TASS, October 26. More than 1,200 tourists climbed the Polar Urals Mountains in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region in 2023, the region's government told TASS.

"According to the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region's Tourist Information Center, 1,271 people have climbed the Polar Urals Mountains in 2023 in groups organized by the regional agency for tourism development," the government said adding no organized groups are planned to the end of the year. The number of tourists visiting the mountains grew by 1.5 times year-on-year (832 tourists in 2022).

The most popular peak is the Rai-Iz mountain range in the Polar Urals' southern part. Tourists take an 8-kilometer route to climb to 868 meters above sea level. In 2022, the number of people taking this route was 200, and in 2023 - 537. Another popular location on the Rai-Iz range is the Romantikov massif - 250 people visited it in 2023, against 200 in the previous year. The glacier near the Enga-Yu River valley is considered the most accessible of the Polar Urals' 90 glaciers.

The summer season in the Yamal's mountains begins with the stable warm weather, when ice on most mountain rivers and streams starts to retreat. This year, it was in mid-June. The season traditionally continues to the end of September before the first snow. The climbing routes to main attractions do not require special physical skills, as in most parts the slopes are rising gradually.

Who climbs mountains

The regional Tourism Development Agency's representative Kirill Sukhov told TASS every year tourists come traditionally from the country's five or six regions. Additionally, the organizers can see the growing numbers in guests from the region's districts located rather far from the ridge. "While earlier they were mostly from the nearest cities - Labytnangi, Salekhard, now they come from across the region. We have been able to demonstrate that mountains are much easier than it may seem, they are not somewhere far away, and it is not so difficult to get there or to climb," he said. The agency invites tourists aged from 14 years and there is no upper limit - some tourists are over 70, he added.

Travelling in groups requires minimal infrastructures: sanitary modules and pads for safety instructions. "We have been adding rather not infrastructures, but certain entertainment options. This year, on the route to the Romantikov glacier, we added SUP surfing and photo sessions amid mountain peaks. We have agreed with the Russian Post that our guests can mail postcard right from the glacier to anywhere in the country," he said.

Promoting Polar Urals Mountains

The Polar Urals Mountains' potential could be an anchor in development of the local tourism industry, the regional government said. It takes an hour to get from the Salekhard airport to the Pai-Iz massif. In 2022, the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region at the initiative of its Governor Dmitry Artyukhov launched the first stopover program in Russia. Under this program, travelers may stay overnight in Salekhard. The program is applicable for return trips on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Russia's six cities. The plan is to make the Yamal stopover option daily.

For safety and recreational reasons, massive climbing in the Polar Urals is limited in the number of participants, thus limiting consequently the promotion of these tourist products. "We post our offers on media channels, social networks and websites. <...> The demand is incredibly high, but we do not want to involve many more people than we do now, as we realize traveling to mountains is always potentially unsafe," the official said.

Earlier, the region announced plans to open a ski complex on the Rai-Iz mountain range with different-level trails with a total length of 19 km. The complex will have 320 rooms at 3-and 4-star hotels, restaurants, cafes, and a SPA center. The complex will offer the country's longest skiing season.

The Polar Urals is the northern part of the Urals Mountains of more than 25,000 square kilometers. It attracts fans of hiking, skiing and water tourism. The Rai-Iz massif is a key tourist area in the Polar Urals' southern part.