Boat trips

In Finland a waterway is a "free road" for everybody - no fees to pay, no licences to acquire. Even the landing is rather free according to the everyman's rights, there are nearly 200 free excursion harbours/landing sites in North Savo area, and the guest jetties of harbours are usually very affordable. 

The Finnish Lakeland provides clean waters, beautiful landscapes, and lots of jetties and services for boaters. Every lakeside cabin has at least a rowing boat, sometimes a motor boat (with extra charge). Boats can also be rented, and there are plenty of cruises. Various water activities are an integral part of the Finnish summer.

North Savo is a part of the Finnish Lake District - the Lakeland - its eastern part of the Saimaa waterway, and its western part of the Päijänne waterway. These large lake districts are combined by a boat trailer transportation between Pielavesi and Maaninka municipalities.  The Saimaa canal provides a connection to the Baltic Sea.

Many towns and tourist attractions are located along the waterways, and quite many of them also have a jetty for boaters.

Upstream and along narrow sections of the waterways, the larger boats may have difficulties related to the draught and/or height of the vessels, so the route information should be checked in advance. When sailing on open lakes, remember to take a nautical chart, binoculars and a compass with you. The Internet map shows the Saimaa deep channel which may cause some danger for small vessels in summer and for the traffic on the ice in winter.  

Only a few boating routes have been specifically marked on the map, because the shipping channels can be seen on the basic map. Harbours, excursion and natural harbours, visitors' jetties and mooring points can be found on the map under "Harbours and landing sites". The internet map also includes some service enterprises. Thus, the map is a tool for planning a boat trip.

Canal locks have been marked with a link to the Maritime administration’s website (in Finnish only, but there are more detailed maps of the lock area).

Some regulations for boaters: 

* All motor boats are required by law to have life jackets for all the passengers. Please use them, too!
* Persons under 15 years old are not allowed to steer a registered motor boat. All motor boats for rent must be registered.
* A person is guilty of waterway traffic intoxication if he/she has a minimum of 0.1 % of alcohol in the bloodstream or if he/she has taken some other intoxicating substance. Anyone suspected is taken to the nearest police department for a precision breathalyser test or to a health centre for a blood test. A person in a rowing boat or sailing dinghy cannot be charged with waterway traffic intoxication.
* Instructions for lock canals see e.g. www.tahkonvesireitti.com

Types of harbours on the map:
 
* Visitor’s harbour: visiting sailors can go shopping, have their boats maintained, rest, or stay overnight.
* Guest harbour: good services incl. at least 10 mooring points for guests, fresh water, grocery, fuel, garbage collection point, toilet, washing facilities, and emergency telephone.
* Visitors’ berth: e.g. a village harbour with a stage or part of one for visitors/guests, or a jetty of a tourism company welcoming boaters.
* Excursion harbour: in nature, types and services vary. Many are suited for overnight stays. There are about 130 of these in North Savo Region. Some are also used by hikers, and in winter by skiers and snow mobilers.
* Shelter and emergency harbours: only for emergencies.

Water levels in North Savo region.

Canoeing

North Savo offers canoeing on lakes and rivers and facilities for shooting rapids, as well as equipment rental and guided trips. The Finnish Lake District offers endless possibilities for creating your own routes. The map provides information on a few canoeing and kayaking routes on lakes, the best river routes with classification of rapids, and details of equipment rental shops and companies offering canoeing services. The map also helps you to combine e.g. paddling and hiking.

Classification based on the level of difficulty

I – Easy Covers sheltered lake routes which do not involve crossing large bodies of water so that in normal conditions the risk level is low. Emergency rescue teams usually arrive within an hour and a safety plan has been prepared. The category also covers river routes that have a Class I or lower rating in the rapids classification system.

II – Average Covers partially sheltered lake routes which involve few crossing larger bodies of water. The route may involve foreseeable risks, but is reachable for the emergency rescue team, in addition to which a safety plan has been prepared. The category also covers river routes that have a Class II or lower rating in the rapids classification system.

III – Demanding Covers lake routes which involve crossing large bodies of water (lakes or sea). Risks are, however, manageable through experience. Navigational skills are required of a kayaker on these demanding routes. A safety plan has been prepared for the route. These routes are also often relatively long. The category also covers river routes that have a Class III or lower rating in the rapids classification system.

IV – Very demanding Covers lake routes which involve crossing very large bodies of water and long distances without landing places. Capsizing can be fatal. Navigational skills are necessary for a kayaker on these routes. The category also covers river routes that have a Class IV or V rating in the rapids classification system.

Weather conditions may increase the level of difficulty - and even a very large body of water is easy to cross in good conditions.

