***  FINLAND  2015   -  WEEKS 8~9  ***

CAMPING IN FINLAND 2015 - Suomussalmi, Hossa Trekking Area, Kuusamo, Oulanka National Park, crossing Arctic Circle, Salla, Eastern border region and Savukoski, Sodankylä:

Northwards through the forests to Suomussalmi:  on a bright, sunny morning we headed north from Kuhmo on Route 912, a delightful drive parallel with the Russian border, through heavily forested terrain largely uninhabited other than isolated farmsteads. Over the main west~east Route 89 from Oulu and Kaajani to the border-crossing and Russian town of Kostomuksha, we continued north passing the attractive area of Lake Vuokkijärvi and the first of the reindeer herding signs. A short distance further and we reached the Raaten Portti Winter War Museum and war memorial at the junction of the Raate Road, another of the 1939 Soviet invasion routes which we planned to explore while at Suomussalmi. Today we continued ahead towards modern Suomussalmi, passing the first reindeer seen this year as it trotted alongside the road. In the town outskirts we found a large K-Market supermarket to stock up with provisions, before heading back along the shore of Lake Kiantajärvi to find tonight's campsite.

Click on the 6 highlighted areas of map for details of North-Eastern Finland

Kiantajärvi Camping at Suomussalmi:  set on a pine-forested headland overlooking its eponymous lake, Kiantajärvi Camping seemed a depressingly gloomy place, but we settled in under the trees close to the wi-fi router to be sure of an internet signal (see left). The camping area's limited space seemed monopolised by the vans of Lithuanian migrant workers using the huts. It was a dismal and drizzly evening, even gloomier under the dark pines, and the forecast for tomorrow was for more of the same. The following day was indeed miserably cold and wet, only fit for a working day in camp, and despite being just past Midsummer, we were dressed in Arctic gear and thick sweaters with the camper's heater on all day. Facilities at Kiantajärvi Camping were antiquated and primitive, and the chill weather gave no incentive to linger in draughty, lukewarm showers. Very few genuine campers stayed here, deterred perhaps by the place's sordid air, general grubbiness and low standard of antiquated facilities, compounded by the poor value of its unduly expensive price at €24. Today had been one of the coldest, wettest days of this year's so far disappointing summer, and the forecast promise of fine, warm weather for tomorrow with a change in wind direction from the north seemed scarcely credible. But as we turned in that night, a glimmer of brightness along the western horizon across Lake Kiantajärvi gave room for hope.

The Raate Road Winter War battlefields and memorials near Suomussalmi:  the sky cleared overnight with a weak sun but a chill wind still blew over the lake (Photo 1 - Kiantajärvi Camping). After yesterday's rain, the full extent of the grubbiness of this antiquated and very basic campsite was even more evident. We had originally planned to spend a third night here, but enough was enough; today we should move on after our day of exploration around Suomussalmi and the Raate Road Winter War battlefields and memorials.

Finnish victory over the 1939 Soviet invasion in the battles around Suomussalmi:  on 30 November 1939, massed columns of Soviet troops and armour crossed the border east of Suomussalmi at two points; as at Kuhmo, the invasion's lines of advance were confined to narrow roads through otherwise impenetrable forests and marshes. The 163rd Soviet Division crossed the border to the NE, and advanced along the Juntusranta Road towards what was then the church-village of Suomussalmi; the 44th Soviet Division, mainly Ukrainians, invaded along the Raate Road and was entrenched between the border village of Raate and Suomussalmi (see below right). The plan was for this pincer movement to capture Suomussalmi and advance across the width of the country to take Oulu, so cutting Finland in half at its narrowest point, severing the important rail link to Sweden and forcing the Finns to defend their country on two fronts. Taken by surprise with only meagre forces in the area of Suomussalmi, the Finns were forced to retreat, burning the church-village to deny shelter to the Soviet invaders, and withdrew to Haukiperä on the southern shore of Lake Kiantajärvi. Intensive fighting followed on 8 December when the Soviets made two unsuccessful attacks across the frozen lake, but failed to dislodge the Finns. The defending Finns were reinforced with newly formed regiments, and under the command of Col Hjalmar Siilasvuo, re-took the church-village in late December, driving the Soviets back. The Soviets, ill-equipped for winter fighting, retreated in panic eastwards across the frozen lakes, becoming successively trapped into isolated pockets (Mottis) and wiped out (click here for details of Motti tactics). Having dealt with the 163rd Division and successfully prevented the two invading forces from linking up, Siilasvuo then turned his attention to the Soviet 44th Division trapped along the Raate Road. Between 4 and 8 January 1940, this was divided into isolated Mottis, and progressively butchered or the troops froze to death without proper winter clothing; the few survivors fleeing back to USSR were executed by the Soviets. This was a significant victory for the vastly out-manned and out-gunned Finns who had so successfully used their manoeuvrable forces to trap the Soviet armoured columns into Mottis and pick them off at will. The break out across country to take Oulu had been prevented, and equally significantly, enormous quantities of badly needed heavy weapons and equipment were captured, abandoned by the fleeing Soviets: 85 tanks, 92 artillery pieces, 78 anti-tank guns, 6,000 rifles, vast quantities of ammunition, 260 trucks and 1,620 horses.

Success at Suomussalmi showed how a small, mobile force, properly led and equipped, fighting in familiar terrain despite the harsh winter conditions, could defeat a numerically superior and better armed enemy:

• the Finns had greater mobility using skis and sleds and were used to moving in forested terrain even in winter snow; in contrast, Soviet columns of heavy armour were confined to narrow forest roads and as a result were slow moving and vulnerable to being divided into isolated pockets
• Finnish tactics were flexible and unorthodox: eg targeting Soviet field-kitchens so depriving demoralised Soviet troops fighting in Arctic winter conditions of hot food
• Soviet troops expecting a swift campaign were poorly equipped with no warm clothing or snow camouflage
• the Finns, despite being vastly outnumbered and out-gunned, had high morale and were defending their homeland; in contrast Soviet troops, despite the politcal goading, soon lost the will to fight in such appalling winter conditions
• the Soviet strategic objective of cutting Finland in half by capturing Oulu looked sound on maps, but was inherently unrealistic; the region's terrain was mainly densely forested marshland, its few roads simply forest tracks; armoured columns confined to these and moving slowly were easy targets for Motti tactics so successfully employed by the mobile Finnish troops
• the Soviet Red Army was poorly led, its officer corps still depleted by Stalin's purges during the 1930s, with replacement officers inexperienced, incompetent and terrified to take any initiative, subject to close political scrutiny by commissars

Civilian population and outcome of the war at Suomussalmi:  despite the threat of war in late 1939, the civilian population from Suomussalmi and the surrounding scattered villages and farms had not been evacuated. Many of the outlying farms and homesteads were not served by roads, and it was impossible to evacuate them in time. With their men folk called to arms, women, children and old people were left to fend for themselves amid the general uncertainty. The invasion came out of the blue, and 266 civilians were taken prisoner by the Soviets and shipped off to labour camps across the border in USSR; 13 of these died in captivity, the rest were repatriated in June 1940. When the Winter War ended on 13 March 1940, the eastern border around Suomussalmi remained intact but the losses on both sides were substantial: 1,000 Finns were killed or missing in the Suomusssalmi battles, but the Soviets lost an unknown number, estimated at between 13,000 and 27,000 dead or missing. The original church-village of Suomussalmi was totally destroyed, and after the war the new town of Suomussalmi was established on higher ground to the west across Lake Kiantajärvi where the modern town now stands.

