The Republic of Khakassia is located in Southern Siberia, it borders with the Kemerovo region and the Krasnoyarsk Territory. In a small area there are meadows, taiga and mountain ranges, which are considered sacred among the local population. Yenisei flows through Khakassia - one of the largest Siberian rivers. There are all conditions for a good winter holiday, one of the directions of which is winter fishing. The ski resort “Priiskovy” is also very popular.
Winter Paradise for Freeriders
A small village is located on the slopes of the Kuznetsk Alatau mountain range . Its history began in 1834, when gold deposits were discovered in Khakassia. Mining of precious metal was carried out until the mid 90s of the last century, then the mine was closed and the village would have been deserted if it had not been discovered by freeriders, lovers of skiing from wild, unequipped mountain slopes.
Since then, the village has become a real paradise for them, and pure deep snow brought the village more popularity than gold mining. At the site of the former mine, the Priiskovy recreation center was opened. In two-story wooden houses there are no more than 1000 people. Fans of ski slopes have chosen for themselves the former premises of the village hospital. It was converted into a hotel, for which the name "Hospital" was preserved.
Snow happiness
Due to the unique climatic conditions, the Priiskovy recreation center is a godsend for lovers of unspoilt mountain slopes. Snow appears here in October and lies until June. As a result of snowfall, the snow cover is constantly updated and has a sufficiently large thickness. There is not much vegetation on the mountains. Mostly these are shrubs and spruce with birch trees, which do not pose a great danger to skiers. All freeriders before the descent receive radios and avalanche equipment, although the danger of avalanches is low.
“Mining” is a ski resort, the photos of which show us all the grandeur and beauty of the snow-capped mountains. It is also called snowy Eldorado. The descent begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m. During this time, freeriders make 8-10 runs. Mountain slopes have a slope of 20 to 45 °, so a smooth descent occurs at medium speed. The safety of thrill-seekers is monitored by instructors, and in the case of a minor injury, they can help with the available means available in the medicine cabinet. In case of serious injury, the victims are taken to the hospital of the village of Kopievo.
Trails
Ski resort "Priiskovy" is not equipped with ski lifts, ski slopes are not laid. A snowcat delivers 10 people to the top of the extreme mountain. He meets them below and takes them to the top again.
Mountain trails start 200 meters from the "Hospital". In the vicinity of the village there are two mountain ranges, one of which includes mountains:
- Family (the lowest peak, height - 1293 m),
- Transylvanian (1386 m high),
- Ivanovskaya (about 1390 m),
- Nameless (1482 m),
- Ararat (height - 1530 m).
The second mountain range also includes 5 mountains, but their height varies from 1353 m (Mount Tumannaya) to 1674 m (Mount Bobrovaya). The shortest descent is 700 meters and the largest is 1,500 meters. Both experienced skiers and beginner freeriders can ride on the slopes. Each descent has its own characteristics, so athletes get new riding experiences every day. On some slopes there is a rocky terrain that adds extreme downhill. According to the reviews of many thrill-seekers, emotions just go wild.
Accommodation in the "Hospital"
Ski resort "Priiskovy" provides relaxation with accommodation in a mini-hotel "Hospital-resort". The enterprising owners of the hotel were able to adapt and beat the old building into a modern room. The hotel has 15 rooms, which are called wards here, and all tourists receive the status of "patients".
Many of them, having visited once in such a "Hospital", become its regular customers. "Chambers" are adapted to accommodate 2-3 people. The hotel has a lounge with a TV and a large sofa 14 meters long. It offers guests a sauna and a Japanese bath, toilets, showers, clothes dryers, as well as a room with stands for storing skis and equipment.
Before the settlement, future “patients” sign an agreement in which they undertake not to smoke indoors, not to use obscene language, not to disturb the peace of other vacationers, to maintain silence in the evening and at night, and also to feed and drink the sick cat Cat.
Food at the resort
Ski resort "Priiskovy" has no entertainment facilities. All leisure activities consist of skiing. Catering is included in the package of services that provide tourists with a mini-hotel. On the ground floor there is a kitchen and a mess room with dining tables for 36 people. Tourists at the hotel are fed breakfast and dinner. Meals are organized as a buffet. Vacationers can eat whatever they like. Since freeriders ride in the mountains during the daytime, they are offered sandwiches and tea as a snack. Drinking alcohol is strictly prohibited.
How to get there
Not only tourists from Abakan, Krasnoyarsk, Kemerovo and other cities of Siberia come to the Priiskovy ski resort in Khakassia. There are many residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as representatives of Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Lithuania and other republics.
To get to the village, residents of remote regions need to conveniently get to Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Abakan or Achinsk. From these cities, you can take the train to the station "Kopievo", and then by taxi or bus - to the village itself. Regular bus runs in the morning and evening. From the airport of Krasnoyarsk and back, a shuttle bus is provided by a Mercedes minibus. There is also a shuttle service to Kopyevo station.
You can get to the village by car. Using the scheme of roads, they reach the city of Kopievo. Outside the city there is a good 30-kilometer stretch of road. Then you have to drive another section of 70 km on the gravel. There is no gas station in the village, so you need to stock up on gas in advance.