Ihminen astumassa alas kiveltä tunturin laella. Hän näkyy vain tummana siluettina auringonlaskun värjäämää taivasta vasten.

Harvest Season – Embracing Nature’s Bounty in Ylläs

In Ylläs, the year is made up of eight seasons. Each has its own rhythm, its own light, its own special thing. In this series, we journey through the year one fellrich moment at a time.

A hiker stands on a fell, gazing toward the horizon with a backpack on their back. In the distance, the silhouettes of rolling fells stretch beneath a sky painted with the colours of sunset.
As the season of the midnight sun comes to an end, clear-weather sunsets become truly magical. The sky is painted in beautiful pastel hues, and from the fells you can see far into the distance, taking in the entire horizon in one sweeping view. Photo: Christer Ådahl / Visit Ylläs

Back at the cabin, we pack our backpacks with a tent, sleeping bags, other overnight gear, snacks, and of course our favourite camp mugs. I call out to my friend, making sure we have everything we need.

Off we go!

The August afternoon is already well underway when we pull into the parking area. We sling our backpacks onto our shoulders and start walking towards a wilderness hut and rest area maintained by Metsähallitus, where we plan to set up camp for the night. The air is crisp, carrying the first subtle hints of autumn. It is beautiful and almost completely still.

We arrive near the hut. A family on a day hike is making pancakes over the outdoor campfire. We stop to chat with them and are even treated to a taste. Delicious.

Once the family heads back home, we begin pitching our tent. After setting it up and arranging our sleeping pads and sleeping bags inside, we head out to explore the surroundings. We decide to follow a trail into the forest below. “Let’s bring our kuksas with us,” I suggest, hoping to find some delicious wild blueberries for breakfast.

Close-up of hands holding a traditional Finnish kuksa brimming with fresh wild blueberries, gathered from the forests of Ylläs.
You can often find blueberries well into August, although the peak season and harvest vary from year to year.

Before long, we come across clusters of berry bushes heavy with ripe, deep-blue berries. I crouch down for a moment and quickly fill my kuksa. When I glance over at my friend, I burst out laughing. Both of us have blueberry-stained smiles, our lips tinted purple. “This is nature’s own lipstick,” my friend remarks matter-of-factly. That only makes us laugh even harder.

Later, we spend some time sitting inside the hut, reading through the guest book. There is a steady flow of visitors. Some are on day trips, others are staying overnight. Everyone seems happy with their adventure.

After dinner, we make our way back up onto the fell to watch the sunset. The air has noticeably cooled as evening approaches, and it feels wonderful to pull on a woollen sweater. Its warmth spreads instantly through the layers underneath. We watch the day slowly fade away, admiring the colours and light that emerge in this special moment.

A woman sits in the entrance of a tent, wrapped warmly in a sleeping bag. In the background, a sweeping fell landscape is bathed in gentle rays of sunlight. In the foreground, the tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping pads create a cosy scene of outdoor life in the Finnish wilderness.
The feeling of waking up to a crisp morning, with fresh air filling your lungs, is hard to beat. There is no rush to crawl completely out of your sleeping bag. Instead, the morning can be enjoyed slowly and peacefully. Photo: Christer Ådahl / Visit Ylläs

The next morning, I wake up as my friend climbs out of the tent and a rush of fresh air flows inside. It feels incredible to wake up outdoors again after a long time. I feel genuinely privileged.

This is pretty wonderful indeed.