Lapland’s Dirty Dozen – A Wilderness Hiking Challenge

This idea was born on the Vaellusnet forum: to create a long and wild hiking route that crosses twelve wilderness areas in Finnish Lapland. The goal was to create something comparable to Sweden’s Gröna Bandet or Norway’s Norge På Langs. Together, these three form the Nordic Triple Crown of hiking — similar to the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail in the USA. 

The name “Dirty Dozen” comes from the fact that the route goes through all twelve of Finland’s wilderness areas. True to the name, you will likely keep your boots dirty from crossing vast bogs and marshlands. 

Rules of the Route

The route runs from Naruskajärvi to Kilpisjärvi, and you can hike it in either direction.

You must travel under your own power — either on foot or on skis — though you may use a vehicle to leave the trail briefly for food resupplies or other needs in villages along the way.

The journey must be continuous. If you leave the route, you must continue again from the same point where you exited. 

You must pass through or at least visit each of the following wilderness areas:
Tuntsa Wilderness Area
Urho Kekkonen National Park (including Kemihaara)
Tsarmitunturi Wilderness Area
Vätsäri Wilderness Area
Kaldoaivi Wilderness Area
Paistunturi Wilderness Area
Muotkatunturi Wilderness Area
Hammastunturi Wilderness Area
Lemmenjoki National Park
Pulju Wilderness Area
Pöyrisjärvi Wilderness Area
Tarvantovaara Wilderness Area
Käsivarsi Wilderness Area 

Walking on roads is to be avoided whenever reasonably possible — the point is wilderness travel, not road mileage.

The laws of Finland as well as the rules of wilderness areas and national parks must be followed.

 

Route Notes & Suggestions

There is no official trail. You design your own path so long as you follow the rules above. 

However this site provides a GPX file of one suggested route for those who want a ready-made track to follow. That suggested route spans about 955 km (about 594 miles). 

Water crossings have been planned to be as safe as possible, but it must be noted that during periods of flooding some rivers may be unsafe to cross. Likewise, not all wetland areas can necessarily be crossed safely. For this reason, it is absolutely essential that you are able to adjust your route independently when necessary.

It is also important to view the proposed route as a rough example rather than a fixed line. The route is continuously refined as better options are found. It will never be perfect and should not be followed literally if you identify a safer or more efficient route on the ground or on the map.

If you really want to push your limits, you can continue from Kilpisjärvi to the Three Borders Point and then follow Sweden’s Gröna Bandet, creating a 2,305 km (about 1,433 miles) mega challenge.

Lapland’s Dirty Dozen crosses areas with no marked trails. In many places you will navigate over untracked terrain. There are few bridges over rivers, and bog crossings can be difficult. Map and compass skills are essential, and good navigation experience is highly recommended. GPS devices or smartphone navigation apps can help, but should not replace basic wilderness skills. 

Hiking the entire route typically takes about 4–8 weeks, depending on conditions and pace.

Link to a gpx-file for the route. 

Link to a whole route on a web browser