Pyhä

The praise is for empty pistes - reviewers often say they had a run entirely to themselves - and for lifts without queues. The steeper descents count among the most serious in Finland, so people come here to sharpen their technique, and there is off-piste terrain within easy reach. Reliable snow, a compact and well-run ski centre, a decent snow park and the untouched wilderness of the surrounding national park all get warm mentions.

What draws criticism is how hard the place is on a novice: the blue runs are graded far more strictly than usual, the gradient keeps changing, and someone with a few days of skiing behind them can find them unmanageable. Reviewers also report wind stripping the snow and leaving ice, and note that not every run is open even over the New Year period. Apres-ski and bars are widely judged thin compared with the bigger resorts.