Sapporo path 10 km, Vuokatti

The route starts from the Vuokattihalli parking lot and continues from there towards the Vuokatinrinteet ski resort. The route is signposted and marked on poles with red.

The railway is crossed via a bridge, after which the route continues to the right along the edge of Ahvenuslampi pond at the bottom of the ski track. After Ahvenuslampi, the route turns left and follows the roadside all the way to the foot of the ski slopes.

After this, the path starts ascending along the edge of the ski slope up to Vuokatinvaara. About halfway up the slope, the route dives into the forest shade and is relatively demanding. At the end of the ascent, the Sapporo path diverges from the Eino Leino path at a junction turning right. A few hundred meters from here, the route crosses Vuokatintie road ascending to Vuokatinvaara and continues after crossing the road along the slope of Pieni-Pöllyvaara towards Keimavaara. At Keima, the path follows the UKK hiking route (blue markings) for some distance but turns left at the junction after Keima summit. At the summit of Keima, there is a resting place (table and benches, no fireplace) with beautiful views eastward to Kianta and Sapsojärvi lakes.

From Keima summit, the route turns back towards the starting point, traveling along the eastern edge of the ridge and the path becomes mostly downhill. On the descent, the scenery around gets wetter and more hilly. Before joining the Eino Leino path again, the route follows the ski track base for some distance, continuing towards the Lehmilampi hut.

After Lehmilampi hut, the final part of the route begins. At first, it goes through a nature reserve area as well as forest and young forest landscapes before crossing the ski slopes. The very last part of the route is along the slope area roads past Vuokatinrinteet and Vuokatti Adventure Park back to Vuokatti Sports Institute.

TIP: The Sapporo circular route is 10 km long, but it is also possible to take a shortened version of about 6 km. In that case, it is best to start from the parking lot on top of Vuokatinvaara, from where the Sapporo route is accessed at the Vuokatintie junction. The return to Vuokatinvaara is via the Eino Leino path, which is accessed at the meeting point of the routes before Lehmilampi hut.

The terrain is partly difficult due to roots and stones, and the route has plenty of elevation changes, so it is not recommended for small children and is not suitable for strollers. It is good to reserve about 3 hours for the route, and with breaks, the route takes just under 5 hours.

The Sapporo path is marked with red paint on marker poles and signposts.