Safety information

It is safest to move in a group if you do not know the terrain or the water area. Before the excursion, it is advisable to acquire the necessary maps and guides and check the weather forecast, particularly when going boating. Wear sturdy footwear and clothes that suit the weather. It is recommended that you take first aid equipment, rainwear, a spare set of clothes, as well as enough drinks with you, particularly in the summer. Remember to wear a floating vest when boating.

In wet weather and in winter, duckboards, rocks and piers can be slippery.

During the snowy season, the trails and routes are not maintained.

In an emergency, dial the number 112. Report your location, what has happened and listen to the instructions.

Tips and hints

READ A STORY ABOUT HUKKAVUORI NATURE TRAIL!

ANT EGG HARVESTING ALONG THE HUKKAVUORI TRAIL

Ant egg harvesting is an unfamiliar idea to most people today, but up until the 1950s, it was an important cottage industry in Finland, especially in Karelia. Forested areas such as Ruokolahti had large ant populations and huge colonies. Some ants’ nests could be several metres high. The ants eggs were a valuable export product: the eggs were used for various purposes, including protein powder and pharmaceutical manufacturing in Germany. A single nest could provide a good harvest of this expensive export product. Ant egg harvesting can be explored in various locations, such as the village of Pohjalankila in Ruokolahti. Marjamäki features a harvest site along the Hukkavuori trail. The harvesting started in the week leading up to the midsummer. The bottom of the anthill was excavated in the middle of the night and the eggs were shovelled into a bag. A sieve was used to trap large debris. The next day, the final sorting was done by the ants themselves in an area built for that purpose. This was a flat rock surface swept clean of debris, a canvas spread onto the forest floor, or a purpose-built area or laani, which was marked in the ground using tar. The harvest began by spreading the contents of the bags onto the laani in the morning. The ants would carry the eggs and take them underneath bracken leaves which were placed in the laani. The work had to be closely monitored, because once they had taken most of the eggs, the ants would start carrying debris. Sometimes the ants would go on strike, especially on a hot day. The solution was to sprinkle some water in the laani. The ants would think that it was raining and rushed back to work. |

Sources:

Kähkönen & Korjonen-Kuusipuro (ed.) 2012. Tarinoita Etelä-Karjalasta - Tales from South Karelia -  Истории из Южной Карелии. South Karelian Institute at the Lappeenranta University of Technology. Digipaino. (p. 114)

Siitonen, Sulo. 1986. Information boards along the Hukkavuori trail.

Note

Getting there

VT 6:lta Imatran suunnasta noin 5km moottoritien päättymisen jälkeen käänny vasemmalle Särkilahdentielle kohti Pohja-Lankilaa. Aja Särkilahdentietä noin 30 kilometriä.

Pysäköinti sijaitsee luontopolun perustaneen Matti Päivisen pihassa, osoitteessa Särkilahdentie 2999, 56440 Ruokolahti. Tieltä hyvät opasteet.

Parking

Coordinates