Muotkatunturi wilderness in Northern Lapland is the most wilderness-like area in Finland. The wilderness area is located in Utsjoki and Inari counties. There are around a hundred fells in Muotkatunturi, but the scenery is very open with gentle slopes in the horizon. The highest peak is Kuárvikozzâ (590 m). The area is roadless and there are no signposted trails, but you can find paths to the most popular destinations such as Peltoaivi fell and Lake Peltojärvi. I made a three-nights autumn hiking adventure in Muotkatunturi wilderness in September, right after my adventure in Kevo Strict Nature Reserve. This hike was my first adventure off trails in wilderness, if you don't count the short adventure off trails on my Halti hike. Is Muotkatunturi wilderness suitable for beginners? Read the story and find out!
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Finland
Kevo Strict Nature Reserve in Utsjoki is one of the most rugged hiking destinations in Lapland, Finland. In the heart of the nature reserve there's almost a 40 km canyon with River Kevojoki flowing in the middle. You can explore the beautiful nature reserve by hiking either Kuivi ring route or Kevo route. The scenic 63 km Kevo Trail runs through the nature reserve descending several times at the bottom of the canyon and ascending back to the fell highland. There are many ravines and waterfalls of which Fiellu waterfall is the most known. The trails are marked and challenging due to the variation of elevation and river crossings. I made a three-nights hike on the Kevo Trail in September to see the autumn colors.
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Lake Pallasjärvi is located in Western Lapland in Finland, at the border of Kittilä and Muonio. The beautiful lake with red sand beach is in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, on the South-East side of Pallastunturi fells. Visiting Lake Pallasjärvi and the Punainenhiekka day hut is convenient to include in a hiking trip such as the classic Hetta-Pallas hike in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park.
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Saana fell in Kilpisjärvi Lapland is one of the highest and most popular fells in Finland. It is located in Käsivarsi area in Enontekiö region. There are two great trails: The Saana Summit Trail and the Saana Circle Trail.
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Planning your first multi-day solo summer backpacking trip in Finland? Not sure if you should be prepared for snow, mosquitos or polar bears? No worries, getting your ducks in a row is easier than you would guess!
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The Sevettijärvi-Pulmanki Trail is the most popular hiking trail going through Kaldoaivi wilderness. Kaldoaivi is the largest wilderness area in Finland. The 2924 sq.km wilderness area is located in Utsjoki, in Northern Lapland. The landscape varies from fell highlands to dense birch forests, with countless lakes and river valleys.
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Halti is the highest fell in Finland with the peak, Háldičohkka, at 1324 m above the sea level. The trail to Halti from Kilpisjärvi, the Nordkalott Trail, is the most popular route to Halti from Finland, but several unmarked routes through wilderness lead to Halti as well. I chose the Nordkalott route on my way to Halti but hiked back to Kilpisjärvi via Termisjärvi, following the Nordkalott Trail to the Kuonjarjoki hut before taking my own path.
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Halti is the highest fell in Finland with the peak, Háldičohkka, at 1324 m above the sea level. It can be summitted from Finland or from Norway as the fell is located at the border between two countries. The trail to Halti from Kilpisjärvi, the Nordkalott Trail, is the most popular route to Halti from Finland. The Nordkalott Trail leads through the northern parts of Finland, Norway and Sweden, and a 70 km stretch runs through Northern Finland mainly in the Käsivarsi Wilderness area. The trail leg between Kilpisjärvi and Halti is around 55 km. Hiking to Halti is demanding due to wilderness and crossing rivers, although the trail is marked and there are many huts along the route. The duration of Halti adventure is 3-7 days.
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Autumn is my favorite time of the year, and the nicest time for outdoors. In the end of October, most of the colorful autumn leaves have usually fallen to the ground in the Southern Finland, the air is crisp but not cold, and there’s still a lot of daylight for hiking. I decided to visit the southern green oasis, Nuuksio National Park, as I didn’t have much time to spend for the journey. Luckily, you don’t have to travel far to enjoy the benefits of nature and get those happy outdoor experiences! My wishes and goals for the weekend were just testing my new winter sleeping bag before my first winter hike snowshoeing in Syöte National Park, trying autumn camping for the first time in my life, and getting fresh air and charging my batteries for the coming grey and dark November days.
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Nature has always been an important part of life for Finns. We have walked, wandered, jogged, camped, and picked berries in the woods from the beginning of our history. Even though running is probably more popular than ever, and people are increasingly heading into nature in their free time, spending time on trails is sort of a natural way of Finnish living. Trail running may sound even trendy, but the core thing is to enjoy the great outdoors and move. Getting your share of health and happiness doesn’t require any fancy equipment, although a pair of running shoes with a good grip will make it more fun!
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