Company Introduction
Entrepreneur
Ivaloriver travel services ltd PS was founded in 2011. The family business is piloted by Ari Nissilä with 35 years of experience in the tourism industry. Ari has been working in tourism program services since the beginning of the 80's, starting from the Gold Village of Tankavaara, as a gold panning and tourist guide, hired by Kauko Launonen (Muttinen), later the gold rush continued as a professional machine digger in Hangasoja, Saariselkä gold area.
Our pilot has done various jobs in the wilderness and tourism industry since the 80`s to the present day. Work history has accumulated e.g. From Lapland Safaris as a tourist guide for almost 10 years, during which Ari has professionally guided tourists along the Arctic Ocean throughout the territory of Northern Finland.
Prior to founding the company, he worked as a teacher at the Sámi Region Training Center and as a degree manager in batch guide training.
You are our customer, we want to serve you well
In Köysivaara, embraced by the Hammastunturi wilderness, we offer year-round wilderness accommodation, program services as well as meeting and training services with programs and food services while listening to you.
We organize camp schools, as well as training in natural conditions. People of all ages, young people and even older people can internalize customized education in the field of nature. In nature studies, we can get to know plants, animals and the bedrock, for example.
The rich nature of the Ivalojoki River, the unique ecology of the Hammastunturi area and the unique soil and bedrock of the Ivalojoki- river open many new doors to nature and its learning.
We provide tourism program services, as well as nature education for local businesses, schools and colleges, and rent facilities for your use.
We rent canoes, rafting ferries and gold mining equipment.
History of sawmill cabin
The cabin of Köysivaara was built in 1956. At the time, the cabin was used as a sawmill for forest workers. in the sauna on our wall there is a small exhibition of the tools of that time.
The rental rooms in the cabin are named after the golden nugget`s of Lapland. Isommus is an 18-person hall with an additional triple room and a private entrance. The Lutikka-hall has space for 14 guests. Petronella has a double room and Täi has a one bedroom apartment with its own kitchen and entrance for 8 person.
In the atmospheric wilderness center of Köysivaara, you can feel the spirit of wild nature and spirits of old loggers and gold diggers.
"" The cabins were generally in good condition, especially in the latter years. Savotta conditions were generally satisfied. In addition to food and accommodation, the cabins had other lives. In his free time, he played sheath and whistle, listened to the radio, socialized and read loan books delivered from Rovala. - Ulvinen Tapio
Köysivaara's cabin has previously served as Metsähallitus' rental cabin, where Villi Pohjola also operated when it started operations.
The straight road to the village of Kuttura was completed in the sauna
The sauna belongs to Finnish culture and good ideas and new ideas often arise there. Did you know that President Kekkonen himself was taking a bath in our old sauna?
A representative from Kuttura village was in the sauna with Kekkonen. While taking a bath in Köysivaara, they negotiated that a good road from the Köysivaara towards the village of Kuttura should be built and with this decision Kekkonen built the road to the village of Kuttura.
This old sauna was closer to the current Kuttura road, but unfortunately it burned down. Our new sauna building was moved to the courtyard of Köysivaara, which still gives us great steam, with stories from ancient times.
The Golden River call`s you
Enriched by the ice ages, the river gravel with its gold nugget`s and jewels awaits in the river bed. Silver-sided grayling and strong-willed trout migrate in the stream. The fisherman's mind calms down to the atmosphere of a summer river. River adventures on Ferries and Canoeing trips in the Wilderness River Canoeing and ferry trips in the rugged canyons of the Ivalojoki River, in the beautiful backwaters and in the rapids are memorable.
The Tankajoki wilderness river offers you a memorable experience of a beautiful, slightly winding wilderness river. Tankajoki river is calm and suitable for leisurely and beginners.
On our day trips, we prepare delicious soup and brew pot coffee in the light of nature. During the trip, we can also stop fishing for valuable fish in Finland's cleanest waters.
Autumn is a time filled with colours
Autumn is a time of harvesting as well as autumn hikes. The sun still gives the summer heat for a while. We hike in the fells, find the last golden nuggets of summer and harvest the pure nature of Lapland. Collect berry`s, we fish and we hunt the food!
Invitation to the wilderness
The Ivalojoki Valley and the surrounding wilderness area are lined with white snow. Camouflage lasts only a moment, and there is no dark time either. The snow-white wilderness offers the opportunity for nature visits. Ski hikes to the fells or through the wilderness provide a soothing opportunity to experience silence and timelessness.
Snowshoe hikes in the surrounding area or overnight on a mountain pond create a feeling of the wilderness. When I stay in a hiking lodge and watch the northern lights, I get the feeling that I have belonged here. After a winter hike, it is nice to relax in the wilderness sauna and enjoy wild food in the Köysivaara.
The joy of spring and winter
The wilderness area of Hammastunturi exudes silence and peace of nature. The wilderness is full of the joy of living and the unique nature. Pure nature invites guests to bright snowfield`s and bright late winter nights. The streams come to life and Ivalojoki breathes a strong will into a flowing summer stream.
Visit Sompio
Sompio is a living wilderness area where nature contact is easy to reach. Sompio is far from major tourist centers and natural peace and quiet are present everywhere. We are part of the Visit Sompio living wilderness.
We work with local businesses throughout the year so we can serve you in the best possible way and meet your needs.
https://visitsompio.fi/palvelu/ivalojoen-matkailupalvelut-ky/
We are also a holiday destination for LOMALLO.
As a member of LOMALLO, you are entitled to -10 % discounts on our program services.
