Published 11 Dec 2025
Pyhä to open Finland’s largest freeride centre – this winter you can ride the country’s longest forest route
Over the next five years, Pyhä will open five new freeride areas, two of which will open already this winter. Pyhä’s goal is to make the freeride areas so varied that families, curious first-timers and experienced riders alike can try the sport. This season you can already ride Finland’s longest forest route at Pyhä.
– We’ve wanted to develop Pyhä’s freeride areas with skiers and riders in mind. There will be five freeride areas in total, and two will open already this season. The Honka area is aimed at children, families and less experienced riders. The Huttu area, on the other hand, offers natural-snow thrills for more experienced freeride enthusiasts, says Antti Autti, two-time snowboarding world champion and leader of Pyhä’s freeride project.
Rovaniemi native Autti has developed Pyhä’s freeride terrain together with other experienced ski and board riders. The aim of Pyhä’s Freeride project is to further strengthen Pyhä’s role as one of Finland’s most versatile freeride centres. Over five years the project will expand freeride areas and services, bringing the national park’s nature experiences closer to backcountry visitors.
What makes Pyhä’s freeride areas exceptional is that they are accessible by lifts.
– We want to make freeriding easier than before, even for experienced riders. The areas are reachable with two Express lifts and an exit route has been built at the lower end of Honka to make getting back to the lifts easier. From there you can, so to speak, return to the slopes without a taxi, Autti laughs.
Unlike traditional freeride areas, Honka at Pyhä has been designed for both experienced riders and beginners wanting to try freeriding.
– Kids love riding in the trees, and this season you can already ride Finland’s longest forest route at Pyhä. In Honka you can take a roughly two-kilometre nature run from the lift and arc back to the lift below. Along the way you can stop for a snack at a laavu (shelter). Honka makes starting freeriding easy and safe, Autti explains.
Danger spots removed from the routes
Knowing your own skill level and the conditions is important in freeriding. On the marked routes, safety considerations have been addressed with signage and by identifying potential avalanche areas.
– We have removed hazards from the routes, such as stumps, rocks and bushes. Signage helps you stay on track, and of course weather and snow conditions are continuously monitored by the resort. We’ve developed the areas with safety first, while respecting nature and the fell’s trees, emphasizes Otto Lintunen, Head of Events and Slope Experiences at Ruka and Pyhä.
The Huttu and Honka freeride areas will open this winter as soon as there is sufficient natural snow.
Honka:
- Located between the resort’s north slopes and the National Park.
- Designed especially for children, families and riders interested in trying or starting freeriding.
- Honka covers approximately 70 hectares, has a vertical drop of over 250 metres, and its longest run can be around 2 kilometres when conditions are optimal.
- The area is largely forested, offering an adventurous atmosphere.
- There is a laavu (shelter) in the middle of the route where you can stop for a break.
- The area is named after Pyhä Ski Resort’s long-time employee and freerider Matti Honkanen.
Huttu:
- Located between the resort’s Pyhätunturi run 3 and the southern border of the National Park.
- Composed of open fell and forest, with the Huttu-Ukko natural-snow run in its centre.
- The area covers about 10 hectares, has a vertical drop of 150 metres and run lengths of about 400 metres, with the steepest sections reaching around 40 degrees.
Huttu is best suited for experienced riders and enthusiasts.
What does freeriding mean?
- Skiing outside groomed runs.
- It doesn’t follow set lines but creatively uses the terrain’s shapes and combines different riding styles freely.
- It generally requires good skiing skills, knowledge of avalanche safety and often specific equipment such as avalanche rescue gear.
- At Pyhä we want to make freeriding accessible to a wider group of participants. The new freeride areas serve riders along the whole progression path from beginner onward; for example, Honka offers easily accessible freeride terrain.
If freeriding piques your interest, we recommend exploring the opportunities Pyhä offers:
Freeriding at Pyhä
