We are approaching retirement and, having skied mostly in the Alps and North America, decided to spend the first week of February skiing in Yllas.
We stayed near the Yllas gondola in the Lapland Hotels Saaga apartments.
The slopes on the Yllas side were wide, beautifully groomed with plenty of room and none of the overcrowding of the Alps. Most of the time we had the piste to ourselves and we never had a lift queue.
We didn’t get to see much of the Akaslompolo side due to the weather and the link being closed, but the runs felt narrower in the poor visibility when we did go across.
We found enough skiing to enjoy ourselves, but if you are after moguls or steep challenges, then go somewhere else.
The weather was variable, but we did see the sun occasionally, but there were a lot of days with high winds and low clouds that made skiing at the top unpleasant. Temperatures increased from -24c to +1c over the week.
As we went in the low season, not all runs and lifts were open, and this was also reflected in the resort, which did not have much open after the lifts closed, so it was just as well that the Saaga hotel had a lot of food options available. The slopeside food options were varied and generally good and again uncrowded, but as with everything in Finland - a bit pricey.
Take your own painkillers, as there is no pharmacy in the resort, and you would have to get the ski bus to the nearest one. The supermarkets do not sell any medicines, only pharmacies are allowed, and the local pharmacies are closed at weekends.