Hans entrusted us with the precious Muotka in October 2023. The very next day, we learned that we would have the honor of hosting the hunting dog competitions in only two weeks’ time! What a wonderful surprise and great challenge it was simultaneously. While we had plans to refresh the cottages and prepare Muotka for its winter opening in December, we also felt a responsibility to continue the history of the place and welcome the competitions with their lovely dogs.

It was an absolutely great experience. We met Mervi, Antti, Sanna, Suski, and many other fascinating and friendly people with their families and great dogs. It was a spontaneous beginning of our friendship and collaboration.

We believe that we have a mission to keep people coming to Muotka as they did before, to disconnect, feel the wilderness, and experience the authenticity of this unique place. Additionally, we believe that we have a lot to learn from people who know Muotka and its great surroundings.

Below is the warm welcome from the hunting dog competitions, published on their official website. It was great to read, and what is even greater is that we will host the next dog competitions at the end of March 2024 and then in September! It will also be an occasion to share the new dishes in Muotka and showcase the latest renovations in the cottages. All in all, it is very promising, and we are looking forward to it!

Read the article from Saksanseisojakerho.fi (in Finnish)

Muotkan Ruoktu has been a favorite destination for pointing dogs for decades, both as the center of competitions and events and as a host for hunting trips. After Hans Niittyvuopio retired, the new owners want to continue Hans’ traditions among the pointing dog people.

Hello members of the Continental pointing dogs – Breed Association!

We are Kinga and Kevin, we have been happy and proud new owners of the legendary Muotka Ruoktu since October 2023! Already this fall, we had a great opportunity to receive the organizers and competitors of the pointing dog trials and spend some fun time with them, what we could from our renovation work. At the same time, we got to hear a lot about traditions related to dog activities in Muotka! Now, at the request of the organizers, it’s time to introduce ourselves to all of you!

We are both passionate arctic tour guides and have lived in Lapland in Ivalo for 4 years. Here, our passion is definitely focused on nature and the adventures it offers.

Kinga:

I am from Poland, lived in France for a long time, age 40. I am a life coach and a passionate traveler. I did e.g. a world tour in one of the wildest, most remote and wonderful places in the Pacific on foot, on horseback and by bicycle. I traveled in Patagonia, Tasmania, Peru. That changed everything and I decided to quit all other careers and focus on nature, adventure business and personal development. When I came to Finland, I immediately fell in love with the nature, people and peace of the Inari region.

Kevin:

I am from France. I am a 34-year-old adventurer and have spent a large part of my life working on my passion, e.g. as a freestyle skier in the French Alps. My profession in France was a helicopter pilot for the army’s special forces – in the end I decided to focus my life only on opportunities to live close to untouched nature and to make research trips to the environment, e.g. by snowmobile.

Muotkan Ruoktu is a place we fell in love with as soon as we came here for the first time! Its genuine spirit, which Hans has created over 50 years, charmed us. Now it is a unique place for us to live, grow and welcome all local people, vacationers, hikers, hunters and of course dogs! We want to keep Muotka Ruoktu open to everyone, both local people, small travel groups, and self-employed tourists – we want to offer tourist services or coffee to passers-by. But before receiving customers, we accepted the challenge – and wanted to start updating Muotka Ruoktu by renovating it.

With the help of our friends and family, we already did the first renovations in six cabins in order to welcome our first guests in December 2023 to comfortable and cozy cabins! Muotka’s restaurant also opens its doors at that time. The restaurant will continue to serve delicious reindeer jerky and other local delicacies in cooperation with local hunters. We also offer some of our recipes from our home countries Poland and France.

Hans has entrusted this legendary place to us, and we are now happy to turn the continuation of Muotka into our own new page together with old and new customers. You are warmly welcome to meet us! Our doors are open for you and your lovely dogs in summer, autumn, winter and spring! As before, our doors are also open to organizers of dog events.