Opening of the season on Krasnaya Polyana. Skating in Krasnaya Polyana. differences between Krasnaya Polyana and the European Alps
How to get to the famous Krasnopolyansk powder, how not to get stuck with warm weather and how to guess with travel dates? Let's try to answer, but let's immediately understand that the Heavenly Office works according to its own rules. And “unstable” is the main word about the ski season in Krasnaya Polyana. And now more details...
The main marketer of the resort is Snow, so on the websites of all travel agencies that sell New Year's tours they like to write that ski season in Krasnaya Polyana lasts from November to May, or even June. And sometimes they call in August, although tourists in shorts are busy Instagramming rhododendrons on their iPhones. In November, the Sochi administration can celebrate the beginning of the winter season, and inattentive journalists are spreading the news on their tails. And potential guests of Krasnaya Polyana already think that we ride =) In reality, usually the two most delicious months are February and March, and in the rest there can be a ride, but usually not ideal. The best time to catch the famous Krasnopolyansky powderfish is in February and March. But you may not catch it. Snowfalls are not guaranteed anywhere, and you can either catch a meter of fresh snow overnight or ride only on the slopes for two weeks. Hence the conflicting reviews about the snow at the resort.
“What about the snow cannons that the resort is so proud of?” - you ask... The fact is that Krasnaya Polyana is quite warm place, and guns only work at sub-zero temperatures. Therefore, if previously everyone was waiting for cold weather and snowfalls, now at least the temperatures are below zero. So a lot still depends on the weather. When to go to Krasnaya Polyana?
Let's talk about everything in order. Chronology of the riding season according to RiderHelp...
Autumn and first snow
When the first snow falls in the mountains, the most impatient ones head out into the backcountry. Then they post photos on the Internet and the entire skiing community is actively waiting for winter. This can be either in September or November. Moreover, the snow may still melt five times, and the ski resorts don’t even smell of official opening.
Open season
Around mid to late December there is enough snow to officially open the season. Rosa Khutor usually starts it thanks to its snowmaking system and heights. However, there are no guarantees either. For example, in the 14/15 season the opening of the season was postponed twice because there was no snow, people were refunded money for hotels, etc., and in the end opened somehow on December 25(follow the link for our rather dull report). In the 15/16 season, Gorki Gorod opened skiing on the slopes of the Second Circus on November 22, a month earlier. Of course, this was not yet a full opening of the resort, but there was snow at the top. But still, most of The tracks began operating only for the New Year and the opening of the season stretched from mid to late December. That's why the best solution I had to drive through the snow.
And the 16/17 season turned out to be abnormally cool! In December 2016, so much snow fell that everyone went nuts: tourists, public utilities, and wild animals In the woods. Old-timers of Krasnaya Polyana say that such snowy winters they remember only in childhood, when they could not get to school. December turned out to be so snowy that already in December the ride was similar to February. On New Year's Day, for the first time in our memory, all resorts were open and all trails were open! Here is a 10-second demonstration video from December 18th. Perfect corduroy and wonderful puffy stuff!
And then everyone decided that it would always be like this and gathered together in Krasnaya Polyana in the 17-18 season. But that was not the case: the 17-18 season began at the very end of December, there was little snow, often quite warm, in general, the season turned out so-so both at the beginning and at the end.
Therefore, let's write more about key dates.
Open season
In past years, at the opening of the season on Rosa, for several years in a row, an unrealistic number of people gathered; there was a crush at the ticket office due to skiers applying for seasonal ski passes and inexperienced coat makers who come to watch the fireworks and eat salad. The next day everything is usually fine: many were disappointed in the crush due to the opening, the coat makers left, and the remaining people skated for their own pleasure.
However, in the 15/16 season, the slopes opened gradually, people started struggling in the snow starting in November, so there were no wild queues. Again, you see: completely different situations in different years depending on the weather. And in the 16/17 season, many did not come due to high prices for ski passes and hotels. But those who came were fabulously lucky with the snow and quality of skiing. In the 17/18 season everything was quiet and blurry due to the late start of the season.
New Year
It usually has little to do with skiing, but everyone has the weekend, so there’s nowhere to go. What is skiing like? new year holidays in Krasnaya Polyana? The beginning of winter, there is usually not enough snow. Even if it falls, there is still no solid snow base. Mostly the more difficult red and black routes in the upper stages are open. But the New Year's crowd, as a rule, knows how to ski only on blue and green slopes, as well as on ski lifts. Well, they all know how to sit on the slopes, drink and take pictures with the mountains in the background. Therefore, we recommend not to count too much on skating, but just drink mulled wine =)
However, you want to ski, so the only guaranteed option is to buy a ski pass in advance and be the first on the lift in the morning. You'll definitely be able to ride for an hour or two, and by about eleven o'clock in the morning we see the following picture: confidently skating riders are depicting among the dummies something similar to slalom, in places turning into bowling. Sometimes there is a strike, which is sad. Considering that Krasnaya Polyana is actively increasing the level of comfort and après-ski services, there are more and more people who are weak skiers. And New Year - best time for such a coven. Therefore, do not forget that there are many times more alcohol riders on the mountain than usual and the risk get injured Same.
If winter is early and snowy, as in the 15-16 and 16-17 seasons, then the situation changes. Gazprom is fully operational, as well as the lower gentle slopes of Rose and Gorki Gorod, so everything is evenly distributed among the resorts. But this perfect option, and early winter does not happen every year.
If you are going specifically to ski, you will have to wake up very early, while the mountain beachgoers are having a late breakfast after yesterday's apres. Evening skating at Gazprom is also traditionally in great demand. And since the 2014-2015 season also in Gorki Gorod and Rosa Khutor.
