Brief description of the Gazprom ski complex (“Laura”)

The Gazprom Mountain Tourist Center is an all-season resort located in the village. Krasnaya Polyana and village. Esto-Sadok, Adler district of Sochi.

The Gazprom Mountain Tourist Center includes:

  • Hotel complexes:
  • Ski and biathlon complex "Laura"
  • Social and cultural center "Galaktika"
  • Complex of cable cars and ski slopes
  • Service facilities for guests - restaurants and cafes, swimming pools, sports grounds, medical centers and other facilities.

Opening hours: The ticket offices are open from 9 am to 6 pm without a break. The tracks are open from 09:00 to 18:00 in the summer, weekdays, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, in the high season, on holidays the tracks are open until 23:00, when it gets dark the trails are illuminated.

The resort operates all year round: in the winter season as a world-class ski center, in the summer season as a health resort (SPA center, sports training facility for athletes, tourism and recreation center, including for children), business center (corporate events, forums, conventions) and entertainment (concerts, festivals, sporting events).

The ski infrastructure of the resort is a complex of cable cars and world-class ski slopes.

Route schemes

Click on the diagram to open it in a larger size:

WINTER slopes and lifts:

The total length of trails for snowboarding and alpine skiing, ranging in difficulty from green to black, is 23 km.

7 trails are illuminated for evening skiing.

The artificial snowmaking system allows, if necessary, to significantly increase the amount of snow.

SUMMER slopes and lifts:

Sightseeing tours on the cable cars of the Gazprom State Transport Center will be an unforgettable journey, in which the entire panorama of Krasnaya Polyana opens up to the guests of the resort from a bird's eye view. During the ascent, the picturesque landscapes of the Aibginsky ridge, views of the top of Mount Chugush - the highest point of the Republic of Adygea and famous sports facilities - open up.

Trails and lifts

Lifts:

Today, the ski slopes are served by 14 cable cars of three types: closed gondola type, open chairlifts and rope tows. Their total length is 21 km.

The real pearl and pride of the resort is the “3S” cable car.- the longest circular cableway in the world. The record-breaking road moves on three ropes - hence the name 3S. 41 cabins, each designed to carry 30 people, are supported by only five supports, the height of one of them is 78 meters, which has no analogues in Europe. Designed to withstand the most extreme operating conditions

Trails:

The Gazprom mountain tourism center includes 23 trails:
15 trails on the Psekhako plateau and 8 trails on Pikhtovaya Polyana:

  • Trails for beginners:
    • B, C, D, E– 7 tracks ( green And blue) are ideal for beginners. Without exaggeration, these are the best trails for training in Krasnaya Polyana. Most of them are equipped with lighting and are available to guests at night.
  • Trails for experienced skiers:
    • F– 8 tracks ( black) slopes for the most experienced skiers.
  • Trails for the whole family:
    • G, H, I– 8 tracks ( green, blue, red), which are suitable for riding with the whole family. Here are the widest (up to 120 m) and longest (up to 1900 m) trails.

The trails are of good quality, there are slopes for beginners and for experienced skiers (black). If you are a beginner skier or snowboarder, then “Laura” is suitable for you; there are also gentle slopes for beginners on the Mountain Carousel. Experienced and freeride enthusiasts may find Laura a little boring.

Technical characteristics of Gazprom routes

Click to open tables in full window.



Infrastructure

The infrastructure facilities of the Mountain Tourist Center are located in the valley of the Achipse River and on the Psekhako Plateau at altitudes from 540 to 1600 meters above sea level.

The total area of ​​the resort is 373 hectares. The total simultaneous capacity of all resort hotels is about 2000 people.

Infrastructure: at the lower station "Laura": shops, cafes, ticket offices, toilets, covered multi-level parking, equipment rental and instructor service, first aid station.

At the Psekhako site: screen bars (cafes), toilets.