Our visit to the Suomussalmi battlefields and memorials:  leaving the modern town of Suomussalmi along Route 912 on the southern shore of Kiantajärvi Lake, we found the Haukiperä Monument at the site of the significant battles between December 1939 and early January 1940 which marked the turning point of the Suomussalmi campaign. The Finns here succeeded in resisting the Soviet advance across the frozen Lake Kiantajärvi (the ice had been too thin to support their tanks), and driving them back eastwards in panicked retreat where they were subsequently trapped into isolated Mottis and wiped out. The onward drive across country towards Oulu was stopped here, and the monument inscription reads The advances of enemy forces during the Winter War were brought to a halt here on 9 December 1939. We continued around across the narrows of Kiantajärvi and paused by the road junction at the so-called 'Flame Memorial' (see left); the huge diagonal monument in the form of a licking flame was erected on the 20th anniversary of the 1939 Suomussalmi battles (Photo 2 - 'Flame Memorial'). The inscription carries Col (later General) Hjalmar Siilasvuo's words The lives of many brave soldiers ensured the great victories of Suomussalmi. They showed their nation an honourable path which was hard but which offered no alternative.

Along Route 912, we reached another memorial of the 1939~40 battles at Haukkila, where the bulk of the Soviet 44th Division was halted at Christmas 1939; the largest of the Mottis had been isolated here and totally liquidated in early January 1940. Most of the dead had been from Ukraine and the monument had been erected in 1986 by the Ukrainian city of Novograd-Volynskiy in memory of their war-dead (see above left).

Suomussalmi Church-village:  before continuing to the Raate Road, we diverted across the Kiantajärvi narrows to Suomussalmi Kirkon-kylä (Church-village), not appreciating at this stage the significance of the village. At the far end of the street of attractive wooden cottages, we reached the modern church (see left); next to this was a large war cemetery where many of the Winter War Finnish dead were buried (Photo 3 - Suomussalmi Chuch Village) (see right). The church was open and here we learnt more of the history of the church-village and its church: this was the site of the original settlement of Suomussalmi which had been burned by the retreating Finns in December 1939 to save it from the Soviet invaders who later captured the village remains. The village was re-built after the war, but eclipsed by the modern township of Suomussalmi founded post-war on the NW side of Kiantajärvi. The new church in Suomussalmi Kirkon-kylä was built in 1950 with financial assistance from Lutheran emigrée Finns in USA. We drove down to the lake shore at the far end of the village and by a skansen of old wooden buildings found the foundation-remains of the destroyed old church; nearby was a memorial to K J Stahlberg the first President of independent Finland who was born in the vicarage here in 1865.

The Raatteen Portti War Memorial and the Raate Road:  amid the forests by the junction of the modern Raate Road stands the Raatteen Portti Winter War Memorial. The arched central structure is hung with 105 bells of varying size which tinkle in the wind, representing the 105 days that the Winter War lasted (Photo 4 - Raatteen Portti War Memorial) (see below left). Surrounding the monument a wide stone-field is set with 1000s of scattered boulders symbolising the war dead of both sides. The nearby museum provides details of the various monuments along the Raate Road which leads out through the forests ending at the Finnish Border-Guard Post and the now sealed border with modern-day Russia. We turned off along the 18 kms of the Raate narrow dirt road, the route of the Soviet 44th Division's November 1939 invasion of Finland and where in January 1940 the trapped Mottis of retreating Soviet troops were systematically slaughtered (Photo 5 - Raate Road). Advancing steadily along the pot-holed dirt road surface, at the half-way point we crossed the Purasjoki river where the Finns had built a defensive line of trenches and tank-traps (see above right). The terrain along the dirt-road was now much less forested than 1939 with now more cultivated open farm land. We pressed on through the modern scattered settlement of Raate passing a number of farmsteads, finally reaching literally the end of the road. The trackway ahead leading to the sealed Russian border was closed by a barrier with the usual signs prohibiting access to the border zone without permit (Photo 6 - Sealed border-zone on Raate Road). Here at road's end the Finnish Border-Guard Post and watch-tower presided over the border zone with no road continuing into Russian territory beyond the sealed border. Nearby the original border-guard post now housed the Raate Border Guard Museum, built in 1923 soon after the border between the newly independent Finland and Lenin's USSR was formalised with the necessity to guard the border. Remarkably the small wooden building survived the Winter and Continuation Wars despite the ravages of battles along the Raate Road, and is now preserved as the Border Guard Museum duly equipped with period furniture as at 30 November 1939 (Photo 7 - Border-Guard Museum). At the Soviet invasion on that fateful day, the 8 Finnish border guards on duty beat a hasty retreat as the first shots were fired. Today the young volunteer manning the museum, speaking in impressively fluent English, explained to us the history of events affecting the border-post.

Back along the dirt road, we paused at the memorial set up in 1994 by the Russian authorities by the mass graves to commemorate the Russian war-dead (see right). The Cyrillic text of the inscription read: To the boys of the fatherland - Sorrowful Russia. Such tacky sentiment cut no ice with us; if you aggressively invade another sovereign state, you cannot complain if you get a bloody nose or worse! Putin might do well to re-read the history of his country's 1939~40 invasion of Finland, after having recently invaded and occupied Crimea.

Camp at Martinselkosen Eräkeskus:  turning off onto Route 843, we headed north on this lonely road which undulated for 30 kms through empty forested wilderness terrain (Photo 8 - Lonely Route 843). Passing scarcely one other vehicle, and glad of the bright afternoon sunshine to light these deserted forests, we reached the turning for Pirrtivaara, an isolated hamlet at the Russian border where 3 years ago we had camped at Martinselkosen Eräkeskus (Wilderness Centre) for wild bear watching in the overnight hides (See our 2012 Brown Bear Photo-gallery). Today before setting off northwards, we had telephoned to confirm we could still camp there and received a welcoming response. Turning along the dirt road, we bumped our way for the 14 kms to Martinselkosen Eräkeskus (see left); when we arrived at 6-00pm a few other vehicles were parked here, their owners now having gone off on tonight's bear-watch at the distant hides. The house-keeper, a charming lady, welcomed us hospitably speaking fluent English and her husband, the centre's handyman found us a camping spot behind the house well away from the barking of the penned husky dogs. That evening we cooked our supper in the centre's fully-equipped, homely kitchen/common-room, and having checked the forecast using the centre's wi-fi, we decided to take a rest day here tomorrow. Out here in such an isolated wilderness setting, but with such a hospitable welcome and excellent facilities, we felt very much at home. The following morning, the bear-watchers returned and their laughter indicated a successful night. Despite the swarming midges, we enjoyed a restful and fulfilling day at Martinselkosen, breaking off from our work to watch a friendly red squirrel darting around the forest beyond where we were camped.

