Lapland is one of the most interesting prospects in European skiing. Opinions on the actual skiing are mixed, but few who visit don’t return raving about it.
Lapland actually covers an area of northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia, moving right into the Arctic Circle; but for the purposes of British ski-holiday packages, we are talking Finland – albeit close to the borders of the other three. A few years ago the choice of destinations in the country peaked at around ten in British brochures, when brands under the TUI Travel umbrella, e.g. Crystal, included them, but in the post-crunch declinemore than half of these destinations have disappeared, and we are left with three key players – Levi, Yllas and Saariselka – all offered by Inghams (www.inghams.co.uk). In fact, Lapland is such a big part of their business it even has its own tab on their website’s homepage. It’s cold, it’s dark, it’s expensive, and the pistes are pretty short, mostly served by T-bars. So why go?
Well for the craic firstly! We Brits have always been an adventurous race, and being up there in the Arctic Circle, with very little between you and the pole, is much more exciting than another week in the boring old Alps.
Then there are the unique atmospheric phenomena to experience – visit in December and you won’t see the sun, just a patch of greyish light between approximately 10am and 2pm. It feels weird. It’s probably not good news if you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), but it is different. Visit in February onwards and you’ll find the light has an equally surreal bluish tinge that is a little magical too. And, of course, you are close to the spectacular Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights – far better than the latest multimillion Euro light show in the best nightclubs of the Alps. Cold? Well yes, but dress in layers and really test out all those hi-tech ski clothes we’re told are ultra-insulating and it shouldn’t be a problem. The upside of the cold is that the snow stays light, fluffy and powdery far longer here than it does in the freeze- thaw cycle common at lower latitudes.
Now before we move onto the skiing, I should tell you that Finnish ski resorts have remarkable facilities. The bigger resorts have grown up like moon bases on the landscape, with giant hotel complexes that offer excellent facilities – nightclubs, karaoke, bowling alleys, playrooms and the main area of competition – spa centres.
The latest and probably greatest of these, opened last month in Levi at the slopeside Levitunturi Spa Complex (see the Inghams brochure or website). Incorporating 17 indoor and outdoor pools (before we even start on the list of saunas and wellness facilities), the pools come in all shapes, sizes and temperatures. Not content with that though, those mad Finns have thrown in a sound and light show, so that every now and then a thunderstorm with electronic lightning will flash over head, or a short film will play on a tiled wall as sunshine and blue sky light up the ceiling.
And so to the skiing. Well yes, the runs are short and the verticals small compared with the big resorts in the Alps; but most average British skiers will find enough to entertain them with Levi and Yllas offering 40–50km of piste each. Terrain parks are big in Finland and the freestyle facilities aren’t hampered by the size of the verticals.
Two points in Lapland’s favour over mainland Europe to the south are lift- pass prices are amongst the cheapest on the continent, about a quarter to a third less than most in the Alps; and you get more hours for your money, slopes are typically floodlit from 9am until 7pm daily – beating the 3pm closing time common in the Rockies, 4pm in the Alps. Visit at the start of the season (which can be from mid-October) and you’ll have the place to yourself most of the time up to Christmas, although Levi is big enough to stage a World Cup every November, and you can ski the descent at other times. With little daylight, skiing under floodlights can take some getting used to and gives everything a fairly surreal feel, but on a positive note the snow is more clearly defined than it would be in flat light or on a cloudy day in normal daylight.
Although the slopes are quiet in December, the resort is not, because Brits arrive en-masse, most of them with toddlers in tow, to see Santa. They will also probably be checking out the many other on-snow activities available, includingdog sledding, reindeer safaris (a rather bumpy reindeer-pulled sleigh ride) and snowmobiling. In the time up to Christmas, although Levi is big enough to stage a World Cup every November, and you can ski the descent at other times.
With little daylight, skiing under floodlights can take some getting used to and gives These are all available as 10-minute ”tasters” for those who want to take a few snaps and say they’ve done it, right up to full-day or even multi-day excursions for the seriously obsessed! With all these activities, and the skiing and spa open from early morning until late at night – and planning your day around ”daylight” not being an issue – it’s a very different type of ski holiday. You can hit the spa after breakfast, go skiing late morning and still get 5 or 6 hours in, then go back to the spa, or on a reindeer safari, the possibilities are endless.
One final Scandinavian myth to bust – expense. Well the lift-pass point has already been made, but you’ll find a large pizza weighing in at €6–8, cheaper than Val d’Isère methinks? And a large beer (pricey alcohol being the top criticism) is around €6. Expensive compared with Blighty, yes; compared with the Alps, no. The difference here is that prices have risen little in the past decade, while in mainland Europe they have overtaken them.
I rest my case.
