BIKEPACKING: ROVANIEMI - ÄKÄSLOMPOLO - ALTA
Kahdeksan päivää gravel-juhlaa: Rovaniemi - Äkäslompolo sekä Arktinen postitie Äkäslompolosta Altaan opastetusti, ruokineen ja mukavine majoituksineen.
15.-19.7.2024, myynnissä kumppanillamme Triberg Reisenilla.
Kahdeksan päivää gravel-juhlaa läpi Lapin
Kolme ensimmäistä päivää kruisaillaan Rovaniemeltä Äkäslompoloon mitä hiljaisimpia metsäteitä myöten. Jälkimmäinen viisi päivää puolestaan seurailee Arctic Post Roadin gravel-versiota: Ylläksen ja Pallaksen mäntymetsien ja tunturimaisemin halki kohti Finnmarkin loputtomia ylänköjä lopulta laskeutuen vehreää jokilaaksoa myöten Jäämeren rantaan Altaan. Oppaana maailman ympäri pyöräillyt ja Suomen retkipyöräreitit suunnitellut Taneli Roininen yhdessä saksalaisen Tri-Bergin perustajan, Anders Steinicken kanssa. Opastus näin ollen sujuvalla suomen, englannin ja saksan sekoituksella. Tästä johtuen reittiselitykset alla ovat englanniksi.
Kaikki ruokailut ja majoitukset B&B -tyylisissä paikoissa kuuluvat hintaan. Matkatavaroiden kuljetus reissun alku- ja loppupisteen välillä kuuluu myöskin pakettiin. Omiin tavaroihin pääsee myös käsiksi kolmannen päivän iltana Äkäslompolossa.
Tervetuloa!
26/8 Day 0, Welcome to Rovaniemi
The tour starts from the capital of Lapland, Rovaniemi, where you should arrive on the 26th of August, preferably by 16:00. We’ll pick up the participants from the airport or train station. During the day we stock up snacks for the first 1,5 riding days, get the bikes ready and later on in the evening meet up for a welcome dinner, where we also walk through the riding plan and double check the gear list.
Lodging: Hostel Café Koti
Dinner: A relaxed restaurant in Rovaniemi
Note: You can leave any extra luggage to a van leaving from Rovaniemi in the evening. You’ll have access to that in Äkäslompolo and Alta.
27/8 Day 1, Rovaniemi - Miekojärvi
From Rovaniemi to the Miekojärvi area and Loma-Vietonen lodging (71km, 870m of climbing)
The route starts on the cycling lane from the Rovaniemi Railway Station on cycling lanes out of the Rovaniemi City by the River Kemi, before finally diving into the dense arctic boreal forest on gravel. The first reindeer fence gates are soon after, helping to get into the groove of opening and closing them.
The first nice spot for a break is after 64km at lean-to of River Meltos, which has firewood available. Though the lodging for the night is only 10km away, so depending on the weather and how we feel, we might head directly there as well. A couple of spring originated creeks on the way to stock up for water.
Breakfast: Hostel Café Koti
Lunch: Complementary freeze-dried outdoor meal + personal snacks
Dinner & Lodging: Loma-Vietonen holiday village
28/8 Day 2, Miekojärvi - Pello
Loma-Vietonen to Jouttensuvannon loma cabins (84km, 740m of climbing)
The first restocking opportunity of the route is at the M-Market at Lankajärvi, after a stretch of pavement. In the village of Pello, 50km from Meikojärvi, there is a full set of services as well a gas station restaurant, and a grocery store. This is where we stock up snacks for the rest of the day and the next riding day.
From Pello the route follows on pavement the Finnish-Swedish border river of River Tornio (the biggest salmon river in the world measured by the volume of water) to Jouttensuvannon loma cabins and sauna by the river. Before Jouttensuvanto, Naamisuvanto lean-to is another great spot for a break.
