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The Khibiny Mountains on the Kola Peninsula are relatively young, they are “only” 350 million years old. And they are relatively low - no higher than 1,200 meters (the top is Yudychvumchorr), although they still grow by several millimeters each year.

The history of the reclamation of Khibiny looks more like a history of struggle against them - the mountains are very stubborn. Saami, the indigenous people of the Kola Peninsula, came here only in summer. According to the Saami legend, the evil spirit of Khibiny punished those who invaded his possessions. Thus Saami poetize the dangerous mountain avalanches which are not tamed until today.

The reclamation of Khibiny was started by the famous mineralogist Aleksandr Fersman. He was a geologist of the North scientific fishing expedition that went to the Kola Peninsula in March 1920. Fersman was interested in samples of minerals found on the slope near the Imandra station - he had not seen anything of this kind before (they were called khibinites after these mountains).

Later the scientist recalled: “It was at once clear for me that Khibiny were a whole new world of stones”. In the same year Fersman returned to Khibiny, already with the expedition created specifically for the study of these mountains. Kirov, immortalized in the name of one of the two cities built here, also helped with the studies.

Kolasportland

The trails of the ski resort “Kolasportland” are laid on the northern slope of the mountain with the unpronounceable name Aikuaivenchorr (1010 m) that is located right within the city limits of Kirovsk.

Therefore, the complex is called simply “City Slope” It was built in 1991 for training of professional sportspeople, but its trails are open to everyone, including locals and tourists.

There are a lot of tourists here: Kirovsk is considered one of the best ski places in Russia. “Kolasportland” is one of the largest equipped ski areas in the Khibiny Mountains: with more than 20 equipped trails, chair lifts, excellent snow fields for freeride. The season is very long - from November to June.

However, the weather worsens in spring, and strong winds often blow the snow away from the tops. The scheme of the resort trails is very confusing and even seems unstructured. The reason for that is the large amount of snow making the Kirov slope perfect for backcountry skiing.

Of course, there are some well-cultured trails certified by the International Ski Federation for slalom and giant slalom. There is a mogul trail (with moguls) and two large trampolines with a span of 50 and 70 meters. The maximum length of the trail is 2.7 km. Seven lifts operate in “Kolasportland” - one chair lift going to the top of the mountain and six surface lifts.

There is a training trail, a rental, instructors, and which is important, there is an own rescue service in Khibiny. Far North gives exotic features to this resort. In November-January polar night begins in Kirovsk, making it difficult to ride, but there is a 30% seasonal discount on ski passes. In addition, two lighted trails are equipped in “Kolasportland”. In spring, when polar day begins, you can ski with sunlight until 21:00.