Multi-activity tour in Karelia

Day 1 Cycle route start

You will be met at Sortavala railway station and taken to the starting point of a cycle route — to Kharlu village. Those, who prefer arriving by their own transport, can leave a car in Lyaskelya village located 11 km away from Kharlu village. The car will be under the care; the service is provided at additional cost.  
 

In Kharlu you will get safety instructions, prepare an equipment and have a light meal. After that you will move to Lake Yatyaskelampi on your bike. You will be cycling with light luggage, your other things will be transported by an escort car.   

The route goes along the logging road with significant elevation difference. On the way to the lake you will have to overcome many descents and ascents. Arriving to the place, you will set a camp and have dinner. 

The route length is 14 km by bike. 

Day 2 Marble Canyon

After breakfast, you will pack up the camp and cycle to the Ruskeala mountain park. On the way, you will pass villages of Sarkisyurya and Ruskeala and have a rest stop for a picnic. 
 

The first highlight of this day is the magnificent Ruskeala waterfalls. The  shooting of the famous Soviet movie about World War II "The dawns here are quiet"  took place here in 1972.

Then you will explore the Ruskeala Marble Canyon. The canyon is the Russia’s cultural monument. This is a marble water-filled quarry. Excavation works were started in 1765. A system of underground galleries and gangways, connected by vertical mines, runs through the quarry walls. The most of them had been sunk after World War II, and the quarry turned into a wonderful lake with turquoise water with clarity up to 18 meters.   

The route finishes at Lake Matkaselkyalamp , where you will set a camp, have dinner and stay for overnight in tents. 

The route length is 25 km by bike (10 km of earth road, 4 km of asphalt, 11 km of logging road with significant elevation difference). 

Day 3 Finnish hydro-electric power station

After breakfast you will go on you cycle route and get to Khyamekoski village. Here a former Finnish hydro-electric power station is located. While exploring an architectural complex of the station, you will be enchanted by water power and by the talented Finnish constructors who succeed in using waterfalls power without breaking a balance with nature. You will have hot meal or picnic en route and overnight in a camp. 

The route length is 42 km by bike along the logging road with significant elevation difference. 

Day 4 Starting of kayaking along the Yanis River

After breakfast you will go by bikes to the starting point of kayaking route along the Yanis River. At first you will have safety briefing, get an equipment and take some training on water.

The Yanis River has its source in Lake Yanisyarvi — the place from where you will start kayaking. According to some scientists, the Yanisyarvi Lake is a ruined meteorite crater. The lake strikes visitors with its beauty; here about 40 beautiful islands are located.

While kayaking you will pass the Yanis River rapids and watch Khemyakoski canyon. Depending on the route conditions, you will have hot or light meal en route. In the evening you will set camp near Kharlu village, have dinner and overnight in the camp. 

The route length is 2 km by bike, 10 km by kayak. 

Day 5 Getting out to Lake Ladoga

After breakfast you will go on the kayaking route along the Yanis River, from Kharlu village to Lyaskelya village, and at last will reach Lake Ladoga. Here your kayaking will be finished. You will change the transport for motoraft and follow to Lake Ladoga skerries. 

Lake Ladoga is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Europe and the second largest lake in Russia after the Baikal. 32 rivers flow into the lake. On the area of 18,000 sq.km about 500 islands are located. The islands separated by straits form the skerries.

You will land on one of the island of the Ladoga skerries, set up a camp, have dinner and overnight in tents.  
 

The route length is 12 km by kayak, 10 km by motorboat. 

Day 6 Journey around the Ladoga skerries on motorboats

After breakfast you will start a voyage around the Ladoga skerries on motorboats. It will be a loop route. One of the remarkable features of the skerries are reef mountains. These are mountains with 80-meters cliffs that go down sheer into the lake. 
 

You will visit islands where the Finnish settlements were located during the Winter War of 1939-1940 between the Soviet Union and Finland. The preserved house bases look like fire fortifications with bunkers. The settlements were used as permanent fire positions and were part of defense line.

Another activity for today is climbing the highest point of the Ladoga skerries – Aino Mount. From the top you will enjoy a fascinating view of the Ladoga and Valaam archipelago’s vast expanses. You will have picnic en route. In the evening you will return to the camp, have dinner and overnight in tents.  

Day 7 Departure

After breakfast you will move to Lyaskelya village by motorboats. Here is the final point of your route. You will have picnic en route. 
 

At 3 pm you will have transfer to Sortavala for trains departing after 8 pm. For those coming by their own transport, transfer to the parking place will be organized. For tourists from Saint-Petersburg, individual transfer to Lodeynoye Pole or Sortavala stations is available at additional cost. 
 

The route length is 12 km by motorboat, 250 km by auto.