Sheregesh in the place to go to if you search for the best skiing in Russia and especially skiing in Siberia. Sheregesh is the largest Siberian resort and one of the most popular ski resorts in Russia with over 1 mln visitors every year. It is situated in the Kemerovo region (UTC+7). Sheregesh is also famous for its Grelka Fest and bikini skiing held every April.
What is Sheregesh?
Sheregesh, Russia, is a part of Mountain Shoria, a specially protected nature area. Famous for its incredible snow, velvet meadows and breathtaking landscapes, this place is often called “Siberian Switzerland”. It is situated in the Kemerovo region (UTC+7), known for its strong mining sector, so if you travel to Sheregesh, make sure to visit mining sites. The area is surrounded by the Altai region, the Krasnoyarsk region, the Novosibirsk region and the Tomsk region. The closest airport is 165 kilometers from Sheregesh in Novokuznetsk city.
In fact, Sheregesh is a little town, and the ski resort itself is situated a few kilometers away. There, you can find dozens of hotels, cafes, restaurants, bars and equipment rentals. There are plenty of ways to get well rested in Sheregesh - from getting relaxed in a sauna or a wellness center to mountain skiing to hiking to dog sledding and more, which we will discuss below.
Here are some of the best things about Sheregesh, Siberia:
Great snow. Unique climate conditions in the Mountain Shoriya allow for a particular kind of snow that is soft and fluffy. It doesn’t get hard or fall down, which doesn’t only decrease the risk of landslides but also makes your riding comfortable and pleasant.
Long season. It starts to snow in early September, so in October the resort is ready to welcome visitors. The season lasts till May, while mountain snow caps remain for 280 days! Sheregesh weather allows even for bikini skiing in April!
Ski pistes of all kinds. Overall length of the routes in Sheregesh, Russia, is over 35,000 meters. You can find a piste according to your level of skills. Go to Sheregesh for your best skiing in Russia.
All year round. In summer, Sheregesh weather is no less beautiful. You can go on a trekking trip or take a tour lasting from three hours up to three days and enjoy breathtaking views from the mountain tops!
Fun. Sheregesh festivals are all your round! The season opens with Yeti holiday, moves forward with New Year and Maslenitsa celebrations and finishes in April with Grelka Fest, gathering over a thousand ski and snowboard riders in bikinis.
Mystery. Azasskaya cave is considered the most mystical place of the Mountain Shoriya. It is spacious and beautiful, and in winter you can see stalactites and stalagmites of various shapes. Locals even believe that a Siberian yeti lives in the cave, although I’m not sure you can meet him :)
As the most popular Siberian resort, Sheregesh has a great infrastructure:
65 hotels with different price range
62 cafes and restaurants
20 ski slopes
18 different ski lifts: rope, chairs, gondolas
15 ski equipment rental
Check Sheregesh weather through web cams.
How to ski and snowboard in Sheregesh
The ski season lasts November through May with the Grelka Sheregesh Festival and bikini skiing held every April to celebrate the end of the season. Sheregesh, Siberia, is famous for its huge amount of snow allowing for backcountry and mountain skiing and snowboarding. This ski resort has plenty of trails and slopes to accommodate all types of riders, from beginners to advanced sportsmen. You can learn more about available trails and skiing in Sheregesh in this post.
The Sheregesh ski resort follows the rules of the International Ski Federation and is entitled to run competitions, with Russian championships held regularly.
How to get to Sheregesh
Sheregesh, Russia, is located 165 kilometers from Novokuznetsk, 400 kilometers from Kemerovo and 550 kilometers from Novosibirsk. You can take a plane from Moscow to one of these cities (the cheapest ticket will be to Novosibirsk) and then choose among the following ways to arrive in Sheregesh:
1. By car
Rent a car to Sheregesh. You’ll spend about $0.63 per litre of petrol. Car rental costs from $40 per day.
