For the love of the fells
What keeps people coming back to the fells? A regular visitor explains why Levi feels like a second home.
”The nature of Lapland is my friend.”
– I still vividly remember my first visit to Levi. As proof, I have a ski school card from April 1985, completed on the Front Slopes. That’s when I first became familiar with straight running, edging, various turns and other downhill.
There were no other slopes back then. I skied on regular skis from the top to Lammaskuru with my parents. Or I skied, they mainly watched me in horror. They weren’t into downhill skiing themselves, but they took their enthusiastic boy to the slopes.
Today, Levi has varied and well-maintained slopes, and the forest provides shelter even in the challenging midwinter conditions. With the help of the lifts, you can ski all the way around the fell, both down the slopes and the off-piste. There are great opportunities to practice freeriding between the slopes and in the freeskiing area. At the same time, you get to experience the addictive feeling of soft snow. Powder is powder in Lapland as well. The conditions and settings are excellent for enjoying the hobby. That’s what matters to a regular visitor.
I am very much a nature person and I especially enjoy climbing fells and looking for good snow while freeriding. Skiing has always been a social sport for me. So much so that nature itself is my friend. And when I’m with my human friends, it's a truly holistic experience. I've taken friends and acquaintances ski touring, often after dark. On a headlamp ski tour on Levi fell, for example, you can go for a long time without even knowing you're in a ski resort. Many have been amazed, like wow, there’s something like this just around the corner!
In summer, cycling is my thing, as well as walking or hiking, generally exploring nature. Through photography, I’ve also been able to share my memories of Lapland and what the diverse northern nature and its weather looks like. Modest and small-scale, but on closer inspection quite rich.
Part of the beauty of Lapland is that the weather varies dramatically. Although we’ve had our own place to stay in Levi for a long time, we prefer to step outside the cabin door rather than come back inside. Instead of trying to achieve more, the starting point is to go and see what we can get and be happy about it. I understand and respect nature. I head out on its terms. No matter what the weather is, the day can be truly memorable.
Levi is my home fell. My pulse always slows down when I see the Levi sign on the drive there. It's grounding. As a long-time visitor, you know how to settle into the local rhythm. To enjoy the small community and doing things together. Bar Kota is a nice living room to sit in when you're not skiing. Within minutes, someone you know will saunter in, you see friends and nodding acquaintances from the fell. One of the greatest benefits of a long skiing history is being part of the furniture in a way. You’re here to stay. You’re not just visiting.
In addition to enjoying time off, I also work remotely in Levi. It's nice to clear the snow and heat the sauna after work. And just before enjoying the warmth, hitting the Front Slopes for the last hour of the day. For me, Levi means feeling good. That, if anything, appeals to a skier familiar to the fell.
Juuso Hämäläinen, a passionate outdoor enthusiast and free skier. Spends 2,5 – 3 months a year in the fells, enjoying the opportunities offered by the different seasons.
