With the continued growth in popularity of mountain biking, the project was seen as an opportunity to develop the route network in the Hämeenkangas area. Additional routes with guidance have been requested by many parties, and the idea was pushed forward by an initiative taken by the Kankaanpää SDP council group on the matter in the summer of 2021.
In cooperation with Suomen Maastotieto Oy, three routes of different difficulty levels were planned for the area, which would be connected to each other via connecting routes. The starting points for the routes would have been Viidentienristeys, Kuninkaanlähde and Jämi. In addition, a shorter route suitable for children was also planned for Kuninkaanlähde. The plan took into account all available information about land use restrictions and existing routes.
-The plans were sent to Metsähallitus and the Defence Forces for comment in November. As such, the proposal did not pass the parties responsible for land use, but the work will continue in the future in connection with the update of the Hämeenkangas management and use plan, says Kankaanpää's sports and wellbeing coordinator Ilari Köykkä.
The plan was implemented in cooperation with the municipality of Jämijärvi. Development work with the parties responsible for land use will continue next year.
-The plan made in the project serves as a good basis for the future. The work will continue next year. As a tourism asset, Hämeenkangas is extremely important to both municipalities and it is worth investing in its development, says the Jämijärvi Welfare Manager Teemu Huhtakangas.
In addition to traditional signs placed on the terrain, digital GPS tracks were also planned for the routes. Cyclists can download the digital route to, for example, a smartwatch or other device.
DIGIVAPA, or Development of Digital Leisure Services in the Northern Satakunta and Southern Ostrobothnia Region, is a project funded by the Ministry of Finance. The project began in March 2021 and will end at the end of December 2022. The project involves 8 municipalities and its main goal was to promote the digital accessibility of leisure services through a common platform. Outdooractive.com was selected as the platform for the project and over 400 sites from the project municipalities were uploaded to the platform during the project period.
Additional information:
City of Kankaanpää, project coordinator Heli Puputti, tel. 044 577 2231 (until 23.12 December), [email protected]
City of Kankaanpää, Sports and Wellbeing Coordinator Ilari Köykkä tel. 044 577 2773, [email protected]
Jämijärvi Municipality, Welfare Manager Teemu Huhtakangas, tel. 040 587 6539, [email protected]
Photo: LH Geopark, Pasi Talvitie