Power points:

  • restaurants and cafes on the territory of the Grand Hotel Polyany: Fresh Air, Vienna, Labyrinth, Continental, Grillage
  • on the mountain: screen bars, Polyana restaurant, Skazkibyli
  • at the lower station: sports bar Mountain League

The Gazprom mountain tourism complex in Krasnaya Polyana is rightfully considered one of the most comfortable in Russia. Everything is convenient here. All buses and routes stop here. The lower station is organized logically and conveniently. Pleasant blue slopes begin immediately from the first cable car and the Psekhako Shelter. To get to the rest, you need to transfer to another gondola lift.

How is the ski area organized at Gazprom?

Skiing on Gazprom takes place on several slopes. Everything is done in such a way that several routes start from the upper station of the lift and go down to its lower platform. Roughly speaking, there are four such zones.

There are four blue runs around the “B” lift. There are red and black runs around the two “F” lifts in the central part of the resort. Around the short lift “H” there are two blue slopes. And around the “G” lift there are five red ones.

Therefore, it turns out that there are usually not many people on the routes - they scatter along the branching routes. But then everyone gathers at one lift. And sometimes there are queues. But even on weekends the queues are not very bad.

Blue routes at Gazprom

The most extensive area for skiing on the blue slopes is concentrated around the “B” lift and its runs B1, B2, B3, B4. They all start from the Psekhako Shelter and go down to the starting point of one chairlift. B1 is the flattest. B4 is the fastest.

Since all the trails intersect in several places, skiing on them can be very varied, honing your skills on flat, steep, or narrow sections.

There is a spruce forest around the pistes here, and “advanced” beginners dare to go to the outskirts to get a little taste of off-piste skiing.


Blue route “H” in Gazprom

Red routes at Gazprom

The best area in all of Krasnaya Polyana for advanced lovers of red piste skiing is the G1, G2, G3, G4 and G5 pistes. They all start at the Pikhtovoy Shelter and go down to the chair lift “G”. The G5 route is the longest and starts with a “green” slope - very convenient for acceleration, especially in the morning. The remaining routes G2, G3, G4 and G5 start from the blue slope H and then gradually branch off from it.

All five trails are completely flat, very wide, comfortable and very picturesque. Riding here is a pleasure. But skill is needed and strength is needed. The trails are quite long and require aggressive skiing in places. And towards the bottom, when fatigue increases, you need to turn on additional attention, since the last five runs on the last two flights merge into one, there are a lot of people, and everyone is tired. Many behave inappropriately or simply collapse on hillocks, snowdrifts or icy areas.

There are forest areas and virgin lands around the G routes. Many skiers and snowboarders pluck up their courage and go off the piste. I can’t recommend it, since I don’t practice it myself, but many, apparently, are satisfied.


Red route “G” in Gazprom

Black tracks at Gazprom

The red-black tracks on Gazprom are located in zone F in the central part of the resort. There are several red and black slopes here. They say that when distinguished guests come here, one or more slopes and one of the local ski lifts are blocked from mere mortals. The rest of the time, the slopes and lifts are open to everyone.

I didn’t have time to ride in this zone. A trusted source says that one of the local red runs is very, very steep, while the black one is very comfortable.

Trails for beginners at Gazprom

Complete beginners and students should first practice on green trails. There are two of them. Or three. It depends on how you count :)

A very good route starts from the Pikhtovoy Shelter at the very top of the resort. It is served by the “I” lift.

The longer and gentler slopes “C” and “E” are essentially a stretch between the Psekhako Shelter and the ski area “F”. You can also study here, but there are many transit skiers and snowboarders on these slopes.

All three green slopes are served by rope tows.

Night skiing on Gazprom

Riding on illuminated slopes is possible at Gazprom from 18 to 23 for an additional fee. Only blue routes B1 – B3 are illuminated. The ski area looks very picturesque, especially when there is snow on the Christmas trees.


