Information about trips

The gravel cycling weekend can start as early as Friday evening, August 22, when you can warm up in the evening sun. The idyllic route runs from the village of Koli along the coastal road to the stunning lake scenery of Ahveninen and via the equally exciting Vorna Museum Road to the village of Vuonislahti.

There is a boat transfer from Vuonislahti harbour back to Koli harbour. Due to the ship's bike capacity, the number of participants is limited - act quickly and register via this link !

There is one light food and drink service point along the way, where you can grab a snack and fill your water bottles. The service point is at about 39 kilometers, after the village of Ahveninen and the bridge, on the sand of the Pielinen beach. In addition, drinks and snacks can be purchased at your own expense in the Vuonislahti harbor and on the ship.

Before the return trip, there is also a sports festival atmosphere in the harbor: that is where the Sorahiisi 320 starts its all-night journey.

There are two ways to start the Sunset Ride. You can set off with your own group – or even alone – at a time of your choice between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM. Or you can join a guided mass start, which sets off at 6:00 PM. The mass start will be driven at a speed of approximately 20 kilometers per hour, and the event organizer's own riders will be on duty at the tail end to take care of the slowest riders. The guided start will stop at a service point for approximately 10 minutes and arrive in Vuonislahti at approximately 9:00 PM.

The Sunset Ride is about 61 kilometers long. For experienced gravel road drivers, the route serves as a warm-up, but inexperienced drivers should reserve enough time. Google Maps indicates the driving time for the route is about 3.5 hours, and there are a lot of uphill climbs, especially on the Koli coastal road. So set off on time and with enough fuel!

The participation fee includes:

• Opportunity to participate in a pulled mass start.

• Route files.

• One food and drink service on the route.

• A boat ride for myself and my bike across the darkening Lake Pielinen.

• A small token of appreciation.

• Transportation to Vuonislahti harbor or back to Koli if your trip is interrupted.

Sign up at this link !

The king of gravel roads is a 320-kilometer stretch of Lieksa's endless gravel road network. The era starts on Friday 22 August in the evening and of course from Ylä-Koli. We start at Koli harbour and from there by boat across Lake Pielinen. From the opposite shore we head into the darkening night. The route goes around Lieksa's most rugged wilderness landscapes and even more rugged gravel roads. We return to Koli on Saturday evening and the final stop is Ukko-Koli, on the roof of the national landscape.

Sorahiisi 320 is a grueling long route race! On the route will be team leader, and the service car, in which you can bring your own equipment box/bag. There are about five service points along the way and, if necessary, additional fuel can be supplied directly from the service vehicle. If the trip falls short, a ride back to Koli will be arranged from the wilderness. There is also a personal photographer, so evidence of the heroic deed will be preserved.

The regular price for the Sorahiisi Gravel 320 is €249. Register early and save!

The price includes the following:

• Boat ride across Lake Pielinen.

• Food, drink and technical maintenance along the route.

• Food and drink service at the start and finish.

• The food service includes a selection of cold and hot, sweet and savory foods, as well as offerings from local operators.

• Drinks include water, sports drinks, soft drinks and recovery drinks.

• Possibility to bring your own equipment box with you on the route.

• If necessary, rides along the route back to Koli.

• Derived driving group, gpx files from the route.

• Participants' commemorative award.

• The right to personal, non-commercial use of the produced footage.

Register here!

The 160-kilometer Sorahiisi is a wide stretch of gravel landscapes in and around the national park. It offers the shimmering surface of Lake Pielinen, rugged climbs and stunning rural landscapes.

Sorahiisi 160 starts on Saturday 23 August. It starts from the village of Koli and is based at Sokos Hotel Koli Kylä. The route descends to the foot of Pielinen and heads north along a village road through fields. The shorter Sorahiisi 60 route diverges at around 25 kilometres and heads north. After the centre of Juuka and its magnificent old town, there is a short circuit in the field landscapes until you turn back south. From the north shore of Höytiäinen, you turn east towards Koli. Next is a series of hills, and from there you drive to the Koli coastal road. Next you loop back to the village of Koli and from there to the finish line waiting at the top of hill.

