Khibiny ski resort. Khibiny ski resort

I have my own view of the Khibiny Mountains, but only within the framework sport hike 2 k.s. when everyone is running and running and quickly, quickly and difficultly difficult. I think when you are a beginner rider it’s the same, you either ride, improve your skills or take a selfie at the top. And here Kate she’s already enough of a pro to combine everything)) Katya has already awakened in me the desire to go to, and this time to share my, I would say, home slope. Since the Khibiny Mountains are the closest mountains where you can ride if you live in St. Petersburg. When I say “mountains,” I mean mountains, not little mountains and pimples in the Leningrad region. So, Khibiny.

1. You are experienced “riders”. By what parameters do you usually choose a ski resort?

Proximity to place of residence, convenient transfer. Although, this is difficult to apply to the Khibiny Mountains: train or plane, then bus to Kirovsk.

2. On a ten-point scale of basic requirements, you can evaluate the quality of services in Khibiny based on the results of your stay there.

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3. How many slopes, remember? How many of them have you ridden? There are some peculiarities that are useful to know about for those who come there for the first time.

2 main slopes + the far slope called “25 kilometer”. Basically in the Khibiny rope tows are in several queues. The tracks are boring. One slope is close to the city, but if you get “stuck” due to disabled ski lifts on another slope, you can only get to the city by taxi, of which there is a catastrophic shortage at such times. And off-piste skiing impresses with its huge circuses and “pipeline”-type crevasses.

4. How much does the lift cost, if you remember? There are some discount programs, family bonuses, etc. Please share life hacks if you find them.

1500/day, I think. Ski passes can be rented for several days, which is convenient. But it’s inconvenient if the lifts are closed due to bad weather. money is not returned.

5. Is there equipment rental? Expensive?

Yes, but I don't know the price.

6. Are there Russian-speaking instructors? What is the price for classes with an instructor?

Yes, but I don't know the price.

7. Is there something for children for riding, learning and leisure?

I saw children's groups with coaches. There is a children's slope and a convenient ski lift.

8. Are there a lot of people there, for example, compared to, for example, Igora (resort in St. Petersburg) on weekends?

So many. There are always queues for everything, but this is rather a drawback of rope tows.

9. What about catering establishments? Is there a snack on the slope? Are there places where those without skis can spend time? Is it possible to position yourself like in the ideal pictures about Alpine resorts, on a sun lounger with warm drinks to admire the mountains?

Not too many 🙁 there is one cafe on each slope, but there are a lot of people. And mostly they take sandwiches with them.

10. Are there restaurants and cafes for lunch, breakfast, and dinner? Is there an option not to cook in rented accommodation?

The city (Kirovsk) is full of catering establishments for every taste.

11. Are there grocery stores and shops within walking distance?

There are shops.

12. In addition to skiing, there are some winter and non-winter activities and pastime opportunities (saunas, swimming pools, spas, dog sledding, snowmobile excursions, an ice skating rink and a hockey field, etc.)

Baths, swimming pool, skating rink, kite, snowboards, cross-country skiing. The city has almost everything.

13. Cultural program Is it possible to organize a tourist? Museums or monuments? night clubs?

There are many museums, all sorts of ruins, and every year a snow town with some theme is built on a distant slope.

14. What souvenirs can I bring? For yourself and for friends? Are there places for shopping?

Magnets. And even then you can find it in few places.

15. Will you go there again? Can you name the highlight/pearl of the resort?

I'll go. Because of the company, gorgeous views, freeride and backcountry!

Photos of winter Khibiny

Snowy mountains are always beautiful. This photo shows the famous “circuses” of Khibiny. Semicircular rock formations. It is very beautiful both in summer and in winter...

Queue for the lift

In the fog.

Backcountry in Khibiny. Katya explained to me what it was) I thought it was the same as freeride, that is, riding off-piste. But it’s not just off-piste, it’s also outside the resort area. And in order to move down a mountain, you first need to climb it. In some places you have to wear crampons.

And this is also an element of the backcountry in the Khibiny Mountains.

But then this opens

And endless beauty Khibiny mountains. The magic of white.

Slope map in Khibiny

Where to live while skiing in Khibiny

How to get there

The ski resort in Khibiny is located near the city of Kirovsk. And planes and trains come to Apatity, from there it’s a taxi or bus to the city.

By plane

Airplanes fly to Appatity, that's true. And it's not even very expensive.

You can also fly to Murmansk and from there take a train to Appatity.

By train

We went to Apatity by train. This is the most a budget option in terms of money, but not in terms of time. Traveling for a day and if in the summer it’s nothing, lying on a shelf reading a book and sleeping, then in the winter... I personally don’t like trains in the winter. But the cost of a ticket of a couple of thousand for a round trip is a good alternative.

