2nd of August, 2022.
Hitchhiking in Finland.
A van with a logo stops by. It says something about “technical support” on it. Because I am near some of those metal cabins for the electricity cables, I think that perhaps the guy is just coming to fix something. But he is not! He offers to drive me to the next town, Juva, where he is going to do some work. It will take him about two hours, he says, and then he will go to Oulanka National Park. If I want, I can wait for him. But because I am so close now, more or less 30 KM from the park, and the weather is good and the timing is also good, I decide to keep going. The thing is: Juva is already part of the National Park and there is a small road from the town to the main entrance of Oulanka. Another option is keep going from the highway. I choose that, of course, because the chances of catching someone would be higher.
I decide to walk. From the map I saw in his phone, the exit from the highway towards a small village, just before the main entrance of the part, is not so far, so I decide to walk.
Only a bit before the exit, a black van with some logos on it stops. A lovely blondie is driving and on the passenger seat a big guy. They are a lovely couple, from the Rukan Huvila & Huolto, and they build wooden cabins. They are going further North, still in the park but not near the main entrance. But they can drop me off closer to it, only about 6 Km from it.
There is a sign for the park and after a photograph I start walking again. But only for a few minutes because when I look back who is coming? The technical guy! I guess his work took less time than he predicted. But the thing is, half way to the visitor centre, we pass a road which shows direction to… where? Where? Juva! So, I am wondering if the road is just too bad or if he came back all the way through the highway hoping to find me and help me out.
I arrive to the visitor centre twenty minutes before 10 o’clock. And they open at 10 o’clock. Good timing! I check the place around, check some outside maps, fill my water bottles and then they open!
This time I know pretty well which way I will go and which trail I will take it. But the lady showing me where the trail actually starts is pretty useful. I just feel sorry that I forgot I could go to another “point of interest”, a few hundred kilometres in the opposite direction of mine, which is kind of nice and popular.
It surprises me though the number of hikers around. Lots of people arriving in their cars. Some with a light pack, some with bigger ones, all prepared for overnight camping. What they all have in common? Hiking darker clothes and camping equipment. It is like everybody have all the proper gears and clothing, and I am the only one who lives and rely on what I have.
Another surprise is that, everybody else is going in the opposite direction of me. OK, in my life that wouldn’t be a surprise. Little joke. The thing is, as I am told later, it is easier to go on that way, because there is a “starting point” for this trail and that is towards where I am going. That explains why about 20 people (or more) pass by me during the hiking and only one passes me. Of course, you can do what you bloody want, but apparently it has something to do with catching a bus…? I think. Easier to do in one end than another. Go figure! I hitchhike! Laugh.
I am feeling good about doing this trail. I am happy! The plan is doing a small part of the Karhunkierros trail, which is 84 Km in total. I am doing only 12 Km (even though carrying 25 Kg for 12 Km is pretty tough!), all the way to a wilderness cabin, where I will finally get to know what they are really about it. On the way, lots of forest, a canyon, and some pretty interesting hanging bridges.
As soon as I start the trail, passing by Oulanka Camping Site, I hear a noise coming from the rubbish bins shelter. I slow down, Loki knows why, and luckily I do because it is a very scared reindeer. Not scared enough to no come here, but I read they can get pretty nervous around humans. At least some of them. And this one stay still while I pass in front of it. I don’t want to disturb it, so I don’t take my camera or a photograph. But it was looking so cute there, in between the rubbish bins, almost like in a comedy movie. It was a dark grey one, with big horns. Beautiful!
A second reindeer, also dark grey and with big horns, passes by me in the next few minutes. It passes right beside me. I try to take a photo this time but they are not good. I am so excited because I think that I will see many of them on the trail. Nope! For the whole length of my 12 Km these two reindeers are the only wild life I see.
For the first few kilometres I am feeling good. The pack is heavy but I am stopping to rest every Km or so, just to not push. I have time. At least I thought I have.
The park is nice, like a big forest everywhere. There are many lakes on the way, I just wish there were more viewpoints for them, because due to the thick forest, you can’t really see them well. And going down to it is not really an option because there isn’t a “proper” place or area to stand there. But as I said before, the absence of more wild life is also a bit disappointed. But then again, with so many people around, it doesn’t surprise me that wild life is hidden.
I arrive to a lean-in shelter and a fire place. The river is just passing by so you can go for a swim. And there are some people who just did it. Actually, there are about seven or eight people around here. I wanted to see how the lean-in shelter looks like but there is a young couple sitting by it. I wonder if they are planning to spend the night there, otherwise why would you seat and stay there when there are seats around the camping fire, where I am sitting to rest? And I cannot control my laugh when I see their t-shirts: one it says “Puma” and the other “Nike”. It seemed funny to me someone hiking such lovely national parks while wearing t-shirts with huge logos of these companies; That does not make much sense for me. And again, everybody with their camping / hiking gears, and this wooden cup which are famous in Finland. Apparently, going hiking and camping it has much more to do with what you have and what you can buy for it, than actually being in contact with nature, being back to a simpler time, being in contact with nature and what it has to offer, watching, listening and breathing. Mostly everybody is hiking in pairs, always talking through the trails, never listening to the sound of nature.
I could have my lunch here (like everybody else is doing it) but I rather to be alone and in the nature. After getting some distance from this place and finding a nice place to seat, I have half of my left-over lunch box.
The trail is really well marked, every second tree or so. Plus, I almost haven’t seen any secondary trails, so you just stick to it and keep going.
