The alpine ski resort Sheregesh was established in 1981 and was intended for the Spartakiad of the peoples of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. From the beginning of 2000-s Sheregesh is an alpine ski resort and is constantly developing.
The ski season lasts from November till May. The ski resort Sheregesh is known for its large amount of snow and backcountry skiing. It complies with the International Ski Federation (FIS) requirements and it is allowed to host high-level competitions. Laps of Russian Championship are held here regularly.
Snow abundance provides a great opportunity for forest powder snow skiing. But not only thrill-seekers can get satisfaction from the slopes.
The variety of the terrain and trails make ski resort Sheregesh attractive for all level skiers: the beginners can use a magnificent long bunny slope at the foot of the mountain. The expert skiers can enjoy the natural off-piste terrain with steep slopes without fear of facing an avalanche.
In addition, ski resort Sheregesh houses the largest snow park in Russia.
The trails are generally separated by a forest, which is also acceptable for skiing in all directions. The unique feature of the local climate, rarely typical for alpine ski resorts, is dry snow which does not bind and is ideal for freeride. Soft and powder snow creates great conditions for freeride. The layer of snow reaches 4 metres at high season. It is an ideal place for freeride beginners. The forest on the slopes prevents avalanches and low heights make the acclimatization fairly easy.
There are various types of accommodation at the ski resort Sheregesh with different prices, living conditions and distance from the trails. The hotel complex at the foot of the mountain contains about 50 hotels of different categories. There are expensive luxury hotels, middle category hotels and hostels with shared-room lodging. Almost all residents of the village offer rooms or flats for rent in the winter season. It is really difficult to find a flat for rent on holidays. Flats and hotel rooms can be booked in advance on-line, but unfortunately there is no single site for accommodation rent at the ski resort Sheregesh.
Here some websites where you can choose a flat:
1. http://sheregesh.kvartirka.com
2. http://sheregesh.sutochno.ru
3. https://sheregesh.renthome.ru
4. http://gdekvartira.su/sheregesh
All the offers, as well as the sites themselves are in Russian only. Use Google translate.
One should keep in mind, that the local people can swindle the tourists by showing photographs of non-existing flats. The taxi drivers can also try taking the fare from every passenger separately.
There are more than 10 rent points at the ski resort Sheregesh where it is possible to rent both a full set of equipment and separate items like a snowboard, skis, boots, goggles, gloves or even sportswear. The set rent fares vary from 400 to 800 rubles a day and depend on the place, equipment level and condition.
The maintenance services like edge grinding, baseplate restauration and waxing are also available.
There are lockers available in almost every rent point and hotel, where it is possible to store belongings during riding or even until the next visit.
click on the image to enlarge
The skiing zone is made up by four peaks: Mustag, Kurgan, Green (aka Karitshal) and Utuya. Green Mountain is the main area for skiing and snowboarding. The Mountain is divided into 4 sectors: sector А, sector F, sector E and sector В. 19 ski lifts of different types are available: gondola, surface and chairlifts.
The trails have 4 grades:
Green – light
Blue – intermediate
Red – difficult
Black – very difficult
Characteristics of the trails (skiing, snowboarding):
Length – 700-4200 m.
Width – 50-200 m.
The difference in height – 120-630 meters.
The highest point – 1570 m above sea level.
If you are a never-ever, you have two options: the runout of the Sky Way (Ryzhaya) trail or the runout of the Lob trail. A runout is the least steep lower part of a slope. The Sky Way trail is usually less crowded, but there is only one surface lift there, and it creates some problems for the beginners. It is possible to reach the top of the Lob trail by a surface or a chair lift. This runout is steeper and usually more crowded.
If you are a beginner, the Dollar trail suits you best. The only drawback of this trail is the number of people there. If you go there on a week day though, it will be less crowded. You could also try the Panorama, Sector E and Elena trails – they have some difficult parts, and it will surely benefit your skills. The upper parts of the Lob and Sky Way trails are not recommended for this level of skiing due to their steepness.