However, in the past three seasons, the Snow Gods heeded the pleas of the skiers, and the snow New Year I just had a blast for a week. As a result, piste skating was not always good due to many closed slopes, but our Pukhodava crowd enjoyed it with all its might. Here is a video from the New Year holidays in January 2015:
But in fact, New Year's snowfalls simply saved the resort from the invasion of tourists. Due to the rise in the euro exchange rate, Krasnaya Polyana was in such demand that, in order to reduce the flow of tourists, the government suddenly introduced new, higher prices for ski passes, as well as restrictions on the daily number of tourists. Moreover, this was very actively broadcast on television. If there were no snow and restrictions, it’s scary to think what would happen on a small part of the open trails. In general, due to all these anti-tourism measures, many canceled their trips. Here our material about restrictions for the New Year 2015-2016. Although in the 16-17 season they scared everyone away and in the end there were few people =)
Conclusion: New Year in Krasnaya Polyana is crowded, expensive and unstable. The last three years have been relatively lucky with the weather, and the other five years before that it was the opposite.
After the New Year
The peak days with queues are January 3 and 4, and after January 7-8, the entire New Year's party leaves, and quite often, right after the holidays, the snow that was so awaited for the New Year falls. A small number of riders arrive and calmly roll out the resort. This situation usually lasts until almost the end of January.
January 20 - February 20. Student holidays
This is the time when large and small groups of young people arrive. They ski well, know how to behave on the ski lifts and are very different from the New Year's vinaigrette in the level of activity and number of parties.
The best skiing time usually begins at the end of January, when enough snow falls to open most of the slopes, which will be skiable until the beginning of April.
February 23 – March 8
February 23rd is a special day, so quite a lot of people arrive just in time for February 23rd. Many stay until March 8th and do the right thing. Almost every year, Mother Nature gives women a gift in the form of snowfalls of a meter per night. Well, men take full advantage of this.
And in general, March in Krasnaya Polyana is considered the best and snowiest month. The most delicious snacks most often happen in March. Therefore, every weekend (with good snow) We have troops landing from Moscow, St. Petersburg, as well as nearby Krasnodar and Rostov. The region's best downhill climbers closely monitor the condition of the slopes on site and immediately take off if snowfalls begin. But the first lines in the snow are usually drawn local residents, sorry =)
But! Again, “but”. In the 2014-2015 season, March turned out to be the snowless month in Krasnaya Polyana. There was no snowfall for more than three weeks. Here's to a guaranteed March powder. But everything was fine on the slopes; by this time there was already enough snow. And then on March 31st it started snowing!
In general, March 31 is traditionally a turning point in the season. The number of people on the slopes noticeably decreases, mostly local riders come, hotels become cheaper... and the mountain beach season begins. However, in April there are also frosts and good snowfalls. And in the mornings until the end of the season, the pistes are quite pleasant. The end of the season is a great time for those who know how to enjoy all the joys ski resort. Don't forget to take sunscreen with you!
However, a person assumes, but Snow disposes. In March 2015, everyone was expecting traditional snowfalls, but there were no snowfalls for almost a month, and March was marked by piste skiing on wide skis. And, when everyone was already getting ready to pack their gear, on the night of March 31 to April 1, an angry snowfall began! It was pouring like it usually only happens in March. There were jokes on the Internet about February 58th and so on. Looking ahead, let's say that we closed the 14-15 season at the very end of May!
Snowboard camp. Late March-early April
It's time for the annual snowboard camp in Krasnaya Polyana. Bright sun, great party, right music, nice park with the best Russian shapers and quality relaxation in the mountains. Recently this has become a reality in Krasnaya Polyana. Since 2012, various freestyle events have been held at different resorts, and in 2014, Quiksilver New Star Camp simply exploded in Gorki Gorod. Since 2016, the camp has moved to Rosa Khutor and will be held there for the next few years.
Beginning of May - end of season
This is the time when you can ski in shorts in the morning, and walk along the embankment and sunbathe in the afternoon. There are fewer and fewer people with skis on the mountain, and summer tourists are replacing winter tourists. On May 3-4, a lot of people will want to take pictures with you, or rather, with your skis or snowboard. Well, yes, you won’t look organic everywhere with skis =)
After the May holidays, everyone is waiting for the snow to melt and the resorts to switch to summer operating mode from the beginning of June. Well, we regularly report from the slopes in any weather.
We hope you now have a rough idea of when it’s best to come to Krasnaya Polyana for a ride. In short, it is better to plan the train from the end of January to the beginning of April, but do not forget about all sorts of vagaries of Mother Nature. And to make it easier to decide on the date of your trip, monitor the condition of the slopes on the main page of the website
P.S. How to get into the snow in Polyana?
Freeriders often ask us how to do this. How to arrive in the snow and be the first to roll everything out? We’ll try to answer, but without witchcraft and sacrifices we can’t figure it out.
1. The first way, analytical. You can try to monitor the long-term forecast and even buy a paid account on SnowForecast. How to use the weather forecast in the mountains, we wrote . Most real option— is to look at the forecast and buy tickets a few days in advance. Although even such a forecast can be blown away, and this has happened more than once. Even we sometimes watch webcams and the forecast, collect our equipment in the evening, and then we arrive at the mountain, and during the night everything has blown away or, on the contrary, it has piled up so much that the tops are closed and we have to come tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.
People also practice buying cheap tickets in advance several times a season, which they don’t mind returning or simply losing. Well, you need to monitor the general situation at the resort during the season. Those. see when the snow fell, when the season fully opened, how many trails are constantly operating at the resort, etc.
