Mount Sobolinaya

The Baikal Ski Resort "Gora Sobolinaya" (Mount Sobolinaya) is the largest ski center on the shore of Lake Baikal, located in the Irkutsk region, in the town of Baikalsk in Slyudyanka district, on the northern slope of the Khamar-Daban range. The mountain's summit rises to 1,004 meters above sea level.

History

The resort's history goes back to the Soviet era, when it was built as a structural subdivision of the Baikal Pulp and Paper Mill. In 1991 the first drag lift began operating here, and in 1994 a second lift was added, reaching all the way to the summit. Between 1999 and 2003 the lifts were modernized. In March 2002 Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the resort and greeted competition participants there. Today the ski center is run by the LEGENDA Hotel Group.

Slopes and infrastructure

The ski season runs from November to May. The mountain has 18 trails with a total length of 13.5 km, ranging from gentle beginner slopes to the challenging "Vostochnaya" (2,100 m long, 450 m vertical drop) and "Zapadny Greben" (1,860 m long, 365 m vertical drop). Other trails include "Prezidentskaya", "Mogul", "Bounty" and "Pologaya". Six lifts operate on the mountain: one chairlift and four drag lifts. There is a snowboard park, a tubing run and an observation deck with a café at 900 meters above sea level. The "Sobolinaya", "Rus" and "Baikal" hotels were built for accommodation, and a sports complex with a swimming pool, an ice rink and a sauna operates nearby. The base also offers equipment rental, a luggage room, a sports shop, a guarded parking lot, cafés and restaurants.

Getting there

Mount Sobolinaya can be reached by car or by shuttle bus from Irkutsk: the trip takes about 2.5 hours, with buses departing from the railway station, the bus station or the central market. Another option is to take a train to Baikalsk and then a taxi to the foot of the mountain. The nearest major airports are in Irkutsk and Ulan-Ude.