2013-07-18 64 29

Location

In Rytylinvaara, Kuhmo. The point lies in a swamp.

Participants

Pastori
The Wife

Expedition

A misty morning in Valtimo.

Pastori opened his eyes in the morning happily excited. It was after all The Wife's nameday and Pastori had in the evening before laid some special plans to surprise her. Pastori had noticed that one of the nearby unconquered graticule's, Kuhmo's (64/29), hashpoint was within reasonable distance, 106 km.

In the center of Kuhmo there were currently being held Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival and Pastori knew that The Wife likes classical music. She had as a young lady even played violin in a symphony orchestra. In addition to that we could search for bilberries in the vicinity of the hashpoint.

Scenery on the way.

Therefore, during the breakfast and with a kiss Pastori revealed the plans he had for the day. The Wife was immediately coming along with enthusiasm - even with so great enthusiasm that she forgot her camera and we had to turn back to get it. Well, luckily that was just a couple of kilometers extra. The morning was chilly but it was not raining, and the trip to Kuhmo church and to concert was fast. We reached the concert about 15 seconds before it started. The organ sounded magnificent and the playing of string quartetto was subtly beautiful.

One of the ditches.

After the concert, our journey continued towards the hashpoint, which was about 25 km from Kuhmo eastwards. From the point there is about 30 km to the Russian border. We could get by car about 500 meters from the point. First 150 meters of good dry pine forest, then terrain turned into a swamp with ditches. Through the bushes, over twelve (12) ditches, avoiding mosquitoes they arrived to the point. The accuracy was about 2 meters. A good and a little sweaty accomplishment.

Pastori navigating some bushes.

Already when going there Pastori and The Wife had noticed the bilberries. There seemed to be enough that it would be worth the effort to start picking them. So back to the car, extra stuff away and onto collecting the world's most healthy berry. We managed to get about 5 liters in half an hour and even got a few cloudberries for sampling. Then our backs said stop and stomachs were growling for food, so the journey back home started through a restaurant.

The bilberries and our picking equipment.

In between we also visited the Nature Center Petola of Metsähallitus, where we encountered the only bear in our trip. Luckily that was only a wooden one, albeit in natural size. With the bear in the picture is an iron bar which a real bear had once snatched to its paws and bent. At least Finnish people know how heavy and unyielding an iron bar is, so this demonstrates well the strength of a brown bear. After a nice fish meal we had the strength to drive back home and get to the sauna.

A wooden model of brown bear and a bent iron bar.

Our whole trip was 212 km by car, and according to the SportsTracker we walked in the woods for 1,69 km with an average speed of 1,9 km/h, burning 510 kcal. I'd say: a very successful geohashing day. The Wife also agrees. At least I can deduce that from the kiss I got when we reached home.