There is a similar version of this blogg over on SOTP so if you have already read that don't bother reading this again - I thought it worth an airing on BCUK as well for some elements are of interest to bushcrafters.
I had the priviledge to be invited by my friend Timo to spend a few days with him in the Mantyharju area of Finland, two hours drive north of Helsinki. We used his summer house on the Kallavesi lake as a base and explored the sorrounding lakes and forests.
Finland is, for me, the lesser-known jewel of Europe, with 190,000 lakes and only 5 million people, so if you travel a little up-country, you have it to yourself ! Another unexpected highlight is the food, which is fabulous, based on simple high quality ingredients.
The first day we spent exploring the Kallavesi lake area by canoe. This is great paddling country, with banks clad in birch and pine and out-crops of rock reminiscent of the Cambrian shield of eastern Canada. We had absolute calm for our time on the water and the lake was like a mirror.
The main destination for the day was the Russian Emperor's spring, where he had paused to drink during a border inspection two hundred years ago. A simple wooden trough fed a trickle of deliciously pure water into the lake, with cups thoughtfully provided for visitors to borrow. The Kallavesi forms part of a three-day canoe route linking four long thin lakes with a couple of short portages, with "laavus" dotted around the circuit. However, since we had only planned for a long day paddle, we retraced our steps after visiting the spring.
That evening we took some food and paddled and portaged to a magnificent laavu, which apparently means not a tipi tent but simply an outdoor place to spend the night, with an open fire. The laavu we visited was a superb log-built structure with a large sleeping bench, open fireplace in front with firegrills, pots and pans, a separate wood store fileld with wood of all sizes and birch bark to get your fire going, a visitors book - and pen - and even an out-house, all for everyone to use free. We enjoyed a superb meal of herring and salmon, washed down with beer and wine from our kuksas. I used my newly-acquired Grohmann No 1 knife to leave some feather-sticks for the next occupants. Despite the Grohmann's unusual shape, it handled fire-sticking very well.
The following day we visited a forest that is owned by my host's family. The forest is completely untouched, with a fine mixture of pine and birch and no trails of any kind. Timo, like most Fins, cam find his way in a forest without map or compass, something which I found disconcerting at first, but sure enough we arrived at our destination - a beautiful "lost" lake in the middle of the woods, where black bear had been seen only recently. Our own sightings of the day were confined to Lynx and moose tracks and one mink. There was also plentiful evidence of beaver at work with many small lodges under development. We also found an abundant supply of chanterelles, which we gathered and quickly converted that evening into a delicious dish to accompany yet more salmon. There were no mostiquos or midges around, but plenty of moose-flies, thuggish, very tough-looking insects which make a bee-line for your hair and take up residence there, dropping their wings and rooting around for blood to suck (which fortunately they don't as they don't like human blood). Only a very fine comb or a very hot sauna can remove them. We did both to be on the safe side.
Contrary to reputation, Finland is not an expensive country if you travel up-country, and I was amazed to find wooden kuksas (cups) for £4 and a basic puukko (knife) in carbon steel for 80p in the local shops. £12 gets you a very nice Martiini puukko. Timo and I are thinking about going into the kuksa importation business...
In all it was a fabulous few days paddling and walking in country as wild and empty as you could wish for. Finland has definitely joined my list of favourite countries and I am very grateful to my generous host !
I had the priviledge to be invited by my friend Timo to spend a few days with him in the Mantyharju area of Finland, two hours drive north of Helsinki. We used his summer house on the Kallavesi lake as a base and explored the sorrounding lakes and forests.
Finland is, for me, the lesser-known jewel of Europe, with 190,000 lakes and only 5 million people, so if you travel a little up-country, you have it to yourself ! Another unexpected highlight is the food, which is fabulous, based on simple high quality ingredients.
The first day we spent exploring the Kallavesi lake area by canoe. This is great paddling country, with banks clad in birch and pine and out-crops of rock reminiscent of the Cambrian shield of eastern Canada. We had absolute calm for our time on the water and the lake was like a mirror.
The main destination for the day was the Russian Emperor's spring, where he had paused to drink during a border inspection two hundred years ago. A simple wooden trough fed a trickle of deliciously pure water into the lake, with cups thoughtfully provided for visitors to borrow. The Kallavesi forms part of a three-day canoe route linking four long thin lakes with a couple of short portages, with "laavus" dotted around the circuit. However, since we had only planned for a long day paddle, we retraced our steps after visiting the spring.
That evening we took some food and paddled and portaged to a magnificent laavu, which apparently means not a tipi tent but simply an outdoor place to spend the night, with an open fire. The laavu we visited was a superb log-built structure with a large sleeping bench, open fireplace in front with firegrills, pots and pans, a separate wood store fileld with wood of all sizes and birch bark to get your fire going, a visitors book - and pen - and even an out-house, all for everyone to use free. We enjoyed a superb meal of herring and salmon, washed down with beer and wine from our kuksas. I used my newly-acquired Grohmann No 1 knife to leave some feather-sticks for the next occupants. Despite the Grohmann's unusual shape, it handled fire-sticking very well.
The following day we visited a forest that is owned by my host's family. The forest is completely untouched, with a fine mixture of pine and birch and no trails of any kind. Timo, like most Fins, cam find his way in a forest without map or compass, something which I found disconcerting at first, but sure enough we arrived at our destination - a beautiful "lost" lake in the middle of the woods, where black bear had been seen only recently. Our own sightings of the day were confined to Lynx and moose tracks and one mink. There was also plentiful evidence of beaver at work with many small lodges under development. We also found an abundant supply of chanterelles, which we gathered and quickly converted that evening into a delicious dish to accompany yet more salmon. There were no mostiquos or midges around, but plenty of moose-flies, thuggish, very tough-looking insects which make a bee-line for your hair and take up residence there, dropping their wings and rooting around for blood to suck (which fortunately they don't as they don't like human blood). Only a very fine comb or a very hot sauna can remove them. We did both to be on the safe side.
Contrary to reputation, Finland is not an expensive country if you travel up-country, and I was amazed to find wooden kuksas (cups) for £4 and a basic puukko (knife) in carbon steel for 80p in the local shops. £12 gets you a very nice Martiini puukko. Timo and I are thinking about going into the kuksa importation business...
In all it was a fabulous few days paddling and walking in country as wild and empty as you could wish for. Finland has definitely joined my list of favourite countries and I am very grateful to my generous host !
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