Northwards to Hossa Visitor Centre:  before leaving Martinselkosen, we took an hour's forest walk just beyond the centre; fully midge-proofed and DEET-ed up, we followed a snow-scooter route through the pine forest with everywhere wet after last night's rain (see right) (Photo 9 - Midge-ridden forest path). There was little wild flora to reward our efforts, and even the Lingonberries up here were still in tight bud despite it being now well into July; it seemed likely that with the flowers so late opening, there would be little chance of the berries ripening; it's a poor year if the Lingonberry crop fails, meaning the wild bears will go hungry this autumn before their hibernation. The path had to cross boggy areas around a watercourse and the board-walk was decayed and partially broken, and despite midge-protection, the midges were insistently bothersome. Enough was enough and we turned back to Martinselkosen to continue our northward journey.

With little more than local traffic, Route 843 is a delightfully lonely road passing through endless coniferous forests with just the occasional reindeer for company. We crossed Kulmajärvi and Kylmäjärvi, both part of the northern extension of the vast Kiantajärvi lake system which stretches all the way south to Suomussalmi, and reached the sizeable village of Juntusranta. This had been the second invading route towards Suomussalmi taken by the Soviet 163rd Division in November 1939. At Juntusranta, as in 2012, we paused at the village-shop-cum filling station for provisions before continuing northwards. The road ran parallel with the Hossanjoki river, one of the main feeders for the Kiantajärvi system, and the Russian border which stretched away eastwards across the vast expanse of wilderness forests. We eventually reached Hossa village and beyond turned into the Hossa Visitor Centre with its Karhunkainalon Campsite. As always the Metsähallitus staff at the Visitor Centre were welcoming, booking us in with fluent English and helpful advice on walking routes in the Hossa Trekking Area to the Värikallio prehistoric rock paintings. The campsite charge was expensive at €25 but both the woodland setting and facilities were excellent (Photo 10 - Hossa Visitor Centre) (see left). Around at the camping area we settled in, spreading out wet boots from this morning's walk to dry in the afternoon sun. A night of continuous rain was followed by a gloomily wet morning, with no incentive to tackle the Värikallio walk today; another working day in camp, but the forecast looked better for tomorrow.

Hossa Trekking Area and the Värikallio prehistoric rock paintings:  reserving our space at the campsite, we drove 5 kms north along Route 843 to the Julma Ölkky turning, and took the 9kms rough gravel road through the forests out to the parking area for the Julma Ölkky Canyon boats (Photo 11 - Julma Ölkky forests). The morning was overcast but a stiff northerly breeze kept the clouds moving; with some rain forecast for later, we kitted up fully for today's 8km round walk to the Värikallio rock paintings (Click here for Värikallio map). The way-marked path initially followed a snow-mobile track through the pine forests high above the flooded rift-canyon formed by Lake Ala-Ölkky, and soon became bouldery making for tediously slow going with little ground flora other than the usual Bilberry, Lingonberry and Crowberry to provide distraction. After some 2 kms, the path dropped down to moister ground with lush vegetation, and contoured around to a bridge over the Somerjoki river. A board-walk now crossed marshy ground and the path rose to join another route to the rock-paintings. Through more open pine forest, the path crossed further marshy ground on board-walks where we paused to photograph Cloudberries in flower. A short distance further and we paused to eat our lunch sandwiches at the Ala-Ölkky shelter, meeting a Finnish father and son just setting out along the lake in their canoes. The sunny ground by the shelter was a tropical garden of Dwarf Cornel flowers; this iconic northern plant had seen seen by us for the first time in 2012 here on the Värikallio walk (Photo 12 - Dwarf Cornel).

The Värikallio rock-paintings:  the continuing path rose above the Somer River, shelving high above the canyon through the pines, and dropped down to lower, moist ground where Dwarf Cornel, Cloudberries and Bog Rosemary grew in profusion (Photo 13 - Path to Värikallio). Steeply over a headland, we reached the Värikallio kota-hut and campfire, where a short path diverted across the Somerjoki on a wooden bridge and around towards the rock-paintings. Over a headland, the path dropped down to the dilapidated wooden walk-way which ran for some 150m across the edge of the lake, now collapsing sideways and partially submerged in the lake waters (Photo 14 - Walk-way to Värikallio rock-paintings) (see above left). The slippery surface now made this a treacherous crossing with risk of slipping on the collapsing boards into the water. The walk-way led across to a viewing platform at the foot of a vertical rock face on which a gallery of paintings had been created by Neolithic hunter-gatherers, using red-ochre (ground iron oxide) mixed with animal fat or egg-yolk as binding agent, some 4,500 years ago (Photo 15 - Värikallio Neolithic rock-paintings) (see right). The cliff set along water routes used by these peoples must have been some sort of ritual cult meeting site or place of shamanistic worship. More than 60 human or animal figures have been identified in perhaps hunting scenes or shamanistic rituals, but over the aeons many have been smudged into red masses with only a few of the stick-figures clearly identifiable; these are now incorporated into Hossa Trekking Area's emblem (see above right). The paintings that can be distinguished show a stylistic representation of stick-like human figures with arms and triangular faces with eyes and nose; below these a more mysterious full-bodied red-painted horned figure in dance pose, smaller but seemingly more important with its distinctive silhouette appearance, is thought to represent a shaman in a trance (see left) (Photo 16 - Human stick-figures and horned shaman). The cliff has been interpreted as symbolic of the human world, part-way between the water representing the world of the dead, and the sky above inhabited by spirits of the departed. With the rock-face ising sheer from the lake edge, the paintings must have been created from a boat or standing on ice, but despite its location on an obvious water route, it is strange that the Värikallio paintings include no boat pictures.

With sun lighting the cliff-face, we stood on the viewing platform to photograph the paintings trying to distinguish the figures and interpret the commentary given on the Metsähallitus leaflet, before edging gingerly back along the collapsing walk-way to return around the head of the lake. The map suggested a viewing point on the opposite hillside from where it was possible to get a distant photograph of the rock-paintings' forested cliff setting across the lake. Around an inlet of the lake, the steep forested slope led to a point almost at the top with a clear line of sight through the trees of the distant paintings on the rock-face on the far side of Lake Somer (Photo 17 - Värikallio rock-paintings clff-face) (see right). Having taken our photos, we returned by the 4 km outward route through the forests above Ala-Ölkky to the parking area, and so back to camp at the Hossa Visitor Centre.

