The extensive dune area of Rokuanvaara was formed after the last Ice Age, around 9,000 years ago, from material carried and deposited by glacial meltwater rivers. The first part to emerge was Pookivaara, which rose from the ancient Baltic Sea as an island in the open water.
Today, Pookivaara rises 194.2 metres above sea level, and it stands about 50 metres higher than the surrounding terrain. In Rokua, the soil consists mainly of sand, which forms a layer at least ten metres thick everywhere. On Pookivaara, the sand layer is as much as 70 metres deep.
The lands of the Rokua area were placed under the administration of Metsähallitus during the Great Partition in 1868, and already during the forestry inspection of 1927–1929 the conservation value of the Rokua region was recognised. In 1956, a law was passed establishing Rokua National Park, which is now one of Finland’s most important protected areas for barren heath forests. Pookivaara has been part of the national park since its establishment.
The history of the Pookivaara buildings
A fire‑watch tower and a fire guard’s hut were built on Pookivaara in 1936 because of the wide visibility the hill provides. Fire surveillance on Pookivaara was carried out more consistently until the mid‑1970s, and even in the 1980s and early 1990s the tower was still used for fire watching, though not every summer.
The first tower on Pookivaara served as an air‑surveillance station during both the Winter War and the Continuation War. For example, information about the most destructive bombing of Oulu was relayed via Rokua. During the Winter War, the fire guard’s hut served as the residence of the station chief, and at the beginning of the Continuation War the ut was otherwise used by the Defence Forces. On the slope next to the fire‑watch tower there was a dugout where the Lotta Svärd women participating in air surveillance lived. The remains of the dugout can still be seen in the terrain today.
The wooden triangulation tower built by the National Land Survey was completed in 1972, and after it decayed, a metal fire tower was constructed in its place. The tower was most recently renovated in the spring of 2013. The current tower is already the third one on the site.
During the Winter War, the Utajärvi Civil Guard had a log cabin built on Pookivaara. The Civil Guard house was inaugurated by Colonel Siilasvuo during the Interim Peace. After the war, the house built by the Civil Guard was transferred to the ownership of the Ahmas Farmers’ Association. Today, the house serves as Pookin Pirtti, a rental hut maintained by Metsähallitus.
The small wooden building originally constructed as a fire guard’s hut has served hikers as an open wilderness hut since 1997. In honour of its history, the hut is still known today as Palovartijan tupa ("the Fire Guard’s Cabin").
Pookivaara as a hiking and skiing area
Finnish skiing and outdoor culture suffered setbacks during the wars, as the popular ski resorts in Lapland were affected by wartime destruction. After the Lapland War, travel connections to Lapland were also poor, so skiing enthusiasts turned their attention further south, for example to Rokua. Even before the wars, the Rokua area had been known among local residents as a destination for hiking and skiing. After the war, interest in skiing grew, and Rokua’s reputation as an outdoor destination spread.
The house built by the Civil Guard on Pookivaara served for a long time as a rest and overnight place for skiers while it was owned by the Ahmas Farmers’ Association. Skiers arriving for holidays travelled by train to the Ahmas or Nuojuankylä station, from where they still had to ski several kilometres to reach Rokua. In the 1940s the roads were still in poor condition, but it was sometimes possible to get a horse‑drawn ride from the station to closer to Rokua.
On Sundays, there were sometimes hundreds of skiers on Pookivaara and elsewhere in the Rokua hills. Sunday was the busiest day because Saturday was typically a working day at that time. Ordinary workers in particular could not afford long holidays, so they made the most of their single days off, and Rokua’s location made it possible to reach the area even during a short break. For these reasons, Rokua also earned the nickname ‘the poor man’s fells.’
The tradition of ski competitions in Rokua began in the 1940s, and over time the events grew to rival the competitions held in Ounasvaara. The Rokua races attracted the country’s top athletes, including Olympic representatives. Today, Rokua and Pookivaara offer well‑maintained and even demanding ski trails, as well as scenic touring tracks that follow beautiful landscapes.
