The A3 cable car is part of the Gazprom Mountain and Tourist Center in Krasnaya Polyana (Esto-Sadok).
The A3 (Type 3S) is the world's longest lift in its category according to Doppelmayer.
You can go up and down the A3 using walking tickets (without skiing) or ski passes.
The A3 cable car connects the lower station of the Alpika slope cable cars, located at an altitude of 550 meters above sea level, with the Mountain Shelter Pikhtovy Station, which is the highest point of the Laura slope and is located at an altitude of 1660 meters above sea level.
Thus, the lift A3 is a link between the ski slopes of "Laura" and "Alpika" (both slope are part of the GTZ Gazprom) and at the same time is one of the final (highest) cable car slope, Laura (the other cable car A2) and one of the primary cable cars of the slope "Alpika" (another cable car K1-K5).
The A3 cable car consists of large comfortable gondola cabins (closed), with a capacity of up to 30 people.
The length of the route on the A3 lift in one direction is almost 5.5 kilometers.
Making the ascent and (or) descent on this cable car, you can feel the flight of birds. The distance from the ground to the cabin at the third support reaches 180 meters and it turns out that you are "floating" over the mountains at the height of a 65-storey building.
During the ascent and descent, you can see some Olympic objects of the mountain cluster, including the Laura ski and biathlon complex; the Olympic Mountain Village, located at an altitude of 1100 meters above sea level and part of the Rosa Khutor ski resort; the village of Esto-Sadok.
View of the ski and biathlon complex "Laura"
View of the Estosadok
Video of the descent (ascent) on the A3 GTC Gazprom cable car
At the lower station of the cable cars of the slope "Alpika" are: Parking, offices and terminals for the sale of ski passes and pleasure of tickets, information center, an interactive map, Luggage storage, ski equipment rental and sports equipment, service instructors, shops, cafes and restaurants, pharmacy, emergency room, ATM, toilets and places to stay include free Wi-Fi.
On the third floor of the station there is a trampoline center "Art of Flight", on the territory of which: 7 professional and 6 training trampolines, a walltramp zone, an inflatable gymnastics track, slackline and balance boards. Individual and group classes are held for children and adults in the trampoline center.
At the upper station "Mountain shelter "Pikhtovy" there are: observation points, a restaurant, toilets, an instructor service, a rodelban, a children's ski club "Morozko", a children's training slope and ski slopes: difficult G (chairlift), medium difficulty H (chairlift), easy I (rope lift).
In winter + snowmobile transfer to Deer Farm and Husky Park and back; a walk on a snow truck, during which guests will learn and see how the snow compaction machine works, how the slopes are prepared on the slopes, how the snow is "wrapped" during the journey, etc. The route of the trip is from the mountain shelter Fir to the lower reaches of route H and back.
In summer, tourist trails to the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve begin from the Pikhtovy Shelter. Learn more about the Fir shelter, highways and infrastructure...
Practical information
The A3 cable car operates all year round.
In winter, there are ski passes from midday and evening to multi-day ones.
In winter and summer, you can buy sightseeing tours (walking tickets) on the cable cars " Laura "(A/A1, A2 and A3)," Alpika "(K1-K5) or"Laura + Alpika".
Ski passes and walking tickets to the Gazprom "Laura" and "Alpika" ski resorts can be purchased at the ticket offices or terminals of the lower stations, as well as online in advance on the website. !!! In the terminals, walking tickets and ski passes were cheaper than when purchased at the box office or online (for 2021).
The cost of ski passes and walking tours varies from season to season. Therefore, we recommend that you check all the information about the current ski passes and sightseeing tours, as well as the exact conditions for using tickets and their cost, on the official website of the Gazprom mining and Tourism Center.
The website of the Gazprom mining and tourist Center: polyanaski.
You can take a ride on the A3 cable car:
- having made the ascent from the lower station of the cable cars of the Alpika slope;
- after climbing on the A/A1 cable car from the lower station of the cable cars of the Laura slope, and reaching the Psekhako shelter, transfer to the A2 cable car, on which, after climbing to the Fir shelter, transfer to the A3 cable car;
- if by car, you can leave it at the lower stations of the cable cars "Laura" and "Alpika". There are also parking spaces on the Psehako Plateau (Laura slope): a small parking lot at the shelter itself and at the ski and biathlon complex "Laura". Travel along the mountain serpentine on the Psekhako plateau is paid - payment is about PKK5. Car rental in Sochi (all places) →
More information about how to get to all the ski resorts of Krasnaya Polyana (Esto-Sadka), including the slopes "Laura" and "Alpika", can be found here →
All accommodation facilities in Estosadka (Krasnaya Polyana), including near the slopes of the Gazprom ski resort and more remotely from them, can be viewed and booked here
