On Top Of The World

Saturday, December 10, I spent the afternoon with Geir Olsen, General Director of Norwegian Snow Consulting.  He is directing the construction of the alpine events at Rosa Khutor, which will host those events during the 2014 Winter Olympics.  Geir showed me the mountain and talked about his long involvement with mountain sports, the Olympics and the last three years that he has spent building Rosa Khutor.

Geir Olsen- Rosa Khutor

We met at the base of the mountain and rode a series of 3 gondolas up to the top.  When we started up, there was no hint at how big and how far back it extended.  But as we rose quickly, I could see why this site had been chosen for the Olympics. The mountain is big.  Geir explained that the base is about 500 meters in attitude, but the top of the mountain is just over 2,200 meters.  He said that with the change in elevation, when snow conditions are not ideal at lower elevations, the top is often covered with powder.  I asked about snow and what would happen if the weather did not cooperate.  Geir told me that an extensive snow-making system is being put in place and the entire mountain will be covered with snow, regardless. As we talked about the mountain, I noticed the new Doppelmayr gondolas we were riding.  He told me that they were indeed of the Austrian manufacturer and that a lift will be installed that will transport 4,500 spectators per hour to view the events in 2014.  This will be the biggest system in the world.  This was not the only top ranking that Rosa Khutor will have.   The finish area for the alpine events will be the most compact in the history of the Olympic Games, as 30 gold medals will be won within 500 meters of each other.  Geir is still planning the locations of more lifts to be installed and showed me a map of the mountain and how he views its completion.  He told me that eventually it will have about half the skiable terrain that Blackcomb has in Canada, which, together with Whistler, is the largest ski area in North America.

He also told me about avalanche preparation and safety preparedness at Rosa Khutor.  From my point of view, nothing is being left to chance, either by Geir Olsen or Sochi 2014.

Everything that I saw on the mountain was top notch.  Several times I was by myself and personnel were ready at hand to ask me if I needed anything, despite the fact that the mountain is not yet open for the season.  Geir's mid-mountain office had a spectacular setting, with views of the wild Caucasus Mountains from every floor and window.  Geir told me that Sochi2014 has spared no effort to make sure that he has the resources he needs to complete his task.   He pointed out the fleet of Prinoth snow grooming machines and mentioned that Rosa Khutor had completed the largest order ever of the sleekly designed and environmentally-friendly machines.  

I asked Geir about the challenges he faces as he goes about his work.  He laughed and said the biggest one is that he has been so busy he has not had sufficient tine to work on learning Russian.  But he said that he is surrounded with English speakers and that the Russian team assembled is hard-working and competent, so communication has not been an issue.  He mentioned his respect for the group and that he really enjoys his work, saying " you can not buy a day like today."

Geir has been skiing since he could walk and is accomplished at both downhill and cross country skiing.  During his youth, he was a competitive skier.  He loves to ski and showed me a run at the top he likes that only the most expert would even attempt.  However, the demands of Rosa Khutor keep him too busy to do much skiing now.  Typically his day starts early and he continues until late, usually about 9 p.m.  With World Cup Ski Racing coming to Rosa Khutor in February and the Olyimpics two years later, there is a lot to be done.  But it is clear that Geir Olsen and the mountain will be ready for the challenges.

The Art of Flight

Saturday, I attended the Sochi premiere of the Art of Flight, the new snowboarding film by Curt Morgan and sponsored by Red Bull.  The film was shown at Kinoteatr Sochi at 8 p.m. to a full audience.  After spending the day at Rosa Khutor and touring the mountain and sites of the alpine events for Sochi 2014,  the timing was great and i was ready for some mountain action.  Mr. Morgan's film has sequences in Alaska, Chile, Argentina, British Columbia, Wyoming and Colorado and features some of the sport's most accomplished. The mountain scenery was spectacular and the cinematography was amazing, with amazing mountain visitas that left the viewer feeling airborne.  After nearly two hours of watching the best riders in the world rocketing off the most challenging mountains, I was sorry to see the film end.  This is a great film for anyone to see, whether they engage in mountain sports or not.

 From the crowds' reaction to the movie, one can see there are a lot of mountain sports enthusiasts in Sochi. With Rosa Khutor about to open for the season, they have plenty to be excited about.  Rosa Khutor opens on December 24 to the public.  I think quite a few of those in attendance last night will be on the slopes!

Alla Menschikova and the Rodina Grand Hotel and Spa

I met with Alla Menschikova this week at the Rodina Grand Hotel and Spa.  Alla is the Director of Sales, Marketing, Public Relations and Advertising at the Rodina and she generously agreed to speak to me about her career path and the hotel.

Alla, whose name means resurrection in Old Greek, was born in the Siberian city of Tomsk, where her father served in the military.  Later she lived in Moscow, where she attended Moscow State University of Commerce and studied Hotel Management.  Alla's work career started even earlier, in hotel reception in Moscow at, the Katerina Hotel where she quickly worked her way up the ladder into management.  So, she is well-versed in the operational side of hotels.  Later, after finishing University, Alla worked in hotel consultancy for several firms, including Jones Lang La Salle Hotels.  She visited a number of hotel sites in Russia and Ukraine in order to develop the information necessary for hotel feasibility studies, which she wrote.  

