FAQ

How to travel to Saariselkä?

Saariselkä is situated along the main road E75, 260km north from the Arctic Circle. Our closest airport is in Ivalo which is 20min drive from the center of Saariselkä. You can also fly or take a train to Rovaniemi which is a 3h drive south from Saariselkä.

Where to book accommodation?

We have a lot of accommodation options in Saariselkä. You can stay in one of our hotels or choose from the many holiday apartments and cabins.

What are the differences between the classes?

In Saariselkä MTB Stages we have a class for everyone. Here you can read what the differences between the classes are:

Elite: Elite class is meant for racers! To be able to race for the money prices you will need to register for elite. You don't need to have a license.
Sport: Sport class rides the same tracks as elite but with a more relaxed attitude. This class will be divided into age classes.
DUO: There are three different DUO-classes; for male, female and mixed pairs. The DUO teams need to ride all the stages together (within visual contact). Also DUO's ride the same long tracks as elite and hobby.
Juniors: There are three age classes for juniors: 12y, 15y and 18y. Naturally there are own classes for girls and boys. 12y and 15y juniors will ride shorter tracks with total length around 50km. 18y juniors ride the same stages as elite.
Adventure: Adventure class rides the same short tracks as juniors.
eAdventure: eAdventure class is a adventure for ebikes. eAdventure is an opportunity for MTB rookies to have the real Saariselkä MTB Stages experience without the shape and experience needed in hobby class. There is no time keeping or prizes in eAdventure class.

How about the weather?

In August the weather in Saariselkä can be pretty much anything. We can have +25 degrees celsius or we can have 0 degrees and sleet coming down from the sky. Most likely the temperature is somewhere between 10 and 15 degrees. It is also typical for our region that the weather can change rapidly which you should consider while choosing your clothes.

The best weather forecast for Saariselkä you will find here.

How our trails are?

If we should use only one word it would be amazing! Saariselkä is known for its fells which means that we have some of the biggest height differences in Finland. It also means that we have many trails going on the treeless fell summits surrounded by some epic sceneries.

On the eastern side of the village we have Finland's second largest national park, Urho Kekkonen national park, and on the western side we have a large wilderness called Hammastunturi wilderness area. This means that the trails run through some truly wild and pristine areas.

What kind of bike should I have?

We recommend using a full suspended bike with 29″ wheels for Saariselkä MTB Stages. Traditionally also fatbikes have been fast on our trails and some people have also done the stages with hard tail bikes. You should also consider that we have here some relatively long and steep climbs so you should have light enough gears.

However, the most important thing is to make sure that your bike is in 110% shape! Make sure that your transmission, brakes, and suspension work properly and if needed visit your local bike shop.