Another 100% option is to simply come for a season or for a long time. If living conditions allow, then this is the most stable option. But there is a risk that you won’t want to go back. There are risks everywhere =)
2. The second path, metaphysical-karmic. There are people who are constantly lucky and get caught in the snow, and there are those who, no matter how much they study the forecasts, still cannot roll out a fresh piece of snow. Here we advise you to resort to everything possible ways: make sacrifices to the snow gods, do not regret equipment lost in the mountains, and generally be philosophical about the weather. We must drink to the snow and make wishes for a good gurney. You can also join the army of those who beat the snow tambourine on our website. We ourselves honestly believe that this is a point of concentration of efforts and desires of people who all together want snow.
Ideally, of course, you need to combine both paths, move to live in Krasnaya Polyana, and then everything will be fine!
Text: Evgeniy Matalyga
Photo: Arina Melekhova and Evgeny Matalyga
Total investments in three ski resorts - Rosa Khutor, Gorki Gorod and Gazprom (GTC Laura) - amounted to about 100 billion rubles. Even before the successful winter Olympic Games 2014 main question, which occupied the minds of both investors and ordinary people was: “will the resorts be able to live up to expectations?” At the end of 2016, the total revenue of ski resorts in Sochi, according to different estimates, amounted to at least 10 billion rubles. The Olympics created a new industry for Sochi, which now needs to be developed .
In 2016, the revenue of Rosa Khutor LLC increased by 38%, amounting to 4.4 billion rubles. In 2015, growth was at 64%. The second resort "Gorki Gorod" (NAO "Krasnaya Polyana") earned 3.6 billion rubles in 2016, increasing revenue by 58%, in 2015 - by 39%. Gazprom does not disclose data on the ski resort. However, taking into account the number of visitors (data from companies and the Sochi administration), its revenue could be at the level of 3.5 billion rubles. Total visitors in 2017 - at the level of 4 million people. Almost half of them were received by the Rosa Khutor resort complex. The rest was divided approximately equally between Gorki Gorod and Gazprom. How are the ski resorts of Krasnaya Polyana developing after the Olympics, and what projects do they need for further growth?
How do resorts make money?
The ski resorts Rosa Khutor, Gorki Gorod, and Gazprom make money primarily from the sale of ski passes, their own hotel fund and their own attractions. The largest hotel stock is at NAO Krasnaya Polyana - 3070 rooms. According to the company, taking into account the economic situation, the average growth rate of hotel occupancy for 8 months of 2017 was about 25%, the occupancy forecast for 2017 is just over 70%. Ski pass sales increased by 29% in 2017. The average stay of guests at the Gorki Gorod resort, depending on the season, is 3–5 days. But this is still less than the average holiday rates at foreign resorts, where tourists come for 7–8 days. “The geography of our resort’s visitors is quite stable - about 50 percent of tourists are from Moscow, the Moscow region and Central federal district, about 20 percent are guests from Sochi and Krasnodar region, the rest is from other regions of Russia and foreign tourists (five to seven percent), explains CEO NJSC "Krasnaya Polyana" Alexander Saurin.- We are interested in maximizing the expansion of the geography of visitors. And in Last year“We are noticing an increase in the number of foreign tourists who go on information tours as part of delegations and explore the resort.” Over the past winter season, the resort was visited by more than 400 thousand people. About 600 thousand tourists came to Gorki Gorod in the summer.
About 800 thousand visitors visited Rosa Khutor in winter. Rosa Khutor has 2,592 hotel rooms, with an average occupancy rate of 73%. In summer, almost more tourists come to the resort than in winter. In 2017, the total number today was 1.1 million people. Rosa Khutor actively promotes its tourism products in Europe. In particular, the resort signed a cooperation agreement with the German tour operator Bucher Last Minute, a subsidiary of the leading European tour operator from the UK, Thomas Cook Group. The company will create package tours with charter transportation for the resort. At the same time, Rosa Khutor 80% of its products (ski passes, package offers) sells directly through the resort's online store. According to the Director of Sales and Marketing at Rosa Khutor Olga Filippenkova, 20% are sold by travel agencies, with half of their sales coming from Personal Area resort online store.
“If resorts begin to take the place of small businesses, management efficiency will decrease and the uniqueness of resorts will be lost”
Gorki Gorod sells 47% of its products through tour operators and intends to increase this figure to 60%. “A lot has been reviewed, adjustments have been made to work with B2B partners - from price parity to analysis of the competitive environment. We have differentiated commission policies for agencies, large federal chains and tour operators and developed a system for dynamic growth of commissions, which now depends entirely on sales volumes and dynamics. All this was reflected in the loyalty of our partners to us,” the sales director of NJSC Krasnaya Polyana comments on our work with the market. Elena Makhrova.
In the upcoming winter season, Rosa Khutor expects to receive about 900 thousand tourists; NAO Krasnaya Polyana predicts an increase in the number of tourists in the winter season of at least 20%.
Competition for the future
At the St. Petersburg International economic forum in June 2017, General Director of Rosa Khutor LLC Sergey Bachin summed up the results of the created industry, expressing the opinion that its first stage - infrastructure - has been completed. “I’m not saying that we have all the infrastructure, but this problem is being solved, and, most importantly, there is a systematic understanding of how to solve it,” he said. - Now we must move on to fine tuning. Now it is very important that a person comes to the resort and finds it very interesting. So that he is surrounded by diverse and competitive projects, and these are small businesses, enthusiasts and intellectuals who are able to create a flow. If we don’t do this on purpose, we end up with a primitive business.” Sergei Bachin suggested that Rostourism create a grant competition for tourism startups: “We need to create a mechanism for selecting and stimulating small projects. Because enthusiasts often do not have start-up funds, they need help, and then they open the way for others. And then the infrastructure facilities that we create begin to work better.”
