Ski mountaineer Nikita Filippov won his first meda. КАВКАЗ.РФ

Elbrus

The Elbrus ski resort is located in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic in the Elbrus region and has been a popular destination on Russia's tourist map for over half a century. Tens of thousands of athletes and winter sports enthusiasts from all over the world flock here. They are attracted by high-altitude observation decks, ski slopes, a snow park, eco-trails, and the opportunity to climb Elbrus, the highest mountain in Russia and Europe. Elbrus is home to the highest cable car in the country, at an altitude of 3,847 meters. Its uniqueness is confirmed by the Russian Book of Records. The resort has a well-developed infrastructure: 19.5 km of equipped ski slopes, 7 lifts (including 3 modern gondola lifts), more than 65 km of eco-trails, and about 800 accommodation options of various comfort levels. The resort offers the opportunity to enjoy skiing even in spring and summer. The skiing season continues until July, with training camps for regional and national Russian teams in alpine skiing and freestyle, as well as all-Russian alpine skiing competitions.

Ski mountaineer Nikita Filippov won his first medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

He took second in the sprint—a discipline that involves several stages: part of the ascent is covered on skis with skins, part on foot, with the skis strapped to a backpack, and then a high-speed descent back down on skis. The race lasts approximately 3.5 minutes.

It's worth noting that Nikita's first ski mountaineering camp (he had previously also competed in biathlon and cross-country skiing) took place on Elbrus. It served as preparation for the Junior World Championships and simultaneously as a turning point: the mountains captivated him so much that he decided to devote himself entirely to ski mountaineering.