Aren’t you worried about frostbite, ladies? Bikini snowboarders of Siberia take to slopes in SWIMWEAR despite -40C temperatures in crazy new fad

Best known for its abject cold, WW2 death camps, and occasional, tenuous sightings of the Yeti, Siberia is not the first place you might associate with glamour and fun.
But the Russian ski resort of Sheregesh, where temperatures can reach -40C, is doing its best to reinvent the notion that one doesn't go to Siberia for a good time.
Not only does the up-and-coming resort have 'the best snow in Russia', according to the World Snowboard Guide, it also boasts comparatively balmy weather which has led to a new sport: bikini snowboarding.

You really don't want to fall over: Bikini-clad snowboarders enjoying the Siberian snow - and sun

She will need a vin chaud at the bottom: Temperatures can reach -40C in the depths of the Siberian winter

The bikini snowboarders would be stuck if it snowed but Sheregesh is known for its relatively balmy climate

Tempted to hit the slopes in your bikini? The newly-fashionable resort of Sheregesh lies in southern Siberia

And not surprisingly, it has proved a hit both with women keen to tan while they ski, and men happy to watch them doing it.
As these pictures show, the snow in Sheregesh is so good that it lasts from November until May, when the warmer Spring sun encourages skiboarders to strip off.
And it's not just the young women: plenty of men have taken advantage of the sunnier conditions to strip off and ski bare-chested.
Whether they are as appealing to the opposite sex as the bikini-clad girls, remains to be seen.

Tanning while she snowboards: The bikini snowboarders have proved an unexpected attraction in Sheregesh

Balmy conditions: The snow in Sheregesh lasts til May, so holidaymakers can ski in the warm sunshine

It must be cold on the chairlift, though: The snowboarders wear just bikinis and ski boots

The World Snowboard Guide says that despite Sheregesh's 'famous Siberian frost, lack of apres-ski', and tedious eight-hour trek from Moscow, the powder is 'dry and fast' and its reputation as a relaxed and fun ski resort means it is fast becoming a fashionable place for Russia's jeunesse doree to go.
Another attraction of the resort is the forthcoming Yeti Park, based on the mythical 'abominable snowman' that some claim to have spotted in the Russian mountains.
Two years ago, a conference on bigfoot-type creatures, also known as Sasquatch, was held at Tashtagol, down the road from Sheregesh, attracting experts from around the world. 

This video grab shows a young woman enjoying snowboarding in the warm sunshine in beach attire

Where are your salopettes? Bikini snowboarders certainly save money on the expensive ski-wear

Fashionable new craze: The bikini snowboarders of Siberia need to keep their wits about them to avoid wipe-out