Notes about the route:

The route has been renewed since 2024 and is marked on the terrain in the most critical parts. We recommend using your own navigation device (at least a smartphone). A printed route map is also available to participants. The route crosses Highway 6 twice, but does not run along it at all. The final route will be confirmed and published during the summer.

Participation includes:

• Route information as a gpx file, map link and, if necessary, printout.

• Four food and drink service points along the route. Light snacks and drinks available.

• Drinks and light snacks will be provided at the finish.

• Gravel-themed gift.

• Timekeeping.

• The right to personal use of event photos.

Register here!

A hearty taste of Koli's gravel mystique is on offer. Sorahiisi 60 starts on Saturday 23 August from the village of Koli, and the base is the Sokos Hotel Koli Kylä. The route descends to the foot of Pielinen and heads north along a village road through fields. The longer Sorahiisi 160 route diverges at around 25 kilometres. Now there is a chance to scratch along the Höytiäinen coastline before turning back towards Koli. In the wake of the danger line, we drive to the Koli coastal road, from where we loop back to the village of Koli and from there to the finish line waiting at the top of the danger.

Notes about the route:

The route has been renewed since 2024 and is marked on the terrain in the most critical parts. We recommend using your own navigation device (at least a smartphone). A printed route map is also available to participants. The route crosses Highway 6 twice, but does not run along it at all. The final route will be confirmed and published during the summer.

Participation includes:

• Route information as a gpx file, map link and, if necessary, printout.

• Two food and drink service points along the route. Light snacks and drinks available.

• Drinks and light snacks will be provided at the finish.

• Gravel-themed gift.

• Timekeeping.

• The right to personal use of event photos.

Register here!

The fact is that Finland's most daring hill and finest serpentines can be found in Koli. It deserves its own special event. So let's welcome Mäkihiisi!

The hill climb will be held on Saturday, August 23. The tentative start time is 5:00 PM, so you can still join in after the gravel day, if you have the energy to do so. The hill climb is a short but relentless uphill scramble. It starts in the village of Koli and finishes where the road ends, at the Ukko-Koli top station. The distance is 3.4 kilometers, about half of which is on the actual wall. The unofficial Finnish hill sprint championships are held in the hill climb, and you can also come just to test yourself or ride in the carnival spirit.

The initial participation price is a meager 19€. The price will be increased as spring progresses and depending on the mood, so grab the offer!

Click here and register!

About the route

The route has a total of 170 meters of elevation gain, of which 144 come in the last 1600 meters. In the last serpentines of Ylä-Koli, a road sign warns of a 20% gradient. The hill climb is ridden entirely on asphalt and can be ridden on road, gravel, mountain or even BMX bikes.

Uphill Sprint Finnish Championships

Uphill sprint is not a sport sanctioned by the International Cycling Union and our event is not only the first step of a new sport in Finland, but also its first Finnish championship. Winning requires two starts, the first of which is a qualifying round and finally the men's and women's finals. All types of bikes that are powered solely by muscle power are allowed in the race. E-bikes can participate in non-competitive carnival starts. The exact competition rules will be published during the summer.

Carnival departure

If you want to compete against yourself and the steepness of the national landscape instead of other riders, you can also choose a non-competitive carnival start. In this series, the hill is climbed only once, as a mass start. You can participate in the carnival atmosphere from a road bike to a Jopoo, including electric bikes. You are allowed to sit in the saddle in any outfit, even in your company's corporate tracksuit or dressed as Wonder Woman.

What is an uphill sprint?

The sport of short uphill sections is an interesting specialty of cycling. Hill sprinting is surprisingly popular in Great Britain and Belgium, among others. The British championship has been held since the 1940s and the competitions are big national celebrations. The specialty of the hill sprint lies in the appropriate equipment. When the road is about ten percent uphill, the gears are crucial – that is why very different bikes can compete side by side. In Britain, medals have even been won on BMX bikes.

Register here!