After an excellent midweek at Rokua I headed further east, towards Russia, though not that far. On Friday it was enough to stop at Paltamo. There was a supermarket to stock up at, and another golf course that claims to be the best in Finland; more realistic is the best in northern Finland, where there actually aren’t that many other courses. Its difficulty in hosting any major tournaments is not the quality of the course, but the surrounding infrastructure, transport and accommodation for those involved.
I had an eye on staying at a marina a few kilometres out of town, but much closer to the town, and next to the golf course was a campsite that was closed. Closed was perfect for me, for one night I didn’t need any of the facilities they offered, and there was no charge. Also, there were some decent options for walks around the course and the lake beach.
Friday night was the start of the Prem and the URC rugby tournaments, the start of Friday night rugby, which I mentioned in the last post, has been very much missed. Two hours ahead of UK time, the kick offs are 9:45 pm. I think I prefer one hour ahead more than two, but I will get used to it. I’m at the stage of my sports addiction now where the weekend almost revolves around the matches, and for the afternoon kick offs on Saturday and Sunday, the two hour difference is certainly better, giving the opportunity to get more done outdoors.
It was a rainy weekend, and the heavy stuff set in on Saturday afternoon and lasted for 24 hours. I moved on through Kajaani, where I called in for a sauna and shower, to Vuokatti, which is an outdoor town based around winter sports, but offering water sports, and hiking and biking as well. Even in a wet weekend it had quite a few visitors; the high ropes course in particular was busy in almost torrential mid-afternoon rain, as Rua and I took some exercise before the evening entertainment.
I headed south on Sunday and a couple of wet hours on the trails around Vuokatti mountain, another hill spoilt by skiing, something I’ve mentioned a few times in this blog, so I’m evidently not a fan. One things for sure here though, that with mid-winter temperatures around -20 to -30C it’s certainly cold enough, though last year it was necessary for the snow to be made manually for February and March.
I had researched a hike on a system of linked lakes around the small community of Jyrkkä, which is famous for its preserved 19th-century ironworks with a Scottish-type blast furnace, built in 1874. It also has a 30 kilometre hiking trail that many hikers travel for, it has a spectacular setting on the lakes, and forest, the Volokinpolku. Jyrkkä is its northern terminus. Another reason why the hike has earned such a reputation is because of its isolation. There’s a small cafe at the ironworks, but the nearest shop is 30 kilometres and forty minutes away, as its a rough road also, and there’s patchy cell phone reception at best. The weather changed, just as we arrived; from the humid and wet conditions, to a clear sky with a northeasterly wind, giving way to temperatures well below zero at night, with a bright, unblemished by light pollution, full moon. We managed about twelve kilometres of the trail that afternoon, and this morning in misty conditions.
After stocking up at Rautavaara i continued east to a place I was told about a few weeks ago. While hiking in Pallastunturi I met a young woman, Inga, who was guiding a hike. She also worked at the Metsäkartano Youth Activity Centre, which is where I am now. It is a hugely impressive site. This is the Tiilikkajärvi National Park. They have plenty of room for campervans, though do not advertise to them. I contacted Inga last week, and was fortunate, as she said they were closing for the season on 30th September, as many campsites do here. On arrival though, at reception they said they were open until the weekend, which works well for me. It’s very cheap, at least €13 a night, and the third night free. To hook up to electric is another 4 euros, something I will do on alternate days. I may even be able to find a washing machine also as the week goes on..
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