By car

The guys I know get together in a big group and rent a car if they don’t have their own big one. This is also a profitable option. But it’s a long drive and it’s advisable that the driver is not alone for safety reasons and, in general, to relieve the load. I know from myself that sitting behind the wheel for a long time in winter, especially during short daylight hours, is not very easy.

Khibiny is the largest mountain range Kola Peninsula (Kirovsk), annually attracts streams of tourists who want to enjoy the magnificent scenery, climb or engage in their favorite sports, for which the Khibiny has all the conditions. Comfortable hotels and hostels, ski resorts and camp sites and, of course, amazingly beautiful nature - everything here is created in order to temporarily break away from the noisy metropolis and enjoy your vacation.
Ski season The time period is considered to be from December until almost the end of May. An influx of guests with skis in their hands is also observed in the first week of the New Year. Best time for a trip to Kirovsk - March. Be careful with the "green" trails on the City (Northern) slope - they are in a potentially avalanche-prone area).

In Kirovsk, there are as many as four inhabited spots for the joys of skiing. These are the Northern (“KolaSportLand”) and Southern (“Big Woodyavr”) slopes of Mount Aykuaivenchorr, Mount Kukisvumchorr and the recently opened track in the city itself, “KhibinySnowPark”.
So, first on the list is the most famous ski area in Kirovsk - the Northern slope of Mount Aikuaivenchorr ("head of the mother of God" in Sami, "Sleeping Beauty" in the Russian version). On the left you can see the “Southern” lift, so this is just the name of the lift, do not confuse it with the Southern slope. The Southern Slope can be reached either by car around the mountain, or by taking a chairlift to the top.

The main advantages of the Northern slope are accessibility (from the center to the ski lifts it takes about 20 minutes on foot), the variety of terrain, 4 drag lifts (there used to be 6, “Bukashka” and “Nord” are not working now) and one chairlift, which means that there are queues here if there are, they are not the same as in Yuzhny. True, the chairlift operates very rarely, only in calm weather, because a light snowstorm below is a snowstorm at the top. In addition, the lift has been standing since ancient times of the Soviet Union, so you can climb it only at your own peril and risk. There have been accidents in the history of chairs due to a broken cable. However, the brave winners of mountain steeps are not afraid of the dangers of the climb; there are always enough people who want to go skiing just like that, without skis. You can ride there and back without even leaving your chair - the ticket price includes both ascent and descent. There is a slope for beginners, tracks of varying degrees of difficulty, two jumps, but you shouldn’t jump from them - as a result of an error when choosing a place for the jumps, all lovers of jumps in flight are strongly blown sideways by the wind.

Unfortunately, in recent years the City Slope has been gradually falling into disrepair. As a rule, only two lifts operate at the same time, plus sometimes a “chair”; in the spring, a third one, “Latvia”, is sometimes included. Typically, the ski complex begins to operate at the end of December after passing the permitting commission. The lifts are old and every year the question of opening is a hot topic. There are global plans to unite the Northern and Southern slopes into one ski complex, but these are plans for the future, and for now we have to ski on what is available.

On the Internet there is still a legend about a bar at the top, with a fireplace and magnificent views of the mountains and the city. Don’t get your hopes up - the bar has sunk into oblivion, but if you freeze in a snow cloud in the icy wind and regret a hundred times that you sat on this chair, the caretakers upstairs will let you warm up.
Near the Yuzhny ski lift there is sometimes a trail for extreme sports enthusiasts. The length of most trails for those who have left the dummies category is 1.5 - 2 km. You can take skating lessons from an instructor for 700 rubles per hour. There are two rentals for skis, snowboards and sleds. After riding, you can go to the bar on the second floor of the complex. But there is little choice there. The cost of a cup of coffee with Snickers is about 50 rubles. The lifts operate until 17:00 (usually); in the off-season, 1-2 lifts operate simultaneously, no more. Some enthusiasts manage to climb the slopes after the prescribed time on snowcats.

The distance between Moscow and Khibiny, if you travel by car, will be 1340 kilometers. There are several ways that tourists usually get to Khibiny. You can take a train to the city of Apatity (the trip will take a whole day), and then take a bus or taxi to the base you need. You will fly to Murmansk for only two hours, and from there you can also take a bus to Kirovsk. Khibiny Airport is a 40-minute drive from Kirovsk, with regular flights to St. Petersburg and Moscow. More airlines fly to the Murmansk airport - Rossiya, Nord Avia, UTair, RusLine, etc.