Ristikallio, alternative starting point to Karhunkierros
Jan 22nd, 2009 by Juha Ylitalo
We started our list of articles about Karhunkierros from Hautajärvi, which is starting point for 80km version of Karhunkierros hiking trail and only starting point. Original (which is still available as alternative) starting place is place called Ristikallio parking lot. From there you can start 72km version of Karhunkierros. After you’ve hiked something like 5 km, you will arrive to Ristikallio, which you can see on top of this article. In addition to sightseeing, Ristikallio also offers good facilities for camping, because it has nice cabin and lot of flat ground for tents. If you want to cook food, this place doesn’t have gas stove, but they have wood stove inside the cabin for heating, etc.
In 2005, I started my hike from Hautajärvi, but I made sidetrip from Taivalköngäs to Ristikallio to see, what this place was all about. If I would have time and opportunity to make another visit to Ristikallio, I would spend more time in wondering all those rock formations, because on the first time I didn’t realise the true beauty of the place before I was back in Helsinki. In addition to sights, it is only location on my hiking trips in Kuusamo and Lapland in summertime, when I’ve seen Siberian Jay birds. So if you have time to eat lunch, dinner and/or breakfast in here, you might see them.
More pictures from Ristikallio
3 Responses to “Ristikallio, alternative starting point to Karhunkierros”
[...] is small river that you will see, if you hike along Karhunkierros hiking trail from Ristikallio to Taivalköngäs in Kuusamo. While the river is small, I think one could get all kind of [...]
[...] wilderness cabin in Kuusamo’s part of Oulanka National Park. It’s location is between Ristikallio and Taivalköngäs in Karhunkierros hiking trail (translates to Bear’s [...]
[...] to Hautajärvi and Lapland or if you decide to stay in Kuusamo, your options are to go west to Ristikallio or head south to Ruka. Amazing Race and other similar kind of television competition would probably [...]