The ski resorts of Krasnaya Polyana were built at the expense of large investors and government money, so the main concerns of experts were related to the lack of competition and incentives for the development of the service. The flow of information from the Internet, photos of expensive receipts from resort restaurants, especially after the 2014 Games - all this developed among potential visitors to Krasnaya Polyana the conviction that skiing in Europe is cheaper than at Sochi ski resorts. Now there is no such problem. Rosa Khutor is ready to give 23 land plots with a total area of 12.3 hectares for long-term lease for the implementation of new investment projects - hotels, catering, sports and entertainment facilities. Today, three new attractions are being built there by external investors with a total investment of 219 million rubles. In Gorki Gorod, small businesses are already entering the entertainment sector: the ATV-TUR company organizes safari tours, several third-party ski schools operate, etc.
But market players say that simply lease agreements are not enough to develop small businesses at resorts. Small businesses know how to create unique content. And we need to use this - offer it in our own packages and promote it along with our infrastructure. “The Rosa Khutor resort announced for the first time this year that it is ready to sell services that are not located on its territory. But it seems to me that they didn’t make enough efforts to sell,” says Nikolay Polyakov, director of the Adventure Workshop organization. He has been involved in adventure tourism for 19 years - from tours through picturesque canyons to extreme movement in the mountains in the summer. In winter it offers freeride and heli-skiing (ski jumping from a helicopter). His guides accompanied geologists during pre-design work in Krasnaya Polyana during the Olympic construction. “The management of ski resorts thinks something like this: you come to them and offer cooperation, in return you promise your clients, who will come only with you. But the resorts object to you: clients come to us, and you intercept them on the way and make money from it,” explains Nikolai Polyakov.
"All these corporate resorts need small interesting projects. They need to attract small partners on joint terms, says the founder of Skypark in Sochi Dmitry Fedin.- If resorts begin to take the place of small businesses, management efficiency will decrease and the uniqueness of resorts will be lost. But the conditions for localizing such projects need to be simplified, giving others the opportunity to earn money.”
“The mountains need to be made more accessible. This is both a single ski pass and the opportunity to move freely around the mountains outside the resort,” adds Nikolai Polyakov. - We need a more attentive attitude to unique services; they should not be compared with a mass product that can be reproduced by anyone. It is necessary to develop interaction with the village of Krasnaya Polyana, which still exists on its own. The concept of “sustainable tourism” also includes attitude towards local residents.”
The main drivers of ski resorts
The main driver for the development of ski resorts in Sochi today is the creation of a single ski pass. There were discussions about this even before the start of the Olympics. At the beginning of January 2017, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev instructed the management companies of the Krasnaya Polyana resorts, as well as the administrations of the Krasnodar Territory and the city of Sochi, to develop coordinated proposals for combining ski areas. “We are preparing this product together with other resorts in Krasnaya Polyana,” says a representative of Gorki Gorod. There are no other details yet. Now the resorts have already started selling ski passes for the 2017/2018 winter season, and they have not yet been combined. “A single ski pass is very necessary. Imagine that you live in “Rosa Khutor”, you go skiing in the morning, but given the current weather, you can only ski on “Gorki Gorod”: the mountains have different modes, and the ski pass has already been purchased,” explains Nikolai Polyakov. This is how one of the most famous places for skiing "Three Valleys" in France, where a large number of owners cable cars, complexes, hotels. In Europe, a single ski pass is used not only at neighboring ski resorts, but is even valid in neighboring countries. This format allows tourists to more competently plan their vacation budget, choosing suitable routes and accommodation facilities.
The second driver is the opening of new routes. Rosa Khutor will build 250 km of them in the next seven years. This year the resort is opening 6 km of new trails. In the 2017–2018 season, Gorki Gorod plans to launch two additional “green” areas for beginners with lighting, snowmaking and two lifts. There are also plans to build a permanent snowpark. Plans to expand its complex to the territories of the Caucasus biosphere reserve Gazprom also declared a year ago. Construction of 250 km was planned ski slopes, 83 km of cable cars, 14 restaurants and four mountain hotels. All this would allow increasing the capacity of Krasnaya Polyana resorts from 30 thousand to 40 thousand people per day. However, the project was criticized by ecologists and specialists from expert centers under the Russian government and sent for revision. Considering the increasing tourist flow and infrastructure overload during peak seasons, it can be assumed that Gazprom’s proposals will be heard and implemented.
Business on adrenaline
One of the typical examples of the “non-ski” business of Krasnaya Polyana is the Skypark AJ Hackett Sochi (SHS) amusement park Dmitry Fedin. Son of the legendary founder of the first ski resort Petra Fedina created his business at an altitude of 207 m, investing 1.7 billion rubles in it.
SHS is a whole amusement park. The central place here is occupied by a suspended pedestrian bridge (“Skybridge”) with a length of 439 m. It was considered the longest in the world, but the Germans recently built it 10 meters longer.
The park has rides that don't involve jumping. For example, you can ride on the SochiSwing swing. They are located at an altitude of 170 m above the ground, which is 50 meters higher than a similar swing in New Zealand's Nevis, which has long been considered a record high. The pendulum flight over the gorge begins from the platform at the beginning of the Skybridge. In just a few seconds, the swing flies 500 m to the other side of the Akhshtyr Gorge.
You can ride the MegaTroll, the fastest trolley in the world, which can reach speeds of up to 120 km/h. The calmest ride is the ZipLine, a low-speed ride on a steel rope. The amusement park was born gradually, increasing its consumer potential. According to SPARK-Interfax, in 2016 the Skypark company received revenue of 66 million rubles, which is 58% more than in 2015. the company shows a small profit (35,271 rubles). Dmitry Fedin initially saw the project as a business. When the park opened in 2014, about 30 thousand people visited it, according to Fedin, and now about 170 thousand people come to the park a year. He told “Expert YUG” how the entertainment economy at its height was built and what it consists of.