2. By train
From Novokuznetsk, you can take a train to Sheregesh. The trip will take around 3 hours, and upon arrival at the local train station you can take a bus which will bring you to the foot of the mountain. In total, you’ll spend around 4 hours getting from Novokuznetsk to the Sheregesh ski resort.
3. By bus
Depending on what city you arrive in, you can take a bus to Tashtagol, the closest town to Sheregesh, and from there, take the bus number 101, which will take you to the Sheregesh town, and then you can take taxi to the resort.
4. By transfer
If you want to spend time on the road with comfort, but don’t intend to get behind the wheel, order an individual transfer to the ski resort.
Where to stay
Rent a flat. Pricing starts from $20 per night for a one-bedroom apartment in the Sheregesh town. You’ll have to take a taxi to arrive in the ski resort each time, but you’ll have all the comforts of a separate flat and for a small price. In addition, you can cook for yourself and save the costs of eating out. Check available flats on Airbnb.
Book a hotel stay. If you want to stay closer to the mountain, book a hotel stay. You can check the best hotels in Sherehesh, Russia, on Booking. Pricing greatly depends on the season, and in winter starts from about $40-$50 per night.
What to do
1. Go skiing or snowboarding. If you come to Sheregesh in winter, this is your number one option. The resort has over 20 ski slopes and 18 ski lifts, and the authorities are planning on opening more of them. Take equipment in one of the ski rentals at the foot of the mountain and enjoy riding down one of the best slopes in the whole country. Beginners can hire a personal trainer and learn how to ski or snowboard in a couple of hours. For children from 3 years old, there are a couple of ski schools where experienced trainers will teach your kid to ski or snowboard.
2. Go to the sauna. This is a great way to warm yourself up after skiing. The resort offers different kinds of saunas from traditional russian banya to Finnish sauna to Moroccan sauna and more. You can also find salt rooms, fonts and swimming pools.
3. Go skating. The sector A offers a skating rink, so you can do skating if you like or especially if you haven’t tried it yet.
4. Go to a nightclub. Sheregesh has two great nightclubs - AYS-bunker and Cuba. In summer, you can make it to a foam party.
5. Go fishing. Mountain Shoria offers opportunities for summer as well as winter fishing. You can find bass, minnow, burbot and taimen here. Main water bodies are the Mrassa and Mundybash rivers.
6. Do rock climbing. This is a summer activity, and one of the best spots for rock climbing is on the Kurgan mountain.
7. Go visiting around. Sheregesh is famous for its breathtaking landscapes, and walking around will bring pleasure at any time of the year.
8. Go snow tubing. The sector E offers special tracks for those who want to just have fun and snow tube. This is a great activity for both children and adults.
What to see
Wayside cross
This cross is situated on the Kurgan Mountain and can be easily seen from the top of the Zelenaya Mountain. In sunny weather, you can even see it when approaching Sheregesh. The cross was installed to mark the two thousand anniversary of the birth of Christ. According to the well-known tradition, such installations are placed by a footpath, track or road. To reach the cross, you can rent a snowmobile, an off-roader or by foot.
“Camels”
On the Kurgan Mountain, there are rock formations that outwardly resemble camel’s humps. They appeared as a result of the upwelling of magma and have since been exposed to natural forces, which gave them such an unusual shape.
Azasskaya cave
Once, local hunters told a story that they saw here a three-metre hairy creature. Since then, local people believe that the cave is home to yeti. Not long ago, the footprints of a bigfoot were suddenly found there. As a result, the cave gained an immense popularity, and local guides organize tours to the yeti’s habitat.
Zelenaya Mountain
In summer, the mountain is covered in many bushes and herbs, which gave it its name “Zelenaya” (meaning green in Russian). In winter, the mountain hosts the main ski routes of Sheregesh. From its top, you can see the resort, the Wayside cross and the Mustag Mountain.
Mustag Mountain
This is a sacred place for habitants of the Mountain Shoriya. The mountain appears in many local legends and beliefs. “Mustag” literally translates as “icy mountain”, and its height is 1,570 meters. The mountain hosts a ski route and is also popular with free riders.
Commenti