ГСОК Казань (Cвияга) sommario (GSOK Kazan (Sviyaga))

GSOK Kazan is a small resort with less than 200m vertical, situated on the river bank of Sviyaga, approximately 40 km from Kazan.

The piste map indicates chair 3 lifts and 3 tracks, but in reality the number of tracks has been expanded: two side branches of the blue track were added, plus a long alternative track at the extreme left, reachable with the help of the moving walkway which starts at the top of the red lift.

Snowboarders can find 4 hidden paths with natural (and often untracked) snow between the green and the blue tracks.

There are two tobogganing tracks with separate lifts and two dedicated areas for beginners. Ski coaches can be hired to help make the first steps.

The infrastructure includes several cafés and restaurants, ski rental centre with a workshop, sports gear store, a hotel and a number of small chalet-like houses available for rent.

The road signs suggest there is also a golf club nearby. In general, the area is worth seeing already because of the open river view, at the point where Sviyaga joins Volga and becomes impressively wide. There is an island with a monastery in the middle, and another monastery on the very steep bank not far from the ski centre.

A visitor has to remember that this is a very windy area, which is especially felt in the chairlifts near the top where you will be freezing even when the temperatures are moderate in the car park. So take an extra layer of clothing to be safe.