Overview

Mt Elbrus is the highest peak in the Caucasus and in Europe, and one of the fabled Seven Summits.

The South route is the most common ascent route offering more infrastructure and access to ski lifts for carrying equipment and more developed mountain hut accomodation.

With an elevation of 5642 metres, Mt Elbrus is a fine ascent which requires basic mountaineering skills, although altitude and unpredictable weather make for a challenging and adventurous trip. It is perfect for people who wish to gain ice and snow experience as full training is given, for those wishing to climb the Seven Summits and for people who have aspirations of going on to climb higher peaks in the Himalayas and S. America.

This expedition lasts twelve days and allows for travel days, four days of acclimatisation hikes in the stunning valleys and a five day climbing period on Europe’s highest peak.

We also offer a shorter itinerary of 9 days once a year on the 25th July - 2nd August. You should only consider this option if you have already tested yourself at altitude and know how well and quickly your body acclimatises.

More Information

Mount Elbrus stands between the great masses of Europe and Asia, dynamic in both region and terrain. It presents a strenuous and rewarding climb, but also includes the full experience of Russian culture, history and character. The ascent of Mt Elbrus by the normal route is a long climb over a moderate incline that requires good acclimatization but has no technical difficulties. However, despite the apparent simplicity of this route, it can be dangerous. The altitude, variable weather, and often low temperatures can transform the ascent into a real mountain adventure!

Good times for climbing Mt Elbrus are from June through to August, with perhaps the best month for stable weather being July. Each trip is 12 days unless you have opted for the 8 day trip and we can also organise a stopover in Moscow if you wish. We provide all the accommodation, food and logistics for this trip, and there are no kitties or hidden extras. You only need money for some drinks in the hotel and souvenirs.

Mount Elbrus is not technically difficult but there is the danger of weather and exposure, making it cold and committing; it is necessary to have crampons, warm clothing, and good boots for summit day (preferably plastic or at least capable of taking a crampon – these are available to hire in Terskol. Ropes are not necessary on the standard route although the guide will carry one for emergencies only.

Staff

Adventure Alternative runs a subsidiary organisation called Russian Adventures based in Moscow. We look after all the bureaucratic details to ensure a problem-free trip.

Sasha Lebedev is our trip organiser and translater on our Mount Elbrus trips. He is a reputable author with published books covering Mount Elbrus, the Altai Republic and Mongolia. His English is excellent and he is an experienced and safe guide for Mt Elbrus. Together with Gavin Bate, Director of Adventure Alternative, they have achieved a 100% safety track record on the mountain, largely due to the careful acclimatisation programme which allows for a suitable summit period and time to work on familiarisation with being on the snow and ice.

Testimonials

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Dates and Itinerary

Dates: The start date refers to your arrival into Mineralyne Vody Airport (code: MRV). Aim to arrive in the morning of the start date. Most flights go via Moscow, enabling you to catch an overnight flight to Moscow and then a morning flight from Moscow to MRV.
The end date is the day you should book your return flight from MRV; an afternoon flight is best, because the minibus journey from Elbrus is about four hours.

9 Day Mt Elbrus Option: We are running one short itinerary climb in 2014, but not 2013 on the South side of Mt Elbrus. You should only consider this option if you have already tested yourself at atitude and know how quickly you acclimatise. This option does not include as many acclimatisation days in the valleys before the climb. If you would like to book this option then during the booking process you can select it and the trip fee is reduced to £1290. The short itinerary trip dates can be identified by the trip start/finish dates below. In 2014 it is the 27th July team.

Trip Extension: Since most flights go via Moscow it is possible to spend some time in the city before or after the trip. Andrey Panin in Moscow can organise airport pick-ups, hotel bookings, local tours or bookings for any shows you may like to see. Have a look at Moscow Weekend for further details.

Climbing Period: The itinerary below allows for two day hikes in the valleys and a six day climbing period on the mountain. If the weather is favourable, you may have up to two summit attempts but the decision will be made by the guides, depending on normal mountaineering decisions and the ability of the group. With good weather and snow conditions, and a strong team, the trip provides ample opportunity to climb the West Peak.

