Gazprom Ski Resort is an all-season mountain and tourist center located in Esto-Sadka (Krasnaya Polyana).
Official name: Gazprom Mining and Tourism Center (MTC Gazprom).
The total area of the Gazprom gas Processing Center has about 800 hectares. This is one of the best Russian ski resorts with a developed infrastructure.
Structurally, the Gazprom resort consists of two slopes:
- the "Laura" slope, located on the Psekhako plateau, among the peaks of the Caucasus Mountains and the fir forest of the ridge, at an altitude of 550 to 1660 meters from sea level;
- the "Alpika" slope, located in a picturesque place - on the slopes of the Aibga ridge at altitudes from 550 to 2256 meters above sea level.
Both slopes work all year round and have all the necessary infrastructure for both winter and summer holidays: ski slopes, lifts, observation decks, tourist routes, cafes and restaurants, as well as various entertainment and services.
Technically, the slope of Laura consists of: four main gondola (closed box) cable cars, which you can climb to different heights of the resort, 6 chairlifts and 3 ski lifts; ski and biathlon complex and four main areas of the resort (the lower station of the "Laura" and "Alpika", Psekhako shelter and shelter Fir), in and near which is located the ski slopes and the main object of the resort.
The Alpika slope includes: two cable cars with six stations, ski slopes, observation decks, restaurants,a high-altitude sauna, various services and some entertainment.
Laura and Alpika ski lifts
To climb the Laura slope, you can use the gondola cable cars
1. A/A1 cable car, which connects the lower station of the cable cars "Laura", located at an altitude of 550 meters above sea level at the address: Achipsinskaya Street, 16, Esto-Sadok with the station "Mountain shelter" Psekhako " (Zelenaya Polyana), located at an altitude of 1440 meters above sea level. Learn more about the A/A1 cable cars…
2. Cable car A3 (type 3S), which connects the lower station of the cable cars "Alpika", located at an altitude of 550 meters above sea level (the Aibga ridge) at the address: street of Olympic records, 34, esto-Sadok and is the world's longest lift in its category according to the company Doppelmayer, with the station "Mountain shelter "Fir", which is the highest point of the slope Laura and located at an altitude of 1660 meters above sea level. Learn more about the A3 cable car…
The Psekhako shelter station is connected with the Fir Shelter station and, respectively, the A/A1 and A3 cable cars, another gondola cable car - A2.
The A2 lift has an intermediate station near the Laura ski and biathlon complex. Learn more about the A2 cable car…
In addition to the above (main) gondola cable cars, there are also chairlifts and rope lifts on the territory of the Laura resort.
All lifts are open in winter. They are available for skiers and snowboarders. For guests visiting Laura without skiing (walking and recreation) in winter, only 4 gondola cable cars are available: A/A1, A2 and A3.
During the summer, gondola lifts are open and some chairlifts, such as G and H, are open for the convenience of vacationers.
The ascent to the slope "Alpika", which is on walking tickets, which is on ski passes, begins from the lower station"Alpika".
From the lower station "Alpika" to the top of Mount Aibga, the cable car K1-K5 runs with gondola (closed) and chair booths.
During the ascent on the cable car K1-K5 there are four intermediate stations (you can get out). At the station "Mountain shelter" Yunost", located at an altitude of 1500 meters above sea level, it is necessary to make a transfer. Learn more about the Alpika slope: trails, lifts, sightseeing and services…
Ski slopes of the Laura and Alpika slopes
The Laura slope has ski slopes of all levels of skiing, from light (green slopes) up to very difficult (black tracks).
The exits to the ski slopes, as well as to the observation decks, parks, as well as sports and(or) entertainment facilities of the Laura slope are located at the junction points of the main cable cars and at the intermediate station near the ski and biathlon complex.
The width of the ski slopes of the Laura slope reaches 66 meters, and the length is up to 1900 meters.
At the mountain shelters "Psekhako" and "Pikhtovy" there are children's educational slopes of the school "Morozko".
