 5C, clear skies, and daytime highs about 16C, but with a decent breeze that keeps you moving when you’re out.

The circuit I had planned this morning, the Taivaskeronkierras Horseshoe, was the most stimulating so far this course. It began at the Lapland Hotel Pallas. These smart 4 star hotels owned by the Lapland chain and dotted around at various wilderness venues. They’re expensive to stay at of course, but get a lot of non-resident visitors for coffee, dinner or to use the sauna – none of its cheap though, I enquired about the sauna, 14 euros, too much..

There were quite a few people around today, with it being Sunday. It’s off-season prices at the self catering cabins and hotels and rental motor homes, so there’s quite a few visitors up from the cities in the south of Finland, having seen the start of autumn has such enticing weather.

Quite a few reindeer around also. I had wondered how they would be with the dog, and vice versa, but they pretty much ignore each other, Roja comes close to me, as he does with cows. Sensible, when you see the size of some of the antlers.

The Sami have many words for reindeer in their language. Names for them change as they age, and whether male or female. Those with bells around their necks have a different name also. They are descendants of the Scandinavian Wild Reindeer, now farmed for their meat, but also for their skins and antlers.

The ‘year of the reindeer’ begins in May when the calves are born, in mid-summer (June, July) they gather together closely because of vicious attacks from mosquitos and black flies. Herders often put them in corrals at this time. Autumn means rutting, not just yet, but in the next few weeks. As the first snows of winter settle they will be gathered again, and the unlucky ones will be off to slaughter. Reindeer are well kitted out for winter with their thick coats and legs with super circulation and special bone marrow for trudging through thick snow. They will have no problem at temperatures like -50C. Ground food is of course scarce, so they will live contentedly off lichen hanging from low trees, and so will frequent these areas.

A few pleasant chats on the way around the horseshoe, all based around the dog.. not many red fox labs up here, so he goes down well, and that he is so well adjusted to the hill, never on a lead, comes immediately I ask, and these days, never approaches another dog, and any people without checking it’s okay first with me. One such chat was with a couple we saw two days ago… 60 kilometres south on a hike. They have come to their cabin as it is their favourite time of year (this and January..), but so few other people think that.

The plaque at the summit commemorates the peak being used as a beacon for the opening of the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki.

Back at the van for a late lunch, and a heavy shower drove us in for an hour or so. Without the sun it’s on,y about 12C also. Allowed me to finish The Disappearance of Josef Mengele, a new translation of a ‘narrative nonfiction’ or ‘factual novel’ (I don’t like those terms) which was quite captivating. Review at GR.

One other recommendation stroke comment.. I watched the new Jordan Peele film Nope last night. It’s a science fiction / horror. I enjoyed it, especially in its first 90 minutes. I’m of the belief that’s it’s really hard to end horror films well, and bound to get some criticism. The end is definitely entertaining, maybe a bit silly, but certainly it’s worth watching. And I’d welcome any discussion of anyone does..