Climbing Mt. Elbrus from south 2020 & 2021

Day 2.  Acclimatization hike up to cable car station Cheget-3 (3000 m, 9,840 ft) on Mt. Cheget or Terskol Peak (3150 m, 10,260 ft), depending on a physical condition of participants and weather (the decision is made by the guide in coordination with participants). This is the last day before you leave the valley and after hike you can visit equipment store in order to hire something. Your guide will assist you by choosing right equipment. Overnight at the hotel. 

Day 3. This is the day when you move to the mountain hotel Cheeper Azau, located at an altitude of 3000 meters (9,840 ft) near the cable car station Old Horizon (“Staryy Krugozor”). You can leave all not necessary stuff at hotel. It will not be necessary to carry your backpacks self because the group will reach the hotel using ski lifts. There will be only a short distance 30 m to walk from the cable cars to the hotel. 

An intermediate overnight stay at this altitude is very important because it ensures smooth acclimatization of the body, while using the abrupt change in the overnight height from 2200 m (Cheget glade) to 3800-4100 m (the height of all assault huts), which is common in many programs headache and insomnia, but also serious disorders in the body. 

After lunch, we will make an acclimatization climb to the the highest cable car station in Europe Gara-Bashi (3847 m / 12,620 ft) or to the Mir station (3455 m / 11,340 ft), depending on weather conditions and the physical condition of the group members, visiting the scenic Sarykaya-Su waterfall along the way. Overnight in the hotel Cheeper Azau.

Day 4. Today we climb the cable car to the comfortable and modern mountain hut Heart of Elbrus, located at an altitude of 3830 m / 12,560 ft, 50 meters from Gara-Bashi station. After climbing to the hut, we leave our bags there, put on our climbing equipment and make an acclimatization trip to the Pastukhov rocks (4800 m / 15,748 ft). Overnight in the hut.

Day 5. Day of relaxation. On this day you will have ice and snow courses with your guide not far from the refuge. The guide will teach you how to put on the crampons and how to walk in it; he will show you techniques of self-arrest with anice-axe and you will try to slide down the slope and then fix yourself on the snow using your ice-axe and the crampons. Don't worry when you've never tried it before. Overnight at the refuge. 

Day 6. Summit day. More than 90% of participants in climbing Elbrus from the south in the summer period use a snowcat for an additional fee (700-1000 euros for lifting a group). This vehicle carries climbers (maximum 12 people, including 3 guides who don’t pay) up to a height of 4700-5000 meters, and saves 3-4 hours and a lot of energy. To lift 1-2 people to a height of 4500-4700 meters, it is possible to use a snowmobile, the cost of one trip of which is about 150 euros. In the case of using the snowcat or snowmobiles, the groups leave the hut at the top around 03:00-04:00 (3 a.m - 4 a.m.). For most groups, the ascent to the Elbrus' west summit, 5642 m (18,510 ft) is 7-9 hours. 

At the request of the group members (in the amount of at least 3 people) it is possible to refuse to use the snowcat and, without any additional fee, make an attempt to climb with one or more guide assistants. Access to the route of participants on foot in this case is 3-4 hours earlier than the main group. At the same time, participants on foot should be aware that if one of the participants in this mini-group feels unwell or has other reasons to refuse to continue climbing by one of the participants, the remaining 1-2 participants are also obliged to descend to the hut. In the event of a forced descent to the hut before reaching the top of the main group, participants who are in good physical shape can make a second attempt to climb the same day when using a snowcat. If the number of people wishing to climb without using a snowcat is less than 3 people, it is necessary to use the services of an individual guide for an additional fee about 300 euros. 

The summit is usually reached at 10:00-13:00 (10 a.m – 1 p.m), depending on the rate of climb of the group. From 14:00 (2 p.m.) the movement of all members of the group is carried out only down. Descent from the top to the hut takes 4-6 hours, after which you will have dinner and overnight.

Generally we stay at the hut this night. If all members of the group come back from the top before 15:00 (3 p.m.) we can discuss the possibility to descend to the valley and have overnight at the hotel. However this will require additional payment for hotel accommodation and meals, because this night is paid for the hut.  

Day 7. This is a reserve day in case of bad weather on the previous day. When the group takes an attempt of reaching the summit on this day, it is necessary to descend to the valley same evening by all means, though it may be hard because the ski lifts stop working at 16:00 (4 p.m.). After the descent to the hotel, you will have a gala dinner and presentation of certificates on climbing Elbrus.

If the whole group went down to the hotel on the previous day, we can arrange for you an excursion to the most beautiful sights of Elbrus region: Lake Gizhgit, Chegem Waterfalls, the Thermal complexes Geduko or Aushiger, where you can take a dip in mineral water pools. Overnight at hotel. 

Day 8. Drive to Mineralnye Vody airport early in the morning at 06:30 - 07:00 to be in time for the flight which departs at 11:30 or some later. If you need to be at the airport earlier or your flight departs much later than 11:30, you can order an individual transfer. If you want to continue your vacation in Elbrus region, we can extend your stay at the hotel for an additional fee and provide you with a return transfer to the airport at no extra charge on any days of arrival and departure of our groups. 

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Services included and not included