If you are an experienced rider, you can enjoy all trails. The trail Utuya (currently constructed) and a ride from the Wayside Cross are also available for you. The top of the Utuya trail can be reached by a snowcat from the bottom of Sector E. The Cross can be reached by snowmobiles from the top of Green Mountain.
Freeriders are free to use the forest along the Panorama, Sky Way, Dollar and Elena trails. Sometimes, snowshoes or a snowmobile will be necessary.
The Dollar trail is situated on a slope of Mustag Mountain in Sector B, at the height of approximately 1300m above sea level. The vertical drop is 520m (from the lowest station of the Khlebnitsa chairlift).
The trail has 2 slopes:
The first slope, also known as the old Dollar slope, begins right of the upper station of the Khlebnitsa chairlift (if looking down the mountain). The width of the slope is 70m. The upper part of the slope has Red grade, the lower belongs to the Blue grade.
The second slope, often referred to as the new Dollar slope, starts left of the Khlebnitsa chairlift. The width of the slope is 50-70m. The upper part has the Green grade, then comes a Blue grade part, and the rest of the slope is Green again. After the steep sections, the slopes intersect, then part again and merge at the bottom.
The trail is served by the Khlebnitsa chairlift, and at the lower part of the trail the Bulochka chairlift is available.
The Elena trail is situated in Sector A– the main sector of the skiing complex. The slope begins on Green Mountain (1270m high).
The trail has 2 slopes:
The first slope starts from the Tramplin café. Its width is 120-200m. The upper section of the slope is light, then comes the Black section with the steepness of 45°, the next section is intermediate. There is a possibility to enter the Lob trail runout. The length of the slope to the bottom station of the Elena chairlift is 2000m, 2500 with the runout section of the Lob trail.
The second slope starts from the upper station of the Elena chairlift and goes left to the bottom stations of the surface lift Elena. The upper part of the slope is graded Blue, the next section is Black with the steepness of 45° and the last section is Red. The length of the slope is 1900m, the width is 70-120m.
It is convenient to use the chairlift Elena for going up the slope. The upper station of the chairlift is situated at the beginning of the slope. The bottom station can be reached on foot or by a surface lift with blue poles.
The surface lift Elena, the bottom station of which is at the same level with the Elena and Khlebnitsa chairlifts, can be also used for climbing up the slope. It is also possible to go up by a chairlift with green poles from the central part of Sector A. The bottom station is next to the café/hotel Finish, the upper station is opposite the Tramplin café. Then one should walk or ski 50m distance from the station to the beginning of the slope.
The Lob trail is in Sector A, the main section of skiing. The trail starts from the peak of Green Mountain (1270m high). The length of the slope is 2000m. The vertical drop is 600m.
The trail has two parts:
The first is the Lob slope itself, the upper and the steepest part of the slope. The steepness is 30-35°, reaching 45° in some places. The width is 170-200m. This part of the slope is graded as Red. It is the only slope in ski resort Sheregesh with a bump field perfectly suitable for mogul skiing. It is possible to reach the top of the slope by the Elena chairlift (turning to the runout of the Elena trail when going down the slope) or by a chairlift with green poles (going all the way down the slope).
The runout of the Lob trail (also known as the runout of Sector A) is the bunny slope of the trail. The steepness is 8-12°. The width of the slope is 200m. The part of the main trail starting from the turn to Elena trail is considered to be the runout of the slope. The slope is graded as Blue. The runout is suitable for ski and snowboard beginners, and it is here where the most part of trainings with instructors take place. If you like shallow slopes or belong to beginners, you can use the minor chairlift, the green or the blue surface lifts or the Freestyle surface lift to get to the top of the runout.
This trail is named after the sector it is situated in, Sector E.
The vertical drop is 600m.
