Aladdin's adventure at the Three-Country Cairn

Wednesday 11^th of July 2018 and I woke up a Tundrea. Not a hotel, but an apartment. But there is only 2 hotel in Kilpisjarvi and only one with private bathroom, so the choice was quite simple.

They had delivered my breakfast yesterday evening, no hotel, but I could buy breakfast for 10 €.

Muesli and some bread, tea and some other things. So if you come here you can go to the supermarket across the road and you can make breakfast in the fully equipped kitchen.

I left to have a look for the departure jetty and m/s Malla. I have a few hours before departure at 10:00 so there will also be time to look for birds. But first I need to find the m/s Mallas's departure point.

I drive along road #21 towards the Norwegian border keeping my eyes out for any sign saying m/s Malla.

Three-Country Cairn

Three-Country Cairn (Finnish: Kolmen valtakunnan rajapyykki, Northern Sami: Golmma riikka urna, Norwegian: Treriksrøysa, Swedish: Treriksröset) is the point at which the international borders of Sweden, Norway and Finland meet, and the name of the monument that marks the point. It is an example of a geographical feature known as a tripoint.

A monument of stones was erected on the site in 1897 by the governments of Norway and Russia (which was administering Finland at the time). The Swedish could not agree on a boundary commission with the Norwegians and did not contribute their stone until 1901. This is Sweden's most northerly point and it is the westernmost point of the Finnish mainland (the most westerly point of Finland is on the island Märket).

The current tripoint monument was built in 1926 and is a beige, conical frustum made of concrete, located about 10 metres out in Lake Goldajärvi (also known as Lake Koltajauri). It is located at 489 metres above sea level. The size is about 14 square metres with diameter of about 4 metres. As an artificial island, it is sometimes mentioned as the world's smallest island divided by a border. This is a matter of definition. For example, in Haparanda/Tornio there are poles in water marking the border.

It may be reached by walking 11 kilometres from Kilpisjärvi in Finland along a hiking trail in the Malla Strict Nature Reserve. In summertime, it can be reached by boat from Kilpisjärvi plus a 3-kilometre walk.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Looking for birds along road #21 in Kilpisjarvi

Looking for birds along road #21 in Kilpisjarvi

Looking for birds along road #21 in Kilpisjarvi

Looking for birds along road #21 in Kilpisjarvi

Looking for birds along road #21 in Kilpisjarvi

Looking for birds along road #21 in Kilpisjarvi

Of course, in Finland and there is a sauna

I find m/s Malla

Nu e d dags för val igen. Inte vill vi väl rösta på dom som styrt dom senaste 20 åren. Sverige är bara skit och allt bra kommer från utlandet! Det är Svenskarna som ska integreras i det nya Sverige! Beställ valsedlar nu!! Vi måste få ett slut på eländet! Valsedlar kan beställas HÄR

I don't get any bird pictures, but I found the jetty and it was an hour until departure. So I had time to look for birds in the bushes. I could hear the Willow Warbler and I went to have a look.

I managed both to get a sound recording and some pictures before I went down to the jetty and m/s Malla. Now there were plenty people and it looked like the boat will be full.

When I came it was only one guy waiting at the boat. Now there were many people in front of me in the queue and I started to get nervous, I was for sure not feeling like I wanted to miss this boat. There is only 3 departures per day and they will stop for 2 hours giving you time to go see the Three-Country Cairn.

We will leave Finland and cross the lake to go ashore in Sweden and we will walk to the border point between Sweden, Finland and Norway.

Listen to the Willow Warbler / Lövsångare

Sound from www.xeno-canto.org

Remarks from the Recordist

Recorded with my ZOOM H5 Handy Recorder

Jumping around in the forest with the bill full of food, just like the Grey-hooded Warbler: XC410545

Willow Warbler / Lövsångare

Willow Warbler / Lövsångare

Willow Warbler / Lövsångare

Willow Warbler / Lövsångare

Willow Warbler / Lövsångare

Willow Warbler / Lövsångare

Willow Warbler / Lövsångare

Willow Warbler / Lövsångare

Willow Warbler / Lövsångare

Willow Warbler / Lövsångare

I took a seat in the back, the roof was full, or almost full. I sat in the back hoping to be alone. But there was soon people coming, and a big dog. So we were 6 in the back plus 2 dogs.

