An autumn day with experiences for body and soul in Pyytöuoma Nature Park

After a warm and exceptional long summer time this year in Finnish Lapland the autumn now announces its arrival with lower outdoor temperatures and the leaves falling off the trees.

Still you can enjoy fantastic and fabulous hiking day trips all over Lapland on the large amount of suitable hiking paths in the forests or on the fells. One of the most beautiful hiking paths for a day trip  in the forest is the path of Pyytöuoma in Posio in the east of Lapland near the Russian border. This is not far away from Korouoma canyon, where I have hiked before.

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IMG_9264Some people like to hike in the open areas on top of fells, but I like it very much to walk through forests and learn about the wild life and the nature of the Lappish forest. The environment is also changing all the time; sometimes you cross a little river and sometimes you have to climb up along a wall of the cliffs a bit and many times the path goes over swamps on duckboards, And almost certainly you find a fire-place where you can stop for a while and just sit down and enjoy your picnic and the surrounding views.

IMG_2628To find this Pyytöuoma, you drive by car along road nr 81 from Rovaniemi towards Posio. About 37 kms before Posio you turn left on to a sandy road leading you about 8 kms to a parking area where you can leave your car. From here the 3,7 km long nature path starts. The path circles in a beautiful scenery along the Pyytöuoma riverbed and cliffs. There are some steep places where you go down to the bottom of the canyon and also places where you approach up from the canyon again, but the path is very well suitable even for family day trips.

Pyytötuoma area is protected and almost in its natural state. There are rare species of flora and fauna living in the ancient forests of Pyytöuoma. If you are interested, along the path there are 12 info signs about the nature and forest management of the area.

IMG_0111After a while, almost halfway, you are walking on the bottom of the canyon and you cross a little river. In case you have your fishing equipment with you, you can always try to catch the rare river trout (brown trout), which lives in these kinds of small rivers in the Lappish forests. But from here the path starts rising again up on the other side of the riverbed. This is the most trying part of the path but once you end up on top of the cliff  you will get your reward. The view is just astonishing and there is also a beautiful fire-place waiting for you. The picnic you brought with you should be enjoyed here by the fire. There is a sign also telling that there is a well here near by, but I did not manage to find it, but I probably did not try hard enough.

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After a deserved pause the hike can continue. Now the path leads you through the forest and the information signs tell you about the work in the forest and how the Finnish Forest and Park Service has planned to keep the natural state of Pyytöuoma with as little incite in the nature as possible.

IMG_9271After a walk along a duck board you see a small “lake” or just a body of water in the middle of the swamp. The water is clear and it tempts you to taste it. I found out by tasting that it is clear and ice-cold and also good tasting.

Finally in the end of the path we end up at a “laavu” or a covered fire-place. This was a day trip for us, but if you choose to make a several days stay in the forest, this laavu could be the place to stay over night at this time of the year. You could keep yourself warm at the fire-place and in case of rain you would stay dry.

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This was a very interesting and enjoyable day trip for me both because of the exercise my body got by climbing and walking and the soul could just rest in the beauty of the nature of this canyon and the surrounding nature. In the evening the temperature lowered to nearly 0 degrees and you could see a thin ice coat on the surface of a lake near by.

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Out in the nature just outside the Rovaniemi city center

After I had explored the city center of Rovaniemi with its amazing city plan formed like a reindeer’s head and after I had visited the big amount of different memorial stones in parks all over the city, I took the Lumber jack bridge over to the Ounasvaara hillside. Ounasvaara is a hill about 200 m high above the sea. Up on the hill there is an enormous amount of possibilities to enjoy the nature and stay outdoor during all seasons of the year.

The sport center Santasport up on the hill of Ounasvaara, near the arena for ice hockey among other sports and exhibitions, is definitely the best provider if you are interested in getting a more throughout experience of indoor sports in Rovaniemi. On the other side of Ounasvaara, on the northern side, is the Ounasvaara ski center you can go downhill skiing or cross country skiing. You can also take part in ski schools and rent equipment. On the home page of Ounasvaara ski center you find a good map of the slopes and also about the tracks all over Ounasvaara.

In summer and autumn there are hiking paths that take you around the hill with stops on lovely little fireplaces or cooking shelters, in Finland called laavus, hootchies, where you can fry your own sausage and have a lovely break in the sun. You always find wooden logs by these fireplaces to use to make your own log fire, you do not have to bring your own. It is also quite possible that someone already has made the fire as you arrive. The nature of Ounasvaara is very frequently used by the inhabitants of Rovaniemi but also by all the exchange students that arrive to the University of Lapland to study. The nature path of Ounasvaara also provides you with information about the ice age and its impacts on this hill on information stands along the route. You can also visit the upper side of the downhill slopes and have a marvellous view over the city of Rovaniemi.

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In winter time there are well prepared tracks, partly with lights and partly without lights, to go skiing all over Ounasvaara. The perceptions for the ski season start usually already in October, when stored snow is spread in the forest to form a shorter ski track to begin with. The most enthusiastic skiers start the season with that. Then after some weeks of natural snow falls the main track building starts. You can now go skiing and stop by on cooking shades, laavus, to fry your sausage or just have a break. On Ounasvaara there are three different shades for breaks. By one of the laavus you can also climb up in a view tower and take a look over Kemijoki and the city center. Astonning! During your excursion on skis on Ounasvaara you will probably meet all kinds of people, as well the sport enthusiasts of Rovaniemi as the untrained tourist trying out the cross country skiing for the first time in his life. You can probably also meet people on snow shoes, mostly tourist groups, strolling around in the forest outside the tracks. On a sunny winter day with all white snow around you there is no doubt: this is absolutely the most beautiful you can experience in the Lapish winter time! At the laavu you can have the chance to meet some friendly birds searching for some left overs from the visitors’ breaks. The Lapish birds are very tame up here, because they are used to people and the fact that they could catch something to eat from here. Some inhabitant brings some seeds for the birds on his daily ski trip here.

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People in Rovaniemi are very keen on going skiing, so they also use the huge river to go skiing on the ice. You can also find laavus along the riverside on several places near the city center of Rovaniemi. Look at the photo! Tempting or what?! Just get your skis and start. If you do not happen to have your own skis, there is possibilities to rent ski sets at the Ounasvaara ski center; both for downhill skiing as for cross country skiing and also snow shoes.

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