A rounded fell in Finnish Lapland north of the Arctic Circle, with two small villages at its foot and one of the largest cross country networks in Europe spread through the forest around it. The downhill terrain is gentle, because the fell is low and the runs are short, but the Nordic skiing is exceptional and the season runs late into spring with snow that is dependable in a way the Alps are not.

People come for the winter itself as much as for the skiing. Husky safaris, reindeer farms, snowmobile trips and northern lights evenings are the real draw and they sell out well ahead. Log cabins with saunas are the usual accommodation, plus hotels in Äkäslompolo and Ylläsjärvi. December is dark. February and March give light and snow together.