Åsbacken

Åsbacken is a slalom ski slope in Ås, just outside Örnsköldsvik, on the side of Varvsberget, which is visible from the E4. Its location close to downtown makes it a typical local hill for evening skiing and shorter sessions, where you can quickly get out and squeeze in a few runs without much planning.

The slope is relatively short, but it has a solid vertical drop for being so close to town. The longest run is 902 feet, and the vertical drop is 354 feet. The lift system consists of three lifts, and the facility is approved for international FIS slalom competitions, which says something about the terrain profile and how the hill is used.

A new run is under construction that will connect the top station of the new gondola from downtown with the slalom hill’s base area. The upper section of the slope has also been rebuilt; it previously had steep rock faces and it was harder to maintain a well-groomed surface. That change drew protests from some who felt the fill altered the mountain’s profile, but the goal was to create a more skiable, more even slope.