In the itinerary below, the following indicators apply: ST = Starting altitude, HP = High Point for the day and SL = Sleep Level

2013	2014
2nd June - 12th June	1st June - 11th June
23rd June - 3rd July	22nd June - 2nd July
14th July - 24th July	13th July - 23rd July
28th July - 7th August	27th July - 4th August
	10th August - 20th August

Detailed Itinerary

Day	Elevation	Travel Time	Info
1	SL:2125m	4hrs	Arrive into Mineralyne Vody airport in the morning and be met by our staff. Transfer by minibus to Terskol (4 hours). Accommodation in local 3* Hotel Nakra, bed and breakfast. Dinner in local cafe.
2	ST:2125m HP:2800m SL:2125m	6 - 8hrs	Day hike to Cheget Mountain (2800m), lunch enroute and return to hotel for evening meal.
3	ST:2125m HP:3000m SL:2125m	4.5hrs	Day hike to Vertoletny (Helicopter) Pass (3000m) with lunch enroute and return to hotel for evening meal and Russian sauna.
4	ST:2125m HP:3300m SL:2950m	3 hrs	Drive to village of Azau and walk to Old Vista Hut (2950m). Bags go by cable car. Lunch and afternoon walk to Glacier Lake (3300m). Overnight in Old Vista Hut, 2950m.
5	ST:2950m HP:4050m SL:2950m	5 hrs	Acclimatisation hike to Priut -11 Hut (4050m). Training in use of clothing and equipment such as crampons and ice axe, personal movement and dealing with cold and altitude. Back to Old Vista for dinner and overnight.
6	ST:2950m HP:4050m SL:3900m	4 hrs	Ascend on foot to National Park Hut (3900m) with all equipment by chair lift and snow machine. Afternoon training on personal movement skills. Possible afternoon walk up to Priut Hut and exercise at altitude.
7	ST:3900m HP:4670m SL:3900m	5 hrs	Hike to Pastukhov Rocks (4670m) for acclimatisation and further use of all equipment. We will look at teamwork and fine tune use of equipment for summit day. Overnight at National Park Hut.
8	ST:3900m HP:5642m SL:3900m	~ 12 hrs	1st possible summit day (depends on weather, group strength and terrain safety) - awake at 3am. Snow machine to Pastukhov Rocks (this ground has already been covered on foot in previous days) and continue on foot to summit. Return to National Park Hut.
9		3 hrs	Reserve summit day if we were unable to leave the hut for the summit the previous day due to poor weather or slow acclimitisation. If the previous day's attempt was successful then we descend to Cheget this day and have an extra day in the valley. Possibly a gentle trek up the beautiful alpine Terskol Valley
10	ST: 3900m SL: 2125m	3 hrs	Descend to Cheget hotel. There is a slight chance of this being a third summit day in the case of bad weather over days 8-9 but the cable cars stop working in the afternoon, so practically this option is difficult because of the need to summit and descend to the valley floor with all gear. We will discuss options with the team at the time.
11	ST:2125m	4 hrs	Breakfast in the hotel and then transfer to Mineralnye Vody. Flight to Moscow and onward travel, or stopover in Moscow for trip extension.

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Cost

Mount Elbrus - South Route cost: £1,395.00

Includes

• Visa application papers
• Municipal registration in Tyrnauz
• Coach transfer to the Baksan Valley from Mineralnye Vody airport
• Hotel in Cheget with drying rooms, sauna, restaurant and comfortable twin rooms
• All hotel and restaurant meals – breakfasts, lunches and dinners - and local taxis
• Mount Elbrus National Park fees
• All cable cars and chair lifts on the mountain
• Accommodation in the New Vista Lodge and National Park hut
• All meals on the mountain and our own cook
• Snow machine to Pastukhov Rocks on the summit morning and use of snow machine for all transfer of equipment, plus use of cable car and chair lift for gear.
• Staff: Sasha Lebedev – Mountain guide, English-speaking, 12 years with Adventure Alternative
• Andrey Panin - Moscow guide and translator, office administration
• Additional guides depending on numbers
• Cook

Excludes

• Flights - to Mineralnye Vody, Russia (usually via Moscow)
• Russian Visa - £35/€45 (depends on speed of delivery and nationality)
• Travel insurance – estimate £75
• Personal expenses – estimate £50/€65 for drinks and souvenirs
• Equipment hire
• Single room supplement in Cheget - £120

Cost of Add-Ons and Some Optional Extras

• Crampons: £20.00
  Black Diamond Contact Strap lightweight crampons - C1 articulated and flexible attached with simple straps. These Crampons have 10 points, two front and 8 at the backside.
• Walking Axe: £20.00
  60 cm walking axes with basic adze and a straight pick predominantly used to arrest a fall in the event of a slip.
• Gaiters or Thermos: £1.00
  Price is per day and available locally from hire shops.