Ski passes at Gazprom

For early birds, those who want to ski as cheaply as possible, those who do not have the energy for a whole day of skiing, as well as those who leave the resort in the afternoon and would like to ski in the morning, the “Morning” ski pass is suitable. It is valid on all days except high season, from 9 am to 13.30.

For those who like to sleep, the “Midday” ski pass is suitable. You can ride on it from 12.00 to 16.00.

Full skiing from 9.00 to 16.00 is possible with the “Day” ski pass.

The “Evening” ski pass allows you to ski on illuminated blue slopes in zone “B” from 18.00 to 23.00.

What else to do at Gazprom

In the Gazprom-Laura zone there are ski slopes for both classical and skating styles. To get to the slopes and rent skis, you need to go up to the Psekhako Shelter and walk down a little towards the biathlon stadium.

At the top of zone “F” there is a husky nursery. Sledding goes without saying. But you can just visit them in their enclosure, but also for a fee.

You can also ride a snowmobile at Gazprom. For free. It is used as a means of transport from the bottom station of the “H” lift to the top station of the “F” lift.


At the end of the New Year holidays, Gazprom finally opened the long-awaited red G slopes for skiing, the total length of which is about 6.5 km, and an hour after their opening we were already on the slope, ready to test them personally. Below the cut is a detailed description of this ski area and my impressions.

I’ll say right away that these are really RED tracks. And they are wide enough for maximum comfortable riding. It’s very good here to carve on corduroy in the morning. And at the same time, then you don’t have to drive a couple of kilometers to the cable car along narrow serpentine sections, like on Rosa Khutor or Mountain Carousel.

These routes begin from the Pikhtovy shelter at an altitude of 1600 meters, which can be reached either from Gazprom on the A2 cable car, or from the railway station on the A3 cable car (with 30-seater cabins), it will take approximately the same time (ski pass too one). If the weather is good, we strongly recommend taking a ride on the A3 cable car - from it to the Aibga ridge and the rest of the Krasnaya Polyana ski resorts located on it.


Cable car G

Track characteristics:

RouteLength, mAverage width, mHeight difference, m.
G11900 53 530.
G2703 59 195.
G31650 66 450.
G41900 55 610.
G5156 55 40.

There are no lighting or artificial snow on these routes yet.


Gazprom route map

At the top of the cable car G (by the way, this is one of two chairlifts on Gazprom, which are equipped with caps from wind and snow) there are 200 meters that you can drive under the cable car (well, it’s more like a paddling pool for freeriders, since the slope is small), then along the technical route you go onto the G2 highway (below the technical route there was too little snow under the cable car, now perhaps the situation has changed). Gazprom, we beg you, turn your face to freeride - see how people like it!

Check out the Dodger.

From time to time you can catch your breath a little by grabbing a piece of powder from the edge of the track. But in general there is little space at the edges of the route, everything is covered with safety nets, and the forest is mostly too dense to drive through.

Uffff…. Finally, the end of the track is near. I must say, this season for the first time I sweated while going down the track.

But the rollout of the G1-G3 and G5 routes is a little scary - a narrow turn on a rather steep section. At speed you may not fit in, and if you slow down, you won’t reach the end of the rollout, which is also not good. But on the right behind the net there is a quite comfortable wide run-out of the G4 track.


Roll out to the cable car

In the future, there will be transit from here to the lower station of the cable car F.

Summary: forget about “Gazprom is only for beginners”, sharpen your edges - you will really need them, and try riding here. If you love piste skiing, then pleasure is guaranteed.

Also read about simpler trails starting from the Pikhtovy shelter:.

On our way back, we noticed new racks for skis and snowboards with locks near the entrance to the Pikhtovy shelter. Activated for free with any working ski pass, very convenient. But so far there are only two such counters in the entire resort.