At the stations of Psekhako and Fir, and in the lower stations of the cable cars "Laura" and "Alpika" there are: qualified instructor services, rental of ski equipment and sports equipment, medical posts, shops, cafes and restaurants, toilets and places for recreation. Learn more about the slopes and ski areas on the Laura slope…
Alpika is a slope with an extreme atmosphere, along which there are difficult (red) and very difficult (black) ski slopes. On the tracks, avid riders can show their character and hone their riding skills.
The slopes of the slope have a height difference of 1156 meters.
Cross-country skiing on the Laura slope
In addition to skiing on the Laura slope, at an altitude of 1470 meters above sea level, along the route of the A2 cable car (an intermediate station, if you wish, you can get off), there is a ski and biathlon complex "Laura", which hosted the Olympic and Paralympic biathlon and cross-country skiing competitions in 2014.
In winter, 7 kilometers of ski and biathlon trails of various complexity are laid on the territory of the ski and biathlon complex, and anyone can take a walk on cross-country skiing. Learn more about the Laura Ski and Biathlon complex...
Ski passes on the slopes of Laura and Alpika
The best time to visit the slopes of the Gazprom GTC as a ski resort is from December to March. Sometimes the season starts in November and ends at the end of April (May). But there are also rains at the height of the season, then the snow lies only on the upper marks of the slopes.
The dates of the opening and closing of the ski season are determined by the administration of the GTC of PJSC Gazprom, depending on weather conditions and snow cover. The administration can also determine the dates and deadlines for routine maintenance. Information about determining the start and end dates of the ski season is posted on the official website of the resort (the site is indicated at the end of this article).
Attention! During the season, lifts and trails (one or another, or all) may be closed due to weather conditions. We recommend that you check the information before riding on the official website in real time (you can download the mobile application). The site is listed at the end of this article.
GTC Gazprom ski passes operate on the slopes of "Laura" and "Alpika". There are ski passes from midday and evening to multi-day ones.
You can purchase a single ski pass, according to which skiers and snowboarders get the right to ride, as well as use the infrastructure and services of all the ski resorts of Krasnaya Polyana (Esto-Sadok): Gazprom MTC (Alpika and Laura slopes), "Rosa Khutor" and "Krasnaya Polyana". A single ski pass can be purchased at the ticket offices of the ski complexes.
Sightseeing tours of the Laura and Alpika slopes
In addition to skiing, the Laura and Alpika slopes offer their guests sightseeing tours - these are tickets for walking trips on the cable cars of the slopes without skiing.
Sightseeing walking tours without skating are available all year round. But there are preventive days when the cable cars do not work-mostly in the fall, as well as the time of routine maintenance.
In winter, you can buy sightseeing tours (walking tickets) on the cable cars "Laura" (A/A1, A2 and A3), "Alpika" (K1-K5) or "Laura + Alpika", as well as evening Green Glade (valid on the roads A/A1 to "Psekhako").
In summer, there are sightseeing tours on the cable cars "Laura", "Alpika" or "Laura + Alpika", as well as Green Glade and evening Green Glade.
A walking ticket gives the opportunity for the 1st ascent and the 1st descent within one day on all the lifts available in a particular season for walking without riding.
If you purchase a comprehensive sightseeing tour "Laura + Alpika", after climbing one of the slopes, you must climb the second slope within one week after the ascent. !!! This condition may change, we recommend that you check the information on the website of the Gazprom Mining and Tourism Center. Read more about the sightseeing tours "Laura" and "Alpika" of the Gazprom Gas Transportation Center...
Entertainment and services on the slopes of Laura and Alpika
In addition to cable car climbing and skiing and snowboarding, entertainment and some services are also available on the Laura and Alpika slopes.
More services and entertainment are provided on the Laura slope. Alpika can not boast of a variety of entertainment infrastructure. In this connection, Laura is a priority slope among the guests of the resort for both winter and summer holidays, with all the necessary infrastructure.
Laura Slope
In winter, ski slopes, cable cars, cross-country skiing trails, tubing, several parks, snowmobiling, hiking snowmobiles, quad bikes and buggies are available for guests of the resort, you can also ride sleds in dog and deer sleds.
In summer, there are also cable cars, parks, museums, restaurants and + summer recreation areas, hiking trails, bike rental, horseback riding, quad bikes and buggies, for which several routes and tours are provided on the territory of the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve.
All services and entertainment provided on the Laura slope can be divided by the stations of the cable cars of the slope.
