Dombai, Russia

Set amongst the Caucasus Mountains near the Georgian border is Dombai with its unique atmosphere and visited by your average Russian tourist, many of whom are from the surrounding towns and villages, who tend to go up the mountain to eat, view the peaks and drink Vodka as opposed to boarding. The riding is good with plenty to suite all. The lower slopes provide some runs through the trees which are gentle and ideal for beginners. Even though the mountain has three piste bashers grooming is infrequent and piste markings generally range from poor to non-existent. There are lots of hiking options available although Russians are not big on going off-piste.

The chair lifts and cable cars are from the bygone era and nothing is new. You will see some of the most ingenious repair work undertaken. Take for instance the broken perspex windows of the gondola car, they’ve had drilled holes either side of the crack and then sewn it together. The lifts are interesting with a "pay as you ride" system. When lifts are down, some of the piste basher drivers charge each person to ride on a Cat Track tour. Safety is not high on the list of priorities, but it has to be remembered that this is Russia and anything goes.

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The best riding is the south-west slopes, starting from Mussa-Achitara peak (3005 m). This slope is well looked after and is not too complicated even for beginners. Start just off the lifts from 3000 m and go down towards Yugoslavskaya point. Pass Yugoslavskaya on the left-hand side. From there you can go freeriding (to the left) or continue along the slope towards Peak Inne hotel (2300 m). From there just go down along the slope. The whole ride is about 3.5 - 4 km long.

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