Elbrus and Cheget, Russia

Resort life

The main settlement is Terskol, which is at the bottom of Elbrus mountain. From there you can walk (or drive) to Azau station (about 4 km), which is where the lifts to Elbrus are. In about 4 km from Terskol there is Cheget tourbase, where there are lifts to Cheget mountain. Terskol is a small southern settlement and it's very hospitable: there's lots of accommodation, cafes, and services for all needs. In terms of nightlife it might get a bit rowdy, so it's better to avoid that bit. The local population is mainly Balkarians, friendly and temperamental people. Even though it's quite a calm place, some people go to Elbrus only in a group of people, but it has more to do with the risk of getting in avalanche. If you are wondering that Chechnya is not too far, forget about it: there's a mountain range in between, it's more than 500 km away, and there has never been a problem anyway even during the war.

Eating

There are a lot of cafes and restaurants in the main village Terskol, as well as Azau and Cheget tourbases. There are also some stands both on Elbrus and Cheget mountains, don't be put off by their run-down looks: the food in most of them is great and cheap.

Accomodation

If you want to live as close to Elbrus lifts as possible try Azau hotel (tel +7 928 2796212 or +7 928 2575384) or Krugozor hotel (same tel), which is even higher. Both are wooden cottages with all the amenities and are actually quite comfortable. The price is 500 R ($17) per person. There's another chalet called "Logovo" at Azau plain (tel +7 866 38 7 11 12). If you want to live as close as possible to Cheget lifts, then Cheget tourbase (+7 866 38 71339) is your best bet. Even though it looks like a purpose-built block it has quite comfortable accommodation if you're prepared to pay (from $35 for a room) and there's lots of services inside. Among other options are the luxurious Balkaria hotel, Terskol hotel (in Terskol settlment, tel +7-866-38-7-11-40, +7-866-38-7-13-22), there are also many other smaller hotels and you can find a list at http://www.elx.ru/residence.htm If you already tried calling the numbers above you found out that (surprise!) the people there don't speak English. So, unless you have basic Russian skills, you can try to book your accommodation through the local travel agency http://www.go-elbrus.com (run by a German - quality and price) or director@elx.ru (which is not really an agency, but might help).

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Resort Statistics

Lifts

Total Lifts: 8
Cable cars: 2
Gondolas: 0
Chair lifts: 2
Drag lifts: 2
Board Leashes required: No

Mountain

Total pistes/trails: 21
Total ride area: 35 km
Longest run: 7 km

Top lift: 3780
Vertical drop: 1680
First lift: 2100

Piste suitability

Green runs: 25%
Red runs: 50%
Black runs: 25%

Lift Passes

Lift Passes: 
50-70 R ($2-$3) for a lift
350 R ($12) per day

Lift times:8am - 6pm Some lifts may be switched off sometimes, long queues

Snowfall

Artificial snowmaking coverage: 20%

Facilities

Snowboard Schools: Yes, freeride course $40 per day or $180 6-day course
Snowboard Hire: No
Night Riding: No

Other activities

Heliboarding: Lots of opportunities. $200-$400 for 5 descents
Snowmobiles: Not available

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Summary
Freerider's dream: lots of perfect and unexplored off-piste terrain. The only letdown is the long lift queues and badly maintained runs, but you won't notice if there's lots of snow.

ON THE SLOPES: Perfect, except the queues.
OFF THE SLOPES: Hospitable southern village.
MONEY WISE: Cheap or expensive - however you want it

Terrain & parks

HALFPIPE: No -
TERRAIN PARK: No -
BACKCOUNTRY/OFF-PISTE:
TREE RUNS:A few

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Image Gallery
Elbrus.jpg
Piste Map

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