Lapland Skiing – Ylläs and Levi
November 6th, 2009Skiing & Snowboarding, TravellingIn Finland and in some parts of the world, particularly Britain, the Province of Lapland is considered the traditional home of Santa Claus (Joulupukki). Unfortunately, this post is not a research concerning Santa Claus origin =) but a short review about skiing and snowboarding beyond the polar circle.
If you are going to Lapland in Finland, you should be ready for…
… weather (up to -30C, strong north wind, snowstorm)
… hot sauna every evening
… low visibility (not very often)
… well-groomed slopes
… crazy snowboarders
… crazy skiers
… comfortable cottage
… Northern lights
… elks and snowmobiles
… the dark
… floodlit slopes
Ylläs
Ylläs is one of the highest fells (718 m) in Lapland, located north of Arctic Circle in Scandinavia, Northern Europe.
You can reach Ylläs either by air from Helsinki to Kittilä (about 1:30 hours) or by train from Helsinki to Kolari (about 13 hours).
There are two villages near Ylläs, Äkäslompolo village is located on the northern side of it and Ylläsjärvi village on the southern side. The distance between the villages is about 15 kilometers. And a skibus runs between the villages and slopes.
In the Ylläs area there are:
- 330 kilometres cross-country skiing tracks, 38 kilometres of which are lit
- 62 ski slopes
- 30 ski lifts
- 300 km snowmobile tracks
The amount of lifts and slopes may vary due to weather conditions.
Levi
Levi is one of the largest ski resorts in Finnish Lapland. There is about 43 km from Yllas to Levi. Its northern location guarantees snow right down to the bottom of the mountain.
The Levi fell is 531 meters above sea level. In the Levi area there are:
- 45 ski slopes, 15 of which are floodlit
- superpipe and halfpipe
- 2 snow parks
- 26 surface lifts
- vertical drop is 325 m
- the longest slope is 2,500 m
- 19 gondolas (cable cars)
- 230 km X-country skiing tracks
The slopes in Levi are mostly suitable for beginners or intermediates, but there are also several black slopes for experts.
The skiing and snowboarding season in Lapland is very long, lasting from mid October to the beginning of June. Some will love cold and dark Lapland, some won’t but it is different! The sun does give off some light from mid-January, that allows you to ski without lights from 10 am until 2 pm, but most of the slopes are illuminated anyway.
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3 Responses to “Lapland Skiing – Ylläs and Levi”
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November 6th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Great article. If you like the cold it really is a wonderful place to visit! Some of the best snow I have ever experienced.
November 24th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Love the article, i loved the place that much i bought a cabin out there three years ago, Lapland is amazing
April 28th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
We absolutely love Lapland Yllas and have recently returned after skiing there again this year, hoping to go back in December, the resort is quiet and the ski bus is within easy reach of all amenities. Love it at Yllas.