HSE University Tour Club Team Conquers Burevestnik Pass in Khibiny

From June 9 to 12, HSE University’s Tour Club team climbed the Burevestnik Pass (1080 m, category 2A in the Russian grading system) in the Khibiny Mountains.

The ascent was timed to coincide with Russia Day and was dedicated to the activities of the Russian Students Sports Union, formerly known as the Burevestnik Voluntary Sports Society. The union has over 65 years of history and is an important part of Russia’s sports culture.

In 1970, Burevestnik included over 600 student sports clubs. More than 1.5 million athletes were involved with the organisation, including about 70,000 professors, teachers, and scientists. It trained Olympic champions and winners of global, European, and Soviet competitions.

‘For many years, Burevestnik was the foundation for the development of active lifestyles, sports, and tourism in the country. Let our ascent to the pass remind everyone of the significance of these values and the importance of preserving them,’ says Leonid Postovsky, chairman of the Association of Student Tourist Clubs and the Council of the Student League for Sports Tourism, HSE University graduate.

The main obstacles along the route were the Burevestnik and Orliny passes, located near the city of Kirovsk. They have a difficulty category of 2A according to the tourist classification and are considered some of the most difficult, avalanche-prone passes in the Khibiny Mountains.

According to the classification of the Federation of Sports Tourism of Russia, level 2A is the third of six existing levels of pass difficulty.

According to the rules of sports tourism, student competitions are held on routes up to category 2B, the fourth category of complexity. Such passes are of above-medium difficulty, and climbing and overcoming them requires experience in mountain hiking, knowledge of the basic techniques of sports tourism, and the ability to work in a team. Competitors must be physically fit and have ice equipment such as crampons and rock pitons to cope with the challenges that may be encountered along the way.

The club’s most experienced members were selected to participate in the trip to the pass, and the resources of the Association of Student Tourist Clubs and the Federation of Sports Tourism of Russia were used.

The group of eight people included HSE University students (MIEM, Faculty of Creative Industries, and Graduate School of Business) and graduates. The idea of the trip originated with MIEM graduate and Master of Sports title holder Maxim Kondrashkin.

‘The main idea was to do a short but technically difficult hike across several obstacles of levels 1B–2A. The task was complicated by the fact that the campaign took place in the off-season, when not all the snow has melted in the mountains yet. But our team was ready for such difficulties,’ Maxim Kondrashkin explains.

The HSE University Tour Club is a student organisation created to develop sports and active tourism among young people. The club’s activities range from simple hikes to multi-day walking trips, as well as training and educational courses to prepare for hikes. You can find out more about upcoming events in the club’s VK group.

June 14, 2023