Not all about money

Our prices are competitive and good value, and we offer quality, service, security and an ethical stance on tourism. We know that many people hate to arrive into a country and be surprised by hidden costs or essential trip elements not being included in the expedition fee so we offer a comprehensive expedition with no hidden fee's or kitties. All of your food, land travel, accommodation, sauna's, park fees, rattrack, staff fees are included. The only thing you need to pay for on the ground is additional hard drinks or other items of a personal nature such as souvenirs or phone calls. 

Additionally our itinerary is long enough to give excellent acclimatisation and multiple summit attempts, less days are dangerous for a peak just short of 6000 metres (equivalent to Camp 1 on Mount Everest). Reducing the number of days may make the price cheaper but the chances of summiting reduce to around 25% and it is potentially dangerous.

Russia is full of red tape and only experienced companies that know the right people and have the right contacts and history in the region smoothly run expeditions in the region. We have years of experience and an excellent team to look after you so that you get the best out of your time in Russia.

Insurance

We advise you to take out your insurance as soon as possible to cover potential events that might cause you to cancel your trip. Because Elbrus is in a region which has an FCO warning against all but essential travel you may find that your normal policy is void.

We advise clients to buy their insurance for Mt Elbrus from Campbell Irvine Specialists.

You need to ensure that you have a policy which covers trekking to high altitude, but it does not need to cover technical climbing. You should bring with you a copy of your policy and ensure that other people knows where you keep it. It is also worth bringing a photocopy of your passport and to keep it separate to your own documents just in case you lose your passport. 

Adventure Alternative is a member of AiTO (Association of Independant Tour Operators), which ensures complete protection for your money.

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Fitness

Type of Terrain

The normal summit route is a long climb over a moderate incline that requires good acclimatization but has no technical difficulties. However, despite the apparent simplicity of this route, it can be dangerous. The altitude, variable weather, frequent violent storms and low temperature transforms the ascent into a real high altitude adventure! The average time is from eight to ten hours for the ascent and about four hours for the descent. Crampons and ski poles (or walking axes) are necessary for this climb. In autumn, winter and spring the face between the Pastukhov rocks and the col is covered with ice.

There are no major crevasses or objective dangers on the main route, but weather is very temperamental and visibility can drop very rapidly. Sudden storms and extremely cold weather are common. It is easy to become disorientated and wander off route, and there are many stories of frostbite and hypothermia injuries on the mountain every year

The ascent of the West Peak (Standard Route, South Face) follows the broad slope as far as the small rock islands known as Pastukhov Rocks. Continue straight up for 400 metres towards the East Peak, gradually bear left and traverse until reaching a huge basin below the West Peak. This leads to the saddle or col and is a good place to rest and eat (5-6 hours from Priut-11). Head west and to the left side of the saddle, ascending the steeper snow slope on a rising traverse to the rocks of the shoulder of the West Peak and a short distance up to the plateau. Cross the broad plateau and easy ground to gain the summit.

Height Gained

Camps Used

Azau Valley:         2350m 
Old Vista:             2900m
Glacier Lake:         3300m 
Bockha Barrels:     3750m 
National Park Hut: 3900m 
Priut – 11 Hut:       4050m 
Pastukhov Rocks:  4670m 
Saddle:                 5300m 
West Summit:       5642m

Experience Needed

It is certainly beneficial to have experience of moving on snow and ice for this trip to Mt Elbrus but we provide on-site training in basic alpine skills such as moving on crampons before the summit day. This trip tends to attract a wide range of abilities, from people with Seven Summits aspirations who have climbed Kilimanjaro, to experienced hill walkers. This does mean that we have to be sure that everybody has the necessary skills for safety on the hill. Predominantly these skills are to do with personal movement, understanding of layering and personal climate, handling a slip, being familiar with all the equipment and working in a team.

Elbrus is unfortunately often sold as a walking holiday, but Elbrus is a big mountain that requires a mountaineering approach to ensure safety and success and enjoyment. A good preparation would be to do a winter hillwalking course in Scotland or an alpine skills course in the Alps, but this is not mandatory to join the trip. We would ask that people apply common sense to their decision to climb the mountain and understand that you cannot make comparisons to Kilimanjaro at all. This is a lower peak but much colder and requiring movement over permanent snow covered slopes which are glaciated and crevassed. Even though the normal route is clear and safe, the mentality towards experience has to be focussed on winter skills.

