More and more people hiking in the Lapland wilds

Skiers and hikers explore northern routes through national park scenery

print this

By Tapio Mainio in Enontekiö
     
      The Hannukuru wilderness lodging halfway along Finland's most popular hiking trail between Hetta and Pallas in Western Lapland had its topping-out ceremony last Tuesday. This is a reservable hut - travellers can book a bed here for a charge, as opposed to the "open" wilderness huts that are free for use but offer no guarantee of space at peak periods. The reservable accommodation is slightly less spartan, but these are still no luxury cabins with central heating and satellite TV.
      The modern building, which looks just like a new version of the traditional wilderness log cabin, will contain a separate drying room for the sweat-soaked clothes of skiers who stay the night.
     
"About time, too", says Eila Tervo, 77, who has come to look the place over. She is with her husband Asser Tervo, 79, and the couple have skied regularly in the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park landscape for the past 40 years.
      "In preparation for our traditional spring excursion, we have skied around 2,000 kilometres this winter", says Eila Tervo.
      When the new hut is completed, the old one nearby will not be dismantled, but will continue life as a free-access refuge.
      "The reservable huts are for those hikers and skiers who want to be sure of a place to rest their head at night. The charge is a nominal EUR 9.00 per person per night", explains Eero Tikkanen, the park superintendent for Metsähallitus, the Finnish Forest and Park Service.
     
Ramblers and cross-country skiers can spend only a maximum of two nights in the huts, whether they have booked in or not. "The additional space will be welcome, as the Hannukuru hut is nearly always full. Its popularity is only going to increase because of the recently-completed sauna there", says Asser Tervo.
      In order to avoid the crush, the Tervos have overnighted on previous spring visits to Lapland in a tent close to the lodge.
      Last year, the recreational and nature tourism sites in Lapland registered a total of 1.48 million visitors. By 2010, this figure is expected to rise by around 430,000.
      "The numbers have been gathered from optical counters placed along the paths and ski-tracks and from personal interviews. Among others, the Central Europeans have discovered the hiking paths of Lapland. All we have to sort out with them is an understanding of the Finnish everyman's rights rules, including the fact that you cannot go staying in a wilderness hut for weeks on end", explains Metsähallitus recreation area manager Sakari Kokkonen.
     
The continuing growth in visitor numbers is forcing Metsähallitus to invest around EUR 3 million on this particular popular hikers' trail. Around half of this sum will go this year on building the new reservable hut at Hannukuru and on cleaning up the surroundings and improving the equipment at the other buildings on the site.
      "The route itself is getting badly worn down. Paths that have subsided into deep hollows will be filled in with gravel, and in the worst places and where the ground is wet for long periods, we will be putting down duckboards", reports Tapani Rauhala, the site manager for the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park.
      In 2005, around 14,000 hikers and skiers travelled along the 55km Hetta-Pallas route, which heads north from Hotel Pallas, in the shadow of Pallastunturi Fell (821 metres).
      There is a neeed to spend something in the region of EUR 20 million on refurbishing routes and wilderness huts across Finnish Lapland.
      The bulk of the cost will be met by the Ministry of the Environment through its new programme to promote recreational activities and nature tourism in protected areas.
     
"We are trying to attract more and more people to acquaint themselves with these glorious natural surroundings. We have noticed that many youngsters who come up here never get beyond the confines of a ski-resort", says Silja Suominen, a senior adviser with the Ministry of the Environment.
      It is possible to begin getting to know the features of the national park from three visitor centres, one of which - Kellokas - is in Äkäslompolo, a stone's throw from the large Ylläs ski-resort.
      Kellokas is due to be expanded in the years ahead, with the Environment Ministry providing the necessary EUR 3 million in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour and the Lapland Employment & Economic Development Centre.
      "Kellokas is to get a library and reading-room and a large auditorium that will also allow for theatre performances", says Eero Tikkanen.
      The centre, which is situated alongside a new road linking the two villages on opposite sides of the Yllästunturi Fell, received some 60,000 visitors last year. This figure is estimated to rise to something like 100,000.
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 13.4.2006

More on this subject:
 Grooming the ski-trails starts at 4 a.m.
 BACKGROUND: The unresolved urine problem

Links:
  Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park
  Hetta-Pallas Trail
  Metsähallitus
  Ministry of the Environment
  Hiking in Finland
  Kellokas Visitor Centre, Ylläs

TAPIO MAINIO / Helsingin Sanomat
tapio.mainio@hs.fi