Northwards to Kuusamo:  leaving Hossa after a chill night, we headed north on Route 843, passing Lake Iso-Niskalampi recalled from 2012 as quintessentially Finnish with pines reflected in its still water; this morning with its water ruffled by breeze, the lake looked no different from the 1000s of others across Finland! (Photo 18 - Lake Iso-Niskalampi). This was such a magnificent route, passing through empty boreal forested landscape, with little traffic and just the occasional reindeer ambling along the road (Photo 19 - Reindeer ambling along Route 843); we enjoyed the beauty of this lonely road and made no rush of our northward drive. Mutovaara was signed, apparently a larger village, but when we passed through it was just a few wooden cottages and farmsteads. Beyond a large lake which spread both sides of the road, we reached the junction with the main Route 5/E63, fearing this would be busier with its 100kph speed limit, but in fact this also was quite empty, its ribbon of tarmac stretching away into the distance across the rolling, empty forested fell-scape. Several times, reindeer ambling along the main road caused us to slow, including a small herd grazing the roadside verges. A side turning led to another border-crossing into Russia, with the inevitable souvenir advertisement signs in Cyrillic at the junction aimed at Russian tourists. Reaching the outskirts of Kuusamo, we pulled into a large shopping complex and suddenly, after the peaceful back lanes, we were in the midst of busy town traffic. First stop was the excellent Metsähallitus Information Centre for practical details of bank machine and wi-fi internet location; as recalled from 2012, the staff were ultra helpful, speaking fluent English. We had discovered we had forgotten to hand in our facilities pass-key at Hossa, and the TIC staff offered to forward it for us in the Metsähallitus internal mail with our note of apology.

Across at the K-Market and Prisma supermarkets we stocked up with provisions to cover our forthcoming stay out in the wilds of Oulanka National Park; having loaded up our shopping, next stop was the Shell garage for the camper's fill of diesel, then around into the town to find the Kirjasto (public library) to use their free access wi-fi internet to collect emails, check bank accounts and weather forecast on the ever reliable Norwegian Meteorological Institute web site. We finally continued north to find tonight's campsite, awarding Kuusamo the accolade of being a worthwhile place for all the practical help and services the town offered.

A magnificent sunset at Matkajoki Camping:  5 kms north of Kuusamo, Matkajoki Camping lies just off Route 5. Our last stay here in 2012 was memorable for the bitterly cold weather and fearsome Arctic gale; this afternoon however with a warm sun shining and a gentle breeze, the place felt so much more benign. We edged the camper down onto a small, flat terrace directly overlooking the lake (Photo 20 - Matkajoki Camping); this was a magnificent setting with even a picnic bench to sit for a mug of tea after we had settled in and stowed our bags of shopping. The lake surface was now totally still, reflecting the pines of the surrounding forest which tapered down to a gap at the northern end of the lake into which the sun would set. After our barbecue supper, we sat watching the sun decline towards the forest gap at the head of the lake (Photo 21 - Declining sun at Matkajoki) (see above left), and with the pines silhouetted against the increasingly ruddy sky, many photos were taken as the sun's golden orb set into cloud in the apex of the gap with a final flair of glowing light (see above right), not the perfect sunset but one of the most spectacular settings of the trip so far (Photo 22 - Matkajoki sunset).

North to camp at Oulanka National Park:  continuing north the following morning on Route 5, as we approached the ski resort of Ruka the terrain to eastward became increasingly hilly fell-land (tunturi in Finnish), and at Ruka itself, the high slopes of Ruka-tunturi were festooned with all the intrusive apparatus of ski-lifts. We hastened past this blot on an otherwise magnificent natural landscape, and 5 kms further north took a side-turning towards Virkkula for the Konttaisjärvi Bird-watching Walk (Lintupolku in Finnish) on the slopes of Valtavaara Fell above Lake Konttaisjärvi. The way-marked path was spectacular for its most un-Finnish fell-land topography, wild flora and ancient, mossy spruce forests said to be perfect habitat for typical Taiga bird-life such as Siberian Jay, Crossbill, Black- and Three-toed Woodpeckers and the rare Red-flanked Blue-tail (Photo 23 - Ancient spruce forests). In fact it turned out to be less than impressive with its ferocious midges and almost total absence of bird-life at this time of year.

Returning to the main road, we turned off onto the peaceful Route 950 now designated the Via Karelia as the road wound its way northward towards Lapland. Shortly before the larger village of Käylä, we were brought to a halt by a large herd of semi-domesticated reindeer wandering along the road (Photo 24 - Reindeer herd), the largest group of these gentle animals seen so far this year, mainly does with calves. At Käylä we turned off for the 13 kms of dirt road out to the isolated Oulanka (pronounced Olanka) National Park, another of our favourite Finnish wilderness areas. Passing occasional farmsteads, the lane undulated its way through lightly forested terrain with more reindeer trotting along in front of us (see above right), eventually dropping steeply down to the Oulanka Visitor Centre by the crossing of the Oulankajoki; this river flows through the Oulanka National Park and eastwards into Russia before eventually turning north to outflow into the White Sea. We called in briefly to update the weather forecast using their wi-fi internet, and were greeted with a delightfully smiling welcome from the young Metsähallitus staff who told us more about the two distinctive species of wild orchid which can be found in the National Park: the Calypso (Fairy-slipper) Orchid which forms Oulanka's crest (see above left) and flowers in early June, too late for us to see this year, and the curious Lady's Slipper Orchid which we hoped again to find. Across the river we turned off to the Oulanka National Park campsite, and again were welcomed hospitably by the young staff at reception. Down at the forested camping area we selected a pitch close to the facilities huts and, with the mossies swarming around, settled in (Photo 25- Oulanka National Park Camping). Given its back-woods location, facilities at Oulanka campsite were of excellent standard and spotlessly clean, all set in charactersome turf-roofed huts. This along with the helpful and welcoming reception, good value price, and glorious pine and birch woodland setting, all merited the top rating we awarded the campsite.

Oulanka National Park and the Kiutaköngas Rapids:  a lightly overcast sky but emerging sun greeted us for our planned day's 8km trail which passes Oulanka's key natural feature, the Kiutaköngäs river-rapids and its backdrop of red dolomite cliffs, returning by the Hiidenlampi marshland pool. The walk began back along at the Oulanka Visitor Centre and again we had prepared map-prints of the walk from the Metsähallitus cartographic web site, giving up a clear picture of the route's topography (Click here for Kiutaköngas Rapids map), together with commentary from the Crossbill Guide to Finnish Lapland, an invaluable book which served us so well. Armed with these we set out through the pine and spruce woodland following the course of the river which at this stage flowed with innocuous placidity with little indication of the approaching rapids. The path here was a paradise garden, lined with an array of distinctive wild flora growing along the mossy banks, like the curiously pendulous One-flowered Wintergreen and the spiky-flowered Herb Paris. As we progressed along the path however the distant sound of the Kiutaköngäs Rapids grew increasingly louder, and we branched off across the wooden bridge over the former log-floating channel which bypassed the rapids, to the craggy outcrops of quartzite rocks immediately above the start of the main body of rapids. Upstream the increasingly turbulent waters here were channelled into a rocky gullet, surging at speed into the rapids' maelstrom; the craggy rocks gave a perfect vantage point overlooking the foaming torrent surging into the narrow channel, the air filled with the roar of the foaming river (see above left) (Photo 26 - Kiutaköngas Rapids). The high, forested ruddy-brown dolomite cliffs rose sheer on the far side of the canyon which the raging torrent of river-rapids had carved out over aeons along the line of weakness between the areas of dolomite and quartzite (Photo 27 - Kiutaköngas red dolomite cliffs) (see below left). We followed the rough track which threaded a way over the craggy islet high above the middle section of rapids (see right). Nestled in one of the darker, damp grooves on the rocky slope leading back up the forested hillside, Wintergreens grew in profusion, and from above the former log-floating channel we could look downstream to where the surging river emerged from the rapids canyon, swelling out into a wider and more placid course.

