The challange to climb to the top of Europe is considerable. But with a top guide leading the small international team, the vivid culture and the immense feeling of the Caucasus Range, you're in for an adventure unlike any other.

You're about to climb the higest peak of Europe, on of the Seven Summits of the World. As such, this mountain, rising on the Russian side of the Georgian-Russian border, is almost sacred to climbers all over the world. It's definitely sacred to the local Kabarid people with thousand year-old traditions. You're in Europe, but the atmosphere and the mountains are remarkably different from the Alps. It doesn't feel like Asia either, as the people here are more proud and hot-tempered. This is the Caucasus.

You're getting ready for a wonderful climb to 5642 meters. Looking around from Europe's highest peak, you see Asia to the South and Europe to the North. Descending back to the valley, a wonderful, two-day trek crowns your achievement.

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Mt. Elbrusz Climb

Somewhere between MIR and Barrels Hut

The Eastern Summit from the Saddle Adil Su Valley Acclimatisation at 5000m

Acclimatisation above Priut Cheget chairlift

Adil Su valley Elbrus Southwest face, sunset Elbrus village

Elbrus - the Eastern (lower) summit We're at the foot of Mt. Elbrus Sunset behind Elbrus

Chairlift on Elbrus Moon&summit

Barrels Hut Second attempt at the summit (succesful!) Irik Valley

Local stuff - Caucasus food Donkey life in the Caucasus Eastern Summit

MIR station below Refuge at Priut

Western Summit Summit ridge on the Western summit Graves

Crowning the successful climb with an amazing trek in the Baskan Valley Here we opt to take the taxi Hungarians on the summit

Thanks to Nagy László and the great team from 2008 with a 100% success rate

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Day 1: Meeting in Mineralnye Vody and heading over to Terskol (2150 m), Cheget peak (3404 m)

We meet you quite early in Mineralnye Vody. A quick handshake is all we have time for, as we squeeze our equipment into a van that will take us to the foot of the mountain to a village named Terskol. Here, you occupy a comfy room at a small guesthouse. Grab something to eat, perhaps take a short nap. In the afternoon, we're off to your first acclimatisation hike: Cheget peak. We take the chairlift to 3000 meters and make an easy trek to the peak just 400 meters above. 

You get your first perfect glimpses of your target, Mt. Elbrus from Cheget peak. What a great first day! Afterall, you got to put your boots on and work up a sweat. Good warm-up for the challanges ahead.

Day 2: Azau (2350 m) - MIR-állomás (3470 m) - Priut 11 (4157 m) - Barrels Hut (3750 m)

In the early hours, we set out. Getting in a cab, we ride to Azau village. Here you get on a chairlift and enjoy it all the way to 3470 meters, where you have the famous MIR Station. With your large pack, you hike on volcanic rock - pretty "moonlike" terrain - all the way to Barrels Hut - or Garabashi, as the locals call it. Here, you throw the big rucksack down and cheerfuly continue your trek with a light pack all the way to Priut 11. This should make for a great acclimatisation hike. At Priut 11, you are 4170 meters above sea level. Descend back to the Oil Barrels for a night. 

Day 3: Barrles Hut (3750 m) - Pastuchov Rocks (4690 m) - Priut 11 (4157 m) 

As a start, there is a three hour hike with your rucksack to Priut 11. Like yesterday, you keep going with a small pack - just water, snacks and an extra sweater - to Pastuchov Rocks, almost 4700 meters. This rock formation, forming a mass almost alien to the smooth volcanic surface of Elbrus is the only place at this altitude which isn't completely covered by snow. You'll see some tents here, as several climbers attempt the summit from camps set up here at "The Rocks". 

Take a short break and descend back to Priut 11. Having a hard time acclimatising? Is the headache a bit too strong here? Don't worry! At this point, you and your guide may decide that it's better for you to spend the night at Barrels Hut again. In that case, you just walk back down with a guide and spend another night at 3750 meters (instead of 4157 meters). This should get you in perfect condition for the following day.

Day 4: Mt. Elbrus summit climb (5642 meters)

On Day 4, you will most likely be ready for the summit. Get ready for a painfully-early start: 2 AM at the latest :)

It may be as cold as -20 Celsius on this morning. The sunrise will greet you at Pastuchov Rocks. You should be celebrating on the summit by noon. If you have the strenght and the weather plays along, you can go for the Eastern Summit, which is slightly (20 meters) lower but requires a 400 meter descent back to the saddle (to 5200 meters).

Alternatively: Depending on how you feel, Day 4 can be another day of acclimatisation. You'll decide the previous evening with the guide. There's no rush, you will summit at your own pace!

Day 5: Priut 11 (4157 m) - MIR station (3470 m) - Terskol (2150 m)

Descend back down... You only have to walk to MIR station, though, as from the altitude of 3470 meters, a chairlift will take you all the way to Azau village. You'll want to eat a huge saslik - kinda like barbecue - in the restaurant in Azau and snoop around in the bazaar for some really authentic souveneers. You stay at the same guesthouse in Terskol as on Day 1.  

