Pullinki Hill

Pullinki Hill was the highest hill on Maupertuis’ chain of survey triangulations. The high, forest-dominated hill looms over the landscape. Pullinki is located near the village of Svanstein on the southwest side of Lake Kuittasjärvi. The distance from Pello is about 25 kilometres to the south.

At the time of Maupertuis’ expedition, the Torne was not a border river, but the Torne Valley on both sides of the river was part of the Swedish Empire. In the Treaty of Hamina between Sweden and Russia in 1809, the border was drawn on the Torne.

Currently, Pullinki is the only hill among the expedition’s measurement points on the Swedish side of the border. In addition, the southern end of the baseline is located in Sweden, on the western bank of the Torne at the village of Niemis.

Réginald Outhier visited Pullinki in mid-July to build a marker. He climbed to the top of the spruce to check the visibility of other hills and found the location to be good.

At the end of the month, the expedition returned to the hill again. The ascent to the hill was an arduous trip up a steep slope covered by deep moss.

According to both Outhier and Maupertuis, Pullinki was particularly rich in gnats and blackflies, which were also a great nuisance to the local soldiers. One French servant’s face “became terribly swollen from mosquito bites.”

The daily life of the expedition was made easier by a spring on the south-western slope of Pullinki. In several campsites, water had to be brought from the river.

The expedition felled trees from the top of Pullinki to get a view of Aavasaksa, Iso-Horila, Niemivaara and Kittisvaara Hills. Today, there is an observation tower at the top, which offers a view of the Torne Valley on all sides. There is also a day camp called Toppstugan and a campfire site at the top.

Pullinki is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as it is a part of the Struve Geodetic Arc. Other World Heritage sites of the Struve Geodetic Arc in Sweden include Tynnyrilaki Hill in Kiiruna, Jupukka Hill in Pajala and Perävaara Hill in Haparanda.

There used to be a ski resort on the northern slopes of Pullinki. Today (2024), the slopes are not regularly open.

At the top of Pullinki, next to the observation tower, is the Maupertuis monument.

Sources:

Maupertuis, Pierre Louis Moreau de. “Maan muoto”. Maan muoto ynnä muita kirjoituksia Lapista. Ed. Osmo Pekonen. Väyläkirjat, 2019 (orig. 1738).

Outhier, Réginald. Matka Pohjan perille. Maupertuis Foundation and Väyläkirjat, 2011 (orig. 1744).

A map

Guidelines for using the map

Red = Measurement point of the triangulation chain.
Green = Walking route.
Blue = Arrival from the main road (highway 21).
Markers: Tap or click to get more information about the destinations.
Zoom out: Shows the location in the triangulation chain.
Drop icon: Locates the user’s location on the map.
Measure tool: Measure distances between locations.

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On the old map

Pullinki on the map drawn by Réginald Outhier (Carte du fleuve de Torneå, 1736).

Want a map for yourself? The map is currently sold as a poster (225 mm x 707 mm) in the shop of the Museum of Torne Valley (address Torikatu 4, Tornio).

Information

WGS84	N 66° 38′ 47″ E 23° 46′ 55″
WGS84	N 66.6464, E 23.7819
UTM (WGS84)	34W 623026 7394704

(Estimated location of the measurement point.)

335 m

One way 4.2 km

Pullinki is located in the village of Svanstein, west of the Torne, 26 kilometres south of Pello and 40 kilometres north of Matarenki (also known as Övertorneå).

At the northern end of the village of Svanstein, turn west from Highway 99 onto Road 857. Follow it about 2 kilometres, then follow the signpost for the Struve Geodetic Arc on the left.

It is advisable to leave your car at the start of the junction, as the road leading to the hill is in poor condition. The road also narrows on the way up and is very steep. It is not intended to be travelled by car.

Alternatively, you can also ascend Pullinki via a trail along the ski slopes. In that case, continue for another kilometre or so, after which you will see on the left-hand side of the road a box-like building, which is the lower station of the former ski lift. There is an old parking area at the top, from where you can start climbing up the slope.

There are also alternative routes to the top of the hill. The longest and easiest route to follow is along a narrow forest road. A road of about 4 kilometres in length circles Pullinki from its southern side. The route is marked by a sign guiding to the Struve measurement point visible from Road 857.

At the beginning of the road there is an information board on the Struve Geodetic Arc that has information about Pullinki, as well as old signposts directing you to Pullinki. The safest route to the top is along the forest road mentioned above. The road passes through a lush, deciduous forest.

Pullinki can also be accessed via old ski slopes and lift lines. The lift line from the lower station of the former ski centre runs directly to the top. At the top, the route curves to the left, towards southeast.

There is also a trail of about 1.5 kilometres in length leading from the main building of the ski resort to the hill. On the main building and at the lower station of the lift there are old signs about the Struve Geodetic Arc showing the route the trail takes. The bottoms of the ski slopes are bushy, so the trail may be difficult to find.

Aavasaksa	28 km
Iso-Horila (Horilankero)	22 km
Kittisvaara	20 km
Niemivaara	17 km

(Distance as the crow flies.)

From the 17th to the 18th of July 1736
From the 31st of July to the 6th of August 1736

The 18th of July 1736. “The eastern extremity of Pulllingi is the most elevated part of the mountain, but covered with fir trees of a much larger size than any which we had hitherto met with. From the top of a tree I discovered Avasaxa and Horrilakero, and I determined on erecting a signal; but it was necessary to fell beforehand a part of the trees. Our six men were employed about it incessantly, and the signal was raised on Wednesday, the eighteenth, at four in the afternoon – – -”
Réginald Outhier. Journal of a Voyage to the North (Journal d’un voyage au Nord), 1744.

The 31st of July 1736. “This is the highest of all our Mountains, and of an exceeding difficult Access; as well on account of its Steepness, as the depth of the Moss wherein we had to fix our Steps: We reached the top however at six in the Morning. Our stay here from the 31st of July to the 6th of August was no less disagreable than the Ascent had been painful.

We had to fell a whole Wood of the largest Trees. And the Flies attacked us with such Fury, that our Soldiers of the Regiment of Westro-Bothnia, a Body distinguished even in Sweden, where there are so many brave Troops; these Men, hardened with the greatest Fatigues, were obliged to wrap up their Faces, or cover them with Tarr.

These Infects poisoned our Victuals too; no sooner was a Dish served, but it was quite covered over with them, while another swarm, with all the rapaciousness of Birds of prey, was fluttering round to carry off some pieces of a Sheep that was a dressing for us.”
Pierre Louis Moreau de Maupertuis. The Figure of the Earth (La Figure de la Terre), 1738.

The monument is a pyramid similar to the monument of the degree-measuring expedition erected in Kittisvaara in 1956, but smaller in size.

Lapinkävijät

Pictures from Pullinki

The pictures open in large size in the gallery by clicking on the picture.

The expedition on the map

Réginald Outhier has written a detailed description of the expedition’s journey from Paris to Tornio and back. The journey took two months each way and was made by boat and wagon. On the way back, the expedition was in a shipwreck in the Bay of Bothnia.

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