Elbrus Resort: A Hidden Gem for Skiers and Snowboarders

I'm beyond excited to share my experience at Elbrus Resort, where I spent four incredible days skiing and snowboarding in mid-December. The snow was present, but it wasn't a thick blanket of powder just yet. Still, it was enough to get us stoked for the season ahead. Let's dive into the details of my adventure.

It's been three years since I last visited Elbrus, and I'm blown away by the transformations that have taken place. For the better, I might add. Elbrus is now part of a larger ski resort association, which includes Archy, Veduchi in Chechnya, Matlas in Dagestan, and soon, Mamonik in Ossetia. [link] may not mean much to us guests, but it's a plus for the resorts, as they're now promoting each other's attractions.

So, what's new and exciting on Elbrus? Let me tell you, I was stoked to find out about the paid entrance to the Azau meadow. About a kilometer from the meadow, there's an automatic gate with a ticket machine. The daily parking fee is 3,000 rubles, and it's 500 rubles per hour. You get 30 minutes of free parking. If you've booked a hotel in the meadow area, feel free to take a ticket and drive in. The hotel will mark it in their system when you check out, and you can leave without paying for parking. However, it's always a good idea to confirm with your hotel about this when you arrive. There's also a parking lot near the gate where you can leave your car for the day for 300 rubles. The parking lot has free shuttle buses (marshrutkas) that take you to the ticket booths and chairlifts. The shuttle buses run 24/7 and look like white vans with the words 'shuttle' written on them. For me, this new development was a big plus - now there are hardly any cars around the meadow, making it comfortable to walk and get to the chairlifts. I stayed just 500 meters from the lifts at the Sirius Aza hotel, which I'll review separately if you want the short version - it's a decent budget option that's not too far from the lifts. Our four-person, two-bedroom room cost 7,000 rubles.

They've knocked down a few hotels and cafes on the slope, which has opened up more space for skiing and created a public area for tourists. Now they've got a stage and an info point set up, and they're hosting all sorts of events. There's even a big Christmas tree in the run-up to the holidays.

If you head back down the mountain a bit, there's a market with loads of souvenir shops and another area for events.

A day pass for the 2024-2025 season costs 3,100 rubles for an adult. There are also options for kids and discounted tickets.

Ticket booths open at 9 am and close at 5 pm. The last lift runs at 4:30 pm. One of the downsides of visiting during this time was that there wasn't much snow, so only the upper slopes were open - from the top of the Garabashi to Mira and from Mira to Kruzozer.

The resort also made a great move by installing modern, futuristic-looking heated toilets that are not only clean but also free to use.

There's a secret spot that not everyone knows about, and that's the highest-altitude mailbox in Russia. It's located at the entrance to the Gara-Bashi station on the right-hand side. You can send a postcard by purchasing one beforehand at the souvenir shops on the resort and then dropping it into this mailbox. Talking about skiing on Elbrus is pointless, but enthusiasts of skiing and snowboarding know that it's the highest-altitude resort with breathtaking views, but the weather's a different story. We went for four days, keeping an eye on the webcams as Elbrus got slammed with snow, which pretty much didn't stop for several days. But when we arrived, it turned out that the fallen snow had been blown away by strong winds, and there wasn't much snow on the trails. So, predicting the weather on Elbrus is quite tricky, and you need to be prepared for that. I have to say, Elbrus is a high-altitude resort, and the Azau meadow is no exception. At 2,350 meters above sea level, you're already at a pretty high altitude, and the hotels are right there, too. If you're not used to it, it can be a real challenge. And when you take the gondola up to 3,847 meters on the first day, without any acclimatization, your body might just rebel. So don't underestimate the importance of acclimatization and don't rush to the top of Europe on your first day. Although the views are simply breathtaking. By the way, if you're up for a challenge, there's a snowcat service that'll take you up to 5,100 meters. We used it this time, and it cost 10,000 rubles. They start from the Garabashi station. The food on the resort is top-notch. The Caucasus dishes, made with fresh ingredients and cooked to perfection, are a major draw for Elbrus. I was blown away by the sheer number of cafes on the slopes, but the one that really stood out to me was a tiny place called Ice peak right next to the exit from the Mir station. The food was amazing - I'm talking about these delicious khinkali and a soothing cup of tea, all served in a cozy two-story building filled with vintage collectibles.

On my way to the Gara-Bashi lift on the Mir station, I stumbled upon Red Fox - it's a pretty popular spot. The food was decent, but not the best I've had on the resort. Still, it's worth a visit just for the atmosphere and interior design.

When I was at the Kruzhizor station, I highly recommend checking out the panoramic cafe called Oza. The food is super fresh and tasty, and the views of the Azaou village are simply breathtaking.

There's also a cafe serving burgers and pizza, located at the Kruzhizor station, right next to the Chipper-Azau hotel, and it's called People & Peaks.

To be honest, it's a bit weird to come all the way to Elbrus and end up eating pizza and burgers when there's lagan and khinkali available, but I guess the place is popular, so people must like it.

After a day of skiing, if you've got the energy, you can even have some fun. There aren't many spots on Elbrus where you can sing your heart out and dance the night away.

One of those spots is the old Fride cafe, with amazing food and dancing (I'll do a full review soon). For now, I can say that every dish at Fride is a masterpiece of Caucasus cuisine, and they even have dance parties on weekends until the last customer leaves. The cafe is located right next to the old cable car station on the Azau meadow.

Unfortunately, there aren't many shops in the Azau area anymore. In fact, there's only one shop left, and it's located in the Ogonek hotel. The sign is still missing, but the shop has a great selection of products - just no alcohol or tobacco. I discovered a little secret for where you can grab a beer outside of the cafe. If you're standing in front of the Hotel Viaraž, there's a bus stop to your right, and on it, there's a small kiosk with a big sign that says 'tobacco'. And guess what? They sell beer there too. Be prepared for some crazy prices, though. A 0.5L bottle of local beer costs 200 rubles, and a 1.5L bottle is 400 rubles. So, if you're planning on cracking open a cold one after a hike, it's worth stocking up on the way to Elbrus in the shops of the villages Tegenekli or Terseköl.

I'm really impressed with the progress Elbrus has made. The resort is heading in the right direction, and all the new developments here are definitely a good thing. I'd highly recommend visiting Elbrus, no matter what time of year you go.