Hello!

I was put on cross-country skiing at about the same age when I learned to walk. In his hometown, the snow lay for 8 months, and a forest began across the street from the house. Having moved 7 years ago to St. Petersburg, I was very homesick for my favorite slopes, and began to look for recreation centers with ski rental. So I found out about "Kavgolovo" ...

Location: Toksovo village, 20 km north of St. Petersburg

How to get there: the most convenient way is by car, but we went by minibus from metro Devyatkino to the Fantastica store, and then walked another half hour through the summer cottage village. They go in that direction of the train, but then you still have to go by minibus or bus.

What to expect: typical soviet hotel, but with very friendly staff

Nutrition: you can buy complete meals for the whole day, order separately, or, like us, bring food with you. Although for breakfast we went to the dining room and bought a plate of delicious milk porridge for a cheap price.

All rooms are equipped with conveniences, that is, there is a small bathroom with a sink, toilet and shower. One place in such a room, regardless of the number of beds, costs 550 rubles (fall 2015), and if you want to chic and get a TV with a refrigerator, then each person will have to pay 150 rubles more.


When we went for the first time, we took a double room with equipment, since at that time it was the Winter Olympics, and my friend was going to watch. But then the prices were slightly lower. I must say that both the refrigerator and the TV worked properly.

Inside, too, everything is Soviet-style. There are signs everywhere so that windows are not opened in winter. In general, everyone has an exit to the balcony. In the summer, it's probably wonderful to drink hot tea


The beds are new, the curtains are new, the bed linen is also not made of synthetics and not washed - it is pleasant to touch it.


Old batteries hardly drown. Both times we ran into a -30 frost, which, to put it mildly, is not very pleasant for Peter. So they slept in all their clothes, except for street jackets. Towards the morning, two of us climbed onto the same bed and covered ourselves with two blankets. If we sat in a room and watched TV, we also did it side by side and under two blankets.


The water in the shower ran in a thin stream, and even then it was barely warm. But in such a frost, I didn't really want to wash in the room either. I didn't take a picture of the whole bathroom, so just like that. The shower is supposed to be taken while standing on the tiled floor.

So for a romantic date with your other half in winter, this base is not suitable. To this end, you will have to overpay in the tridoroga, but then live with all the comfort in the neighboring base.


This neighboring base is located at the foot of the famous "North Slope" - a ski complex. It is expensive to live there, so "Kavgolovo" is hammered in winter by unassuming students and youth. So if someone wants to go snowboarding, they can save some money and stay at Kavgolovo. It takes about 30 minutes to walk to the ski resort, the road is lit by lanterns, so it's good even in the evening.


On the "North Slope" in the evenings on weekends, they often arrange some kind of action, so you can come and see. We only had enough to take pictures, and we went back to the Olympics


There is a rental of cross-country skis and boots, cheesecakes and sledges. The site also states that in the summer you can take a barbecue, a boat and a bicycle, but in the summer I was not there. I don't remember the price of skis, but it was very budgetary. The skis are plastic, but the boots are the old version of the mount, when there is a metal clip. I'm fine, but my friend hadn't skated for 5 years at that time, and it was hard for her to adapt.


For more modern equipment, including snowboards and alpine skis, you can visit the North Slope. The prices there, however, are quite high, and you must leave documents for the car or money as a deposit.

Where to go cross-country skiing

We thought we were going for a ride on the frozen lake, which is located next to the base. But it was very windy, and we did not dare to go out into the open space - we skated around a small stadium nearby. During the preparation of the review, I learned that there is a ski track on the "North Slope", but then we did not hear about it.



The fact is that in Toksovo there is a ski track famous for the entire Soviet northwest. In the days of my dad's youth, international competitions were organized there, and this center is still working. In general, this was where we initially aimed, but in "Kavgolovo" it turned out that it was impossible to get there on foot, and we did not have a car. So for cross-country skiing, I recommend going there with your own car.