Our trip to Mt Elbrus promotes good mountaineering practises for an enjoyable trip, a memorable holiday and one that may lead in the future to more mountain adventures. Our programme is safety-conscious and our staff purposeful in teaching you about issues like altitude sickness, and what it actually means. Most worries are borne of ignorance; but with knowledge comes calm, and with that calm comes the ability to prepare mentally and to prevent unnecessary stress.

Adventure Alternative Support

The expedition is fully catered for you. We also provide lessons and practical training in the safe use of ice axes and crampons, and personal movement skills on snow and ice. Our trip organiser will provide all logistical preparation during the trip, from hotels to meals and booking of all facilities such as taxis, cable cars and huts. He will also be your translator and help you with local knowledge of flora and fauna.

Before the trip you will have access to experienced guides in the office who have climbed Elbrus many times and can offer practical advice on everything, such as kit which you might want to use for future trips to the Greater Ranges. We guide all of the Seven Summits so this expertise is invaluable.

We provide full support prior to the trip for your visa application and flight process, and we ensure that you will be met and picked up in Mineralnye Vody for the journey to the mountain. Our staff in Russia have many years of experience working with foreign groups and in 13 years we have never had to cancel a trip.

We provide financial protection for your money through our membership of the Association of Independent Tour Operators.

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Gear

Kit List

• Thermal base layer
• Fleece pants or warm trousers
• Midlayer fleece
• Fleece jacket
• Down jacket with hood(optional in July & August)
• Shell trousers and jacket with hood
• Trekking clothes
• Sunhat and warm hat
• Balaclava or neckwarmer
• Headlamp
• Sunglasses (100% UV)
• Goggles (optional)
• Walking boots
• Plastic mountain boots
• Gaiters
• Socks
• Crampons
• Fleece gloves
• Mitts
• Main bag - rucksack or duffle
• Day sack for treks and summit
• Sleeping bag, 3 season
• Water bottles
• Sun and lipscreen (SPF 30)
• Personal first aid
• Ski or trekking poles
• Dry bags
• Travel Clothes

Additional Kit Info

Boots - this climb requires plastic mountaineering boots but a high quality hybrid boot will be adequate. If you are renting then make sure there is some movement for your foot since it will swell at altitude.
Mitts - a good pair of waterproof, lined mitts will protect against cold hands, and a good idea to wear a pair of liner gloves inside.
Down jacket - if you opt not to take this in July or August then you still need a good quality warm jacket.
Warm hat - should have ear flaps if possible and be fleece lined or woollen.
Socks  - take heavy socks for the summit days and trekking socks for the walks.
Bag - it is more convenient to have a duffle bag which will be taken up on the cable car.
Day sack - this should be around 40 litres for day hikes and summit day.
Water bottles - take two and a thermos for summit day if you have one, and note that the bladders tend to freeze up easily.
Trekking poles are very useful although more experienced people may prefer to use one pole and a walking axe.\
Sleeping bag - the huts are quite warm, so a 3 season bag will be adequate.

Rental Items

In Terskol you can rent plastic mountain boots easily and there are plenty of gear shops for buying last minute items. We have a stock of crampons for rent, and we have axes for people to learn some alpine skills on the mountain. If you are hiring from a local shop then you can only pay cash in roubles and it works out for six days.
Plastic boots - £5 - £8 per day depending on quality
Down jacket - £3 - £6 per day depending on quality
Mitts - £2 per day
Gaiters - £1 per day
Goggles - £2 per day
Thermos - £1 per day

Links to Retailers

 

At Expedition Kit Hire our aim is to provide a seamless, first class customer service for our clients, offering top quality clothing and equipment to fit the demands of any expedition from Polar, high altitude, desert or tropical treks across the globe. If we don't stock a product, we probably can so please get in touch.

You can buy a climbing map of Elbrus from Climbing-map.com

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Why Us

• We have our own company in Russia with guides who have worked with us for over ten years.
• We have an excellent network of contacts in the Elbrus area, from drivers to mountain rescue personnel.
• Our price is all-inclusive, with no kitties or hidden extras.
• We provide proper training on the mountain.
• We do not attempt the summit in too short a time, our trip allows for good acclimatisation and adequate climbing period.
• We can combine your climb with a holiday in Moscow.
• Sasha Lebedev is an author of many books, including one on Elbrus, and he is a source of great knowledge.
• We have experienced guides in the UK who can advise you before the trip on what to buy and what to expect.
• We have never cancelled a trip yet.
• Adventure Alternative is fully protected under AiTO.
• Our booking pages allows you to create your own booking page into which you can put all the information regarding your trip, which you can change at any time.
• We guide all the Seven Summits and have experience of how to manage the challenge from start to finish.

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