Trip to Repovesi

Vol. 25, Issue 05, 7 October 2022  

I found out about this trip absolutely by accident, I heard it in a dialogue with students. I immediately applied and I wanted to go and was admitted for it! 

Our little journey began with a meeting at the railway station, we were put on a bus, and in a cheerful and exciting atmosphere, the teachers began to tell us about the upcoming plans for the trip. 

On the bus, we were given small snacks and a bottle of lemonade, and upon arrival, we were divided into two groups: a long route and a short one. Naturally, I chose a long one, its route was 8 km across different types of terrain. 

The vegetation of Repovesi Park is dominated by pines and birches. The animal world includes bears, deer, and various birds. There are also lynxes, moose, owls, red-throated loons, and birds of the order of chicken-like. The Koukunjoki River flows through the park. There are a plural number of streams and lakes around which our road went. 

The first obstacle on our way is the “Ketunlossi hand-drawn ferry”. The men manually pulled our boat by the rope and with 10 people each, our entire friendly team successfully crossed.

Passing by a huge number of burnt trees, we were told that there was a fire here and the Finnish state is diligently fighting to prevent future ones. Also, the information was a little sad that almost all the trees in the park are sick, and if they do not find a doctor who can pick up the necessary vaccine for them, then the park will have to be closed due to the danger of falling trees. 

Having climbed to the top of the hill (by the roots of trees, a lot of roots, and dirt), we came out into a clearing with moss. We all know that the importance of mosses in the life of the forest is very great. They populate places of fires, bonfires, and trails. After their death, the soil is enriched with humus and becomes fertile for other plants. Moss regulates temperature, and humidity, and shades the soil. Mossy has thermal insulation properties, and that contributes to the warming of the earth. Thanks to this, good forest life is ensured, and seed growth improves. There we also met a lot of poisonous mushrooms- toadstools and fly agarics.

After completing half of the route, we realized that we were tired, and made a halt. Firewood was chopped, a fire was lit in a small wooden house in a specially made barbecue and sausages were fried. There we were able to get to know everyone better. I met some funny guys. Someone is in the 1st year, someone is in the 3rd, but everyone is so friendly and kind that the impressions were extremely positive. Naturally, when we left the camp, we put out the fire, collected all the garbage, left the place clean for new tourists, and first of all to clean the environment and the forest.

 Moreover, we were very lucky with the weather that day: the sun, no wind, and warm enough, and the field of active passage was even hot. The most amazing thing is that it was impossible to get lost, there are signs everywhere and there are stands with a map. Well, who knows how to navigate by moss, sun, and anthills – you can try your knowledge and apply your experience here. 

Gradually moving on, we constantly had views of the lakes, in the reflection of the water of which yellow leaves from autumn trees were seen, which created the feeling of a fairy tale. At the end of the trip, we had a great view of the bridge «Lapinsalmi». It is located at an altitude of 12 meters, and its length is 55 meters. The bridge is stable and has straight flooring, so it is convenient to use it at any time of the year.

I’ll be honest with you, reader, this trip was memorable for me for the rest of my life, I got unforgettable emotions, and I definitely want to come here again with tents for a few days. And I definitely hope that the university will arrange even more trips to various places in nature because it helps to distract from the daily routine and get to know different nationalities better!