Backpacking Pallas-Yllästuntur National Park

Kolvitsky Tundras are low mountain ranges located north of the Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea.
Surface forms are mostly flat. There are practically no sharp peaks, but there are gorges in the area. The steepness of the middle slopes is 15-20 degrees.
The mountains are located in a pine forest zone with enough lakes and rivers.

Kolvitsky Tundra is covered with forests (400-450 m high) and shrubs. Above 600 m above sea level, the vegetation is mainly mosses and lichens. Spruce or mixed forests prevail in the dam between the Kolvitsa and Tiksha rivers. Here they are sometimes swampy and therefore there is a lot of dry land – a very good situation with firewood.
The fauna is typical of the northern taiga. Large mammals include brown bear, wolverine, reindeer and moose. The climate of the Kola Peninsula is quite mild (much warmer than in other polar regions due to the proximity of the Gulf Stream). The Gulf Stream does not affect the southern part of the peninsula (and especially the Kolvitsky Tundra). Kandalaksha Bay freezes in winter and harsh winds subside in the mountains. The region is located north of the Arctic Circle, which also determines the long period of snow cover, polar night (mid-November to early February) and polar day (late May to early August).
The middle temperature of February (the coldest month) is -15 degrees. Snow cover continues to grow until the end of March, the clearest and driest month of the year. The risk of avalanches in the entire region is relatively low. Strong winds and high humidity cause the “weathering” of snow slopes – in the “bald” peaks of the edges, the snow is often compressed and ice accumulates and is mainly covered with firn or ice. The depth of the snow cover increases when descending into the valleys and moving away from the sea.