Sustainibility
Sustainability In program services, we strive for quiet, environmentally friendly tourism. We want to offer experiences in the nature of Lapland without light pollution and engine sounds. We have qualified local tour guides, tour guides have a sense of responsibility towards the environment, use of reusable, nature materials for lunch packages or picnics, local food and genetically unmodified products from small and/ or ecological, local farms is offered during activities, excursion/ activity does not harm the eco system. Guidelines for visits of natural sites are used and visitors are informed.
Hiking Trips to fells
Pyhä - Nattanen
We will travel by car/ bus near to Pyhä-Nattanen parking area, where our journey can start.
At the top of Pyhä-Nattanen are granite stone slabs. The Tories are strange-looking rock formations and many meters high.
From the top of the Torah there is an unobstructed view in all directions, and here it is worth sitting in peace to admire the landscape.
This is an ancient Sámi holy place, the Tories are the homes of gods. Please respect the sanctity of the place.
During our day, we will make some coffee, eat lunch and guide will tell you story`s of the history of Sompio wilderness area and Sámi people.
Pahaoja/ Kultala
We will drive to Pahaoja parking area and start our journey from there. Walking distance to Kultala is about 2 km.
Pahaoja Kultala is one of the bases of the historic gold mining.You can almost smell the timeless golden glitter. In there you will get to know history of Golden Ivalo river and mining. We will enjoy lunch and make some coffee/tee.
Tankavaara / Jorpulipää
Trips starts on Tankavaara Gold Village, where we can feel the old times goldfever everywhere around. Hiking trip to Jorpulipää is about 3,5 km.
At the Koiranjuomalampi, we make some coffee by the campfire and eat our picnic lunch.
Patatunturi
Trip starts at Sotajoki Kultala and we walk about 10 km to Patatunturi fell. During our day, we will make some coffee, eat lunch.
On top of Patatunturi you can see the golden area of the Ivalojoki riverside, both the eastern Saariselkä fells and the western Hammastunturi fell areas. In good weather we can even see the Galdoaivi fell area.
Canoe trips to lake Inari and Sompio
Lake Inari:
Lake Inari is Finland's third largest lake and the world's second largest lake north of the Arctic Circle.
On the Inari Lake kayaking trip, we get to know one of the more than 3,800 islands in Lake Inari, namely Jääsaari (Ice island), where we offer a tasty lunch and coffee. In Jääsaari (Korkiamaura) you can also get in the ice cave, where the ice does not always melt even in summer- Before there was permafrost!
Lake Lokka:
During the paddling of Lake Lokkajärvi, we can get to know the silhouettes of Nattanen and beach near the nature park, where we eat and drink coffee in the heart of nature, enjoying its beauty. On guided canoe trips, we offer a tasty lunch in a natural environment as well as authentic sooty pot coffee, we can stop fishing for Finland's cleanest precious fish or watch waterfowl.
Goldpanning
Through us, there is an opportunity to get touch with gold mining with the help of a playful gold panning competition or, more seriously, by digging yourself!
From us you will get everything you need for your Gold holiday: gold mining place, shovels, buckets, gutters, pumps, pans and a professional Guide with more than 35 years of digging experience!
It is also possible to arrange a program for camp schools and groups. We will organize gold panning competitions for your group, depending on your wishes, even in the winter in the ice water!
Gold panning experience:
We will teach how to find gold and do panning. We will tell story of gold mining in Lapland and facts of gold mining.
Competition:
Competitors at a time each receive a bucket of sand and gravel that has been seeded with between 5 and 12 small flakes of gold. In heat, every competitor has the same number of flakes to find but it is only the Head Judge and Sand Supervisor that know how many pieces of gold that have been seeded for that heat. Competitors needs to find all the nuggets with good time to win. Each person’s time is recorded through an electronic stop watch and a 3 minute time penalty is added for each piece lost.Customers can keep all the gold what they find.
Sustainability
In the Green Gold Lapland project, gold produced in accordance with the principles of sustainable development from Finnish Lapland has been certified and branded. At the same time, a cooperation network will be created for the production, distribution and sale of pure Lapland gold. The project raises the awareness of customers and tourists about the origin of Lapland's gold, the gold mining culture and its uniqueness. The project has been managed by Team Deadwood ry. The project partners in the company group project have been Tankavaaran kultakylä Oy, Taigakoru Oy and Paarma Design. In addition, the Lapland Gold Diggers' Association, Schiefer & Co. and Tmi Kasper von Wuthenau have been partners in the project. The project has been funded by Leader Northern Lapland. Project period 1.1.2017 - 31.3.2018.
Drafting trip to Ivaloriver
During the trip, you will get to know the golden historical sites of the Ivalojoki River and listen to guided history of the area and the country of Lapland. In Ivalojoki, we get to know the areas of the Ivalojoki gold rush, such as the Ivalojoki Kultala, or Kruununstation, where the authentic atmosphere of the gold rush from the late 1860s to the present day exudes. At Kultala, we prepare a delicious lunch and drink sooty coffee, we hear the story of the history of Kultala. We will also visit the Sotajoki mouth bank's gold leaching area, Ritakoski's Kultala and the Liljeqvist dredger.
At Kultala, we prepare a delicious lunch and drink sooty coffee, we hear the story of the history of Kultala.
The service includes equipment (waterproof equipment bag 40l / person, life jackets and helmet). We will go through a rafting guide and a safety lecture. From the final stop of the trip, Pals is about a 45-minute walk from the river to the pick-up point.
