Norway Considers Giving Finland a Mountain

© Markus Thomenius, Alamy Stock

To mark Finland's centenary next year, moves are afoot in Norway to donate a remote summit to its less mountain-blessed neighbour. This would become the country's highest peak. If 'peak' isn't too grand a term for it.

Winter on the high point of Finland  © Markus Thomenius, Alamy Stock
Winter on the high point of Finland
© Markus Thomenius, Alamy Stock

At present Finland's 1324m high point is an undistinguished spur of Halti, a sprawling massif that straddles the border far north of the Arctic circle. Halti has two main summits, both of which are currently in Norway. Moving the border by around only 40m would bring the lower of them, the 1331m summit of Hálditšohkka, into Finland.

“We want to reach out a hand to our neighbour that we will be able to shake across the summit” said the local mayor Svein Leiros.

"[It] would be a wonderful gift to our sister nation.”

The Norwegian Prime minister says she's looking into the idea, which has considerable public support.

Looking like a fairly mundane bit of the Cairngorms, it's not as if this particular summit would be any great loss to a country like Norway.  


This post has been read 3,119 times

Return to Latest News

Loading Notifications...
Facebook Twitter Copy Email