Vuokatti-Jukola 2027 is approaching, and orienteers can get a feel for the vaara terrain similar to the competition area by using the Vuokatti-Jukola training courses.
Most of the training courses have been set on the chain of 13 consecutive hills that dominate the landscape of Sotkamo and Vuokatti. Vuokatti-Jukola competition terrain is located on the same hill chain.
The training courses offer the best understanding of what awaits in the Venla and Jukola relays, says Pekka Hyvönen, head of the map and course committee.
According to Hyvönen, the trainings provide valuable experience for making route choices in vaara terrain, as orienteers learn what kind of runnability they can expect in the actual relay competition.
“Finding control points on steep slopes can be challenging if you don’t have previous experience, and the trainings offer plenty of opportunities to practise that. Ski slopes, however, are found only in the competition terrain,” he says.
Challenging both physically and technically
At the moment, eight different Vuokatti-Jukola training courses are open. Hyvönen describes the trainings as demanding both technically and physically, as they offer similar challenges to those that may appear in the Venla and Jukola relays.
The wide variety of trainings allows orienteers to choose the ones that best suit their camp programme, and they can be shortened if needed. Each training has its own theme, including long distance, slope orienteering, and relay-style intervals.
Some courses also include forking, allowing them to be run in groups as relay practice. Control points are marked with either small or large flags.
In addition to Hyvönen, the trainings have been created by course setters Jarmo Puttonen and Marko Uotila, as well as mapmaker Teemu Köngäs.
Trainings are open until the end of October
The summer 2026 trainings opened to orienteers in mid-May and were supplemented in June. The highest interest came during Pre-Jukola, which was run as part of the Relay League in the Rönkkö terrain.
Vuokatti-Jukola trainings will remain open at least until the end of October, and possibly longer if winter arrives late. Hyvönen promises that additional trainings can be arranged for autumn if needed, as long as requests are made in time by email to .
“Don’t hesitate to ask, especially if someone ran the trainings in summer and wants to return in autumn.”
In spring 2027, new trainings will open depending on snow conditions, during April–May. During the Vuokatti-Jukola competition week, a traditional model event will also be available in a part of the terrain that has not previously been used for training.
Photo: Hannu Numminen, Pre-Jukola 2026