Days 6-8: Reserve days or Trekking in the Baskan-valley

In case you didn't acclimatise according to plan, you have not one, but two days in reserve. You WILL summit Mt. Elbrus with us, my friend! If all goes according to plan, however, you can make beautiful treks near Terskol in the lush green valleys with blooming wildflowers. 

10-15 km/day portions can be expected with small day-packs as you'll return to Terskol in the evening. 

Day 9: Heading home

We drive you to Mineralnye Vody Airport and bid farewell.

 

Weather and Equipment

The summer at the foot of the mountain is more or less continental. That means HOT in this case, so be prepared for hot, dry weather down in the valleys. The evenings will be cold on the mountain as you get up high, a sleeping bag with a comfort temp range of 0 degrees Celsius (32 deg. Fahrenheit). The coldest portion of the trip will be your leaving from 4200 meters at 2 AM. Expect temperatures to drop to -20 Celsius. Keeping the above in mind, we recommend the following equipment:

• Boots: hard soled climbing boots. Make sure they are broken in, warm enough and fit your crampons. Good, warm trekking boots will suffice, but mountaineering boots are better.
• Base layer: good underclothing to drive moisture from your body. 
• Fleece or softshell: bring a light and a warmer (200 gram) fleece sweater. We recommend softshell pants, as they'll go a long way - possibly to the summit. 
• Hardshell: Pack wind- and water resistant pants and a jacket. Good models not only repell water, they also ventilate well. If you know you get cold easily, you may want to bring a down jacket.
• Gloves: bring two pairs of gloves. At least one of them should be warm and water resistant. You may opt for a hard outer shell without insulation- under this layer, you can wear wool gloves or windstopper gloves of different warmth. 
• Hats: 2 pairs. Bring warm, wool hat and a hat against the sun. Under 3000 meters it may be very hot and and you'll need to protect your head against sunstroke. 
• Harness: nothing special, a regular climbing or via ferrata harness will do.
• Crampons: make sure they fit your boots well. No need to bring an ice axe or a helmet for this mountain. 
• Trekking poles

Food, Meals

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included in your package in the valley. At the hotels, we get good, whole meals. On the mountain, it's a little bit more simple. We buy the food together in the valley and your guide makes sure you have everything you need and not much more in your backpack.

In the huts, it's more or less "do it yourself" which means everyone gets to cook the food they have. You can use gas stoves in the huts. You can also buy food in the lower huts. A meal runs around 4-5 euros on the mountain and considerably less in the valley.

"Why aren't meals on the mountain included in the package?" - you may ask. Good question. There are several reasons. In our many years of experience, we have found that your appetite may completely leave you on the mountain, you may wish to not eat anything but dried fruits. So why pay for services you may not even use?

Food in the valley is very cheap, you will buy your 4 days' of food for a fraction of the price that you would at home. And you don't need a whole lot of food on the mountain for four days with the possibility to buy meals in lower mountain huts.

 

A Note On Snow Cats

A lot of people aren't gonna like us for this, but we believe, snow cats are for wussies and we don't use them on Elbrus. Yes, this could have been stated more diplomatically, but here's the deal: if you want to climb a mountain, climb it. It is completely against the spirit of mountaineering and the outdoors in general to use Diesel-eating, air polluting vehicles to take you almost all the way up the mountain so you hardly have to climb anything but the very last few hundred meters to the summit.

Even if used only for acclimatisation, the use of snow cats it's questionable as far as "climbing ethics".

It's maddening to see companies on Elbrus make full use of snow cats and at the same time, boast lengthy 'leave no trace' policies on their websites. Our opinion: if you can't climb the mountain without using a snowcat, don't climb it. No offense or anything, but let's try to keep the climb CLEAN both environmentally and performance-wise. It's enough that we take a chairlift all the way to 3470 meters.

We are well aware of the fact that this policy of ours will turn off many prospective clients, but that's OK. At least you know that if you climb with us, you're in a group of select mountaineers who respect the mountain and who are also more prepared. We refuse to give up these principles, even if it means less clients and even if people get pissed at us for saying "snowcats are for wussies".

With that said, anyone on our groups is free to take advantage of snowcats on Mt. Elbrus on their own, we're not going to harass or look down on anyone doing so, it's just company policy that we climb as clean as possible. We hope you agree!

Money

The currency in Russia is the Rubel. Here are some "average exchange rates" as of late 2009:

• 1 Euro = 40-45 Rubels
• 1 Pound Sterling = 50-55 Rubels
• 1 US Dollar =  25-30 Rubels

If you can, bring US Dollars to Russia, it's the best currency to get by with. There are ATM machines in Mineralnye Vody, but not later in Terskol.

Vaccines, Medication, Hygene

There is no obligatory vaccination for the Caucasus. The bathrooms in small restaurants and the public ones will be quite discusting, if you haven't been to similar places before. There is no possibility to take showers on the mountain in the huts. Only the melting water from glaciers :)

Visa and Flight Info

We are happy to give you full visa support and arrange your flight to and from Mineralnye Vody. If you're adventurous and have some time on your hand, you may want to fly to Moscow or Kiev and take the train from there. It's quite an experience in itself. We have done it several times and are ready to help you with train tickets as well. Let us know how we may help you arrange your trip to the Caucasus, so you only have to deal with preparing for the climb and getting in shape.