The lower station of the cable cars "Laura"
In the building of the lower station there are: ticket offices and terminals for the sale of ski passes and walking tickets, an information center, luggage storage, rental of ski equipment and sports equipment, a shop, a cafe, toilets and places for recreation. Learn more about the lower Laura station…
Near the lower station of the cable cars "Laura" there are:
- parking and public bus stops;
- The Galaktika entertainment Center, which is a complex containing shopping areas and entertainment areas, including a water park with a panoramic outdoor pool, an ice rink, a cinema, a bowling alley, museums, catering and outdoor terraces;
- fair and park "Green Planet" with paths, figurines, lawns, a Playground and places to relax. In the center of the park there is a cafe "Loving Kysya" with tables under the open sky;
- Sovarium, which presents about 30 species of birds: the owl, marsh and eared owl, barn owl, owl and splyushka, as well as the imperial eagle, kite, etc.;
- 5-star complex "Grand Hotel Polyana" with three buildings with rooms and two-storey wooden villas.
Link to the villa Grand Polyana
Link to the Grand Hotel Polyana Villas
Link to the rooms of the "Grand Hotel Polyana"
Mountain shelter "Psekhako"
At the Psekhako stationthere are: a cafe, a restaurant, toilets, a medical center, an information center, ski equipment rental, an instructor service, a children's club "Morozko", parks" Zelenaya Polyana "and" Ice Age", a 4-star hotel and spa" Polyana 1389".
In winter, it is also: snowmobiles, tourist snowmobiles, snow tubing and the "Tubing Cross"attraction.
In summer: + horseback riding, hiking trails on ecotropes, ATVs, buggies, bike rental. Learn more about the Psekhako Shelter station...
In winter, snowmobiles and tourist snowmobiles go from the Zelenaya Polyana Park to Husky Park andA deer farmlocated in the lower reaches of Route H, at an altitude of 1550 meters above sea level.
Husky Park and Deer Farm are open all year round. You can also get there on foot from Psekhako station or the Laura ski and biathlon complex; in winter, skiers and snowboarders can go down on the chairlift H from the upper station Fir; in summer, anyone can go down on the lift H.
Learn more about Husky Park and how to get there…
Learn more about the Deer Farm and how to get there…
Mountain shelter"Fir"
At the upper station - "Mountain shelter "Fir" there are: observation points, a restaurant, toilets, an instructor service, a children's ski club "Morozko", a children's training slope and ski slopes.
In winter, + a walk on a snowmobile, during which guests will learn and see how the snow-compacting 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, there is a rodelban near the H highway; tourist trails to the Caucasian Biosphere Reserve begin from the Pikhtovy Shelter. More about the station shelter Pikhtovy…
Alpika Slope
On the Alpika slope, as on the Laura slope, services and several entertainment options are available at each of the cable car stations (K1-K5).
The lower station of the Alpika cable cars
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. Learn more about the lower Alpika station…
Near the station, located at an altitude of 780 meters above sea level, there is a luge Center "Sanki" -a bobsleigh track built for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. The extreme attraction "Fanbob" is available in the center; you can also visit the bobsleigh complex without riding on the attraction. The visit to the center and the attraction are paid, by appointment.
At the station "Mountain shelter "Sunny", located at an altitude of 1100 meters above sea level, there are: an instructor service, equipment rental, storage rooms, a restaurant, a children's club "Morozka", a trauma center, toilets and viewing platforms with views, including on The Mountain Olympic Village of the Rosa Khutor resort.
At the station "Mountain shelter "Yunost", located at an altitude of 1500 meters above sea level, there is a cafe, there are viewing points.
At the station "Shelter Vetrov", which is the highest point of the Alpika slope and is located at an altitude of 2256 meters above sea level, there are: observation decks, a two-level restaurant "Reach for the Sky" with tables on the outdoor terrace, toilets and a high-altitude bath with panoramic windows - #not easy, which is officially registered in the Russian Book of Records. The steam room has large panoramic windows that do not fog up during vaping.
