Ski lifts started at 9.30am and finished each day at 7pm, except for Friday when many of them ran until 11pm. We had daylight hours from about 8.15am to 4.30pm, with the majority of pistes floodlit.
The weather was unusually mild for the week we were there, with daytime temperatures around zero degrees and a few degrees colder at night. Typically it will be colder than that (-10 degrees for th couple of weeks before we arrived), and can get very cold (-35 degrees for a few days in January, but that was much colder than usual).
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Terrific report @rob@rar - another destination to add to the list. Can anyone enlighten me on how Ruka compares to the other well known Finnish areas (like Levi and Yllas)?
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Thu 18-02-16 10:39; edited 2 times in total
After all it is free
After all it is free
suggul wrote:
Terrific report @rob@rar - another destination to add to the list. Can anyone enlighten me on how Ruka compares to the other well known Finnish areas (like Levi and Yllas)?
We were chatting with the Head of the local ski school and he said that Ruka is marginally smaller than Levi, which is currently the largest of the Finnish resorts, but Ruka has ambitions to grow to become No. 1.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
To pile in - can't recommend it enough, great skiing, wonderful snow, lovely locals and nowhere near as expensive as we expected. The expeditions were excellent - husky sledging and snowmobiling through deserted forests were pretty special! It was also wonderfully quiet - practically had the slopes to ourselves most of the time.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Just come back from Pyha (7th-14th Feb) - bit further North than Ruka, small resort but not bad if you like it reasonably quiet. Reasonable selection of food places, good quality food, small supermarket, few bars.
Had an entire week of what I'd best decribe as Scottish weather without the driving wind - i.e. nil visibility, rain-cum-sleet and occasional snow. Wasn't cold at all; rarely fell below freezing.
When it was new, the snow was lovely, soft and powdery.
We did get one night of 'night ski-ing' (not always on, it seems) but the slope lights were on in the day as it was so grey and dark - yet the night-time experience was definitely much better visibility with the right goggles.
Slopes weren't very busy (but guess the weather didn't help) and though not of Alpine length they were pleasantly enjoyable, not scarily challenging but short steep sections, and, in good snow, very confidence-inspiring. Fun playing in other words. Good place for boarding, too, little bits of side piste in between the runs and trees. All runs are wide (enough).
Only downside to Finland is that it's mostly T bars and Pomas. Pyha does actually have a 6 man lift all way to the top and, in theory another 2 man and a 3 man - but they weren't working when the 6 man was, so it was that or a poma or t-bars (adn there's one so long on some otherwise lovely long slopes) that the Spannish Inquisition would be proud !)
In good weather I think that it's a good option for those without race-strength legs who want to practice or just enjoy playing on pretty wide reds (the blue seems red in places and the blacks a good Austrian red), and the airport and transfer experiences were almost joyous, though perhaps TO trips are often overpriced and the snowmobile, husky, reindeer etc trips definitely are! (as is the beer). )
It is a beautiful place if the weather's kind: but don't always believe that it'll do the fantastic light and winter wonderland stuff.
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