Skiing and Snowboard

KavkazSkiTur Ltd suggests the breathtaking winter holidays in Prielbrusye. It’s up-to-date International Center of Tourism, Mountaineering and Skiing in the South of Russia.

Situating in the very heart of Baksan valley, Prielbrusye (Elbrus region) is one of the largest holiday center in southern Russia. Spectacular mountain views, National wildlife park protects flora and fauna, permitting nature to provide a never-ending display of magnificent color and movement.

The length of cable-way’s complex is more then 12 km. This perfectly equipped system provides the safe elevation on high slopes and the snow covering peaks of Cheget and Elbrus.

The whole length of ski-tracks is more than 35 km. The longest one is Stary Krugozor”-“Azau” – 2500 m.

Сable ways “Elbrus”:
1st line – from the station “Azau” to the station “Stary Krugozor”. Change of altitude is 650 m. The length of a ski track is 2500 m.
2nd line – from the station “Stary Krugozor” to the station “Mir”. Change of altitude is 500 m. The length of a ski track is 2000 m.
3rd line – from the station “Mir” to the station “Gara Bashi”. Change of altitude is 250 m. The length of a ski track is 2000 m.

Arm-chaired cable way “Cheget”:
1st line – two cable ways to the station “I” (“Moon” from Balkarian). Change of altitude is 650 m. The length of worldwide ski track is 1600 m.
2nd line – Change of altitude is 490 m. The length of a ski track is 1300 m.

There is a cafe “I” (Moon) at the second station of “Cheget” cable way. From the cafe opens a magnificent view to mount Elbrus The team of “I” waits for guests with Home fire-place and traditional “Gleentwein” (hot wine).

All ski tracks have a marking and serviced by snow tractors – special high mountain caterpillar tractor. Its possible skiing to high slopes of Elbrus with elevating by the snow-tractor. Ski tracks of Cheget and Elbrus are suited for professionals and beginners tastes. There are a lot of snow-falls in Prielbrusye. It provides snow covering tracks for all the ski season.

Prielbrusye becomes better equipped with every year. The sports complex on the slopes of Mount Cheget, a rocky spur between Elbrus and Donguz-Orun, and Mount Elbrus is growing, with cableways, hotels, cafes and shops. Altogether, over 23,000 guests stay every year in the tourist centers of Prielbrusye, while the cableways can carry almost a million people annually. Cableways function the whole year round.

Avalanches are a constant threat in the mountains. A special avalanche service was set up to investigate and forecast avalanches. In designing mountain sport complexes prime consideration is given to the danger of avalanches. The suitability of the region for building and the accessibility of skiing tracks.

There are great number of hotels and tourist camps. Today the tourist’s complex Prielbrusye consists of 30 enterprises, including 5 tourist hotels, 6 tourist bases, 5 boarding houses, 4 tourist centers/camps, with total capacity about 3000 persons. In addition, from 2002 year in Elbrus region are opening annually many private hotels, capacity from 20 to 80 persons each.

There are cafes, bars in the station rooms. Choose from a number of comfortable restaurants and kebab-houses serving a wide variety of Caucasian and international food.

There are guarded parking lots right at the foot of mountains.

Rental agencies of skis and snowboards are situated in Prielbrusye in large quantities.

There are never froze natural sources of sparkling mineral water called Narzan. This miracle moisture gives strength and health after the skiing!!

Elbrus area is very popular for freeride, offpiste and ski-mountaineering on the slopes of mounts Elbrus and Cheget.

Mount Elbrus

Mount Cheget

Elbrus covered with snow and ice, determines the climate and weather of a considerable area. “Elbrus is the biggest skiing mountain in the world” is the opinion of mountain skiers. Elbrus slopes has favorable conditions for skiing and modern snowboarding all the year round. It is a perspective place of International competitions.

Ski lifts
High to Elbrus are going the aerial ropeways. Its maximum point – 5642 meters. The lifting height by cable-ways – 3850 meters. Then skiers use the services of snow-tractors to ascent till Pastuhov rocks – 4800 meters.

Mt. Elbrus represents two summits of the extinct volcano – the Eastern by an altitude of 5621 m. above sea level, the Western-5642 m. above sea level. The main composition of the rocks – gneiss, granite, diabase tuffs and volcanic origin. It is located on the Bokovoy Ridge and joins the Main Caucasian Ridge by Hotutau Pass.

Ski tracks
The main part of the slopes are flat. The whole length of ski-tracks is more than 15 km. The longest one is “Stary Krugozor – Azau” – 2500 m. All ski tracks have a marking and serviced by snow tractors – special high mountain catterpillar tractor. Its possible skiing to high slopes of Elbrus with elevating by the snow-tractor.

The surface of the height of 3500 m is mostly covered by glaciers (of 77), which area is 144.5 sq.km. On the free surface of the glaciers – moraines. Most of the slopes – are flat, but the height of 4000 m average slope reaches – 35 degrees. On the western and northern slopes there are steep rocky sections to a height of 700 m. The glaciers are cut up with the cracks and in the bottom they end with the ice falls. There are a lot of cracks, vertical rocky-ice segments, and ice falls on the northern and western slopes. Below 3500 m rock stone debris and often in the summer, covered with melting snow fields.

Beyond the village of Elbrus all the northern slopes are covered with dark conifers. Pines flank the highway on both sides, growing thickly. Ahead are the snow-capped mountains. The last kilometers before Terskol village, reveals the slopes of Cheget. At first the mountain and the threadlike cableways are visible, which start in the wooded foothills. Later one can discern the downward tracks of the skiers and the characteristic humps of snow formed when many skiers descents one after the other.

On the slopes of Cheget there are good tracks for training and competitions of mountain skiers; there are also nursery slopes for beginners and holidaymakers. Russian and international competitions are held here every year so as teaching and training courses for sports teams.

International competitions in Prielbrusye are becoming customary; their popularity is great. They attract the best mountain skiers from various countries.

Here on Cheget mount one appreciates fully the possibilities of the cableways (there are several here). Every trip on a cableway is a small miracle: in winter you observe the quick change and variety of snow fields and the inaccessibility of the ice and snow-bound mountains. In summer, a few minutes of ascent will take you from the hot foothills into the chill of the high plateau, to the snows. Mountain forests pass before your eyes, full of flowers and grasses which can hide a standing man; they give way to the lush greenery and bright colors of the alpine meadows and further along to almost lifeless desert with sparse vegetation clinging to rocks, a desert reaching up to the sky.

Pano Cheget-Terskol

The height of mount Cheget – 3772 meters. The lifting height – 3050 meters. Change of altitude is 1140 meters. Cheget tracks are considered as one of the most difficulties of the world skiing resorts. The amateurs of extreme sport will meet skiing and snowboarding tracks of general length more then 20 kilometers. The length of world-famous ski track is 1600 m. In 17 minutes tourists climb to 2750 meters to the cafe “Ai” (“Moon” from Balkarian language).