Honore Bone, a well-known skier and trainer, said that skiing may not be happiness, but it could well replace it. And he is right. What can you compare skiing from high slopes? Only with bird flight. Therefore, tourists go to ski resorts, choosing one of them, where you can actually carry out this flight. And many choose the direction that has become popular - to the south of Khakassia at the Gladenkaya ski resort.
About the resort and how to get there
It received its name from the mountain on which it is located. By the way, Gladnaya is surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges, which affects weather conditions. The climate in this area is sharply continental, that is, cold winters and hot summers. Snow at the resort for nine months, from late autumn to almost the end of spring. The weather in the mountains is mostly clear - what’s not a fairy tale for relaxing and skiing along the mountain routes, of which there are ten in Gladenkaya.
It’s easy and the route, how to get to the ski resort "Gladenkaya" you will understand quickly. From any point where there is an airport, you need to fly to Abakan, from there - to the resort 120 km. If traveling by train, the final destination is Sayanogorsk railway station, 40 km from which a ski resort. There are bus routes to the resort from Abakan and Sayanogorsk. From Abakan to Sayanogorsk by bus - about 2 hours. From Sayanogorsk there are autobahn routes to the Zharkiy forestry complex (16 km), from there by private buses to Gladenkaya (32 km). You can take a taxi from Sayanogorsk to the resort itself.
Ski area
Ski resort "Gladenkaya" It has 10 certified tracks designed not only for amateur skiing and beginners, but also it is a good base for competitions in all disciplines of skiing. The nature of Gladnaya made so unique that the tracks were laid from all sides.
On the northern slope with a length of 3,500 meters, skiers can demonstrate a high class of skiing, because the height differences are 830 meters. On the south, with a length of 1000 meters, they are expected by an equally interesting descent. There is the so-called "cheesecake mountain". She was called so by the skiers themselves. Here lovers of tubing and snowboarders compete. Nearby is the rental of ski equipment and equipment for this profile.
The soft virgin snow of the southern slope beckons freeriders, fans of uncracked, with landscape and wooded obstacles, descents. This, of course, is not for lovers, but athletes with good physical fitness, although in recent years, skiing has become safer. Freeriders will appreciate the northwestern slope of the mountain with a 4,200 meter long track and a height difference of 920 meters. For lovers of flat skis have their own tracks, as well as for tubers. And, as at all in the ski resorts on Gladenkaya there are trails for beginners, great for training.
Track maintenance
Gladenkaya slopes are served by 3 chairlifts and one ski lift. In the lower section of the route, the CKADO lift operates, with a throughput of 800 people / hour.
This cable car delivers skiers from the bottom to the middle of the main track. The upper section, the length of which is 1600 m, is served by a four-seater cable-chair lift, the throughput of which is 2400 people / hour. There is a cable-tow lift operating between the launch sites of the northern and north-western routes.
Despite the fact that weather conditions, that is, the presence of snow cover, allows you to have a long period of skiing, the ski resort "Gladenkaya" has a system of artificial snow formation. It is considered the most difficult, with a snow zone of 2800 meters. Snow compaction equipment - retracks regularly works on the slopes.
Rental points
The resort infrastructure has equipped locker rooms and left-luggage offices. To ride on the slopes of the mountains, it is not necessary to take your own uniform with you to the resort, there is a rental of ski equipment and equipment, which is carried out at rental points. There are several of them in the ski resort. Sets of ski and snowboard equipment are presented by Fischer, Atomic and Rossingnol. At the ski resort, an air cushion is provided, which is necessary for insurance, with stunts and extreme jumps of skiers.
The resort has instructors to teach beginners. The ski-pass card is valid on the base. Card modes: monthly, daily, for a certain number of lifts.
Accommodation and reviews
Accommodation for tourists is provided in the Gorny shelter, in the Gladenkaya hotel and in the Zharki sports complex. "Mountain" - these are small houses on the mountain "Gladnaya". These houses are located on the "shelf", where the lower lift lifts the skiers. There is a small cafe. The hotel offers rooms that will satisfy both the discerning public and students with limited financial resources. In general, the cost of rest in a ski resort depends on the category of hotel rooms.
“Only mountains can be better than mountains” is the indisputable truth not only of climbers, but also of skiers. That is why they go to Smooth. Tourists like to relax here not only in winter. The summer period is also interesting. Family vacations at the Gladenkaya ski resort became popular. According to vacationers' reviews, they are satisfied with the way to combine leisure and sports, visiting excursions organized by the resort administration. I like the goodwill of employees of cafes, rental and hotels. I like helicopter tours very much. Yes, these tours are expensive, but there are a lot of impressions of flying over the mountains!