Pesävaara Trail, Liperin Kinttupolut

Pesävaara Trail is an exciting, versatile, and challenging route in the Liperin Kinttupolut. The route winds over hilly and partly rocky terrain across several hills. Along the way, there are various forests: moss-covered spruces, majestic pine groves, and younger mixed forests. The route features large and deep depressions called kettles, formed during the ice age as ice blocks melted into the soil.

The technical difficulty of the route is in three parts. There are a couple of kilometers of rockier and more challenging trails, about 3 km of easier paths, and a couple of kilometers of easy cart roads. The difficulty alternates suitably, so this route is suitable not only for experienced riders but also for those who want to challenge themselves.

It is worth combining your riding day with a visit to Restaurant Gaiju, located about a kilometer from the Pesävaara Trail starting point (Veteläsuontie 4) at Vaiviontie 75a. 

• In rainy weather, stones and roots are slippery.

•  Small first aid kit

Drive from Joensuu along highway 9 towards Kuopio for about 10 km, exit at junction number 21, and then follow the signs to the Pärnävaara sports center.

There is regular bus service from Joensuu to Jyrinkylä, from whose terminal stop (Jyrinlenkki) there is a 900 m walk along Urheilutie to the Pärnävaara sports center, where you can best access the routes.

Check schedules on the Joensuu region public transport website https://jojo.joensuu.fi/ .

Free parking at the lower or upper parking levels of the Pärnävaara sports center. Departure to the routes is more convenient from the lower parking area.

Another recommended starting point for the route is at Veteläsuontie 4, 83450 Vaivio, from where you can access Pesävaara Trail directly.

The route starts at Veteläsuontie 4, where an information board and signs guide you along the red markers towards Pesävaara Trail. The first kilometer runs along an easy gravel road and cart path, after which the route branches into a circular loop. The recommended direction is clockwise, i.e., turn left at the first information board found in the forest. 

• Appropriate clothing and equipment

• Enough drinks and snacks

• Tools according to the length of the riding day (e.g., multitool, tire repair kit, inner tube)