TRAILBLAZING MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022

SPRING SKIING IN THE FINNISH LAPLAND

What would it sound like to be in the middle of complete quietness and peace, sun warming your face and bright white snowfields continuing on gentle slopes seemingly forever? Spring skiing holidays in Finland are a legendary combination of the best that Lapland can offer. Longer days than anywhere else in Europe at that time, blue skies, excellent ski centers, hundreds of kilometers of cross-country ski tracks and untouched nature for free skiers who want to take a hike into the backcountry. Easy going family restaurants and wild after ski nightlife. Really, there is something for everyone.

Lapland – not just a Christmas destination

While we all know that Santa Claus has his offices and village in Rovaniemi, and even if foreign tourism in Lapland concentrates around Christmas, Lapland is really an all-year destination. Whereas the “kaamos” light of Christmas time, when sun doesn’t rise above the horizon at all, is something truly magical, the 14- hour sunny days on snow at the end of March and early April are a pure joy. If you are a person who does not feel comfortable in -20 degrees, then spring winter in Lapland is made for you. The temperatures are close 0 or even above it during the day, yet the night freeze keeps the snow pristine for any visitor to enjoy. You will get the best of both worlds: lots of snow without the cold. It will be magical and different from anything you have seen on its own right. When the South of Europe begins the preparations for beach holidays, you can gear up and have a blast on the slopes, ski tracks and the fells in the pure Lappish style which remains unique in

the whole world. Plus, with a bit of luck, the Aurora Borealis, Northern Lights, can also be at rendez-vous!

Cross-country skiing – the traditional way

Since times long gone, cross-country skiing has been the way of moving around the snowy environment. All the way up to 80s and 90s, cross-country was the dominant winter sport in Finland, and the Finns, whether from the cities or from the countryside, learned cross-country ski almost as soon as they learned to walk. It may sound like an urban (or rural for that matter) myth, but many of us actually did go to school skiing in the winter in the 70s and early 80s! The Finnish Lapland offers an extraordinary network of hundreds of kilometers of tracks of all levels. If you are a beginner and want to learn the basics, there are short easy tracks which you can explore yourself or with your family, preferably with a ski instructor who will get you skiing like a pro in no time. And if you are already a serious cross-country skier, you can find tracks and combination of tracks which allow you to go for dozens of kilometres without having to do laps. You will get into the nature, deeper than you never thought possible, while staying on marked, well-maintained and safe routes those long spring days.

The former generations knew all of the above. They populated Lappish ski tracks in the spring from all layers of the society from factory workers and civil servants to business magnates and top politicians.

Now, new generations of cross-country skiers are emerging, driven partly by the low impact exercise it gives for the heart as well as the whole body, partly, and probably to an even greater extent, by the mere fun of it. Lapland in the spring is the perfect place to get into the sport!

Down the hill we go!

While Finland has been flattened by at least five ice ages over hundreds of thousands of years, the highest mountains – or fells as they are called in Lapland – are up in the north. This also means that the best ski centers are located there. From the longest pistes to the shorter and steeper runs, whatever your level, you will find ski fun there for days on end. There is no reason to put one center above the other. From Ylläs to Levi, from Ruka to Saariselkä, Salla to Suomu, Ukkohalla to Syöte and Luosto and so

forth… each has its own atmosphere. And of course, they all also cater to crosscountry skiers. Admittedly you will not find Alpine level vertical differences in Lapland. What you will find however is a unique environment, extraordinarily good organisation and infrastructure, high snow safety, great rental offer and equipment, so you don’t need to worry about the quality of your gear, and an easy-going relaxed atmosphere. It is a place for some serious skiing and family holidays alike. Finally, if you are interested in the backcountry skiing, ski touring and wilderness, Lapland has more of that than any other place in Europe. It is the largest remaining wild habitat on our continent. Get a local guide and let her lead you to the secret short and steep couloirs which you would not safely find yourself, into the forest for skiing between the snow-covered trees on crystalline powder or on top of gentle fells from where you can cruise down in a late evening sun on spring snow and end the perfect day with a huge smile on your face.

How to get there?

From Helsinki you can choose between trains, airplanes, and car. Mind you, the car can also be put on the train, and while you are dreaming of the forthcoming sunny holidays in Lapland in your private sleep compartment, the train makes its way to the destination. Wake up refreshed, step in your car at the train station in the morning and get to your hotel ready to hit the tracks and slopes!