After working in consultancy for 4 1/2 years, she decided to reenter hotel management and took a position with the Rodina because she admired the hotel and liked the people working there.  It is easy to see why Alla was drawn to work at the hotel.  The Rodina, with its sweeping driveway and dramatic facade, sits in central Sochi, just a few minutes from the seaport and off Vinogradnaya Ulitsa. The hotel really is a grand facility and the quality of service and the understated elegance of the rooms reminds me of that other grand Russian Hotel, the Grand Europa in Saint Petersburg. The rooms range from 45 square meters for a standard room to 65 for a junior suite and up to 160 for a deluxe suite.  There are views of the tree-filled grounds and Black Sea and the hotel has one of the best quality restaurants in Sochi, the Black Magnolia, which features Mediterranean cuisine and an extensive wine list of well-known French and Italian wines.  The Rodina's spa is one of the largest in Europe, with facial and body treatments, including Thai massage.  There are also sauna and steam rooms.   The outdoor pool area is spectacular and suitable for parties.  There is a conference room for 90 attendees and the Rodina is spacious enough with its restaurants, bars and terraces to accommodate weddings and corporate events simultaneously.  Alla and I spoke about the appeal of the Rodina in the hustle and bustle that is pre-Olympic Sochi.  The hotel is clearly an "oasis" of calm and relaxation that can only be created by very good service.

 

Alla told me that "all guests are equally important" and that she derives great satisfaction from exceeding the expectations of guests who have come a long distance to relax at the Black Sea's best resort.  A philosophy of the hotel is that all employees add value and I have heard stories of all staff, including maids and groundskeepers going to whatever lengths necessary to assure that each detail, no matter how small, is seen to for guests of the hotel.

The Rodina is the preferred destination in Sochi for many of Russia's entertainers and leaders in politics and business. Despite this, there are surprisingly attractive winter rates available and the restaurants are open to diners who are not guests of the hotel.  

For regular updates on Sochi, please follow this link and subscribe to my Sochi Newsletter.  Sochi Newsletter is the only on-the-ground English language source of photos and information on Russia's new boomtown and Black Sea sports capital.

British Banya

I went to the British Banya in Krasnaya Polyana recently.  The owner, James Larkin, is a native of the United Kingdom.  He came to the region in 1993 and has built one of the most unique businesses and best reputations in this part of Russia.

When we met, I expected someone much older than James.  I was waiting in the office with his assistant when he arrived.  He entered the room with the look and relaxed demeanor of a 24 year-old snowboarder from Colorado.  However, James' easy-going charm and friendly disposition belie a great eye for design and a prescience about the markets he serves.  And he is doing all of this in a culture and language not his own.

James studied engineering in the U.K., but before finishing he was drawn to Russia by the stories of a fellow student who came from Krasnaya Polyana.  When he came to Krasnaya Polyana he was intrigued by the culture and opportunities he saw.  This was 14 years before Russia won the right to host the Olympics, so Krasnaya Polyana was not on anyone's radar screen at the time.  

He started out with a small banya on the property.  The business grew and he eventually built a new, much larger facility.  James was not satisfied with the stove he was using in his banya, so he designed and built his own.  The quality and design attracted customers, so he and his wife now build commercially.  His design is more efficient, environmentally friendly and durable than those of usual construct.  His work is getting attention from businesss and political leaders in Russia.  He told me that he is in Moscow several tines a month, where he has multiple projects for the design and construction of banyas and recreation rooms in the homes of wealthy Moscovites.  James' designs include his own unique spa pool (shown below suspended on his property) and the banya stoves, which he builds on his property.

T

The British Banya is popular with locals in Krasnaya Polyana.  Alcohol, although customary at most Russian banyas, is not sold because of the dangerous combination with heat and dehydration, especially at altitude. The banya has a large round room with rocks for heat and steam, the suspended heated pool and a cold water pool for immersion between sitting in the heat.  There is also a room for massage and the leaf and branch treatments that accompany a traditional Russian banya experience.  The banya features a spacious area with seating and tables for relaxing and drinking water and tea during the banya experience.

Because of his great location and growing demand for hotels in Krasnaya Polyana, James is building a 10-room hotel.  The construction is also environmentally-friendly.  The building has a dramatic spiral staircase, spacious rooms and great views.  There also will be a roof-top terrace for guests to enjoy the Caucasus Mountain scenery.  Construction is expected to be completed in February- March 2012.  Foreign Olympic organizations have already called looking to rent the hotel for the Games. 

Food of the Caucasus

Ladochka

There is a lot of diversity in Caucasian cuisine, but my favorite is that of Abkhazia.  The dishes tend to be spicier than Russian food. Common side dishes include mamaliga with cheese, beans (they are not hot, but spicy) and the lodochka (boat) of bread with cheese and sometimes an egg.  One of my favorites is the soup kharcho with lamb.  Another is the similarly named kharch, which is beef in a spicy pomegranate walnut sauce.  

Kharch

Sochi has a number of streetside bakeries that produce lavosh, an Armenian bread.  I like it when it is fresh and hot.

Armenian Bakery