Reaching the flatter area of forested hillside high above the river, the path, at this stage part of the long-distance Karhunkierros route, continued around above the high river-cliff. Unseen from above, hidden in the tress, the ongoing Oulankajoki river was forced into another rocky gullet forming a third set of rapids, before flowing onward in a more gentle, meandering course. The path advanced through delightful pine and spruce woodland along the top of the river-cliff which rose steeply above a broad, forested, raised-river-beach itself now standing proud of the river's current course. From our bird's eye vantage point in the forest high above, we could look down on this perfect example of the geological progression of the river's meandering course (Photo 28 - Oulankajoki river-cliff). This was a magnificent walk along the forested flat top of the river-cliff. Across on the far side of the river, the wild Taiga boreal forest stretched away far into the distance towards the Russian border, a peaceful green sea of endless pines (Photo 29 - Oulanka pine forested wilderness). On our side of the gorge, the unmanaged forest contained a number of dead, fallen trees with twisted, convoluted branches, and a lush ground cover of Bilberry, Crowberry and beautifully flowering Lingonberry. One km further along the forested river-cliff top, the now sluggishly flowing river entered its next meander, and looping around a hillock on the far side, it hastened into a sandy narrowing, its former channel now silted up to form a wide area of raised-beach spread out below the steep river-cliff on whose flat, forested top we stood. The route now turned inland away from the river's current meandering course but still following the curved cliff-line of its former route with the broad area of new densely forested raised beach below us. The line of the path finally dropped down the cliff into a sandy gully, carved out by a water course flowing briskly down from the higher fells. We diverted around to cross this stream to reach the lower river-beach's moist meadow alongside the Oulankajoki river's present course and one of Oulanka's camp-fire hearths where we paused to chat with a Finnish family from Oulu seen earlier at the rapids.

Botanical gems at Hiidenlampi upland pool:  our return route gained height up the line of the river-cliff onto the flat, forested plateau-top where a lovely path advanced through virgin pine and spruce forest, again with a number of dead, fallen trees, to reach the next path junction. Here we took the Hiidenlampi path which rose steeply onto the higher forested fell-side, to cross a water course flowing down from a small upland lampi pool. We rounded a marshy area through more forest and on the boggy approach to Hiidenlampi, the long board-walk began which circled around this fell-land pool, with Cloudberries growing in profusion in the marshy ground along the board-walk. As we approached Hiidenlampi, among the wet sphagnum moss by the water's edge, we found the first of the Cranberry, some still in tiny bud but then increasing amounts of fully formed elegant pink flowers rising on their red stems, their tiny dark green leaves spreading across the sphagnum (Photo 30 - Cranberry flowers) (see below right). Risking wet boots, we stooped onto the moss for close-up photos of these beautiful small flowers, frustratingly difficult to lock into sharp focus. The board-walk continued alongside the small lake passing more Cloudberry (see left) and a few specimens of Bog Rosemary its flowers now past. But we were constantly scanning the wetter, more open patches of sphagnum for another botanical treasure recalled here from 2012. And our searching was finally rewarded: distinctive clumps of tiny, insectivorous Round-leafed Sundew, their spiky hairs glistening with sticky globules of the sweet liquid that attracts, traps and digests insects on which these curious plants 'feed'. These were some of the most distinctive clumps of Sundew we had seen, and fortunately the sphagnum was reasonably dry to support our weight as we squatted down to photograph the Sundew (Photo 31- Hiidenlampi board-walk).

Following the board-walk around the shore of the lake, we found more Sundew and Cranberry, taking many photograph of these magnificent specimens, and as a climax to this botanical crescendo, a low waterside mound at the far end of the board-walk blossomed with the largest cluster of fully flowering Cranberry ever seen. Leaving the Hiidelampi lake-shore, the path reached the extensive restored wooden-fenced reindeer corral where the autumn gathering of the husbanded reindeer herds once took place for tagging and culling (see left). Our route now sloped gently down hill to rejoin the original path by the start of the Kiutaköngäs Rapids, and from here it was just a 10 minute stroll back to the Visitor Centre. The weather forecast showed a general improvement for Oulanka with tomorrow being the better day; with the promise of better conditions for photographing Lady's Slipper Orchids on the second Oulanka walk, our long-awaited day in camp would have to wait.

The Rytisuo Nature Trail, Oulanka National Park:  our second Oulanka walk around the 5km Rytisuo Nature Trail began directly from the campsite, returning along part of the long-distance trail above the Oulankajoki river (Click here for Rytisuo map). The calcareous soils in this area of boreal forests provide optimal growing conditions for a host of wild flora including Oulanka's 2 distinctive wild orchids, the delicate Calypso (Fairy Slipper) and more robust Lady's Slipper Orchids; we were too late this year for the first, but hoped to see again the second as well as other marsh-loving orchids. The path began through a dense stand of pines leading to the start of the long board-walk up the sloping mire which drains down from Puukkosuo higher up the fell-side creating luxuriant vegetation. Nutrient-laden water trickles down the slope with the different moisture conditions determining the types of flora. Peat formation on the slope has produced different surface features such as drier hummocks and marshy depressions, each supporting species favouring drier or wetter conditions. As we started up the sloping marsh's board-walk, we began seeing this wonderful range of wild flora, including a real gem, the slender, white flowered, insectivorous Alpine Butterwort, its tall stem growing from a basal crown of insect-trapping sticky leaves. And then to one side of the path, the walk's climax, a large patch of Lady's Slipper Orchids, still growing where we had see them in 2012 (see right). We had caught them just in time this year since some of the flowers were beginning to pass, their wing-petals drying and curling around. We spent a length of time photographing these curiously bizarre flowers with their huge pale yellow, red spotted bulbous bowl-shaped lower lip-petal surmounted by the precocious display of 4~5 maroon wing-petals (Photo 32 - Lady's Slipper Orchid); such an elaborate species of orchid seemed a flower more at home in a steamy, tropical rain forest than a forest floor in Arctic Northern Scandinavia. Nearby we found Heath Spotted Orchids (Dactylorhiza maculata) (see left), more conventionally orchid-shaped with splendidly ornate heads of pale mauve florets and darker mauve patterning, but almost eclipsed for our attention by the more ostentatious Lady's Slippers.

