For many, rest is not only lying in a sun lounger, but also an active pastime: excursions, sporting events. In winter, skiing, snowboarding and other snow activities come first, you just need to find a suitable ski resort. Ural will be one of the first options, given the proximity and level of service. Every year the region is gaining popularity among ski lovers. This is partly due to the dynamic development of infrastructure on the slopes of the Ural Mountains. Even the President of the Russian Federation has repeatedly visited the Ural resort for skiing.
Recreation all year round
The region is attractive to everyone, because the choice of places to stay and eat, as well as the range of services here is not much inferior to the exquisite "Krasnaya Polyana" near Sochi or the countries of near and far abroad. It is worth noting that, due to geographical features, the snow here is no lesssix months, so the ski season starts in November and lasts until May. You can often find reviews from those who conquered the slopes of the Ural Mountains in October.
Lovers of simply beautiful mountains or leisurely walks are increasingly choosing this region in the summer months, when the number of tourists is optimal, and there are not as many people in the resort as in winter. During the warm period, it will be interesting to try rafting on mountain rivers or visit the caves, which are very numerous here. In the evening, you can relax in the sauna or taste dishes in one of the many restaurants. According to local statistics, the number of tourists visiting these picturesque places is increasing from year to year.
List of Ural resorts
What you need to know when choosing a domestic ski resort? The Urals are geographically located in 4 regions of Russia, these are: Perm Territory ("Gubakha", "Polazna", "Takman"), Sverdlovsk Region ("Melnichnaya", "Aist", "Mountain Belaya", "Ezhovaya", "Stozhok", "Mount Warm", "Mountain Pilnaya", "Flus", "Uktus"), Chelyabinsk region ("Minyar", "Zavyalikha", "Eurasia", "Egoza", "Solnechnaya Dolina", "Ryder"), Republic of Bashkortostan ("Mratkino", "Abzakovo", "Bannoye"). Depending on the location, the skiing season lasts from November-December to April-May. We will focus on the most popular places for ski lovers, this is "Abzakovo",Bannoe, Zavyalikha, Solnechnaya Dolina, Ryder, Adzhigardak, Eurasia and Gubakha. If we consider all the ski resorts of the Urals, the rating of the complexes described below will be the highest, which is confirmed by the reviews of skiers who have visited them.
Abzakovo – Ural Switzerland
This is one of the most popular and fastest growing resorts in the Urals. Abzakovo is located in the south of the Republic of Bashkortostan, near the city of Beloretsk. The most convenient way to get here is from Magnitogorsk, where trains run regularly, as well as planes fly from Moscow and St. Petersburg. There are 15 tracks prepared on the slopes with a total length of about 20 kilometers, the longest has a length of more than 3 km. The maximum elevation difference is 300 meters, the highest peak is located at an altitude of 819 meters above sea level.
The resort uses state-of-the-art piste leveling equipment and has about 20 snow cannons to keep the pistes in perfect condition for skiing if the weather gets bad. Rope and chair lifts are delivered to the beginning of the descents. Especially for children and beginners in skiing, there are two slides with a minimum height difference. The presence of lighting allows you to ride at night. Nearby there is all the necessary infrastructure, namely: hotels, equipment rental, first aid station, parking for vehicles, numerous cafes and shops. Note that the resort often hosts various international competitions, andsuch days accommodation should be booked in advance. Fortunately, the choice of housing here is one of the largest. In general, those who are going on vacation to the ski resorts of the Urals have practically no problems with accommodation.
"Bannoye" - a resort by the lake
The Bannoe resort (Metallurg-Magnitogorsk complex) is also a very popular holiday destination for mountain skiers. The resort got its name because of its location next to Lake Yakty-Kul, better known to the people as Bath Lake. It is located 30 kilometers from the resort "Abzakovo". A feature of this resort is the availability of the most modern and high-speed Austrian ski lift, which consists of 64 cabins, each of which can simultaneously accommodate up to 8 people with equipment designed to help conquer the snowy Urals.
"Bannoe" is a ski resort with five slopes of varying difficulty, the total length of which is almost 10 kilometers. The height difference is no more than 450 meters, but there is a separate track with a springboard, which is primarily of interest to snowboarders. There are 46 snow cannons on the slopes to maintain the snow cover necessary for comfortable skiing. Après-ski is also quite diverse, nearby there is everything you need not only for skiing, but also for entertainment. Often skiers start skiing in "Abzakovo", and then move to "Bannoye" for several days to diversify their vacation. Such a tour is easy to combine, because the resorts are locatednearby.