Everything you need for skiing can be purchased at the largest equipment hypermarket:

The Gazprom mountain tourism complex has been operating since 2008, located in the Sochi ski cluster, on the territory of the village of Krasnaya Polyana and the village of Esto-Sadok.

The GTC Gazprom is known not only as a ski resort, it operates all year round: in the summer it offers excursions, tourist cable car rides and other recreation options, including accommodation in the hotel sector.

The Gazprom territory in Sochi includes the Laura ski and biathlon complex, a mountain complex of cable cars and trails for skiers and snowboarders, a spa center and a training sports center, the Galaktika shopping center with a water park and other facilities. The total area of ​​the Gazprom resort is 373 hectares.

The opening of the season at Gazprom is in December, the exact date depends on the height of the snow cover and general weather conditions. The season closes in March (the date also needs to be clarified).

Gazprom Hotels in Krasnaya Polyana

Accommodation on the territory of the Gazprom ski resort is possible in comfortable rooms of 3-5-star hotels; you can book online.

Main hotels of Gazprom:

Prices at the Gazprom ski resort 2020

For lovers of ski holidays, several ski pass options are offered.

Classic day ski pass including contactless card:

  • Adults - 2500 rubles in the main season, 1900 rubles in the spring season;
  • Children - 1,500 rubles in the main season, 1,050 rubles in the spring season.

Rates are higher on holiday weekends. You can also purchase ski passes for 3, 5, 7 days and even for the whole season.

Ski equipment rental (price per set):

  • Adults - 1500 rubles;
  • Children - 750 rubles.

All tariffs on the official website of the Gazprom ski resort:

Gazprom ski slopes

The main ski sector of Gazprom is formed by 23 slopes: 15 of them are located on the Psekhako plateau and another 8 on Pikhtovaya Polyana. It is this complex that is often collectively called “Laura”.

For beginners, the ski resort has 7 ski slopes (level of difficulty - “green” and “blue”). They are located in ski areas B, C, D, E and are illuminated at night during public skating.

There are separate trails for the whole family - in zones G, H, I: these are 8 trails of various levels (“green”, “blue”, “red”). It is here that you can find the longest (up to 1900 meters) and widest (up to 120 meters) equipped trails.

Zone F is created for experienced skiers and snowboarders: these are 8 slopes of increased difficulty (according to the accepted classification - “black”).

In the 2017-2018 season, a new ski area “Alpika” opened at the GTC Gazprom, including 5 slopes (in terms of difficulty - “red” and “black”) and 1 ski area for children. The plans include expanding this ski area and opening new easy trails - “green” and “blue”.

Gazprom lifts in Krasnaya Polyana

The ski slopes of the Gazprom State Transport Center are serviced by 14 ski lifts. There are 3 types of cable cars on the territory of the complex: gondola, chairlift and rope tows with a total length of 21 km.

The pride of the ski resort is the 3S cable car, which is the longest circular cable car in the world.

The operating hours of Gazprom's rope lifts can be clarified at

This week, after an almost six-year break (the old cable car closed for reconstruction on April 4, 2011), Alpika reopened. Now this ski area is part of the Gazprom State Transport Center. That is, Gazprom now has two separate ski areas - Laura (on the Psekhako ridge) and Alpika (on the Aibga ridge). Alpika is located between the resorts of Rosa Khutor and Gorki Gorod.

Since December 27, the routes have been operating in permanent mode (). Let's tell you what Gazprom has prepared for us at Alpika.

Unusual cable car

In fact, 3.5 years ago we already published. But then the cable car above 1500 meters had not yet been completed. Over the years, it has been completed, although so far only one branch - which is closer to Rosa Khutor.

The upper shelter of the Alpiki - "Shelter of the Winds" - was built higher than the previous level. Now the new height of the Gazprom resort is 2256 meters. From the peak you can admire breathtaking panoramas with a 360° view, and in clear weather – even the Black Sea!