Paragliding and paratrake flights are also possible at the Shelter of the Winds. Paragliding flights are made depending on weather conditions. Learn more about the station "Shelter Vetrov"…
Where to stay on and near the slopes of the GTC Gazprom
Gazprom MTC directly has two accommodation facilities, which are located on the Laura slope.
4-star hotel and spa "Polyana 1389", located at an altitude of 1389 meters above sea level, near the Psekhako cable car station.
The hotel consistsof cozy rooms, apartments and cottages in the style of Alpine chalets.
A buffet breakfast is included in the price of all accommodation facilities of the hotel.
The hotel offers free access to the A/A1 cable cars and a shuttle service connecting the Psekhako Mountain Shelter station with the lower Laura cable car station. Link to the hotel
5-star complex "Grand Hotel Polyana", located near the lower station of the cable car of the slope "Laura".
The complexhas rooms, wooden villas, bars and restaurants with seasonal cuisine, 9 conference halls, children's clubs, 2 indoor and 2 outdoor pools, tennis courts, billiards, sports grounds, halls and a fight club.
Link to the villa Grand Polyana
Link to the Grand Hotel Polyana Villas
Link to the rooms of the "Grand Hotel Polyana"
Also near the lower Laura station are
Holiday Home Skazka features 5 bedrooms, a garden, a patio, free Wi-Fi, a 24-hour front desk and free private parking.
The house featuresbarbecue facilities, a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, an equipped kitchen with a dishwasher and a microwave, a washing machine and 4 bathrooms with a shower. Link to the holiday home
Villa Laura Bereg offers a balcony, a sauna and free private parking.
The apartment has 8 bedrooms, a living room, an equipped kitchen, a flat-screen TV, a washing machine. Link to the villa
There are no accommodation facilities directly on the Alpika slope, but you can stay near the lower station of the Alpika cable cars.
From the placement funds
- holiday home Usadba Razdolye with garden views, free Wi-Fi and free private parking;
- 3-star Gala Plaza Hotel with 2 saunas, billiards, bar, free parking and free Wi-Fi;
- 3-star Fort Eureka Hotel with family rooms, a craft brewery, a restaurant, a 24-hour front desk and free Wi-Fi;
- 2-star Alpika Mini-hotel with a 24-hour front desk and free Wi-Fi.
All accommodation facilities in Estosadok (Krasnaya Polyana), including near the slopes of the Gazprom ski resort and more remotely from them, can be viewed and booked here
How to get to the slopes of Laura and Alpika MTC Gazprom
The nearest airport to the slopes of the Gazprom MTC and, accordingly, to all the ski resorts of Esto-Sadka (Krasnaya Polyana) is located in the city of Sochi (Adler), 43 kilometers from Estosadka. Flights to Sochi (Adler) →
The fastest and most convenient way to get from Sochi airport to the slopes of the Gazprom GTC in Esto-Sadka is by taxi. You can order a taxi / transfer in advance, even from home. At any time of the day, at the airport, a driver will be waiting for you with a sign where your first and last name will be written. To order a taxi, it is enough to provide your flight data.
If you arrive by car, you can leave it at the lower stations of the cable cars "Laura" and "Alpika". There are also parking spaces on the Psekhako plateau: a small parking lot at the shelter itself and at the Laura ski and biathlon complex. Travel along the mountain serpentine on the Psekhako plateau is paid - payment is about PKK5.
More information about how to get to all the ski resorts of Krasnaya Polyana (Esto-Sadok), including the slopes of the Gazprom MTC, can be found here →
Map of the Gazprom MTC of the Laura and Alpika slopes in winter
Map of the Gazprom MTC of the Laura and Alpika slopes in summer
Practical information
The cost of ski passes and sightseeing tours vary from season to season.
Tickets for sightseeing tours can be purchased at the ticket offices and terminals of the lower stations of the cable cars " Laura "and"Alpika". Ski passes can also be purchased online on the website of the GTC Gazprom. !!! In the terminals of the lower stations, walking tickets and ski passes were cheaper than when purchased at the ticket offices or online (for 2021).
All the necessary information about the slopes of the Gazprom ski resort, including variations and the cost of ski passes and walking tickets, working lifts, trails and entertainment, conditions for buying and using tickets, we recommend checking on the official website of the resort.
The website of the Gazprom mining and tourist Center: polyanaski.
