The hike on Vajosuo Mire is almost 30 km in length and is a two-day trip for many visitors, including more experienced hikers. As such, it is worth planning the route to ensure that you arrive at a lean-to shelter with sleeping space by the evening. In practice, the best starting points are Rantapiha or Kurjenpesä in the north and the Vajosuo car park in the south.
This route is named after Lake Vaskijärvi, which the route encircles, and also the Vaskijärvi Strict Nature Reserve, with open expanses of marshland and patches of old-growth spruce forests pushing up through mineral soil. The route also takes in flat, rugged rocks covered in lichens with clumps of pine trees and stunning swampy ponds. The landscapes in the nature reserve are uniquely beautiful – in some places, it is hard to believe you are in Southern Finland at all. Due to the strict conservation order in the nature reserve, it is forbidden to deviate from the path. In the parts outside the nature reserve, the route traverses dry rocks and moorland, largely along forest roads. Outside the nature reserve, there are two resting places along the route. One is called Valastenmaa, and it has a fireplace, a picnic table shelter, a dry toilet and a firewood shelter. The other resting place is Vesiraumanmäki, which offers a lean-to shelter that is suitable for overnight stays. In addition to the basic route, it is also possible to follow an additional 2.5 km route around Lake Kajavanjärvi, which is characterised by flat rocky areas covered in grey lichens. The natural starting place for the 19 km route is the car park at Elijärvenkulma. The route has only minor elevation differences and is not particularly demanding in terms of physical fitness or hiking experience. Due to the length of the walk, it takes at least five hours to get around the route – more with long breaks. The safest way is to set out early in the morning to be sure of getting back by the evening. Jogging shoes are usually adequate on this route, but waterproof shoes are recommended in rainy periods. The route is not maintained during winter, and the car park at the starting point is not cleared of snow.
The route Around Two Lakes passes Lakes Pyhäjärvi and Elijärvi. The path winds through managed forests and along forest roads, but it also takes in Pitkäkallio, a small area covered by the old-growth forest reserves programme. The Kattilakallio potholes are also located along the route. In the summer, walkers can stop for a swim at the Valasranta beach.
The Lake Savojärvi trail is the most popular route in the network. It is located almost entirely within Kurjenrahka National Park and, as its name suggests, it goes around Lake Savojärvi, in parts right along the shore and sometimes further away. The variety of marsh types to be found along this 6 km route is amazing, and the marsh sections have duckboards throughout. Along the way, the route also takes in gravel ridges shaped by the ice age and large islands populated by dark spruces in the middle of the marsh.
The Pukkipalo trail is one of the most popular sections in the Kuhankuono network. And with good reason: one of the finest old-growth forest sites in Southwest Finland – the Pukkipalo primaeval forest area – lies along this route. If you want to see a forest that has developed without being disturbed by human hands, this is the best place to visit. Pukkipalo and the surrounding areas are in the Kurjenrahka National Park, so they will remain safe from the forester’s axe well into the future.