Crossing an area of drier spruce forest at the top of the board-walk slope, the path turned to cross the stream draining from Rytilampi. In the past the stream had been dammed with logs, flooding the peat-land sedge-meadow which was mown for hay. Our route circled around Rytilampi where the marshy ground supported Bog Beans with their lacy flowers and purple buds, and more marsh-loving orchids. Across a further stretch of old spruce forest, the path dropped down to cross an open area of fen on board-walk, and here growing among the sphagnum we found tiny plants of both the round-leaved but also the rarer elongated oval-leaved insectivorous Sundew (Photo 34 - Great Sundew). Seeing their oval pad-like, insect-catching leaves extending almost malevolently on curling stems, one could well imagine the origin of the carnivorous Triffids in John Wyndham's 1951 science fiction novel Day of the Triffids (see left). The path now crossed a broad forested plateau and descended steeply to where Rytilampi's outflow stream dropped down through rocks to form the Rytikongäs waterfalls. This barrier to fish swimming upstream had isolated Rytilampi enabling its native stickleback to grow to 11 cm giant proportions free of predators. Beyond this the Rytisuo path re-joined the Kerhunkierros trail for the final couple of kms back to the campsite through more open pine and spruce forest, passing high above the deep Tulvilampi lake and the canyon of the Oulankajoki river, backed by the steeply rising flank of Kiutavaara fell on the far bank.

The peculiar world of the Lady's Slipper Orchid:  after a refreshing day in camp amid the pine woods at Oulanka, it was time to continue our northward journey. Before returning to the main road, we called in for a final time at the Oulanka Visitor Centre to update the weather forecast; we also took the opportunity to ask about the Finnish names for Oulanka's two orchids: Neidon-kenkä, the Calypso Orchid, literally means Maiden's Shoe; what in English we call Lady's Slipper Orchid is in Finnish Tikan-kontii, literally meaning Woodpecker's Sack, from the flower's distinctive shape (see right). We also learned more about the Lady's Slipper's peculiar shape and pollination mechanism: the flower secretes no nectar on which pollinating insects feed, but instead catches the attention of pollinators by its attractive colour and pleasant fragrance; small bees attracted by the colour and scent fall into the flower's bowl-like sack becoming trapped; the insect's only escape is to crawl along a narrow channel towards a translucent window, and in taking this exit route pollen sticks to the insect's back to pollinate other flowers. The Lady's Slipper Orchid has adapted an exotic appearance and shape, all an intrinsic part of a sophisticated pollination mechanism, showing evolution at its most impressively creative (Photo 33 - Lady's Slipper Orchid). Even so the Lady's Slipper Orchid is a threatened species, protected in all parts of Finland.

Crossing the Arctic Circle into Lapland:  finally leaving Olanka, back along the 13 kms of dirt road to re-join Route 950, we turned north. The leaden grey sky made what would have been a beautiful stretch of road seem so gloomy, the terrain becoming increasingly hilly with the tunturi fells, totally covered with endless boreal forests punctuated only by the occasional lake. We passed little other traffic and soon reached the boundary sign for Salla District as we entered Lapland, pausing for a photograph (see left). A little beyond the Hautajärvi road junction, we reached the Metsähallitus Visitor Centre set on the line of the Polar Circle (Napapiiri in Finnish), defined as the southernmost point at which the sun does not actually set for at least one day a year; but any fixed marking of the Arctic Circle was purely notional since the actual line slips northward by some 15m each year due to the earth's changing angle of tilt. Be that as it may, we had to pause here for this year's ritual 'Crossing the Line' photograph by the discretely restrained sign (Photo 35 - Crossing Arctic Circle) (see right). We paused to chat with a young Polish couple from Krakow who were about to set off with their tiny baby, back-packing the 80km Karhunkierros long-distance hiking trail which begins here at Hautajärvi, stretching all the way south to Ruka and passing through the heart of Oulanka National Park; a thoroughly brave venture carrying both camping gear and 6 month old baby, and we wished them well.

Salla-tunturi fells to Salla:  crossing the line of the Arctic Circle, we continued north with the densely forested tunturi hill-country rising spectacularly above the surrounding fells; the magnificent terrain of Salla-tunturi is now commercially over-exploited by the winter sports industry with ski runs scarring the fell slopes. 6kms further and we reached the Lapland town of Salla. The depressingly modern apartment blocks lining the town's approach makes it seem an unappealing place, but given Salla's tragic history in WW2, all can be understood: vast swathes of its lands were raped and stolen by the savagery of Russian barbarism in 1940, and the town totally destroyed by equally barbaric Germans in September 1944 (click here Salla's tragic wartime history). Remnants of wartime defences still stand along Salla's main street in the form of a preserved section of Salpa Linja tank traps which extend into the red-current bushes of a back-garden (Photo 36 - Salpa Linja tank-traps at Salla) (see below right). Somehow, even after 70 years, the state of the modern town seems to reflect Salla's tragic wartime history. It felt a sadly end-of-the-line place nowadays: while the logging industry and tourist ski trade was clearly thriving, there seemed little else by way of employment or economic prospects and little to keep youngsters here. On a quiet Saturday afternoon, we stopped at the K-Market in Salla to shop for provisions. With the TIC in the town library closed today, we drove around to the Museum of War and Reconstruction to try to get information on campsites other than Sallainen which certainly had not impressed us when we were here in 2012. The answer was simple: there were no others, so it was back the 6kms to Sallainen Caravan Park, aimed primarily at the winter ski trade. The welcome was hospitable but the price, and limited facilities with silly rigmarole of key access were not! We had no alternative and settled in; at least now they had wi-fi. The air and wind from the north made the afternoon so chill that we needed the camper's heater for warmth. From our pitch, we could look up to the most un-Finnish sight of the high rounded, rocky hills of Salla-tunturi with its bare lines of ski slopes.

Abortive search for Salla's bird-watching towers:  from the Museum's Sallan Kyläreitti guide leaflet (translated as Salla Vital Villages Tour), we had found the location of a couple of local bird-watching towers to visit before continuing north to Savukoski. The first of these supposedly was just off Route 82 north of Salla, along a sandy track, but when we reached the turning, the sign to Lintutorni (Bird-tower) was twisted round. Now road signs just do not get vandalised in Finland, not even in Salla, and this should have raised our suspicion. We edged 500m along the rough track and parked expecting to find a clear path leading out to the bird-watching tower overlooking the marshes and Lake Termusjärvi. But search as we would, the track just petered out, leading nowhere, and no trace of any tower. The only reward for our efforts was a patch of lovely wild orchids, together with Cranberry flowers and green ripening Crowberries, and of course swarming, biting midges! It was the same story when we tried to find the second tower just into the Savukoski road, allegedly overlooking Aapa Tuohilampi pool. We followed the approach lane, but again frustration; 2 kms from where the map showed the tower to be and still with Lintutorni sign, the lane was barricaded off denying further access. Our only reward was sighting an elk grazing in the surrounding forest. Whether the bird-towers were now derelict and unsafe due to lack of maintenance, or whether change of land ownership now denies access, the Lintutorni signs are still there and the details openly published on the Salla web site. For a town with little other economic prospect but tourism, this says it all!