The first time Dmitry Fedin jumped was in 2001 at the Skypark of New Zealand traveler and extreme sports enthusiast Alan Hackett, who had already implemented similar projects in Australia, Germany, France, Singapore and China. The jump took place from a height of 134 meters. “I immediately thought that something similar should be done here in Russia,” he recalls. — I started looking at canyons from Abkhazia to Tuapse. I stopped at the Akhshtyrskoye Gorge in Sochi. I thought about making a simple copy - stringing a cable car, I was in the ski business at the time, it wouldn’t have been difficult. We designed everything and started working.”
The project began in 2007-2008. By that time, Fedin had already left the ski business, and Sochi won the right to host the 2014 Winter Olympics. The Government of the Russian Federation initiated a law on the use of lands of the Sochi National Park.
Construction and design were carried out jointly with the New Zealand company AJ Hackett International, the main operator of the attractions, which brought a working group of geologists and engineers to Sochi. According to Dmitry Fedin, the main difficulty was the distance from one end of the gorge to the other. The team spent a long time looking for a technical idea to design a suspension bridge for such a distance that it could withstand the loads, but also did not cost a fortune. As a result, they created a tough but lightweight design. Construction lasted two years. During the construction of the bridge, 740 tons of metal structures were used, ordered in Belgorod. The bridge is capable of withstanding a magnitude nine earthquake, hurricane winds, rain, snow and icing. “The construction of the bridge is a special story: we were the first to test many technologies that are now actively used in construction in Russia,” says Fedin. “As for the attraction part, this is completely developed by AJ Hackett International, which is responsible for the safety of jumping around the world.”
Skypark was originally built so that it would be visited by as many people as possible more people. It was necessary to create an accessible attraction that would attract not only extreme sports enthusiasts. In New Zealand, for example, visits to Skypark are limited because the authors saw that most people do not come to jump for $200, but to watch those who jump for five dollars. Of course, it was more profitable for them to bring the first ones to the attraction. “We took this factor into account and added easily accessible attractions to our site so that the park was visited not by 50 people who decided to jump, but by 3,500 people a day,” explains Dmitry Fedin. “By next year we will launch another small swing, they will be half the price of what we have now.”
The location of the park also affects the economy. Skypark is actually located between the sea and ski clusters. Depending on the season, people come to Skypark from coastal Sochi or Krasnaya Polyana. Moreover, the park is located in a place that you can’t get to by chance, so Skypark has its own transport.
This year, a restaurant and concert venue were completed in Skypark. Concerts - every weekend at an altitude of 207 meters.
“We want to expand the line, conduct more corporate trainings, team building events, and holidays here,” says Dmitry Fedin. “This is especially true in the off-season, when there is no large tourist flow, and companies prefer to take their employees to Sochi at this time.” Currently, Skypark gets about half its revenue from jumping and the other half from everything else.
The company’s plans include the construction of a Skypark in Crimea and the creation of an attraction in Moscow, where sports facilities are currently being reconstructed in order to use them in the tourism industry. The attraction will be based on a sports jump. “As for Crimea, three weeks ago we drove around the entire peninsula, looked at different canyons. I think in a year or two we will start implementing it. We will not repeat the Sochi attraction in Crimea,” he adds.
Most tourists learn about Skypark via the Internet. 30% of sales come from third party travel agencies. The company is now working to open sales on the site and is negotiating with the largest tour operator BiblioGlobus to create package offers for its clients.
“The high price is due to the high cost of business. Jumping is not something you live every day. Many people do this once in their life to say to themselves: “Yes, I did it.” AJ Hackett International explicitly insisted that it should not cost less or more than a certain amount. Because this business is, in fact, about security. AJ Hackett International is leaving places where they cannot control security,” says Dmitry Fedin.
How to get to the famous Krasnopolyansk puffy, how to avoid getting stuck with warm weather and how to guess the dates of the trip? Let's try to answer, but let's immediately understand that the Heavenly Office works according to its own rules. And “unstable” is the main word about the ski season in Krasnaya Polyana. And now more details...
On the websites of various travel agencies that sell New Year's tours, they like to write that the ski season in Krasnaya Polyana lasts from November to May, or even June. And sometimes they call in August, although tourists in shorts are busy Instagramming rhododendrons on their iPhones. In November, the Sochi administration can celebrate the beginning of the winter season, and inattentive journalists are spreading the news on their tails. And potential guests of Krasnaya Polyana already think that we are riding =) In reality, usually the two most delicious months are February and March, and in the rest there may be a ride, but usually not ideal. The best time to catch the famous Krasnopolyansky powderfish is in February and March. But you may not catch it. Snowfalls are not guaranteed anywhere, and you can either catch a meter of fresh snow overnight or ride only on the slopes for two weeks. Hence the conflicting reviews about the snow at the resort.
“What about the snow cannons that the resort is so proud of?” - you ask... The fact is that Krasnaya Polyana is a rather warm place, and guns only work at sub-zero temperatures. Therefore, if previously everyone was waiting for cold weather and snowfalls, now at least the temperatures are below zero. So a lot still depends on the weather. When to go to Krasnaya Polyana?
Let's talk about everything in order. Chronology of the riding season according to RiderHelp...
Autumn and first snow
When the first snow falls in the mountains, the most impatient ones head out into the backcountry. Then they post photos on the Internet and the entire skiing community is actively waiting for winter. This can be either in September or November. Moreover, the snow may still melt five times, and the ski resorts don’t even smell of official opening.
Open season
Around mid to late December there is enough snow to officially open the season. Rosa Khutor usually starts it thanks to its snowmaking system and heights. For example, in the 14/15 season, the opening of the season was postponed twice because there was no snow, people were refunded money for hotels, etc., and in the end they opened somehow on December 25 (see the link for our rather dull report). In the 15/16 season, Gorki Gorod opened skiing on the slopes of the Second Circus on November 22, a month earlier. Of course, this was not yet a full opening of the resort, but there was snow at the top. But all the same, most of the tracks began operating only by the New Year and the opening of the season stretched from mid to late December.
