Kirovsk is a town located on the South edge go the Khibiny Mountains. Originally settled in 1929 this area is one of the main mining areas within all of Russia. With a population of just under 30,000 people situated just below the mountains this area was the first ski centre within Russia. Being on the shores of Lake Bolshoy Vudyavr there is an endless amount of ski touring options from the West to the East.

Arriving in Kirovsk

This was my second time in the Khibiny Mountains and I was fortunate to return with my good friend Ilkka. He had been riding within the Kirovsk area for the past decade and knew the ski touring options well. We arrived in the night and found ourselves at a condo right next to Big Wood ski resort for 12$ a day. One of the many great things about staying in the area is that everything is cheap compared to most areas.

We woke up and slowly got our gear ready. Drinking coffee we could see Bigwood out of the window watching people make there way towards the Gondola. Both of us had been to the resort before so we wanted to head into the backcountry instead.

We decided to climb the mountains across the valley from Kirovsk and get a good idea of what the conditions were like. Being Mid March it was sunny out but it was cold being around -25c. Layering our gear so we could keep warm we made our way towards the mountains. Leaving the trailhead there was about 20cms of new snow on top of ice.

The most challenging part of ski touring in the Kirovsk area is making your way through the lower trees. While they are small they dense and stiff making it a battle to get past. Once through the lower section we made our way into the alpine with views of the Khibiny Mountains.

Climbing among the Khibiny Mountains

After making our way up to the ridge the route started off straightforward after being forced to traverse around a steep bowl. What had been relatively good snow in the trees below had changed to firm wind buffed ice.

With a few well placed steps we made our way back onto the ridge. Hiking along the narrow space we couldn’t help but soak in the views of the terrain around Kirovsk. From steep chutes to open bowls there was ski touring terrain for people of all ability levels.

Before long we were making the final steps to the summit with Lake Bolshoy Vudyavr below us. Off in the distance we could see Bigwood ski resort basking in the sun on the right hand side of the photo below.

Being so cold the moment you stopped your body would start freezing. Even though we were in the sun being so far North it didn’t bring any heat with it.

Our First Run within the Kirovsk Area

Standing on top of our first run of the trip it looks nice but below us the snow conditions weren’t looking to appealing in. While the East facing bowl was wide open we could tell from hiking that the slopes were covered in ice with a thin layer of snow.

Ilkka dropped in first as I watching him from a distance. With every turn I could here him laying his edges into the ice but it didn’t matter as the terrain wasn’t technical.

Instead of retracing our ascent route we decided to ski down to Lake Bolshoy Vudyavr. From there we would skin across the lake and back to the car. Once in the lower bowl the snow conditions improved with a few centimetres of powder. Riding down to the shores we decided to go for another lap in the lower section before calling it a day. There was good snow but it certainly wasn’t in the alpine.

Day 2: Heading East of Kirovsk

Heading back to our place in Kirovsk we needed to make a plan for the next day. Knowing that there was snow in the trees we scoured the maps looking for a more fitting location. Looking on the outskirts of the Khibiny Mountains we noticed an area on the Southeast side. There was a remote village and mining operation there so we decided to check out the area.

Leaving Kirovsk we drove 45 minutes to the East before it was time to leave the car. The area we had skied the day before was relatively big mountains this area was quite a bit smaller with 1,500 foot runs back to the road.

The terrain from the day before was much steeper then the mellow slopes we were climbing. Starting at a lower elevation the trees made there way almost to the top of the ridge. Off in the distance we could see Lake Umbozero to the East.

Once on top of the ridge we could see the massive mining operations to the north. Doing a bit of research on the area we found out that they had cleared the area out with Atomic Bombs. They had left massive scars in the mountains and the whole cirque seemed to be in operation throughout the season.

Snowboarding Powder in the Trees

With the lines being relatively short we decided to do a few runs in the sections where the slopes were open. Having just skinned up we scoped potential ski lines to make the most out of our day. Having experienced ice the day before the open areas were firm but quickly improved once we made it to the trees.

For our second run we followed an open gully all the way to the flats below. This area had caught the snow and was the best turns of the day. Although it was low angled it was still fun finding some good powder turns.

Being 2 days into our trip we experienced both ice up high and powder down low. We would be in the Kirovsk area for a week so we needed to come up with ski tours that were fitting with the conditions. Looking at the forecast it seemed that snow was coming in the following day so the hopefully we would be riding powder from here on out.

Thank you for reading and If you enjoyed reading this and want to see more ski tours within the Khibiny Mountains check out this link