Route 82 leading to the Russian border and a railway line to no-where:  we drove the 20kms eastward along Route 82 towards the Russian border-crossing, following the redundant railway line leading now to no-where, but which the Finns in 1944~45 had been compelled to construct from Kemijärvi to the newly westward shifted Soviet border, as part of the peace terms of the Treaty of Moscow ending the Continuation War. Stalin had forcibly annexed all of the Old Salla territories, displacing the Finnish population to be relocated at New Salla, and pushing the new border into the westward bulge still seen today in the shape of the Finnish~Russian border at this point to the east of modern Salla. Given Stalin's merciless savagery, it is not difficult to see his cynical motivation in enforcing this seemingly curious peace term to build this railway line: the Soviets had twice attempted to invade Finland in 1939 and 1941~44, the mighty land forces and armoured columns of the Red Army twice getting a bloody nose thanks to winter conditions, Finland's impassable forest and marsh terrain, and the sheer guts (sisu in Finnish) of its people in defending their homeland. So why not, as one of the terms of peace, compel them to build at their own expense a railway line from the new border all the way to Kemijärvi linking onward from there into the Finnish heartland railway network to Oulu and the west coast? then the next time whenever Stalin chose to invade Finland again, once the Red Army had mopped up the whole of Eastern Europe under Communist control, his forces could take the train across Finland - Simples! as Aleksandr Orlov Meerkat would have said. Only post-war, Finland's President Urho Kekkkonen's political astuteness ensured the next time never came; Finland managed to keep her hard won independence, and the lonely railway line ending at the border still stands as a monument to Stalin's guile and barbaric brutality. We drove out along Route 82 just as far as the Finnish border-control, the road continuing ahead into what had been before 1940~44 Old Salla, now forcibly annexed Russian territory, a totally depopulated border-zone, the rural locality still retaining its Finnish name of Kuolajärvi and the nearest sizeable town some 200kms further east according to the road sign near the modern border (Photo 37 - Russian border-crossing) (see right). We turned back safely into Finland to continue our northward journey on Route 965 to Savukoski.

Northwards to Savukoski and Savukosken Camping:  a short distance along Route 965, just before the farming hamlet of Saija, a memorial commemorates those killed in post-war land-mine clearance operations (see left); between 1945~49, seven men died clearing wartime mines before farming life could return to normal in the Kotula-Saija area. Nearby on each side of the road remains of Salpa Linja tank traps lines still extend into the forest. Theses days this is an extensively farmed valley with large fields of cleared and drained forest land, now cut for hay and awaiting garnering for silage winter feed. As we drove north, passing from Salla to Savukoski district, farms became less frequent and forests more extensive with elk warning signs and elk-fencing lining the road. We passed two more sections of surviving Salpa Linja tank traps, and in the village of Kuoska paused at a significant memorial; there was no English language information panel but this seemed to commemorate those killed fighting Russian so-called partisans during the Continuation War including two Lotta Svärd women-auxiliaries. Just before reaching Savukoski, the road crossed a major, fast-flowing river which we were surprised to learn was the Kemijoki. Closer examination of the map showed that the Kemijoki river has a huge range of tributaries spreading like fingers of a hand across substantial areas of NE Finland and into Russia; this forms an enormous gathering area for its waters which flow south-westwards down through the town of Kemijärvi, swell out into Kemijärvi lake, and onwards through Rovaniemi, and finally flow into the head of the Bothnian Gulf at the port of Kemi. The Kemijoki river therefore, with its distant origins in Russia, flows across the entire northern width of Finland. We were also surprised to find that Savukoski was a sizeable village with 2 shops, school and bank, clearly a service centre for a broad farming and forestry catchment area, and just beyond the village we reached the Samperin Savotta Wilderness Hotel expecting the campsite to be in the hotel grounds. We were directed back along the road and were welcomed in fluent English by the young girl at Savukosken Camping's log cabin café-reception. The small, gravelled camping area was at the edge of the pine forest on the very banks of the wide and very fast-flowing Kemijoki river (Photo 38 - Camping by Kemijoki at Savkoski) (see right). This afternoon we had enjoyed the drive along the lonely Route 965 through the forests of the NE Finland borderlands, and discovered the upper reaches of the Kemijoki, a river we had previously only known from its lower course; now we were camped on its banks at Savukoski, with red squirrels hopping around in the trees behind us (Photo 39 - Red Squirrel). The sky cleared during the early evening and the sun declined along the length of the wide river, setting into the forests beyond.

Kairanaapa bird-watching tower: after a day in camp on the Kemijoki river bank and another chill night, we woke again to an overcast morning with the sky a gloomy grey; when was summer going to start this year? Even the Finns were complaining about the absence of sun. Before leaving Savukoski this morning, we called in at the Metsähallitus Visitor Centre near to the Wilderness Hotel to get more information about the state of road access to the two bird-watching towers planned for today overlooking the Kairanaapa and Kilpiaapa Mires. The girl spoke some English but responded to our questions with blankly speechless silence. We had learned about the bird-towers from the Metsähallitus web-site; they were well-reported but she clearly had no idea what we were talking about. Never before had we encountered such hopeless lack of informed help from Metsähallitus staff, and after a cursory glance at the exhibition, we left to continue our drive.

Leaving Savukoski, Route 965 cut a dead straight course for some 30 kms through empty forests, and crossed the wide Kitinen River which flows down from its extensive northern gathering grounds, through Sodankylä to merge with the Kemijoki flowing in from the east just by the junction with the main Route 5. We turned north for 6kms to the village of Kairala and took a minor but still tarmaced lane around to the farming hamlet of Luiro. A gravel trackway led on from here for 3 further kms sign-posted for the Kairanaapa Lintutorni (bird-watching tower); we had plotted coordinates for the start of the 800m footpath leading to the tower. Leaving George at the road-side, we kitted up with total midge protection against the midges which swarmed worse than ever; the only exposed flesh was our hands which were liberally doused with DEET. After 600m through overgrown brushwood, the narrow path emerged into more open marshland, crossed by 200m of board-walk, lined with Cloudberry and beautiful flowering Cranberry demanding to be photographed. Just ahead the bird-tower overlooked the broad and desolate expanse of the Kairanaapa Mires, raised marshlands rich in nutrients which support a wide variety of vegetation. We climbed the tower, peering out through binoculars across the sedge-covered marshes searching for any sign of bird-life (Photo 40 - Kairanaapa bird-watching tower). A pair of Cranes grazed the marshland their wailing echoing across the fens, with the sound of Whooper Swans in the distance. Back across the board-walk to the parking area, it took some time to clear the midges from George before we could eat our sandwiches.

Pelkosenniemi and the Kilpiaapa Mires bird-tower:  back through Luiro, we re-crossed the Kitinen to re-join Route 5 south to the larger village of Pelkosenniemi. Here we parked by the playing field for the start of the sign-posted footpath 3kms out to the bird-watching tower overlooking the Kilpiaapa Mires. From the edge of the village, the path zigzagged through forest, soon reaching a lengthy and continuous board-walk across the open expanse of Kilpiaapa Mires marshland; this was an imposingly dreary place particularly on an overcast day. Gazing out across the swampy fenland mire, raised 'islands' of drier vegetation stood out above the featureless wet expanses of sphagnum (see right). But closer at hand alongside the board-walk, the wild flora was truly magnificent: beautiful patches of Cranberry flowers (see left), Cloudberry with some early fruit forming, Bog Rosemary the flowers now past but with pinks styles still showing, tiny round-leaved Sundew (see left), and the deep maroon, star-shaped flowers of Marsh Cinquefoil. We made slow progress across the 2km lengthy board-walk with frequent stops for photography (Photo 41 - Kilpiaapa Mires). Wide open expanses of featureless mire alternated with more wooded sections, but all was water-logged, and in places mud spilled over onto the boards meaning care to avoid slipping into the marsh. Emerging from the final wooded section, we finally reached the bird-tower, and from its top could look out across the open vista of the wider Kilpiaapa Mires to distant tunturi fells along the western horizon, a peacefully forbidding spectacle (see above left). Again we scoured the marshland through binoculars for signs of bird-life: Whooper Swans on one of the distant pools, a pair of Cranes grazed the mashes, and an Osprey wheeled overhead.

