Summer
Korvala, along with its surrounding village, unspoilt nature and traditional local culture provides a distinctive setting for many types of recreation. Hiking, mountain biking and canoeing provide opportunities to admire and be delighted by the rare beauty of our natural landscapes. All hiking tours are designed to be relatively easy and only normal fitness is needed.
Hiking with Huskies & Kennel Tours
On cool summer evenings and bright early mornings we go out hiking with our huskies. If you would like to join us, we'll supply the equipment needed. All you need are your own hiking boots and appropriate outdoor clothing. Some of our huskies are very strong so this is dog-walking with a difference - they take you for the walk! It can be very intensive at the start and you will use muscles you didn't know you had! But don't worry, we also have older dogs more suitable for gentle strolls if preferred. Each adult participant can take one husky and children can walk/run alongside. En route we'll visit a nearby reindeer corral and an ancient hunting pit from pre-herding times, and we'll explain how they are/were used. If we're lucky, we might even see some reindeer. After the hike we'll go for a tour around the kennel to meet the rest of the dogs and learn about their care and training.
Programme duration approximately 2-3 hours in the morning and 4-5 hours in the evening, including instruction on how to use the equipment, the hike and the kennel tour. The max. temperature limit is +15°C. It is also possible to do just the kennel tour to meet the dogs and see how the kennel is run. These can be booked on site only.
Morning hike, 6,5 km: 35€/adult; Evening hike, 15 km: 55€/adult
(children can participate on the hikes for free)
Kennel tour only: 10€/adult, 5€/child aged 6-12 yrs
Käyrästunturi Fell &
hiking in the local area
Our walking trails are grade A and experience is not necessary at this level: anyone who is in good health and fit enough to enjoy a good hill walk can manage a grade A. The longest hike is to Käyrästunturi fell, which is 12 km away and takes about 2½-3 hours to get to the top. The hike is at a low altitude, rising 200 metres from Korvala to 347 metres above sea-level. At the top of the fell there is a wooden day-hut with a stove, firewood and an outhouse. There are no other services along the route. Map info is available for our guests from reception.
Please remember that it is impossible to be absolutely precise about how hard a walk may be, as there may be many contributory factors: weather and trail conditions, level of fitness, weight of rucksack if carrying drinks or food provisions, etc. The walks always involve some exertion: trails are seldom flat, and you must expect to have a reasonable amount of ascent and descent.
Fishing
For those interested in fishing, there are two lakes and two river frontages to choose from at Korvala, all within easy walking distance from the cabins. The large and small Korvala lakes have a combined surface area of 11 ha and shoreline of 2 km, which is partly sandy and partly covered by sphagnum peat bog, with duckboards and benches to make access and casting easier. They have an average depth of 5 metres, with the deepest point at 20 m. The lakes have perch and powan, and some stocked trout.
Fishing is also possible along a one kilometre stretch of Säynäjäjoki River or with the Forestry Commission’s licence for Raudanjoki River. The fish variety includes trout, char, powan, grayling and pike.
Bird Watching
While the lakes and rivers also offer the opportunity for canoeing and rowing, the forest paths lead the walker or hiker to beautiful spots in the wilderness, ideal for bird-watching and nature photography. The best bird-watching months are May–June and September–October.