Zavyalikha is a young competitor of neighboring resorts
Another rapidly developing resort in the Urals is Zavyalikha, opened in 2000. The resort is located in the Chelyabinsk region, not far from the city of Trekhgorny, which is a ZATO. The nearest railway station is Vyazovaya, it is most convenient to get from Ufa or Chelyabinsk, the distance from them will be about 200 kilometers. If we take other ski resorts in the Urals, Zavyalikha is one of the youngest, but it is being built up very quickly.
For skiing, 7 trails have been formed with a length of 16 kilometers, with a maximum vertical drop of 430 meters. New lifting equipment manufactured in Austria was installed at Zavyalikha. The lifts are very spacious and move quickly, so there are practically no queues on the slopes. The resort will be of particular interest to snowboarders, since it is here that the Russian national team in this sport is trained, as well as the competition for the Russian Cup, which attracts even more guests to the ski resort. Ural expands the list of accepted sports competitions every year. Such rapid development and a rich program of events cause a lot of positive feedback about the resort.
"Sunny Valley" is a great solution for families with children
Solnechnaya Dolina resort is another interesting place for ski lovers. He is inin the Chelyabinsk region, near the city of Miass, where there is a railway station. The main slopes are located on Mount Izvestnaya, in total there are 11 slopes in the resort with a total length of 11 kilometers. All slopes are illuminated, so, like some other ski resorts in the Urals, "Solnechnaya Dolina" allows you to ski at night. The peculiarity of this resort is the constant changes in the terrain of the slopes, as a result of which unusual jumps or counter-slopes appear. The height difference is 230 meters, which is not bad for those who are just starting to ski. In "Solnechnaya Dolina" there is also a children's ski club for the little ones, which collects a lot of positive feedback from satisfied parents. Also, various championships and a competition for the cup of the governor of the Chelyabinsk region are regularly held here.
"Ryder" is a training center for a new generation of skiers
Next to Solnechnaya Dolina is one of the newest ski resorts in the Ural Mountains - Ryder, which began to receive its first guests in 2009. Over the years, these slopes have become very popular due to modern equipment and a good location. From the city of Miass, in particular from the railway station, trolleybuses and minibuses run to the ski lifts.
A feature of this resort is the presence of artificial turf, special exercise equipment, airbags, a snowboard park and other professional equipment that will primarilyof interest to experienced athletes. There is a separate training center for children to participate in competitions. It will be very difficult to get here just like that - you must first register and get a plastic card with access. This can be done both via the Internet and on the spot, however, in their reviews, the skiers themselves advise resolving the issue with the pass in advance.
"Adzhigardak" - a resort for a modest holiday
"Adzhigardak" is located at the western border of the Chelyabinsk region, near the city of Asha, which has a railway station. The resort has 10 slopes for skiing of varying difficulty, the height difference does not exceed 350 meters. The ski center has a ski school with instructors for adults and children. On the slopes there is a special snowboard park, there are trails for night skiing. It is worth noting that artificial snow is practically not used. Due to the location, the snow on the slopes of the slopes lasts the longest, if we take other ski resorts in the Urals for comparison. Reviews of guests who often ski, say that the slopes of "Adzhigardak" are not inferior in their complexity and beauty to more popular resorts.
Eurasia is a newcomer with big plans
Eurasia Resort opened its doors to visitors at the end of 2011. It is located near Mount Kopanets, near the city of Zlatoust, where there is a railway station. So far, only two tracks with a total length of 1.6 kilometers are available for skiing,however, in the near future they promise to open two more, including for children. There are also plans to build the first tubing track in the Urals. There are very few reviews about this resort so far, mainly they contain hopes for continued development, since the current choice of slopes and entertainment is not enough for most.
"Gubakha" is a great option for a budget holiday at any time of the year
The resort is located in the Perm Territory, near the settlement of the same name Gubakha. You can get here either by bus from Perm (about 200 kilometers to the north) or by train. For ski lovers, there are 17 tracks of varying difficulty (including for children) with a total length of about 10 kilometers. One of the five lifts will deliver to the start, the maximum height difference is 310 meters.
"Gubakha" will interest fans of freeride and skiing under the stars. In the reviews, many write that they like to go out on the slopes in the evenings, when the slopes are empty. It is worth noting that skiing here is only possible until April. In the summer months, the resort is also not empty: river rafting enthusiasts and speleologists come together, as there are 25 caves nearby. For some reason, "Gubakha" is not too popular yet, but the guests of the resort praise the unloaded slopes and lifts.
If you love skiing but don't want to get lost in the crowds, choose a less popular ski resort. Ural also offers the following places for skiing: Beloretsk, Balashikha, Egoza, Kachkanar, Ashatli, Ak-Yort and others.