UTC Kavgolovo is a sports complex near the railway platform Kavgolovo, owned by the National State University of Physical Culture, Sports and Health named after PF Lesgaft. However, not only students train here. Now there are all the conditions for the successful year-round training of athletes of the highest level - including members of the Russian national team in winter sports: cross-country skiing, biathlon, mogul, ski acrobatics.
For more successful training, an artificial snowmaking system for an asphalt roller ski track and an infrastructure for sportsmen's recreation were built, which includes a hotel, a dining room, changing rooms with showers, a sauna, ski preparation rooms, and more. So far, any mortal can feel like an athlete who has a desire and 250 rubles in his pocket per day of skiing for 2016.
In general, the track consists of a circle, in which one part is at a height, and the other at a low, that is, half of the circle you climb a mountain, and the other half is off. The difference in height is significant, so the track is ideal for strength training. There is a ski and biathlon stadium.
The cost of the visit includes a changing room and shower, the key can be taken when paying from the hotel administrator. The parking is spacious enough.
In addition to the land ski-roller track, which turns into a ski-run track in winter, an indoor kilometer-long tunnel was built on the territory of the complex with year-round artificial snowmaking and temperature maintenance in the range from -2 to -5, regardless of external conditions and temperature.

You can visit the tunnel at any time of the year and practice, adding the same amount to 250 rubles (prices in 2016). In the dining room, you can have a very inexpensive lunch with hot dishes, salads, fit into 250 rubles.

Skiing

Everyone who has bought skis always wonders where to go. In our city there are parks and squares where you can go skiing in winter. However, if the soul asks for more, for example, a good prepared cross-country track, not far from St. Petersburg? I must say right away that we have very few such tracks, they can literally be counted on one hand. I'll tell you about some of them and hope that the list will continue to grow.

1. VIFK - Military Institute of Physical Culture.

The track is located in the northwest of Lake Khepojärvi. Start / finish on the territory of the VIFK camp, which is on the section of the road Toksovo - Nov. Toksovo, on the right, around the bend to Eagle Mountain. The track is "live", i.e. it is constantly being prepared and competitions are held on it. There is an illuminated section of 2 km, until 21.00, almost flat. The main distance of 5, under the classics and the skate, is very hilly. As a rule, 10 more are rolled out for both types. From there, you can run around Khepojärvi along the flat track to the SKA track and return back across the lake or vice versa. The circle turns out to be 15. An excellent route for all skill levels. Very often under the snow on the lake. There is water (springs) in Khepoyarvi, but this is not a crime, mainly in the area where it connects with Lake Tea. There is no rental or changing room. From the railway station. Kavgolovo 30-40 (~ 3 km) minutes on foot or by minibus to Eagle Mountain.

2. SKA

Located in the east of Toksovo.

It is necessary to turn right in front of the Kavgolovsky trampoline, the 1st fork to the left, the 2nd, on the descent, to the right and before entering the "Northern Slope" to the left until it stops. You can follow the sign to "Severny" and when you exit the road to it, turn right, that is, on the opposite side from "Snezhny". There "live" 5-ka, skate + classic, very hilly. There are exits to ski tracks around Lake Khepojärvi (see item 1) and to the “ring” between the holiday village “Victoria”, and the lake. School.

3. Eagle mountain

To the east of Maly Kavgolovskoye Lake, Start / Finish begins right next to the parking lot of the Eagle Mountain resort, where in the summer an asphalt skier jumps out onto a sandy volleyball field. 5, more amateur than sports. The hilly area is average. Closer VIFK to the train (station Kavgolovo, 20 min.). There are changing rooms, cafes, toilets on the "Mountain".

4. Surf

Ski base "Priboy" in Zelenogorsk, 1 km from the railway station on the road to Ilyichevo, on the right. Leave cars on the side of the road or at the cemetery, which is further along the road for 1 km and in front of the white brick house to the right into the forest. The base has a ski rental, a changing room, toilets. The track is "live" - \u200b\u200bcompetitions are held regularly. There is absolutely even 2, and also marked 3, 5, 10, 15. All distances are prepared for the classics and skate. Every kilometer there is a signpost of the distance traveled, and from the middle of the remaining one, it is at 15-ke. The track is moderately hilly. You can jump out along the ski tracks to Lake Shchuchye (beyond the 5 km mark, the fork is to the right) and Bol. Simagino (straight ahead at the 6 km mark). There is often an ice-hole on Shchuchye. From there you can go to the railway station. Komarovo past Komarovsky (writer's) cemetery.

5. LMZ

1 km south of the railway station Lembolovo, west of the railway. Distances 3, 5 and 10 km, flat near the Start / Finish and relief in the middle of the 10-ki.

