I was there today and believe Popova Shapka is a disaster. The ski lift on Teteks broke and the iron almost hit my eyes. Instead it hit my leg. When I tried to report this there was no help. Later on the small chair flew 20 meters away under another guy. I love my country but going to Popova Shapka to ski may just be too dangerous for you. Nobody even asked me if I was ok. Shapka = Big disaster.
Finally something is going on Shara!
It's the first European Snowcat freeriding operation.
They take you around 32 km2 of untracked mountain going up to 2700 m where you're the only one to enjoy this!
There's wide open terrains, tree riding, couloirs, cliffs, banks, natural pipe canyons form 25 to 50 degrees steepness.
You can do that even if you're an intermediate rider.
Fat skis or snowboard are highly recommended, but if you don't have them you can rent it there. Check eskimo-freeride.com
It's heli experience at a reasonable price...
Popova Shapka is a resort with great potential. Great mountain. One hell of a good slope called Ciripashina (steep and long). The other slopes are somewhat short. It's a shame that it's still state owned, and nothing has been invested in more than 20 years. That's why it's usually crowded. On the upside the ski pass is very cheep relative to the surrounding ski centres. Best time to visit - February.