 Poster: A snowHead
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My family (2 adults and 3 children under 8 ) went to Yllas for a week in early December. We are beginner/intermediate level skiers - this is the children's 4th ski trip and the adults have done about 50 days skiing in all.
We had a most splendid time.
The snow was amazing (snowed most days and because it didn't melt there was no problem with ice).
The slopes were quiet at the begining of the week but became busier because of a 2 day bank holiday on the thursday and friday. I expected it would be very dark all day but we saw dawn at about 10am and dusk came at about 2pm. Some slopes were floodlit and skiing went from 10-5. The skibus is extra to the pass and we forgot to add it onto our skipass so we stayed on the south side of the fell. This included the world cup run and several very nice reds and some blues, with reindeer watching our efforts. It was foggy on some days, and then it was wise to stick to the floodlit pistes.
The slopes were not the most challenging I have ever seen, but they were in lovely condition, with trees on the side for those brave enough to enter. The park had not been constructed when we were there but a half pipe was detectable (this wasn't open either at this point). The lifts were mostly T-bars and drag lifts with one gondola (that shuts in high winds) which includes one gondola car with a sauna in, if you wish to rent it out.
The instruction my kids had was very good, they seemed to progress nicely.
It was very cold, but no more than -20 so not as extreme as might have been. full skiwear and 2 layers of thermal&gloves plus balaclava seemed fine, but we got the kids handwarmers.
We also participated in the obligatory trip to see Santa, went dog sledding and went to see the Snow hotel. Our hotel was the Yllas Sagaa hotel, which was ski-in/out with a pool and sauna.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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in summary a great holiday for beginner/intermediate skiers, or for those very keen to go into the back country. Hotel was lovely, people lovely, a bit different to the Alps. Thoroughly recommended.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Cheers grey - sounds a good trip.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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grey, Good report! Were you lucky enough to see anything of the Northern Lights?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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No we missed the northern lights - the cloud cover stopped us seeing any. We saw shooting stars one night though.
the inghams rep said january is a good time for the lights, because as it gets colder the s ky clears.
The slopeside appartments of the saaga hotel face the right direction, but the northern yllas resort (akasolompo) is north facing and might be a better bet for the lights. We didn't go on any of the night-time trips to hunt for the northern lights because the kids are still a bit young.
It means it's an excellent excuse to go back!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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grey, it does sound good. I'd like to go some day. Would love to see the Northern Lights.
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I would highly recomend. We go there for the x-c but last Feb we saw the Northern Lights on several occasions with one night providing an astonishing display that matched the best examples I've ever seen on the telly. I always thought some of the TV footage was somewhat sped up or time-lapse but in fact it reallly can be huge swathes of coloured ribbons sweeping back and forth across the sky. It was however very cold and I was ordered back indoors to retrieve the duvet from the bed for my wife to wrap round her !
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Thanks for the report, I have it on list of places I would love to visit again I am hoping to be able to see the northern lights as well, but do realise it is never guaranteed.
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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.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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[quote]- I hope it succeeds. [quote]
So do I!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I want to take our son, and would like to combine it with skiing, so that it can be our ski trip also, incase we can only do the one holiday. He will be 6 next year. For the Santa thing, is it best to go before Xmas, keep wondering if it is more magical for the kids to go then, and may be a bit lost on the idea come Feb/March? Wasn't sure how snowsure it would be in Dec though? Really would like to try and go next winter.
Would appreciate some advice from those with experience.
Saw the Northern Lights once from the window of a plane on the way to Fernie....
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Hi all,
I'm a newcomer to the snowheds based in southern Finland. Thanks grey for a good report, always happy to hear positive feedback.
Gilly28:
The Lapland / northern Finland is almost 100% snowsure starting from November until early May. The Santa thing is probably at it's best just before the Xmas and the Santa season might be a bit off on Feb/Mar.
The Local Met Office has pretty good forecast track record. A link to one of northern forecast stations is
http://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/weather/inari/ivalo
Hope this helped.
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You know it makes sense.
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Kartsa66, Thanks very much for that, helps a lot in the decision making!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Snowsure, hmm. It depends what you are thinking with snowsure. Typically only some of slopes and cross country tracks are open in December. Even Ruka (always first to open and almost always first to open "everything" with very active snowmaking) opens some areas only just before Christmas. At the moment Ylläs has about half of the slopes and cross country tracks open http://www.yllas.fi/en
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Poster: A snowHead
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First place I ever went skiing, went to a friends wedding he got married in an ice hotel place, as it was on a ski resort we were staying it was assumed we would be skiing. To be honest having never skied I didn't see the point of going to the top of a hill to slide back down...until I got my first lesson on the wee nursery slopes  . I was instantly hooked.
I loved Lapland, so much, it's a beautiful country, like a mythical snow kingdom when we were there, loads of things to do northern lights on skidu, husky rides, ice fishing, sledging. The saaga hotel opened out into the slopes, and had sledges in every room for you to use on the slopes outside the hotel. My partner couldn't really drag me off the ski slopes though. we went early January and could ski up until 7pm with the floodlit slopes.
The snow there was deep and powdery, and as mentioned it doesn't melt, dropped to -18 but as you were dressed for the weather i actually felt too warm at times, the rental equipment was excellent, looked brand new. Although prepare to be stung for the cost of a beer or wine, it's not cheap!
Have since been skiing in my native Scotland (icy and tough but enjoyable) and in Mayrhofen, where the ski area seemed epic compared to Yllas, but I have to say Finland won on the snow front, so powdery and fresh dumps every day.
Would totally recommend Lapland and Yllas, can't say anything about Levi but my mate says it has a more extensive ski area.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| protosaurus wrote: |
| Would totally recommend Lapland and Yllas, can't say anything about Levi but my mate says it has a more extensive ski area. |
I'd say your mate is wrong. Ylläs 63 slopes, 463 m vertical and Levi 43 slopes 325 m vertical. The overall impression of Levi is narrow and crowded. People who want to party go to Levi, people who want to ski go to Ylläs 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Gilly 28,
I dig a bit deeper and found out some data from Ruka which is amongst the biggest Finnish Resorts. Haven't looked at other resorts but would guess there are some differences between resorts and years. The season at Ruka seems typically been starting early November and has continued according the data until late April / early May. Naturally there are differences between years and amount of open slopes & the cross country tracks.
Been regularly visiting Saariselka (Lapland) to ski X-country early December and early March during last four years. The conditions have always been snowy and crispy. However it might occasionally be windy and chilly ie. temeparure -15C and with chill factor much colder. Snow & weather conditions have been extremely favourable for winter activities during the last 4-5 years even in south of Finland.
Here's a bit more info about Ruka:
http://ski.ruka.fi/slopes/?id=382&area=ruka
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FAQ
