Skiing in Ylläs: two ski areas on one fell, and the largest cross-country network in Finland's resorts.

The two ski areas and how they connect

The southern ski area above Ylläsjärvi holds the gondola, most of the long runs and the widest choice of red and black pistes; Lapland Hotels Saaga and the ski chalets sit at its foot. The northern ski area above Äkäslompolo is smaller and gentler, with lit slopes close to the village and a family feel. The two are linked over the top of the fell by lifts and pistes when the upper lifts run, and by the ski bus at the bottom.

One lift pass covers both sides. On a normal day you ski where you sleep and cross over once or twice in the week; wind closures on the upper lifts are the usual reason the crossing fails, so keep the ski bus timetable in your pocket.

Cross-country: the reason many people choose Ylläs

Äkäslompolo is one of the largest cross-country bases in Finland: lit loops start at the hotels, classic and skating lanes are groomed daily, and longer tracks run around the lake, over the low fells and into the national park toward Kesänki and beyond. Ylläsjärvi has its own lit loops and tracks along the lake. Track maintenance is paid for by a voluntary track fee at the resort and the visitor centre.

The season runs from the first reliable snow, often in November, to early May, when the spring crust makes the longest tours of the year possible. Rentals and lessons for beginners are available in both villages; book them for the school-holiday weeks.

• Lit tracks let you ski after work hours in the polar-night weeks.
• Day huts with fireplaces along the national-park routes sell coffee and soup in season.
• Carry a headlamp and a phone; the tracks are long and the villages are small.

The gondola and the sauna cabin

The gondola on the Ylläsjärvi side climbs about 2 km to the top station in roughly seven minutes and serves most of the southern pistes. One cabin is fitted as a sauna, booked as a private session that circulates while you sit in it; it is a novelty rather than a way up the hill, and it books out for Christmas and the school holidays. Confirm the season and price on the resort site.

Ski-week logistics: passes, lessons, rentals and the bus

Buy the pass online before you travel for the peak weeks; multi-day passes cover both ski areas. Rental shops sit at both base areas and in the villages, and ski schools on both sides teach in English. The ski bus runs on a fixed timetable through the season, so plan the crossing days around it and keep the last afternoon on your own side.

In December and early January the lifts run into darkness under floodlights; from February the days are long enough to ski the sunny side until late afternoon. Cold snaps below −20 °C shorten lift days and sometimes close the upper lifts; the lit cross-country loops close to the village are the fallback.

Off-piste, backcountry and guided ski tours

The fells are open, treeless tops above a forest belt, and guided backcountry ski tours on wide touring skis run into the national park from Äkäslompolo. Guided night skiing tours on the lit tracks combine a cross-country session with a chance of aurora. Neither needs avalanche skills at the level of the Alps, but both need a guide who knows the wind and the weather on the tops.