Lapland in Finland has proved a big draw to Brits for over a decade now, but it’s mostly marketed for dog sledding, reindeer farms, Santa and the Northern Lights. However, the skiing can be great too, on and off the piste, says Jaakko Järvensivu.
The wind is moving the snow like a fast magic carpet on top of the rock-hard snowpack that has covered the surrounding fells with white wavy formations, where rocks protrude here and there like small islands.
The whirling snow stings you when making contact with exposed skin, so I try to keep my head low and use the protection provided by the hood of my GORE-TEX® jacket. The photographer raises his hand in an OK sign, and I start ascending once more towards the windy ridgeline.
After reaching the top of the ridge leading to the Kellostapuli fell, I admire the view of the Ylläs ski area before the clouds move in once again. This time the fog looks more permanent, and we decide to call it a day and ski in to the Varkaankuru gorge, where local photographer Juha Laine leads me into the small café at the bottom of the Jokeri ski lift.
While sipping hot coffee to warm up, we study the historical photos on the wall, showcasing the birth of local ski tourism here in the northwestern part of Finnish Lapland. Back in the 1930s, people from southern Finland started visiting the area during their annual “ski holidays”. Back then, the visitors used wooden cross-country skis, and they first had to ski up all the runs they later skied down. Accommodation meant an extra room at a local farmer´s house. The very first lift, relying on old VW engines for pulling power, was built locally in 1957.
Ylläs has come a long way since then and has a lot to offer even when the off-piste is not in prime condition; for skiing in-bounds, the area has 28 lifts and 63 slopes. While the top station height at 718m (the highest lift-served skiing in Finland) might not sound that high compared to the Alps, the well-maintained slopes and the fact that the slope profiles are perfect for carving turns make up for it. And with no time wasted on valley-crossing lifts, you can clock up a lot of runs. The area also features a big terrain park, hundreds of kilometres of cross-country and snowmobile tours, husky and reindeer farms and accommodation in a snow village.
After the coffees, we stay on the north-facing Äkäslompolo side of the ski area and enjoy linking carving turns on almost empty slopes. Then, we take the connecting Kuru lift to the top and traverse back to the Ylläsjärvi side. Here we find more people, perhaps enjoying the somewhat warmer temperatures during this time of the season on the southern side.
Despite the fact it is the Finnish national ski holidays at the time of our visit, the only visible queue is the one winding towards the area’s only gondola lift. It was made famous by the fact that there is a sauna inside one of the gondolas, which is possible to rent by the hour. We do laps with the gondola, skiing down the Maailmancup (World Cup) slope, which is wide and has a steady steep angle, giving you lots of speed and a great 180° view of the surrounding Arctic landscape. For the last run, we head for the skier’s right to Ylipitkä, which at 3000m is the longest slope in Ylläs. The last section of the run is in the woods, giving you precious shelter on windy days.
The next morning, Juha and I drive to the Äkäslompolo side via the so-called scenic route, which has been connecting the two villages since 2005. Running at tree level, it still offers a great view of the valley below with the frozen tundra and forests continuing as far as the eye can see. We have decided to spend the day on cross-country skis, venturing into the Ylläs-Pallas National Park via the 330km network of maintained cross-country ski tracks, which is the best nationally and some argue even globally speaking.
We start our day at the Kellokas nature centre in between the Äkäslompolo base area and the village. From there we head towards the snow-covered Kesänkijärvi lake, with the steep rocky face of the Kellostapuli fell (502m) on our right side. On good snow, the local ski school organises guided off-piste tours on the Kellostapuli with the runs ending on the lake. The lake is in between two fells; the 519m-tall Kesänki rises from our left side, and ahead of us lies the Lappish wilderness and the Ylläs-Pallas National Park.
We soak in the natural beauty and quietness as we eat our sandwiches and drink the freshly brewed coffee by the open fire in the lean-to at the end of the lake. Feeling refreshed, we ski around the Kellostapuli fell and into the ravine, which cuts into it and the neighbouring Keskinenlaki fell. This very narrow ravine is beautiful and quiet, but it can be also dangerous, as it is vulnerable to avalanches. Climbing back from the ravine, we see the ski area, and ski down following the track to the Jokeri lift.
For accommodation in Ylläs, there are two villages with distinctively different characters on either side of the ski area to choose from.
Ylläsjärvi village, on the southern side of the ski area, lacks a traditional village centre but has a recently built modern ski village with hotels, restaurants and shops right at the base of the ski area. So if you want to stay closer to the mountain and enjoy the benefits of south-facing slopes and the only gondola lift on the mountain, choose Ylläsjärvi.
The Äkäslompolo village on the northern side of the ski resort has a historic village centre with services ranging from cafés and shops to snowmobile safaris. On the minus side, the north-facing slopes can be cold early in the season, and the lifts are further away from the village than in Ylläsjärvi, meaning you have to either take the ski bus or drive to the ski area. If you prefer a quaint village to a modern ski village, choose Äkäslompolo.
Getting There:
Inghams offer package holidays to Ylläs.
For independent travellers, Ylläs is situated 50km from the Kittilä airport and 180km from Rovaniemi airport. Rovaniemi, the self-proclaimed home of Father Christmas, is regarded as the capital of Lapland and makes a great stopover to Ylläs. You can also take a night train with a sleeper car from Helsinki to Kolari, which is 35km from Ylläs.