Breakfast: Loma-Vietonen
Lunch: Complementary freeze-dried outdoor meal + personal snacks. Alternative: Gas stations in Pello
Dinner: Cooked together
Lodging: Jouttensuvannon loma cabins
29/8 Day 3, Pello - Äkäslompolo
Jouttensuvannon loma cabins to Äkäslompolo village (95km, 885m of climbing)
The third riding day starts with a quick few kilometers on the pavement along the border river before diving back into old logging roads to the taiga. The gravel back road to the village of Kolari is partly quick, but some sections can be slow progress as well, especially after rain. Before the Kämppäsajo day trip hut, there is a beautiful little spring behind a publicly owned hut to fill the water bottles with the highest quality water.
Before reaching the village of Kolari, there is a supermarket of ICA Lahtis on the Swedish side of the river, an easy detour, in case we want to tick a box of Sweden on the way as well. There is no border control between Finland and Sweden and the visit is hassle-free.
The village of Kolari, 45 km into the day, has a grocery store, gas station restaurant and a small burger stall like restaurant. We’ll have lunch there, unless the group gets hungry already earlier. In that case we’ll have quick freeze-dried meals on the road and then just quickly stock up for snacks in the village.
From Kolari onwards, a paved road continues for 24 kilometers, before the route turn toward the village of Äkäslompolo on the old main road by the River Äkäs. Hannukainen lean-to is a beautiful spot for a break on the river bank, before a section of small forest roads and easy single track. Full set of services in the holiday village of Äkäslompolo with a selection of restaurants, a large supermarket, and sport stores with some spares and a mechanic as well.
Breakfast: Self-made breakfast at Jouttensuvannon loma.
Lunch: Complementary freeze-dried outdoor meal + personal snacks. Alternative: gas station or burger stalls in Kolari
Dinner: Dinner at a nice restaurant in Äkäslompolo
Lodging: A lodge in Äkäslompolo with sauna.
Note: Your luggage is accessible in Äkäslompolo in the evening
30/8 Day 4, Äkäslompolo - Jeris
Äkäslompolo village to Hotel Jeris & Sauna World (49km, 530m of climbing)
The Day 4 is an easy one, only 50 km, so there is plenty of time in the morning for gear repairs, fix mechanicals and stock up for snacks early lunch and early afternoon departure.
The route continues from Äkäslompolo with an easy cruise out of the village on the paved road til the River Äkäs. From there, a narrow gravel road continues north alongside the National Park going by the tiny and old Pahtavuoma open wilderness hut around 30km from the start. The historic little wilderness hut is worth the detour unless it’s pissing down, cold and windy.
The rest of the day is easy riding as well, first on a fast lakeside gravel road and then on pavement toward the options for spending the night. The Arctic Sauna World with four different saunas at the Hotel Jeris is strategically located at the end of the day.
Breakfast: At the lodge
Lunch: In Äkäslompolo before departure
Dinner & Lodging: Hotel Jeris & Sauna World
31/8 Day 5, Jeris - Hetta
Hotel Jeris & Sauna World to Hetta village (87km, 570m of climbing)
Nearly straight from the hotel, there is a section of the old post road going over a fell on a easy single track and small gravel road, with great views of the high fells of the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park on top. The grocery store of Raattama is located 25km from the start of the day and it's the last service before reaching the village of Hetta 62km further. The paved road from Raattama to Hetta has only little traffic and goes partly in old-growth forest of the national park with occasional views of the fells as well. The village of Hetta has a full range of services, including a small bicycle repair shop as well.
Breakfast: Hotel Jeris
Lunch: Complementary freeze-dried outdoor meal + personal snacks
Dinner: A restaurant in Hetta
Lodging: Hetan Majatalo
1/9 Day 6, Hetta - Kautokeino
Hetta to Kautokeino (81km, 440m of climbing)
In terms of traffic, day 3 is a necessary evil along the main road from Finland to Norway, with lorries and RVs of holidaymakers. During the first hours of the day, the boreal forest turns into treeless arctic tundra and when reaching the combined Finnish-Norwegian border control, the views over the ever-continuing hills are vast. The only point for food during the day is the café and restaurant of Galdotieva, 28km from Hetta. Kaldoaivi has a full set of services, except a bicycle repair store.
Breakfast: At the lodge
Lunch: Complementary freeze-dried outdoor meal + personal snacks. Alternative: a café 28km into the day.