6. Mozhaisk

Duderhof Heights - 1 km south of the railway station. Mozhaiskaya and to the left up the hill (Mountain "Nut" 175 m) there is a children's ski school. At the top of the mountain there are 5 very relief and beautiful winds, with gorgeous views of St. Petersburg in clear weather. There are no changing rooms, toilets and other things, but sometimes an uncle comes up - the owner of the mountain and asks for fifty kopecks (for the whole season) This is the coach of this school and takes money for fuel for a snowmobile to "cut" the track.

7. Pargolovskaya ski track

A small three-kilometer track, located almost within the city limits, a five-minute drive from the station. metro Prospect Enlightenment. The route runs along the picturesque copses of the southern end of the Shuvalov forest park. A simple, in general, track with a maximum elevation difference of only 15 m, is replete with a large number of turns and is very convenient for coaches who can observe skiers from one point 3-4 times on each lap.

About 50% of the route runs through open areas with little wind protection. The total climb on a 3-kilometer circle is 90 m or, on average, 18 m per kilometer. There are practically no difficult ascents and descents, the track is well suited for training children and beginner skiers. The distance from any point on the track to the starting town does not exceed 500-600 meters.

Travel by buses and minibuses in the direction of Pargolovo / Sertolovo. From st. metro Ozerki, etc. Enlightenment has a large number of routes that provide a 5-10-minute interval of movement, both on weekends and on weekdays.

Travel time is 10 minutes. The stop is opposite Lenta on Vyborgskoe highway (not far from the turn to Kamenka). By car you will reach the area of \u200b\u200bthe highway from Poklonnaya Gora in the same 10 minutes.

8. Blue cottage

The ski track of the MOO STC "Monolit", known among skiers as "Golubaya Dacha", is located in the vicinity of the village of Suoranda, 6 km from the western outskirts of the city, the Rzhevka-Porokhovyh region. The main part of the trail runs on a forested slope adjacent to open hilly terrain.

The track, in general, has a "playful" character with an alternation of relatively gentle ascents and descents, and in the area from the sixth to the eleventh kilometers there are rather heavy long ascents with a climb of up to 30-40 meters. The start and finish sections pass through an open area, practically not protected from the wind. The rest of the route is sheltered from the wind by a forest. The total length of the track is 15 km, the presence of sidetracks allows racing at almost any distance. The total climb is 255 meters, that is, about 17 meters per kilometer, which allows the track to be classified as medium difficulty.

In the area of \u200b\u200bthe track there are walking trails, one of which connects the area with the Okhta forest park in Porokhovy, which allows you to ski right on the outskirts of the city and after 30-40 minutes (7-8 km) reach the foot of the Koltush Upland, on the slope of which the track is located ...

9. Dynamo ski track pos. Toksovo, pos. Kavgolovo

The Dynamo ski trail runs through the territory of the Kavgolovsky forest park in the immediate vicinity of the square. Kavgolovo. The track runs in a park forest and is reliably sheltered from wind and snowfall by century-old fir trees. A relatively uncomplicated 5-kilometer distance with a total climb of 120 m (an average of 24 m per kilometer) is used only for small-scale competitions. However, due to its convenient location and good protection from adverse weather conditions, this track is very convenient for training.

A significant number of sports centers located in the area, as well as the proximity of the Eagle Mountain ski complex create good conditions for changing clothes and rest after training.

In the area of \u200b\u200bmass skiing there are a large number of walking trails, and on weekends you will meet skiers-tourists and outdoor enthusiasts on the tracks.

The easiest way to get to l / w "Dynamo" is by electric train from Finland Station to Kavgolovo square (direction Sosnovo / Priozersk, interval 30 - 40 minutes on weekends, travel time 45 - 50 minutes). You can also use buses and minibuses from the station. metro Grazhdansky pr. and Prosveshcheniya ave. to the stop "Toksovo, center" or "Tramplin"

Electric trains from Finland Station in the direction of Sosnovo / Priozersk run on weekends with an interval of 30 - 40 minutes. Vehicle owners can get to the village. Toksovo as through the railway crossing at pl. Murino, and along the route of Kultury ave. - Bugry - Kuzmolovo - Toksovo, following the signs in the direction of the Eagle Mountain ski resort. Here you can either park your car in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Tramplin bus stop, or drive directly to the starting town through the Eagle Mountain ski complex and the training base of the Russian State Academy of Physical Culture im. Lesgaft, and further along a low-quality road past pl. Kavgolovo through the l / w "Builder", which will add about 4 km.

