Bolshoy Vudyavr

The skiing and the prices are what people like. The pistes are wide and carve well, and Aikuaivenchorr holds powder when it falls. The season runs November to May, and the polar night bothers experienced skiers little, since the resort has Russia's longest floodlit run. Lift passes and food are called cheap, and the location right in Kirovsk is convenient. On clear days the Khibiny views are singled out.

Queues are the big complaint. Visitors write of enormous lines eating over an hour, and one guest spent four and a half of his five hours on the mountain waiting. The weather lets it down: blizzards and wind stop the lifts, parallel cableways do not always run alike, wrecking the day's plans. Service is said to have slipped while prices have risen. Management draws separate criticism - reviewers accuse it of hiding the real state of the pistes and deleting complaints on social media.