And last season 16/17 turned out to be abnormally cool! In December 2016, so much snow fell that everyone went nuts: tourists, public utilities, and wild animals in the forest. Old residents of Krasnaya Polyana say that they remember such snowy winters only in childhood, when they could not get to school. December turned out to be so snowy that already in December the ride was similar to February. On New Year's Day, for the first time in our memory, all resorts were open and all trails were open! Here is a 10-second demonstration video from December 18th. Perfect corduroy and wonderful puffy stuff!
In past years, at the opening of the season on Rosa, for several years in a row, an unrealistic number of people gathered; there was a crush at the ticket office due to skiers applying for seasonal ski passes and inexperienced coat makers who come to watch the fireworks and eat salad. The next day everything is usually fine: many were disappointed in the crush due to the opening, the coat makers left, and the remaining people skated for their own pleasure.
However, in the 15/16 season, the slopes opened gradually, people started struggling in the snow starting in November, so there were no wild queues. Again, you see: completely different situations in different years depending on the weather. And in the 16/17 season, many did not come due to high prices for ski passes and hotels. But those who came were fabulously lucky with the snow and quality of skiing.
New Year
It usually has little to do with skiing, but everyone has the weekend, so there’s nowhere to go. What is skiing like during the New Year holidays in Krasnaya Polyana? The beginning of winter, there is usually not enough snow. Even if it falls, there is still no solid snow base. Mostly the more difficult red and black routes in the upper stages are open. But the New Year's crowd, as a rule, knows how to ski only on blue and green slopes, as well as on ski lifts. Well, they all know how to sit on the slopes, drink and take pictures with the mountains in the background. Therefore, we recommend not to count too much on skating, but just drink mulled wine =)
However, you want to ski, so the only guaranteed option is to buy a ski pass in advance and be the first on the lift in the morning. You'll definitely be able to ride for an hour or two, and by about eleven o'clock in the morning we see the following picture: confidently skating riders are depicting among the dummies something similar to slalom, in places turning into bowling. Sometimes there is a strike, which is sad. Considering that Krasnaya Polyana is actively increasing the level of comfort and après-ski services, there are more and more people who are weak skiers. And the New Year is the best time for such a coven. Therefore, do not forget that there are many times more alcohol riders on the mountain than usual and there is also a risk of injury.
If winter is early and snowy, as in the 15-16 and 16-17 seasons, then the situation changes. Gazprom is fully operational, as well as the lower gentle slopes of Rose and Gorki Gorod, so everything is evenly distributed among the resorts. But this is an ideal option, and early winter does not happen every year.
If you are going specifically to ski, you will have to wake up very early, while the mountain beachgoers are having a late breakfast after yesterday's apres. Evening skating at Gazprom is also traditionally in great demand. And since the 2014-2015 season also in Gorki Gorod and Rosa Khutor.
However, in the past three seasons, the Snow Gods heeded the pleas of the skiers, and the snow fell like a wall for a week before the New Year. As a result, piste skating was not always good due to many closed slopes, but our Pukhodava crowd enjoyed it with all its might. Here is a video from the New Year holidays in January 2015:
But in fact, New Year's snowfalls simply saved the resort from the invasion of tourists. Due to the rise in the euro exchange rate, Krasnaya Polyana was in such demand that, in order to reduce the flow of tourists, the government suddenly introduced new, higher prices for ski passes, as well as restrictions on the daily number of tourists. Moreover, this was very actively broadcast on television. If there were no snow and restrictions, it’s scary to think what would happen on a small part of the open trails. In general, due to all these anti-tourism measures, many canceled their trips. Here is our material about restrictions for the New Year 2015-2016. Although in the 16-17 season they scared everyone away and in the end there were few people =)
Conclusion: New Year in Krasnaya Polyana is crowded, expensive and unstable. The last three years we have been lucky with the weather, and the other five years before that it was the opposite.
After the New Year
The peak days with queues are January 3 and 4, and after January 7-8, the entire New Year's party leaves, and quite often, right after the holidays, the snow that was so awaited for the New Year falls. A small number of riders arrive and calmly roll out the resort. This situation usually lasts until almost the end of January.
January 20 - February 20
This is the time when large and small groups of young people arrive. They ski well, know how to behave on the ski lifts and are very different from the New Year's vinaigrette in the level of activity and number of parties.
The best skiing time usually begins at the end of January, when enough snow falls to open most of the slopes, which will be skiable until the beginning of April. 
February 23 - March 8
February 23rd is a special day, so quite a lot of people arrive just in time for February 23rd. Many stay until March 8th and do the right thing. Almost every year, Mother Nature gives women a gift in the form of snowfalls of a meter per night. Well, men take full advantage of this.
And in general, March in Krasnaya Polyana is considered the best and snowiest month. The most delicious snacks most often happen in March. Therefore, every weekend (if there is good snow) we have troops landing from Moscow, St. Petersburg, as well as nearby Krasnodar and Rostov. The region's best downhill skiers closely monitor the condition of the slopes on RiderHelp.ru and immediately take off if snowfalls begin. But the first lines in the snow are usually drawn by local residents, sorry =)
But! Again, “but”. In the 2014-2015 season, March turned out to be the snowless month in Krasnaya Polyana. There was no snowfall for more than three weeks. Here's to a guaranteed March powder. But everything was fine on the slopes; by this time there was already enough snow. And then on March 31st it started snowing! 
