Accommodation during the trip
Languages
Accommodation during the trip
Languages
Experiences you'll have
Paanajarvi National Park is one of the most picturesque and inaccessible corners in the North-West of Karelia. Here, on an area of more than 100 thousand hectares, there are virgin forests separated by mountain peaks and gorges, numerous lakes and stormy rivers with noisy rapids and waterfalls. The extraordinary landscapes of Paanajarvi are fascinating — you will admire them exploring the most picturesque corners of the national park furing this hiking tour.
This tour does not require special training and is suitable for a family trip with children. The group is accompanied by a car on the route, so do not be afraid of covering long distances on foot — all hiking routes will be light and will pass along equipped trails of the Paanajarvi National Park.
For 4 days of travel you will:
Itinerary
The journey begins with a meeting at the Louhi railway station, where you need to get to by your own on the first day of the program. The group transfer is oriented to the arrival of the train №016A "Arctic" (departure from Moscow at 00:41 am the day before, arrival in Louhi at 3:42 am at the first day of the program). To return to Moscow, choose the train №015A "Arctic" (departure from Louhi station at 4:08 am, arrival in Moscow the next day at 7:07 am).
We are ready to help with the purchase of a ticket, if necessary, leave a comment in the application.
Day 1 Hiking to Mount Kivakkatunturi
You will be met at Louhi station and taken to Pyaozersky village (2.5 hours on the way). Here you will have breakfast, and go to the visit center of the Paanajarvi National Park, where you will register and visit the museum exhibition.
Then you will move by SUV or UAZ to the starting point of the hiking route to Mount Kivakkatunturi. The trail to the top (499 m high) is equipped with wooden decking and special places for rest. Along the way you can watch the forest landscapes which then give way to lichens and piles of huge boulders called"seids". One of them resembles the shape of an old woman's head. According to one version, this huge seid gave the name to the mountain, since the word "Kivakka" means "stone keeper" in Sami language.
The slopes of the mountain are full with small lakes and unusual "hanging swamps" formed in tectonic faults. From the top of the mountain you can enjoy a magnificent view of Lake Pyaozero, the Olanga river, the Kivakkakoski waterfall as well as the top of the highest mountain in Karelia — Mount Nuorunen (576.7 m high).
After descending from the mountain, you will have a picnic in the picturesque place. Then you will set up tents in a cozy place by the lake's bank. In the evening, you will enjoy a hot touristic banya with swimming in the lake, have dinner and rest in tents.
The hiking route is 8 km on foot.
Day 2 Climbing Mount Pyainur
In the morning after breakfast you will go by SUV to the foot of Mount Pyainur. Along the way you will stop at the observation platform in the Borovskoe Gorge, which offers a magnificent view of the mountain and Lake Tsipringa.
Next you will climb the top of Mount Pyainur (486 m high). Despite the fact, that it is lower than Mount Kivakkatunturi, the ascent to its top is a little more difficult, as it passes along an unprepared route. On the way you will have a picnic in a picturesque place on the bank of a lake. From the top of the mountain you can enjoy scenic panoramas of the surroundings of the Paanajarvi National Park.
After descending from the mountain you will move to the former Vartiolampi village. An equipped trail, leading to the Kivakkakoski waterfall starts here. The route runs along the bank of the Olanga river, sometimes moving away into the forest or approaching the rocky shore. Along the way you will see huge boulders which are the traces of past earthquakes, when the terrain of the park was forming.
Kivakkakoski waterfall is the most powerful unregulated rapid in Karelia with a height difference of 12 meters. The roar of the waterfall is heard from afar. At the beginning of the XX century, when the locals floated logs along the river, a stone dam was built here, which has been preserved to this day.
You will have enough time to admire the beauty of the waterfall and take photos, after that you will go back to the SUV and move further. In the evening, you will set up a camp, have dinner and rest in tents.
The hiking route is 13 km on foot.
Day 3 Boat trip on Lake Paanayarvi
In the morning you will have breakfast, pack tents and go to lake Paanayarvi which is considered to be the pearl of the national park. SUVs will take you to its eastern bank, from where you will start a boat trip of the lake (duration is about 6-7 hours).
Paanayarvi is one of the deepest lakes in North Karelia. Its banks are surrounded by the peaks of Mutkatunturi (438 m) and Tirovaara (357 m) hills. During the tour, you will see unusual Red rocks and a picturesque cascading waterfall Myantyukoski (height is 9 m). After visiting all the main sights of the lake, you will come back to its eastern bank and go ashore. Then you will choose a place for a camping, set up tents, go to the banya and have dinner.
Day 4 Departure
Today after breakfast a light hiking to a unusual place rarely visited by tourists in this park is waiting for you. A forest path will lead you to a tectonic fault, where you can see traces of an earthquake that occurred many years ago on the territory of Paanajarvi.
At this point, your acquaintance with the Paanajarvi National Park will end, and you will go back to Pyaozersky village. Upon arrival, you will be accommodated in a hostel, where you can rest for a while before the night transfer to Louhi railway station from where you will depart for Moscow.
The hiking route is 2 km on foot.
Accommodation during the trip
Throughout the tour you will spend the night in double tents on the territory of the Paanajarvi National Park . If desired, and for an additional fee, you can choose a single accommodation in a tent.
Common questions
An experienced instructor will be with you throughout the tour.
The program cost includes three meals a day. Hot breakfasts and dinners will be prepared by the guide in the camp, lunch will be replaced by a light snacks on the route.
No special training or hiking experience is required to participate in the program. During the trip you will have light hiking routes with a length of 2-8 km and climbing mountains up to 500 m high.
You can take children over 6 years old on this trip.
The route are provided with SUV or UAZ support. The guides have passed first aid courses in the international organization "Red Cross" and are ready to provide first aid at any time.
Clothing and shoes:
Personal belongings and equipment:
Surrounded by the Karelian mountains
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