It is a beautiful sunny day with blue sky for many hours. But all of sudden, the weather changes completely and big clouds are formed. The first hanging bridge I get to it is called Taivalköngäs and it is super nice! It is so excited to be on it! Right after there is the Taivalköongäs wilderness hut, and I stop by to check-it. Inside there is only one man and outside two elderly women having their lunch. They have so much equipment and stuff, the whole table is covered with their food. It is crazy! But the hut is nice and I am excited to get to the next one, Savilampi, where I will spend the night. I do am a bit worried about being full though. They have limited space, of course, and since the weather is turning bad, more people might be considering stay there. Or better saying, who I am trying to fool? Most of these people hiking the park are not carrying their tents. They would definitely rather stay in the hut.
Savilampi hut is only 3.5 Km from Taivalköngäs and I am thinking I will make it. A bit of rain starts to fall and I think that, if stays like that, is still fine. But soon after that a heavy rain comes and I get completely soaked. Even with the rain covers, my packs also get wet. The small one, with the computer, documents and camera, not so much because my rain cover is on it and it is quite good. But I still have to carry it so the shoulder stripes lead the water to the back of it. But only the bag gets wet, nothing inside, luckily.
I am so crossed! Really angry! This supposed to be a perfect hiking, perfect day with a perfect ending in the hut. But I guess things happen for a reason. Although I cannot stop being crossed. I try, I do, but I cannot. Why? I don’t know. Worst things have happened to me before and I could deal with it. I guess I was just really hoping to enjoy the maximum of this day (and hut) so that’s why. The rain was so strong that I couldn’t even keep my glasses on. So, there was I, hiking through the forest, under a strong rain, with huge ponds being formed everywhere, and I cannot even see it properly! How could anyone be calm and happy? Yeah, I know… I should have laughed of the whole situation and perhaps even the sun would come out then to see me.
I pass by the sign which is point the Oulanka Canyon direction. I must go there tomorrow.
The longest two kilometres of my life, of course, and it was like the hut was moving away from me, but I finally get in. To make things worse, there is about six guys all piled up in front of the cabin. Fuck! And some of them are even drinking! Who is stupid enough to bring alcohol for a hiking in the nature? Why the hell would you do that? If you want to drink do it in the fucking cities, not in the middle of the nature! Why do you even come here then if you need alcohol to motivate you? The other day I was checking this camping company profile after they started following me on Instagram, and they had many t-shirts saying something about bringing alcohol while camping. Just ridiculous!
So here I am, all socked from pack to pack, and I don’t even have privacy or enough space to get read of all this stuff and get myself dry. I am really crossed so I don’t even say hi to anyone. I know that was kind of rude but I can’t help it.
When I get in, luckily there is still lots of space for me. Apart of the living room with space for 5 people (more if you are with friends and can squeeze), and where the fire place is it, there are two other rooms, one it has a door and it is closed (and I can hear women talking inside), and the other it has stuff all over the place. I decide to take the space on top, because is smaller so I can be there by myself, without worrying about sharing with somebody else. Plus, I can also have more privacy. But it is quite low and I keep banging my head all the time on the ceiling. Laugh.
Slowly and while calming myself down, I set all my things to dry and change into dry clothes. I arrange everything around the fire place, including my small backpack, which I emptied. But I though nobody would make fire now because it is not cold enough for it. But a man comes out of nowhere and he starts the fire. He has a tiny pack and only stays for a little while, trying to dry his t-shirt and jacket, and then he leaves. So, I keep up the fire, but trying to keep it low, slowly adding one log of wood at a time, keeping the door open so it is not so hot inside. But a young couple comes by, and for many reasons I can tell you that they have no experience at all on camping and hiking, and they keep adding lots of wood, in small intervals, and they don’t want to leave the door open! It gets burning hot inside, everybody else is staying outside just the two of them inside. Before going to bed, because my bed is on top so it is even hotter there then down, I have to stay outside for about half an hour in order to be able to sleep and breath inside.
In all this chaos I do meet some nice people. I am sitting by the table, thinking about life, when one of them walks in and ask me if I want some tea. I accept. They are both from Poland and they are the ones staying in the “no door” room. We start talking and I apologize for my behaviour when I arrived. They are very nice and noble guys, both married and one has a baby girl. They are taking one week out of work and decide to come to Finland to do this hiking trail. That’s is so cool! And they are quite surprised with my travels. Mostly with the asking for leftovers food thing.
Just before going to bed, they give me some chocolate and a bag of nuts. Dear, Loki! What? I cannot believe it! I have no food for tomorrow lunch and I don’t know how long it will take me to get somewhere (I will explain soon), so this was just so amazing of them! And it is chocolate and nuts! Wow! They say they have enough extra food, so I shouldn’t worry. That is so sweet! And they also give me two tablets of Iodine, to put in my water if I decide to take some from the river. Some people say it is safe to drink it, some say you should boil before drinking (that is the position of the national park website)
The guys are leaving quite early tomorrow because they want to make sure they will complete many kilometres, so we say our goodbyes tonight.
After waiting outside for a cooler place inside, I slept all night. I don’t know what time I woke up, but according to the events later, I am guessing somewhere around 9 o’clock. Everybody kind of woke up at the same time. With the exception of one of the young boys, who kept sleeping.
After I pack all my things, I have my breakfast. Some people left things behind in the hut, and two of these things are powder milk and sugar. I add both to my muesli and wow! What an upgrade!
When I am washing my dishes on the river, one of the ladies from the room “with door” starts talking to me. They are from Finland and are both very nice. They also get very surprised about my travels. And before I leave the cabin, they also give me some cheese and two protein bars which are amazing! I have them later and they are simply the best protein bars I have ever had! How sweet of them!
From Savilampi wilderness hut to the end / beginning of the trail it is about 15 Km. But I am not going there. I am walking to the parking lot nearby, only 1.8 Km, and from there, walking towards a road, but hoping to get a lift at least from the parking lot to the road, because I have no idea how far that one is.
10 Years Around the World 