SAVOTTA GRAVEL LOOP
LOCATED IN REINDEER HERDING LAND
PITUUS
457 km
% PÄÄLLYSTÄMÄTÖN
69 %
KESTO
5-7
päivää
% POLKUA
1 %
NOUSUMETRIT
6900 m
HAASTAVUUS (1-10)
7
KORKEIN KOHTA
291 m
% AJETTAVISSA
100 %
Savotta Gravel Loop is 478km and 5-7 day route in southeast Lapland, which links together the old logging (savotta) cabins and saunas on some old logging roads with visits to the gates of Salla National Park and Pyhä-Luosto National park. Combining the wilderness saunas with some great services in the villages and towns of the area, the route could be paced to finish all the riding days with a sauna. The route starts from the Kemijärvi railway station and links together the villages of Pyhä, Pelkosenniemi, Savukoski and Salla, making this relatively easy logistically despite some long and remote sections on endless forest roads. The route is yet another unique and pleasant one week route in the Central Lapland area offering a mix of great services, splendid riding, traditional wilderness shelters and saunas, high-quality camping and glimpses of the 100-year-old Lappish logging culture.
The 472km and 6-7 day Santa’s Eastern Gravel Loop starts from Rovaniemi to Kemijärvi and onward to Pyhä by following the Cental Lapland Gravel Loop and then across the Pyhä-Luosto National Park following roughly the single tracks of the Pyhä-Luosto National Park MTB Loop, though with some magic touch making the route 99% gravel-rig-friendly. However, after that the route loops back to Rovaniemi on previously undiscovered remote gravel roads, which nicely link together the wilderness shelters of the area. If the first part of the route has a nice rhythm of high quality services and places to stock up food and eat pizza, the latter part of over 200km in distance has no services at all.
Reitti on retkeiltävissä luontokohteissa ja leirintäalueilla yöpyen, mutta myös kokonaan ilman telttaa majataloissa ja hotelleissa yöpyen – ainakin kun yöpymiset on varattu reilusti ennakkoon. Parhaimmillaan reitti lienee laavuja ja luksusta yhdistellen, nauttien sopivassa suhteessa reitinvarren parhaista luontokohteista ja mielenkiintoisimmista majatalovaihtoehdoista.
Tutustu tarkemmin reittiin ja suositeltuun etenemisrytmitykseen yöpaikkavaihtoehtoineen reittimuistiinpanoissa.
REINDEER HERDING & ROUTE OPENING TIME
Early June - 15th of September
No limitations to the start of the bikepacking season have been requested by the local reindeer herding community, so the route is open whenever the gravel is dry and hard enough to ride. However, it has been requested to avoid the section between Äkäslompolo and Äkäsaivo due to reindeer round-ups in the area 15th of September onwards. If riding the route after the reindeer round-ups have started, there is a short cut road, which can be used to avoid the area, but would also cut off the whole Äkäslompolo village all together. Therefore, it’s best to get the timing right to enjoy the route in full.
What are reindeer round-ups?
The autumn reindeer herding work consists of reindeer round-ups when the rutting season starts. The reindeer are gathered into herds of up to thousands, and then to fences by foot, motorcycles, ATVs for the selection of individuals for meat. Read more about the autumn round-ups here.
For general guidelines for trekking and camping in the reindeer herding area, check here.
Kuvat: Taneli Roininen
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Kouvolan harjumaisemien hiekkatiet ja Jyräänjoen kosket
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Kumpuilevat metsätiet järvineen Kouvolan Enäjärven kyläraitilta Sippolan taiteilijakylään
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Korjärven laavu, uimaranta ja sauna
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Strömforsin, Fiskarsin, Billnäsin, Forsbyn ruukkikylät sekä Mustion linna vesistöineen ja palveluineen
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Loviisan, Tammisaaren, ja Porvoon vanhojen kaupunkien väririkkaat puutalokujat kahviloineen ja ravintoloineen
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Yöt suojelumetsässä Sipoonkorven ja Nuuksion kansallispuistoissa sekä Västerbyn ulkoilualueella
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Kuusijärven savusauna
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Keravan- ja Vantaanjoen varsien hiekkatieväylät koskelta koskelle
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Lohjanharjun ja Lohjanjärven reitit
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Dagmarin lähde ja suojelualue Hankoniemessä
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Hangon polut, hiekkarannat ja pitsihuvilat