I was glad when we finally left Kilpisjarvi and it will take about one hour to cross the lake. We passed two grey birds with a baby, the beautiful Black-throated Loon. But we were too far away for any good pictures so this is a bird that won't make it to my list of observed birds.

We arrive to the Swedish side and we start to walk, 3 km to the Three-Country Cairn (Treriksröset). And we have 2 hours until we have to be back at the boat, so there will not be much time to look for birds on the way.

On the way to Three-Country Cairn (Treriksröset)

Black-throated Loon

We arrive to Sweden

We start the hike to the Three-Country Cairn (Treriksröset)

Hiking to the Three-Country Cairn (Treriksröset)

Grey Wagtail?

Hiking to the Three-Country Cairn (Treriksröset)

Hiking to the Three-Country Cairn (Treriksröset)

Hiking to the Three-Country Cairn (Treriksröset)

Juvenile Bluethroat / Blåhake

Thanks to SteveClifton and lou salomon at Birdforum I could identify this bird.

Forum thread HERE

I was walking slowly looking for birds, but I was soon to realize that I would not be back in time so I had to give up the bird watching. Approaching the Three-Country Cairn (Treriksröset) when I spotted a bird in the bushes.

Later on I had the bird identified as a Juvenile Bluethroat / Blåhake with the help from Birdforum. It was a very long way to walk and I was convinced that the distance was much longer than the 3 km.

100 m to go

Finally at the Three-Country Cairn (Treriksröset)

Time to leave

The last I see of the Three-Country Cairn (Treriksröset)

I was so happy to reach the Three-Country Cairn (Treriksröset) and I walked around the cairn one time, visit three countries in one GO. But there was not much time, and seriously, what else is there to do? So I started to walk back and I had about an hour to make it back before the boat is leaving. So I left the cairn and Finland behind. 100 meter to walk and I'm back in Sweden.

I will stay in Sweden until I'm on the boat and I will come ashore in Finland again.

Border stone between Sweden and Finland

Bluethroat / Blåhake

Thanks to SteveClifton and ClarkWGriswold at Birdforum I could identify this bird.

Forum thread HERE

Where is the boat? No end to the hiking in my new shoes

Back at the boat

I'm back at the boat just in time. Not many birds, but I have seen the Three-Country Cairn (Treriksröset), 6 km hiking in my new shoes. But now I have done it and I doubt very much that I will ever come back here again. We left Sweden behind and we were back in Finland after about an hour or so.

I took the car and I drove to Norway, just a few km north on road #21. I drove slowly and I left the road at every small path I could find to look for birds. Of course, no birds but I killed some time. I turned around a few hundred meters in to Norway and I drove back to Tundrea Hotel. I made a stop to buy some things at the Supermarket.

200 meter to the border to Finland

Border stone between Norway and Finland

Border stone between Norway and Finland

In Finland again

I will leave Finland tomorrow morning and I will drive to Haparanda where I will stay the night. I will make a d-tour to Pajala. So early to bed and it was really hard to fall asleep, it was very hot and no AC in the room. Otherwise it was a nice apartment and they have delivered the breakfast and I'm off after breakfast tomorrow.

Click HERE to find out if I make it all the way to Haparanda.

Visit Alternativ för Sverige's You Tube channel by clicking HERE

If you cannot reach their channel, or see some of their videos, it is because of the censorship. China!!?? NO NO, it is Sweden 2018!!


Tweet



OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.

Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.

So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.

You are visitor no.

To www.aladdin.st since December 2005

Visitors from different countries since 26th of September 2011