In Class I, no exceptions are allowed but in all other classes, the level of difficulty of the route can be one level higher than the classification for a max. of 30% of the total distance. The kayaker is also presumed to have experience of kayaking in various weather conditions and the ability to use their own judgement. In river routes, the rating is based on the most demanding place in the route.

Classification based on the level of services on the route

A – Good level of service No carrying required or a track or trolley is provided. Clear and functional starting point and sufficient parking. The maximum distance between landing places for kayakers is 5km. They feature at least a dry toilet, lean-to or Lappish teepee or a shelter, firewood shed, fireplace, tent base, signpost marking the landing place, name plate, map of local attractions, and a suitable landing place (a jetty when required). Stopping places have been marked on the map and in the area. Kayaking map is also available.

B - Reasonably good level of service At the very minimum a trail is provided when carrying the kayak is necessary. Clear and functional starting point and sufficient parking. The maximum distance between landing places for kayakers is 10km. They feature at least a dry toilet, lean-to or Lappish teepee or a shelter, firewood shed, fireplace, tent base, signpost marking the landing place, name plate, map of local attractions, and a suitable landing place (jetty when required) Stopping places have been marked on the map and in the area.

C - Low level of service Clear starting point. The average distance between landing places is 10km (either beaches or built-up landing places that can be used within the limits of everyman’s right). Landing places, excursion harbours for boaters, and other built-up resting areas usable for kayakers can be found approx. every 20km.
In all classes, everyone is responsible for their own waste disposal.

The classification of kayaking routes by user groups

Family route - 1A- easy, normally relatively short
- good level of service, rest areas at least every 5km
- open canoe may be used
- rental and guide services provided by the kayaking company.

DIY route
- routes of various levels of difficulty, often long ones that take several days
- reasonably good level of service, distance between rest areas up to 10km
- routes principally suitable for kayaking
- the attraction of the wilderness or culture is of importance.

You are not recommended to canoe alone: stay in a group, and don't forget to notify someone of your planned route and schedule before leaving.

Classification of rapids

I  Easy: small regular waves; the shooting route clearly visible.
II Fairly easy: Regular waves, small backward currents and swirls; the shooting route visible. Can be shot using an open canoe.
III Fairly demanding. High cross-swell, a narrow, only partly visible shooting route.
IV Very demanding. The route must be searched from the shore. It is difficult to stay on the route; there are several difficult and dangerous obstacles.
V Dangerous. It is difficult to search the route from the shore, and to stay on the route. Deviating from the route or falling may cause a danger to life.

It pays to be cautious! There is no shame in passing rapids carrying the canoe.

It is an everyman's right to land on a free shore, but the land owner's permission is required for lighting a fire. Many canoeing routes are located in conservation areas or in otherwise fragile nature. Therefore, we recommend the use of the waterway rest areas, which are marked on the map. 

Riding a bike

In towns, the cycling routes mostly follow urban cycle tracks and, in the countryside, highways, forest roads and sometimes village paths. The routes include interesting landscapes, sights, quiet stretches of road, rest areas and nice places to spend the night. If you don’t have a bike of your own, you can also find bike rental shops on the map.

The mountain bike routes follow hiking routes and riding trails. Be careful when cycling on these routes – sometimes long grass and overgrown willows make riding difficult and the rider can come across steep, marshy or rocky stretches every now and then where they will have to push their bike on foot, or even carry it.

At Tahko, some of the mountain bike routes are very demanding and by no means recommended for beginners. Please check the route description! The MTB Marathon at Tahko is a great experience even for the audience…

Fishing    

North Savo provides the angler some of Finland's best lake fishing resorts. The fishing areas are marked on the map, and gradually also the privately or jointly owned waters with their contact information will be found on the Internet atlas.

Part of the fishing areas have been processed for different map scales - keep this in mind when you check the areas on the smallest scale of our atlas - 1:15 000. 

The fishing areas by rivers and at rapids will be marked on the web-based map later. By clicking on the fishing symbol, you can see the essential information on each location.

Angling and jigging/ice-fishing are everyman's rights. For other types of fishing, permissions are required, see http://www.ahven.net/english/index.php

In some nature conservation areas, fishing is not allowed at all, which is mentioned in the route description. There are also some small lakes or ponds, where fising is totally forbidden, e.g. Valkeinen in Kuopio. On the other hand, Kuopio also offers some free fishing areas which also can be found in the map.

                                                                In the map: Fishing

Horse riding

Rautalampi and the region of Iisalmi have invested in trail riding. The map of hiking routes in North Savo provides two trail riding routes that can be enjoyed by both the horse and the rider. In addition to those routes, local riding schools have their own tracks. 

