Ruka, Finland
Introduction
Finland is generally a flat country with lots of lakes and the Kusamo region, where this typical Finnish resort is located, is no exception. The journey to Ruka involves no great uphill climbs nor winding mountain passes, you simply arrive to see the hill popping out of the landscape like a volcano.
Ruka is just about Finland's largest resort and has hosted some major snowboard championships, indicating that the place has something to offer. Don't get too excited though, as this is not hardcore freeriding territory and you can explore the whole area in half a day.
However, the mainly intermediate slopes do offer carvers some nice flats to carve up and the slopes can be accessed with ease from any of the five carparks dotted along the road that circles most of the hill. Trees cover much of the mountain, so all the trails are cut through the forest giving you the feeling you are on a different run every time, rather than just riding 100 metres across from where you were originally.
All slopes are well groomed and pisted constantly, so bumps don't get a chance to build up. Most of the area has blue and easy red runs, with only a couple of blacks down the front side.
Resort Statistics
Resort Type:
Alpine
Winter: Oct to May
Summer: None
Lifts
Total Lifts: 18
Chair lifts: 4
Drag lifts: 14
Max people per hour: 21,000
Board Leashes required: No
Mountain
Total pistes/trails: 28
Total ride area: 16miles (28km)
Longest run: 1.3km
Top lift: 492m
Vertical drop: 242m
First lift: 150m
Piste suitability
Green runs: 61%
Red runs: 32%
Black runs: 7%
Lift Passes
Lift Passes:
1 Day pass - ?28
Afternoon to eve ?26
6 Day pass - ?107
Season pass ?389
Lift times:9.00am to 7.00pm
Snowfall
Average annual snowfall: 3m
Artificial snowmaking coverage: 100%
Facilities
Night Riding: :
Yes
Snowboard Hire:
24 euros/day
70 euros 6 days
Heliboarding: :
Not available
Snowmobiles:
Yes
Further information
www.ruka.fi/
Email:info@ruka.fi