Kuukiurun Lomakylä Camping at Vuostimo:  back across the marshland board-walk to Kilpiaapa, we headed south on Route 5 alongside the now wide and more placidly flowing Kemijoki river to Vuostimo to find tonight's campsite, Kuukiurun Lomakylä. We had happy memories of our stay here in 2012, and of the delightful elderly couple who then kept the café-camping-cottages. They had now retired and the new owners, although welcoming, somehow lacked the same grace and charm. They spoke only limited English but booked us in with a pleasant welcome and showed us around; it tuned out they were from Murmansk. A welcome innovation was the availability of wi-fi internet which covered the small camping area, but their new commercially designed web site, written in the most florid PR-speak was totally out of character with the quaint, straightforward, and unassuming air which gives Kuukiuru its uniquely essential charm; the ultimate incongruity was the comical new catch-phrase logo Stop dreaming - it's time to rest (sic!). We wearily settled in, and did indeed take a well-earned rest after our long and rewarding day of mires and bird-towers, fully appreciating Kuukiuru's delightful garden-lawned, riverside environment and fell-side outlook which needs no over-blown language to express its appeal (see right) (Photo 42 - Kuukiurun Lomakylä Camping).

Monument to 1939 Battle of Pelkosenniemi and Sokanaapa Mires bird-tower:  returning north on Route 5 the following morning, we paused just after Pelkosenniemi village at a memorial commemorating the Battle of Pelkosenniemi on 16~18 December 1939 (see left). Soviet troops and armour had invaded Finland along the Savukoski road, now Route 965 which we had followed yesterday, one of the most northerly of the carefully planned and concerted invasion routes, and had crossed the Kemijoki at the then ferry by the Kitinen confluence. Despite their massed superior numbers, they were brought to a halt just north of Pelkosenniemi and forced to retreat eastwards the way they had come, leaving over 1,000 dead compared with 117 Finns killed in this crucial victory in stopping the northern wing of the Soviet invasion. 5 kms along Route 965, we stopped at the parking area for the wide board-walk leading for 600m across the aapa mire to the Sokanaapa Mires bird-tower.  Here the marshland was covered with much sedge and grass vegetation, but Cranberry buds, Cloudberries and tiny Sundew flourished alongside the board-walk. Ahead on a wooded 'island' standing proud of the marshes, we found the bird-tower. From its top we scanned the surrounding mires and pools, but today there were simply no bird sightings (see right); compared with yesterday's impressive towers and access routes, Sokanaapa was a disappointment and we returned to continue our journey, making good progress back the 30kms to Savukoski to top-up our provisions at the village supermarket.

The lonely Route 967 to Sodankylä:  our reason for returning to Savukoski was to take the Route 967 minor back-road around to Sodankylä rather than driving the direct route up the main Route 5. Route 965 had been a high standard road and we assumed Route 967 would be similar. The first 10 kms were, but at a junction the high grade road continued ahead to unknown wilderness villages; Route 967 branched off westwards becoming a poorly surfaced, single-track lane with passing places. Thankfully there was little traffic since Finnish rural drivers show little awareness of other drivers or passing places. This was desolate, uninhabited forested fell-land, a very lonely road indeed. Partway along, an information panel gave details of the network of 'path roads' around Lapland, little more than tracks which were only widened to road width post-war; the 14 kms of former path-road out to Seitajärvi was now designated a 'Museum Road' recalling the network of paths. We continued ahead on the single-track Route 967 which undulated westwards for a further 60 kms through wilderness forests, passing the occasional farming settlement or reindeer herding corrals. In the heavily overcast poor light, this was a long and dreary road, but as we moved westwards the state of the road improved and the sky brightened with even the sun managing to break through. Beyond Kelujärvi with its twin lakes lining the road, increasingly the valley filled with farms on land reclaimed from forest and mires, but with forested tunturi lining the northern horizon.

Sodankylä and its old wooden church:  we finally reached the outskirts of Sodankylä, and crossing the wide Kitinen river turned into the town to park by the church. We walked across to the nearby wooden Old Church (Vanha Kirkko), built in 1689 to serve the indigenous Sámi inhabitants and Finnish settlers of a wide area covering Sodankylä, Savokoski, Pelkosenniemi and Kittilä at a time when the Swedish King Karl XI was promoting the settlement of Lapland (Photo 43 - Sodankylä Old Church) (see left). Both the Sámi and new settlers had journeys of several days by sledge or boat to attend religious services at the church. The Old Church remained in use until the neighbouring new church was built in 1859 and is one of the few buildings in Sodankylä to have survived the 1944 German scorched earth retreat which destroyed most of the rest of the town. The plain and straightforward interior of this lovely wooden church was a delight to see (Photo 44 - Interior of Sodankylä Old Church) (see right).

Nilimella Camping at Sodankylä :  before heading to tonight's campsite, we drove out to Sodankylä's northern outskirts to revisit the factory shop of the Kylmänen meat processing company (see left for emblem), which sells fresh, frozen and tinned reindeer meat and their recommended specialty, tinned cream of reindeer soup (poro keitto). Having stocked up with frozen reindeer meat, elk meat balls and tins of reindeer soup, we re-crossed the Kitinen for a night's stay at Nilimella Camping on the banks of the river. Prices had risen markedly from the €19 paid on our last stay in 2012; now €25 including Scandinavia Camping Card discount, this was one of the most expensive prices we had paid in the whole of Finland. In now bright afternoon sunshine, we selected one of the upper pitches enclosed by rowan hedges and close to reception for the wi-fi signal. But at least the washing machine still only cost €1 for a further load of laundry.

Coming next:  we shall now explore the very north of Finnish Lapland, walking in the Urho Kekkonen National Park, and continuing to Ivalo to divert out along the former Arctic Ocean Road which had led ultimately to what was once the Finnish territory of Petsamo on the Barents Sea coast but which, after the region's forcible annexation by Soviet Russia in 1944, now ends at the isolated settlement of Nellim on the shores of Lake Inari. After further time at Inari and a diversion to the remote Lemmenjoki National Park, we shall then continue along the eastern shore of Lake Inari to Finland's furthest north-eastern corner at Sevettijärvi, where the Skolt Sámi displaced from Petsamo were re-settled post-war, before crossing into Northern Norway. But more of that in the next edition which will be published shortly.

Next edition to be published quite soon

Sheila and Paul

Published: 29 November 2015

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