The Khibiny mountains are located in Russia on the Kola Peninsula. They are one of the oldest mountain systems in Russia, 390 million years old, and at the same time the largest in the Murmansk region. Most of the year there is snow here, so the place was transformed into a ski resort back in the Soviet years. Anyone can try their hand at the slope, as there are eKirovskquipped centers for beginners and professionals. In the summer, trekking is carried out.
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| Khibiny Mountains Russia |
Kirovsk
The small town of Kirovsk is 350 m high, at the very foot of the Khibiny Mountains. It has about 30,000 inhabitants, divided into three different settlements. It was founded in 1929 and today it is a curious mixture of a mining community and a sports and adventure tourism center: Kirovsk has the largest ski resort in northern Russia, with 6 FIS-certified slopes, a maximum elevation of 1050 meters and a drop of almost 700 meters. From here numerous expeditions in ski mountaineering, backcountry, snowmobile, etc. depart. to the Khibiny Mountains, as well as to other points and national parks in the Murmansk region and neighboring Karelia. At the entrance of the town we can see the Orthodox Church of the Image of San Salvador, with its colorful red bricks and its golden domes.
The Khibiny Mountains
The Khibiny Mountains rise up to 1,200 meters in height from 100 meters at sea level of the surrounding lands. They are the only large mountain range in the Murmansk region. Despite their harsh conditions and rugged nature, they are an ideal place for activities such as skiing, trekking, and especially snowmobile safaris: Due to the altitude, they can be carried out until May. And mountain landscapes provide an even more spectacular setting than frozen lakes or trails through the woods.
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| Khibiny Mountains Russia |
Visit the "Snow Village" in Kirovsk
Since 2008, each year this impressive structure is created from scratch, completely carved out of snow and ice by 20 artists, both Russian and from neighboring countries. It is the largest structure carved out of snow in the world, and consists of more than 20 chambers and numerous corridors that connect them, stretching over more than 2,000 square meters. Each year is dedicated to a different theme. We will be able to visit the rooms where the artists have carved beautiful filigrees, with a sublime decoration enhanced by the games of lights and colors.
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| Khibiny Mountains Russia |
Descent in “vatrushki” (inflatable sled)
We will have the opportunity to practice a hobby that all Russians have known since childhood: Going down a small slope on “vatrushki” (donuts), a kind of floats that glide at full speed on snow and ice.
Night out to try to spot the Northern Lights
The Khibiny Mountains are a fairytale setting to try and observe the Northern Lights. We will leave the town by coach and later we will make a walk of about 30 minutes through a wide track to reach a wide valley between mountains.
Snowmobile Safari in the Khibiny Mountains
The Khibiny Mountains, with their spectacular relief and beautiful valleys, offer an incomparable setting for snowmobile safaris, which, in addition, due to the height, can usually be done here until May. We will leave the town through a valley, entering the massif until we reach a mountain pass beaten by the wind and a frozen mountain lake.
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| Khibiny Mountains Russia |
We will change at the base of the snowmobiles, where we will receive the necessary equipment, as well as the basic instructions for handling the snowmobiles and behavior and rules to follow during the safari, which will be translated by our guide. Next, we will divide into groups of approximately 6 snowmobiles each, each group accompanied by an instructor.
Two people travel on each snowmobile, one of whom drives the snowmobile, carrying a passenger behind. The two people take turns driving the snowmobile following the instructor's instructions, in the stops made for this purpose.
Geography
The Khibiny Massif are the highest mountains on the Kola Peninsula, a large peninsula that stretches from northern Russia to the Barents and White Seas. The total land area of the peninsula is approximately 100,000 square kilometers (39,000 square miles). It is rich in minerals due to the removal of a layer of soil during the last ice age.
The Khibiny massif has an oval shape of about 1,300 km 2. and occupies the central part of the peninsula at a relative elevation of 900 to 1000 m above the surrounding plain. The mountains are not particularly high; The two highest peaks are Yudychvumchorr, which measures 1,201 meters (3,940 feet), and Chasnachorr, which measures 1,191 meters (3,907 feet). The average elevation is 1,116 meters (3,661 feet). The mountains are shaped like a horseshoe surmounted by a plateau, drained by a series of deep canyons. The peaks are plateau type, with steep slopes, with glaciers, ice fields and snowy in some places. The general terrain is alpine tundra.
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| Khibiny Mountains Russia |
The second and similar mountain range of the Kola Peninsula, the Lovozero tundras, is located about 5 km east of the easternmost point of Khibiny, separated from it by Lake Umbozero.
The Khibiny range is extremely rich in minerals, mainly apatite and nepheline minerals. 477 valid minerals have been reported and 108 of them are type localities or minerals first described in the Khibiny. The range is also seismically active.
The Khibiny Mountains are mostly uninhabited, except for one of the richest mineral quarries in the world. One of the minerals discovered there is reported to have potential as an absorber for nuclear waste radioactivity. At the foot of the massif are the cities of Apatity and Kirovsk.