The autumn outdoor skiing season starts on Friday, October 14 in five different locations

The school autumn vacation season also means skiing opportunities on outdoor slopes in many places.

Students on vacation in weeks 42-43 can come from Friday 14.10. starting to ski on the outdoor slopes in Kontiolahti, Vuokatti, Imatra, Tahko and Ruka.

"During the autumn vacation weeks, you can see more juniors on the slopes than usual, especially goal-oriented skiers. However, the largest groups are adult athletes who wish to get on the slopes early, as well as those who exercise," says Kimmo Turunen of Kontiolahti Outdoor, who is responsible for Kontiolahti's first snow slope.

Race tracks in good condition in November

First-snow slopes are made of snow that was snowballed the previous winter, which has been stored over the summer in large piles covered with sawdust.

As the weather cools and the competition season approaches, more snow storages are opened to extend the track network.

“The cross-country and combined world cup will be skied at the end of November on the slopes of Ruka, the biathlon world cup at the turn of November-December in Kontiolahti. However, the tracks must be in good condition even before the World Cup, for example for national team camps and inspection competitions," says Turunen.