In general, March 31 is traditionally a turning point in the season. The number of people on the slopes noticeably decreases, mostly local riders come, hotels become cheaper... and the mountain beach season begins. However, in April there are also frosts and good snowfalls. And in the mornings until the end of the season, the pistes are quite pleasant. The end of the season is a great time for those who know how to enjoy all the joys of a ski resort. Don't forget to take sunscreen with you!
However, a person assumes, but Snow disposes. In March 2015, everyone was expecting traditional snowfalls, but there were no snowfalls for almost a month, and March was marked by piste skiing on wide skis. And, when everyone was already getting ready to pack their gear, on the night of March 31 to April 1, an angry snowfall began! It was pouring like it usually only happens in March. There were jokes on the Internet about February 58th and so on. Looking ahead, let's say that we closed the 14-15 season at the very end of May!
Snowboard camp. Late March-early April
It's time for the annual snowboard camp in Krasnaya Polyana. Bright sun, a great party, the right music, a good park with the best Russian shapers and quality relaxation in the mountains. Recently this has become a reality in Krasnaya Polyana. Since 2012, various freestyle events have been held at different resorts, and in 2014, Quiksilver New Star Camp simply exploded in Gorki Gorod. Starting this year, the camp moved to Rosa Khutor and will be held there for the next few years.
Beginning of May - end of season
This is the time when you can ski in shorts in the morning, and walk along the embankment and sunbathe in the afternoon. There are fewer and fewer people with skis on the mountain, and summer tourists are replacing winter tourists. On May 3-4, a lot of people will want to take a photo with you, or rather, with your skis or snowboard. Well, yes, you won’t look organic everywhere with skis =)
After the May holidays, everyone is waiting for the snow to melt and the resorts to switch to summer operating mode from the beginning of June. Well, we regularly report from the slopes in any weather.
We hope you now have a rough idea of when it’s best to come to Krasnaya Polyana for a ride. In short, it is better to plan the train from the end of January to the beginning of April, but do not forget about all sorts of vagaries of Mother Nature. And to make it easier to decide on the date of your trip, monitor the condition of the slopes on the main page of RiderHelp.ru
P.S. How to get into the snow in Polyana?
Freeriders often ask us how to do this. How to arrive in the snow and be the first to roll everything out? We’ll try to answer, but without witchcraft and sacrifices we can’t figure it out.
1. The first way, analytical. You can try to monitor the long-term forecast and even buy a paid account on SnowForecast. We wrote how to use the weather forecast in the mountains. The most realistic option is to look at the forecast and buy tickets a few days in advance. Although even such a forecast can be blown away, and this has happened more than once. Even we sometimes watch webcams and the forecast, collect our equipment in the evening, and then we arrive at the mountain, and during the night everything has blown away or, on the contrary, it has piled up so much that the tops are closed and we have to come tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.
People also practice buying cheap tickets in advance several times a season, which they don’t mind returning or simply losing. Well, you need to monitor the general situation at the resort during the season. Those. see when the snow fell, when the season fully opened, how many trails are constantly operating at the resort, etc.
Another 100% option is to simply come for a season or for a long time. If living conditions allow, then this is the most stable option. But there is a risk that you won’t want to go back. There are risks everywhere =)
2. The second path, metaphysical-karmic. There are people who are constantly lucky and get caught in the snow, and there are those who, no matter how much they study the forecasts, still cannot roll out a fresh piece of snow. Here we advise you to resort to all possible methods: make sacrifices to the snow gods, do not regret the equipment lost in the mountains, and generally be philosophical about the weather. We must drink to the snow and make wishes for a good gurney. You can also join the army of those who beat the snow tambourine on our website. We ourselves honestly believe that this is a point of concentration of efforts and desires of people who all together want snow.
Ideally, of course, you need to combine both paths, move to live in Krasnaya Polyana, and then everything will be fine!
10.11.2014
RiderHelp decided to answer many questions at once on the topic “When to go skiing to Krasnaya Polyana?” Therefore, read, remember, follow the advice and share with friends who like to ask you the same questions
Ski season in Krasnaya Polyana 2016-2017. When to go?
On the websites of various travel agencies that sell New Year's tours, they like to write that the ski season in Krasnaya Polyana lasts from November to May, or even June. And sometimes they call in August, although tourists in shorts are busy Instagramming rhododendrons on their iPhones. In November, the Sochi administration can celebrate the beginning of the winter season, and joyful journalists are spreading the news on their tails. And potential guests of Krasnaya Polyana already think that we are skating =) In reality, the two most delicious months are February and March, and the rest is usually not ideal. It is most likely to catch the famous Krasnopolyansky powder fish during these two months. Well, first things first. Chronology of the riding season according to RiderHelp...
Autumn and first snow
When the first snow falls in the mountains, the most impatient ones head out into the backcountry. Then they post photos on the Internet and the entire skiing community is actively waiting for winter. But the snow can still melt five times, and the ski resorts don’t even smell like skiing.
Open season
Around mid to late December there is enough snow to officially open the season. Rosa Khutor usually starts it thanks to its snowmaking system and heights. This year, rumors say the opening is planned for December 12 or 19, depending on the weather.
At the opening of the season, an unrealistic number of people gathers; there is a crush at the ticket office due to skiers applying for seasonal ski passes and inexperienced coat makers who come to watch the fireworks and eat salad. The next day everything is usually fine: many were disappointed in the crush due to the opening, the coat makers left, and the remaining people skated for their own pleasure.