The trail starts at the top of Green Mountain (1270m high) and goes down its south-west slope. It is the longest trail аt the ski resort Sheregesh making up 4200m
The trail has two slopes:
The first slope is also known as the Right slope (if looking down). The slope is graded as Red with the exception of the lower less steep parts. The width is 70-100m.
The second slope, also known as the Main slope. It is situated left of the upper station of the lift (if looking down). The beginning of the Main Sector E slope is also the beginning of the Panorama trail and is graded as Blue.
The Panorama trail is situated on a slope of Mountain Green between Sector E and Sector F (Sky Way) trails. It is served by Malca Company. The trail starts at the top of Green Mountain (1270m high). The vertical drop is 630m.
The trail has three main slopes. The beginning of the trail coincides with the beginning of Sector E trail, and then there are three turns to the Panorama trail. The first turn leads to the first slope, the steepest and the shortest. The second turn leads to the second slope. The third slope that starts after the third turn is the least steep and the longest of all.
The length of the slopes varies from 2200 to 3500m. The width is about 50m.
The trail is served by the gondola lift Panorama.
The Sky Way trail is situated on the eastern slope of Green Mountain, between the trails of Sector A and Panorama and starts from the top of Green Mountain (1270m high). The trail is served by the company Malca that used to be called Sky Way.
The vertical drop is 500-600m, the length of the trail is 2500m, the width – 50-100m.
The upper part of the trail is the most difficult with the steepness up to 45° and is graded as Black. The next section of the slope is Blue, finishing with a long Green runout.
The Sky Way trail has several names: Sky Way after the former owner company, Ryzhaya – after the name of the lift serving the trail, and Malca after the new owner.
Three lifts are available here: the gondola lift Ryzhaya and two surface lifts. The upper station of the lower surface lift and the bottom station of the upper lift are on the same level with the runout beginning. The runout section of the slope is perfectly suitable for ski or snowboard beginners.
Quiksilver Sheregesh Park is the largest snow park in Russia. It is a small trail with different jibs such as rails, kink boxes, barrels, a parallel line of stash park and many others. The trail is served by a surface lift Sportotel.
Quiksilver Sheregesh Park holds local contests and battles and is planning to host a snowboarding camp.
It is very easy to change a trail – 5 trails start at the top of Green Mountain, and there is a possibility to pass to the 6th trail from the bottom part of the Elena or the Lob trails.
There are no single ski-pass for all the lifts, as they have been built by different private firms. A separate ticket is needed for each lift.
Served by Kaskad Company.
The Khlebnitsa chairlift is located on the Mustag slope and serves the Dollar trail. The Khlebnitsa is the fastest chairlift of the ski resort Sheregesh.
It overcomes the distance of 2,000 meters for 9 minutes at a speed of 3.5 meters per second.
The four-seater chairlift Bulochka serves the lower part of the trail Dollar.
Length of the Bulochka lift is 1200 m. The journey takes 7 minutes
Served by Kaskad Company.
The Upper Blue surface lift serves the Elena trail. Upper station is located at the beginning of the steep section of the slope (both Elena slopes). The bottom station is on the Elena trail runout next to the Khlyebnitsa and Blue chairlifts.
Length – 980 m.
Lifting time – 7 min.
Average line speed – 2.3 m/s
Served by Kaskad Company.
The Lower Blue surface lift is located in sector A on the right side of the Lob Trail (view from above). Bottom station is close to the hotel Sportotel-3. The upper station is on the Green Mount slope at the intersection of the Elena and Lob trails. The lift got its name after the colour of the poles.
Length – 600 m.
Lifting time – 4 min.
Average line speed – 2.5 m/s
Served by Kaskad Company.
The Lower Green surface lift is located in sector A. The bottom station is next to the hotel Olga, between the Kuba nightclub and café/hotel Finish. The lift got its name after the colour of the poles. The Lower Green surface lift runs parallel to the Olga surface lift.
Length – 1000 m.
Lifting time – 3 min.
