Pajakkakoski accessible rapids fishing site, Kuhmo Finland

Arrival and parking

The parking area for the route is located at Hyryntie 24. There are no signs guiding to the parking place at Hyryntie. There are no designated accessible parking spaces in the parking area. The same car park is also used for escorted transport. The parking area has a flat gravel/stone surface. The trail starts at the edge of the parking area. At the starting point there is an information sign about fishing. There is no separate signage for the route. A rest area will be built near the trailhead in 2022, but was not ready at the time of mapping.

Accessibility description of the route

The route is classified as a demanding accessible route. The route is a circular trail, described here in a clockwise direction. The recommended direction of rotation for users of assistive devices is counter-clockwise. The route is signposted but not waymarked. The surface material of the route in the terrestrial areas is solid gravel/stone ash with a width of 1,2 m. The 95 cm wide wooden duckboard and fishing pier on the stone structure is boarded lengthwise with board spacing of about 0.5 cm. The platform has a protective border but no railings. The longitudinal gradient of the route is up to 23% on land and 15% on the duckboards. The maximum lateral gradient on the platform is 8 %. There are no significant lateral gradients on land.

The gravel track at the beginning of the route is flat, but narrows before the footbridge and fishing pier due to grassing. The descent to the pier is about 20 m, with a maximum gradient of 15 % for a short distance. After this, the duckboards and fishing pier continues flat for 450 m to the end of the stone structure. This section of the pier features two seated passing/resting areas with an operating width of 1.6 metres. At the end of the duckboards there is a platform 1.5 m wide and 2 m long to allow turning with a wheelchair/assistive device. The end of the platform does not have a protective border.

From the pier to the gravel path you get via a wooden bridge that is located about 350 m from the starting point. The bridge is also 95 cm wide. It has guard rails on both sides, but no protective border. At the end of the bridge there is a 3 m long ramp to a wooden shelter with a slope of 10 %. A ramp of about 2 m in length with a gradient of 10 % leads from the shelter to the shore path. One side of the ramp has a guardrail and the other a protective border.

After the bridge, the pebbled ash track leading back to the starting point is wide and flat. Before Hyryntie street, the track rises steeply for about 25 m and has a maximum gradient of 23 %. The route returns along the Hyryntie street pedestrian and cycling path back to the car park.

Rest area and other destinations

There is no rest area with a fire pit on the route. There is a spacious shelter halfway along the route. The table in the wooden shelter is accessible by wheelchair, but the table top is significantly too high. A fixed bench runs along the walls of the shelter.

Things to note in addition to the general accessibility description of the route

There is no advance material in sign language produced for the route.

Things to note in addition to the general accessibility description of the route

No prior information has been produced for the route in Braille.

The route signposts have good colour contrast.

Access to the lean-to is limited due to the sloping roof.

The lack of colour contrast makes it difficult to use the constructions of the route.

No protective border at the turning point of the wooden platform.

Things to note in addition to the general accessibility description of the route

No advance material in plain language has been produced for the route.

In terms of length and clarity, the route is safe but the absence of guard rails in the river section should be taken into account.