Pesävaara Trail, Liperi's Kinttupolut

Pesävaara Trail is a sweat-inducing, versatile, and demanding route in Liperi's Kinttupolut. The trail loops over several hills in hilly and partly rocky terrain. Along the way, there are various forests: moss-covered spruces, majestic pine forests, and younger mixed forests. The trail features large and deep hollows, called kettle holes, formed during the Ice Age as ice blocks melted into the earth materials.

The trail’s technical difficulty is divided into three levels. There are a couple of kilometers of rockier and more challenging paths, about 3 km of easier paths, and a couple of kilometers of easy cart tracks. The difficulty alternates suitably.

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

• On rainy days, stones and roots are slippery.

• Weather-appropriate gear

• 112 emergency app downloaded on your phone

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

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

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

Free parking is available at the lower or upper level parking areas of the Pärnävaara sports center. Departure to the trails is more convenient from the lower level parking.

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 a signboard and signs guide you along red markers towards Pesävaara Trail. The first kilometer follows an easy gravel road and cart path, after which the route branches into a circular loop. The recommended direction is clockwise, i.e., from the first signboard found in the forest, turn left.

• Weather-appropriate clothing and equipment

• Enough drinks and snacks

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