Arhyz is a settlement in the South-West of Karachey Cherkessia republic and is 52 km to the South of the station Zilenchyksky, which is joined to the road.  The climate in Arhyz is milder than in neighbouring valleys.  Its mountain-range, the Abishira-Akhyba, is a high 3,000m barrier fencing off the top part of the Big Zilenchyka valley from the North, stopping the cold wind from getting in. Unfolding along the meridian, the wide valley is lit up by the sun (sunny days average around 280 per year).  Summer in Arhyz is not hot and the winter is mild with lots of snow.  The average temperature in January is 5.4ºC.

The mild climate and high snowfall make Arhyz a very attractive place for ski-tours.  The comparatively low altitudes mean you can manage the climb up and still have enough energy for the descent.  The region does not have the merited attention it deserves in terms of the number of ski-tourists visiting the area, although this is perhaps due to its remoteness from the alpine-skiing infrastructure established in Dombay and Preilbrussky, and it is not part of any main transport routes.  At the same time, it is exactly these two reasons that make Arhyz such an appealing place to lovers of ‘virgin’ slopes and wild nature, which also remain the discovery of your own party.