Dinner: Dinner cooked by fire in a lavvu (teepee), hosted by the Sami family owning the accommodation
Lodging: Goldin
2/9 Day 7, Kautokeino - Suolovuopmi
Kautokeino to Suolovuopmi fjellstue (79km, 740m of climbing)
If the couple of previous days were mostly on pavement, the last two are finally on gravel on the famous Finnmark highland crossing on the old post road. The traffic-free varying condition 4x4 track is occasionally really rough, but otherwise fantastic riding going from lake to lake and pond to pond on and on across the arctic tundra. There are a couple of reindeer herding stations along the way, unused during summertime, but likely busy in early summer and in late September and early October. Due to the occasionally poor road condition, this is likely to be the longest day on the whole tour. If you had been laughed at by your tour peers your high volume tires, this is your payback. The bigger tires the better on this section.
The Suolovuopmi fjellstue is another of the full-service huts originally built and managed by the order of the King of Norway to serve the travelers on the post road. Nowadays the fjellstue serves as a café and restaurant, with multiple accommodation options available.
Breakfast: At Goldin
Lunch: Complementary freeze-dried outdoor meal + personal snacks
Dinner & Lodging: Suolovuopmi fjellstue
3/9 Day 8, Suolovuopmi - Alta
Suolovuopmi fjellstue to Alta City (55km, 700m of climbing)
The last part of the old post road has been maintained for tourism so it’s much faster progress than the previous day. The scenery stays similar until you reach the edge of the Finnmarks highland, where a long continuous downhill to the Arctic Ocean starts. There is a possible detour to a viewpoint on the side of a Alta Canyon, which is the largest canyon in northern Europe.
The arid, windy and cold Finnmarks highlands turns quickly into lush and green coastal forests of the Alta river valley when the altitude decreases toward the sealevel. The tour ends at sea front of Alta downtown area.
Breakfast: At Suolovuopmi fjellstue
Lunch: Complementary freeze-dried outdoor meal + personal snacks. Afternoon coffee at Gargia fjellstue 28 km into the day, after the (optional) detour to the Alta Canyon.
Dinner: A restaurant in Alta
Lodging: A hotel in Alta
Note: Your luggage is delivered to Alta in the evening
4/9 Day 9, Back home
Transfers back to Rovaniemi with minivans. Start early in the morning, depending on the flight schedules.
Drop-off at the Kittilä airport is also possible as well as to stay in Alta.
Lisätiedot
Lyhyesti Opastettu kahdeksanpäiväinen gravel- / bikepacking-reissu Rovaniemeltä Äkäslompolon kautta Norjan Altaan. Noin 50/50 gravel/asfaltti
Reissun ajankohta: 26.8.-4.9.
Retki sisältää: Tapaaminen Rovaniemellä 26.8. klo 16 mennessä, jonka jälkeen: opas mukana kaikkien 8 ajopäivän ajan (27.8.-3.9.), tavarankuljetuksen Rovaniemeltä Altaan, ateriat (aamiainen, kevyt lounas, päivällinen), majoitukset vaihtelevan kokoisissa huoneissa, kuljetuksen takaisin lähtöpisteeseen Kittilän, Levin ja Äkäslompolon kautta viimeisenä päivänä.
Ei sisällä: pyörää, lisäeväitä, juomia, matkoja Rovaniemelle / Rovaniemeltä (suosittelemme junalla saapumista)
Hinta: 3799 €/hlö, minimiosallistujamäärä 4 hlöä, ilmoittautuminen Tri-Bergin kautta.
Lisätiedot: ensisijaisesti info@tri-berg.de (englanti tai saksa), mutta suomeksi myös info@yllasexperiences.com tai 040 727 0594
Huom: Suosittelemme omaa gravel-pyörää, jonka olet itsellesi sopivaksi todennut. Pyörävuokrausmahdollisuus on myös olemassa. Kysy tarkemmin!
Varausehdot lyhyesti: Varausehdot Triberg Reisenin ehtojen mukaan. Tiivistettynä: Jokainen vastaa omasta vakuutusturvastaan. Maksu varatessa. Ilmainen peruutus ok 30 pv ennen lähtöä. Jokainen vastaa omasta pyörähuollostaan, mutta autamme toki mahdollisuuksien mukaan.