Average line speed – 2.7 m/s
Served by Kaskad Company.
The Lower Green surface lift is located in sector A. The bottom station is situated at the level of the upper stations of the Lower Green surface lift and Olga surface lift.
Length – 1000 m.
Lifting time – 7 min.
Average line speed – 4.3 m/s
Served by Olga hotel.
The Olga surface lift is located in sector A on the left side of the Lob Trail (view from above). The bottom station is next to the hotel Olga, between the Kuba nightclub and café/hotel Finish. The upper station is on the beginning of the runout of sector A.
Length – 850 m.
Lifting time – 8 min.
Average line speed – 1.7 m/s
Served by Malca.
The Lower Sky Way surface lift serves the trail of the same name. The bottom station is located at the end of the trail runout, close to the bottom station of the gondola lift. The upper station is at the beginning of the trail runout.
Length – 1200 m.
Lifting time – 8 min.
Average line speed – 1.5 m/s
Served by Malca.
The upper station is located on the top of Green Mount, the bottom station is at the beginning of the runout. This lift is convenient for lovers of high-speed skiing on the steep part of the Sky Way trail, as there is no need to go down to the very end to of the trail.
Length – 1600 m.
Lifting time – 10 min.
Average line speed – 2.6 m/s
Served by Kaskad Company.
The bottom station is situated at the runout of the Elena trail, at the same level as the bottom stations of the Khlebnitsa chairlift and Upper Blue surface lift. There are cafes Pulya and Pulya-2 nearby.
The upper station is on the top of Green Mount, at the beginning of the Elena trail, close to café Tramplin.
Length – 1780 m.
Lifting time – 12 min.
Average line speed – 2.5 m/s
Served by Kaskad Company.
Located in Sector A, the Green Chairlift was among the first chairlifts in ski resort Sheregesh. The chairlift got its name after the colour of the poles.
It is situated on the left side of the Lob trail (view from below). From the top one can move down either by the Lob trail or by the Elena trail.
The bottom station is located on the central square of Sector A, at the end of the Lob’s runout, next to the café/hotel Finish.
Length – 1980 m.
Lifting time – 15 min.
Average line speed – 2.2 m/s
Served by Sportotel Company.
The upper station is on the slope of Green Mount, close to the intersection of the Elena and Lob trails.
The runout of the Lob trail begins from the upper station of the Sportotel Chairlift. This fact makes the chairlift ideal for children and beginners.
The bottom station is next to the hotel Sportotel-3.
Length – 650 m.
Lifting time – 4 min.
Average line speed – 2.5 m/s
Served by Malca.
The Panorama is the second fastest lift after the Sector E Gondola lift.
The upper station is located on the top of Green Mount, near the upper station of the Sector E Gondola lift and the café Vershina.
The bottom station is situated next to the café Panorama.
Length – 1800 m.
Lifting time – 6 min.
Average line speed – 5 m/s
Served by Malca.
The Sky Way Gondola Lift is named Ryzhaya after the bright red colour of its cabins (in Russian Ryzhaya means Redhead).
The Sky Way Gondola Lift serves the trail of the same name. It offers beautiful view over the ski resort Sheregesh village and the surrounding area.
The upper station is located on the top of Green Mount. The bottom station is situated at the end of the Sky Way trail’s runout.
Length – 2500 m.
Lifting time – 12 min.
Average line speed – 3.5 m/s
Served by Shoriya Tour Company.
Sector E Gondola Lift is the fastest lift of the resort. It serves the trails of Sector E. Glass-walled cabins delight their passengers a panoramic view of the ski resort Sheregesh and Mountain Shoriya: Mt Kurgan with the Wayside Cross and Camels buttes, Green and Utuya Mountains.
The bottom station is near the café Susanin. The upper station is located close to the upper station of the Panorama Six-Seater Gondola Lift and the café Vershina.
Length – 3200 m.
Lifting time – 9 min.
Average line speed – 6 m/s
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