The skiers had to give way to a very popular route in Paloheinä, Helsinki. It can be the beginning of a rough development for skiers.
Helsinki and the tracks in the capital region have a great special feature that can be a surprise to many people living in other parts of Finland.
In a winter with good snow like now, skiers have at their disposal a network of hundreds of kilometers of trails along which they can ski from one city and district to another.
The network stretches along forests and parks from Kerava through Vantaa to Espoo and the inner city of Helsinki. You can even go skiing on a sled from the corners of the Helsinki Ice Hall.
Even in Helsinki, a skier can make long runs without crossing a kilometer of the same track. A bit like the fells of Lapland: you don't have to go around one circle, you can ski from one place to another.
Now this special feature may be threatened, as more and more walkers and cyclists want to go to the forest in winter as well. It has brought walkers to the tracks.
The pressure to walk on the paths has increased as Helsinki's population has grown.
In the 21st century alone, Helsinki has gained about 100,000 new residents. At the same time, the city's forests have been destroyed by construction. The houses are closer and closer to fitness trails, which have more and more users such as joggers and dog walkers.
A new step in the struggle between skiing and winter forest walking was taken at the beginning of winter, when the path along Paloheinä's Kuninkaantammentie was plowed for cyclists and walkers.
The skiers had to give way to the very popular route, because the city wanted to give more space to other people. The trail network of Helsinki and Paloheinä is still excellent, but all the same: now an important section has been cut out of it.
On top of everything, the new walking route still has a few users.
Skiers from that point of view, the development that has started now can be dull.
Like a social scientist and an avid skier JP Roos tightly: “skiers have lost several good slopes, which are now dedicated entirely to walkers.”
It wouldn't be surprising if in the coming winters, many other familiar sections of the track would not be ridden. Instead, wreaths are planted on the route for the safety of walkers.
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The track is intended for skiing. Walking on the track causes dangerous situations. The track breaks from walking
At worst, the development can lead to the unique trail network breaking up and turning into congested patches.
Among the existing ski trails, the eastern route from Pirkkola to Paloheina is popular with walkers, which serves as a fitness trail in the summer.
It runs along the edge of the Paloheinä residential area and is therefore popular with dog people, for example. Due to the dense trees, the route is also often snowless. Plowing it for pedestrians and cyclists might make sense.
Similarly, the western route from Paloheinä to Pirkkola should be dedicated to skiers and should be improved.
Public based on the discussion, one might think that the pedestrians in Helsinki's Keskuspuisto are in trouble.
South of Pirkkola, however, skiers are in trouble. In winter, there are much more well-maintained walking paths in the park than tracks.
The city should invest in improving the trails in the southern parts of Keskuspuisto. You can build bridges, new sections and sometimes even cut down a few trees. The forest will not be ruined.
One thing should be clear. The route is not intended for walking, if the city's track masters have made a track for it with tax money. And anyway.
Walking on the track causes dangerous situations. The track breaks from walking. There is also a flat skating rink.
In addition, sand is carried onto the slopes with the shoes, which spoils the soles of the skis.
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