Command L-BIKE expresses gratitude for the materials provided to Anatoly Chaika and Vasily Madshus.

For more than 30 years, the SKA LenVO Sports Complex has been a base for year-round training of representatives of winter sports and an arena for competitions of various ranks and scales. Famous in the 70s and 80s of the twentieth century, the Kavgolovsky Games, stages of the World Cup in cross-country skiing and ski nordic combination, international, all-Russian and city competitions of skiers, biathletes and combined athletes were held here.
The national teams of Russia, St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region in winter sports held and are conducting training here, orienteers and rowers, cyclists and climbers tested and test their strength. In recent years, mass sports events have been held here, gathering hundreds of participants and becoming famous throughout Russia, such as the Toksovo Marathon and the Khepojärvi Tour, which unites competitions in cross-country skiing, cross-country, cycling and roller skiing. Gundé Svan, Per Elofson, Bjorn Daly, Thomas Alsgård, Mika Mullyula, Vladimir Smirnov and many others performed on SKA tracks. Here Yulia Chepalova won her first victory at the World Cup stage, becoming an Olympic champion a month later.

The SKA Sports Complex, located on the shore of Lake Hepojärvi, included:

Sports base with a stadium, a rowing center, a gym, hotels, a boiler room and a canteen;
- Biathlon shooting range;
- A ski track that was certified by the International Ski Federation (FIS) (for certification, the track was laid, profiled and cleared of vegetation in accordance with the FIS certification requirements);
- The only roller ski and cross-country skiing track in the vicinity of St. Petersburg

The combination of the necessary relief, favorable microclimate, prepared for the development of infrastructure and transport accessibility make the SKA Sports Complex a truly unique base for training athletes of all levels and holding competitions in various sports. A similar complex within a radius of 250 km from St. Petersburg not ... Unfortunately, the listed advantages also interested people with other interests. As a result, last summer and this fall, the complex was under threat of destruction.

Over the past several months, active and large-scale work has been carried out directly on the ski and biathlon track of the SKA sports base in the village of Toksovo in the area of \u200b\u200bLake Khepojärvi and the biathlon shooting range, related to deforestation and soil movement, and the marking of building plots (photos are attached). The work is being carried out on the famous Samurai climb, which due to its complexity has been honored to have a proper name. Judging by the ongoing excavation work and the markings on display, the lift itself as part of the ski and biathlon tracks should be destroyed.

Many children's sections, teams of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region and amateur athletes involved in various sports: biathlon, cross-country skiing, Nordic combined, orienteering, mountaineering, cycling, etc. use this complex not only for competitions, but also as a base for training. Athletes who became the pride of Soviet and Russian sports grew and polished their skills on the tracks laid along the Toksovsky hills: Evdokia Mekshilo and Nina Gavrylyuk, Lyubov Egorova and Evgeny Belyaev, Nikolai Puzanov and Rinat Safin, Anatoly Alyabyev and Dmitry Vasiliev, Vladimir Drachev and others Leningrad and St. Petersburg.

Transfer for construction and subsequent the inevitable exclusion of the use of the famous "Samurai" ascent as part of the route, directly on which deforestation is being carried out and markings are installed, will make it PRINCIPALLY IMPOSSIBLE to use not only this site, but also the ALL sports complex for holding official all-Russian and international competitions ... This is due to the fact that in the vicinity of the SKA shooting range there are no other ascents that have the elevation difference and profile required for certification.

The current situation and the threat hanging over the ski and biathlon complex cause extreme concern among the sports community, active athletes and sports organizations in our region, however, appeals to the administration of the village of Toksovo and the leaders of the Sports Club of the Army LenVo did not bring clarity. Rather, on the contrary, it became clear from the answers of the representatives of the administration that either the leadership of the Sports Club of the Army does not control what is happening in the territory under its jurisdiction, or deliberately does not provide information about the development to representatives of sports federations, state bodies and the public interested in using the Complex as intended.

Vladimir Zhitenev