Skiing in Russia is not that popular with most Europeans but Russia is investing a lot of money to become a big player in ski tourism. At the moment they are building the highest ski lift in Europe at Mount Elbrus in the newly built ski resort Mamison. This resort lies in the Republic of North Ossetia, the same area as the Olympic village Sochi. This new ski lift rises to an altitude of 3,847 meters, which is 5 meters higher than the Aguille du Midi (3,842 meter) in the Mont Blanc area of Chamonix, France. This new gondola type cabin lift fits 8 people and has a capacity of 750 people per hour. There are already plans to increase this capacity to 1,500 people per hour when the complete resort is finished.
Compared to the Aguille du Midi this new lift provides access to skiers for all levels. This is mostly not the case at the high altitude lifts in France where these are usually connected to slopes for experienced skiers. The lifts are being constructed with the help of experienced lift engineers from France. Russia hopes in a couple of years these areas will become a popular winter destination for all type of skiers and tourists. It is always great to welcome new ski resorts and we are very curious how Russia is going to develop herself as a ski destination.
