Wow oh wow. Climbers in Helsinki told us if there’s one place in Finland we have to climb it’s Olhava… we went straight there. Bang in the middle of Repovesi National Park we found Olhava and were breath-taken. Sitting on a peaceful little lake, it has both sport and trad routes (crazy cracks), with some right above the water and which can be accessed by boat (provided for free by the Finnish Climbing Association). You can camp right under the crag, there’s a grill to use with wood provided, lots of trees for hammocks and slacklines, a water well, compost loos and fish aplenty so bring your fishing rod! What more could you need?! The crag can be reached by woodland paths but the most direct route is across the lake.
NB van travellers: leave your van at the entrance to Repovesi National Park (no cars are permitted in the park itself). You can stay in this little paradise however long you like.
Olhava – Finland’s climbing idyll