Kilpisjarvi and Saana Fell

Kilpisjarvi is a small village at the far end of the arm of land that Finland extends between Sweden and Norway, on a lake at around four hundred and seventy metres, and behind it rises Saana, a flat-topped fell of one thousand and twenty-nine metres whose profile is one of the recognisable shapes in Finnish landscape. The country here is genuinely alpine by Finnish standards: bare rock, dwarf birch, snow patches lasting into summer and a flora that includes species found nowhere else in the country, protected in the Malla strict nature reserve. Trails climb Saana and run north to the point where three countries meet. Weather is severe and changes fast.

What you actually see

• Saana fell at 1,029 metres - the flat-topped profile above the village.
• The Malla nature reserve - arctic flora found nowhere else in Finland.
• Lake Kilpisjarvi - the water the village sits on.
• Trails to the three-country point - the route north from the village.

When to go

July to September for walking and March to April for ski touring. Two days to a week. Snow lies late and can fall in any month. Weather changes very quickly on the fells.

Honest expectations

The climb up Saana is steep, stony and exposed, with a long stair section, and it is not a casual walk. Weather can turn dangerous within an hour. Services in the village are limited and expensive. Mosquitoes are heavy in July.

Nearby

The three-country cairn is north; the Norwegian border lies west.