New Year
It usually has little to do with skiing, but everyone has the weekend, so there’s nowhere to go. What is skiing like during the New Year holidays in Krasnaya Polyana? The beginning of winter, there is little snow. Mostly the more difficult red and black routes in the upper stages are open. But the New Year's crowd, as a rule, knows how to ski only on blue and green slopes, as well as on ski lifts. Well, they all know how to hang out, drink and take pictures with the mountains in the background. Therefore, we recommend not to count too much on skating, but just drink mulled wine =)
However, you want to ski, so the only option is to buy a ski pass in advance and be the first on the lift in the morning. You can ride for an hour or two, and by eleven o’clock in the morning we see the following picture: confidently skating riders are depicting among the dummies something similar to slalom, in places turning into bowling. Sometimes there is a strike, which is sad. Considering that Krasnaya Polyana is actively increasing the level of comfort and après-ski services, there are more and more people who are weak skiers. And the New Year is the best time for such a coven. Therefore, do not forget that there are many times more alcohol riders on the mountain than usual.
If winter is early and snowy, then the situation changes. Gazprom is fully operational, as well as the lower gentle slopes of the Rose and Carousel, so everything is evenly distributed among the resorts. But this is an ideal option, and early winter does not happen every year.
If you are going specifically to ski, you will have to wake up very early, while the mountain beachgoers are having a late breakfast after yesterday's apres. Evening skating at Gazprom is also traditionally in great demand. And since the 2014-2015 season also on the Mountain Carousel.
After the New Year
After January 7-8, the entire New Year's party leaves, and quite often, right after the holidays, the snow that was so awaited for the New Year falls. A small number of riders arrive and calmly roll out the resort.
January 20 - February 20. Student holidays
This is the time when large and small groups of young people arrive. They ski well, know how to behave on the ski lifts and are very different from the New Year's vinaigrette in the level of activity and number of parties.
The best skiing time usually begins at the end of January, when enough snow falls to open most of the slopes, which will be skiable until the beginning of April.
February 23 – March 8
February 23 is a working day, but the men do not agree with this, so for some reason quite a lot of people come to February 23. Many stay until March 8th and do the right thing. Almost every year, Mother Nature gives women a gift in the form of snowfalls of a meter per night. Well, men take full advantage of this.
And in general, March in Krasnaya Polyana is considered the best and snowiest month. The most delicious snacks most often happen in March. Therefore, every weekend, when there is good snow, troops from Moscow, St. Petersburg, as well as nearby Krasnodar and Rostov land. The region's best downhill climbers closely monitor the condition of the slopes on site and immediately take off if snowfalls begin. But the first lines in the snow are usually drawn by local residents, sorry =)
According to our long-term observations, March 31 is such a turning point in the season. The number of people on the slopes noticeably decreases, mostly local riders come, hotels become cheaper... and the mountain beach season begins. However, in April there are also frosts and good snowfalls. And in the mornings until the end of the season, the pistes are quite pleasant. The end of the season is a great time for those who know how to enjoy all the joys of a ski resort. Don't forget to take sunscreen with you!
Snowboard camp. Late March-early April
It's time for the annual snowboard camp in Krasnaya Polyana. Bright sun, a great party, the right music, a good park with the best Russian shapers and quality relaxation in the mountains. Recently this has become a reality in Krasnaya Polyana. Since 2012, various freestyle events have been held at different resorts, and in 2014, Quiksilver New Star Camp simply exploded. Circus-2 on the Mountain Carousel - an almost ideal place for this kind of event - received about 2 thousand guests. And the good news is that it is planned to continue the project in the next seasons.
Beginning of May - end of season
This is the time when you can ski in shorts in the morning, and walk along the embankment and sunbathe in the afternoon. There are fewer and fewer people with skis on the mountain, and summer tourists are replacing winter tourists. On May 3-4, a lot of people will want to take pictures with you, or rather, with your skis or snowboard. Well, yes, you won’t look organic everywhere with skis =)
After the May holidays, everyone is waiting for the snow to melt and the resorts to switch to summer operating mode from the beginning of June. Well, we regularly report from the slopes in any weather.
We hope you now have a rough idea of when it’s best to come to Krasnaya Polyana for a ride. To make it easier to decide on the date, monitor the condition of the slopes on the main page
Text: Evgeniy Matalyga
Photo: Arina Melekhova and Evgeny Matalyga
The Rosa Khutor mountain resort invites everyone to test skiing on November 25 and 26! 830 m of drop, more than 10 km of pistes, unlimited powder! But no matter what it’s called, skiers and snowboarders can open a new ski season by purchasing a ski pass.
The six-month break was not easy for many, which makes the first skating of the season even more enjoyable.
Moreover, this is one of the earliest “discoveries” in the history of Krasnaya Polyana.
Where?
Rosa Khutor mountain resort, ascent to the Rosa Circus ski area on the Strela gondola road to 1600 meters.
What is available for test riding?
Test riding on the slopes adjacent to the Skazka and Kaban chairlifts.
About 7 km of blue and red trails with a drop of 620 meters
Riding time
From 8:30 to 15:00
Cash desk opening hours
The ticket office of the mountain resort Rosa Khutor is open from 8:15
— around the clock
Riding price
One-day ski pass (adult 1900 rub., child 850 rub.)
Holders of seasonal and annual ski passes 2017/2018 receive a 50% discount.
Holders of a valid annual ski pass 2016/2017 will be able to ski on November 25 and 26 FOR FREE!
Rental
For the convenience of guests, the resort will operate an equipment rental point in the Mzymta Dvor building, rental phone number 8-800-500-05-55
Snow
There's enough snow. Natural snow cover on the morning of November 24 it was more than a meter.
All day and evening is coming snow - perhaps 20 to 30 cm will be added
Weather
The weather is bomb! Here is the forecast for Rosa Peak 2320:
At 1600 it will be a little warmer.
But in any case, you need to dress warmly!
Pleasant: BONUS!
There is a high probability that part of the men's Olympic slope below 1600 meters and the Quartet lift will be open for skiing. And this is another 210 meters of difference and a divine freeride from the lower station “Skazka”.
A total of 830 meters of drop, more than 10 km of trails and a sea of freeride!
More than half a meter of powder!
We're going, and you?