You can book a complete trail riding package or create your own trip. The contact information can be found on the map: click the symbol of the service to receive further information.

Tips for trail riding:

- Ride on the right-hand side of the road. When in a group, ride in a single line at the pace suggested by the guide. Cross the road in a group. Proceed at walking pace when moving in the middle of a dencely populated area and traffic.
- Ride only at the route marked on the map or where your guide instructs you to ride. You can use private roads and areas for riding only with the land owner’s permission. Riding on ski tracks, fitness tracks etc. is not allowed.
- If the route has a footbridge, use it. It will protect the terrain and vegetation.
- Remove any manure from roads and footbridges; the horse riding routes are also used by hikers and mountain bikers.
- When moving on ice, look out for holes in the ice and thinning of ice around streams. Beware of snowmobiles. Ask for permission to go ashore. Manure should be removed also from the ice.
- Use reflectors and a lamp already at dusk. In winter, dusk arrives early.
- Only use the marked rest areas. You can find them on the map. Leave the rest areas tidy.
- You should only light an open fire in a campfire area, except when a forest fire warning is in force. Then it is good to have a Primus stove with you. Put out the fire thoroughly when leaving!

Please inform the responsible person of any damage or defects in the route immediately. This is to ensure that we can keep the routes in good condition and the web-based map of hiking routes in North Savo always up-to-date.

                            In the map: Horseback Riding

Snowmobiling

The snowmobile routes and their services in North Savo are developing, and the number of people interested in snowmobiling is growing year by year. There is usually plenty of snow in winter in a terrain varying from hills to large open lakes, and from pinewoods to marshland. Besides the routes, the area has also invested in rest areas. There are so many tourist companies, snowmobile rentals and safari services that everyone can experience snowmobiling if they wish to.

The map of routes in northern Savo includes all currently completed and maintained snowmobiling tracks, on which agreements have been made with the land owners. The tracks are or  will become official routes according to the Road Traffic Act. The official routes are treated like roads, and many of the traffic rules also apply.

The route lines, rest areas and service points on the map can be clicked on, so it is easy to find basic information when planning a route. The tracks and camp-fire spots may be used free of charge.

Rules and instructions for snow-mobiling:

- Riding a snowmobile is not included in every man’s rights, so please stay on the allowed, marked routes and lakes. You can only leave the track on the ice of a lake.

- To ride the terrain outside the tracks and routes, you need separate permission from the land owner. Sometimes, e.g. in preservation areas, you cannot ride a snowmobile at all, not even on the ice.

- The regulations of the Road Traffic Act must be followed on all official snowmobile routes. Read the description of the route, it will tell whether the route is official or not.

- The routes are two-way, and you must drive on the right.

- A snowmobile can only be ridden on the terrain by a person who has turned 15 years.

- When riding on an official snowmobile track or crossing a road, you need a driver’s license of class T (tractor). When a road and a snowmobile track cross, the snowmobile rider must give way.

- Snowmobiles can be used on roads only in order to cross a road or a bridge, to get fuel, or to move the vehicle a short way, e.g. from car to forest. Crossing the railway lines is forbidden.

- The highest speed allowed for a snowmobile is 60 km/h, and on ice 80 km/h. If a sledge with passengers has been connected to the snowmobile, the highest speed allowed is 40 km/h.

- When reaching a lake, the official route ends at the shore. Special care should be taken when riding on ice. Look out for cracks, streams, the deep-water channel of the Saimaa waterway, stones reaching the surface of the ice and piers by the shore! 

- Drink driving regulations also concern riding a snowmobile. The limit on drink driving is 0.5 per mil and the limit of serious drunken driving is 1.2 per mil of alcohol in blood.

- Always use headlights. They are compulsory on official snowmobile routes.

- A helmet protects you from injuries and noise. It is a compulsory accessory for both the driver and the passenger.

- Remember the safety equipment: a mobile phone, additional clothes in a water-tight bag, food and fire-making tools. Use the emergency switch on your snowmobile.

- When riding in a group, agree on joint signs. Keep a sufficient distance to the snowmobile in front of you. When on a guided safari, follow the guide’s instructions.

- A snowmobile rider respects the nature and other people living and wandering in the wilds!

Snowmobile riding is fun and challenging, a quick and physical way of moving in the nature. Snowmobile riding requires careful observation, assessment of the surroundings and riding skills. You can’t just sit on the snowmobile, you have to control it with your whole body.

If you have not ridden a snowmobile before, you should first join a guided snowmobile safari to learn the basics of snowmobile riding, and only then take trips alone.

In the map: Winter Activities