Let us briefly list the main differences of the cable car:
1) The cable car is a combined one, that is, both cabins and chairs can be hung on it at the same time.
2) Cable car stations are designed in such a way that you can climb without transfers from the very bottom to the top - the cabins pass through the station and go further. This is a very big plus - you won’t have to stand in line at every station.
3) The cabins are equipped with heated seats and lighting. All this runs on batteries, which are charged while the cabins are parked in the garage.
4) The height of the cabins is lower - it will not be easy for tall people to get in and out. Fans of riding with cameras on their helmets will especially suffer.

Combined gondola and chairlift

Trails

Photos of the Alpine slopes with currently open trails. The cable car under construction is marked in green.

Scheme of tracks planned to open in the 2018 season

On the slopes - at the resort this season only red and black slopes in the Salymovsky Circus will be open, that is, there is nothing special for beginners to do here. Later, a children's slope with a travelator and a children's club at an altitude of 1100 m should open, but the exact launch date is still unknown.

The maximum length of the continuous descent from the peak of 2256m to 1500m (from the peak along route 12, below the recess at 1918m along route 11) is about 3.6 kilometers. When the track opens for skiing to an altitude of 1100 meters, the length of the continuous descent will increase to 5 kilometers.

For reference: the length of route 12 according to GPS turned out to be 2.9 km, route 11 - 2.2 km.

The trails are comfortable, well prepared, and there are no very narrow sections. There are many places near the pistes where you can drive on unused snow.

View of the route from the top station 2256m

Descent to 1500m, on the old Alpine they never wasted here and there were always hillocks.

Roll out to 1500m from Salymovsky Circus

Of course, in terms of piste skiing, even taking into account the opening of pistes up to a height of 1100m, Alpika this season will not compete with either Rosa Khutor (~100 km of pistes) or Gorki Gorod (~30 km of pistes), since this year it will open a little more than 7 kilometers of trails. But as a bonus for confident riders, the place is excellent. And there is a chance that there will be fewer people on the slopes here than at other resorts. This ski area will also allow Gazprom to extend the winter season.

Route below 1500m (former Troika)

Transfer between Alpika and other resorts

Since Alpika is one of the ski areas of the GTC Gazprom, a single ski pass for Alpika and Laura can already be purchased. The transfer from the Laura slopes to the Alpine slopes will take a little more than an hour; the logistics are simplified by the fact that the cable cars in these zones below are combined - at least it will be possible to do without vehicles.

In the second half of January, a single ski pass is expected to be introduced at all Krasnaya Polyana resorts. Therefore, moving between resorts will be relevant. The launch of the Tyrol cable car will make it easier to travel from the Alps to Rosa Khutor and back (it was already built for the Olympics, but was not in use after that). At the bottom, this cable car is combined with the Strela cable car of the Rosa Khutor resort, and takes you to the second stage of the Alpine Mountains to a height of 790 meters (although there you will have to walk a little up the hill).

A new Alpika route has already appeared on the Rosa Khutor map this year, along which you can drive from the top station of Alpika to the Southern slope of Rosa Khutor. But only in one direction. The way back is only on foot. We do not recommend traveling on foot without guides, and in general, before the launch of a single ski pass, moving between resorts is not economically feasible, since you will have to buy a second ski pass.

For reference, from Rosa Khutor (from the Aibga highway) to the top station of the Alpics you will have to walk about 1 kilometer; skiers will need about 15-20 minutes, snowboarders 30-60 minutes, depending on the snow condition.

Attention! When moving along the ridge, you must be careful, as there may be snow cornices in some places. .

Historical reference

Previously, the resort, which was located on the territory of the Alpika ski area, was called “Alpika-Service” (out of habit, many still call it that). It was founded in 1993, and the history of its creation can be read in the memoirs of Alexander Galkin, one of the investors - a few years ago he wrote a wonderful book that describes the exciting history of the formation of the first ski resort in Krasnaya Polyana.

What the resort looked like before reconstruction.