Climbing Mt. Elbrus from the South

Meeting at Mineralnye Vody airport from 10:00 (10 a.m.) to 14:00 (2 p.m.). Our representative will meet you in the airport arrival hall.

Transfer (about 3,5 hours, 200 km) to a mountain hotel in the Baksan valley near the foothills of Mt. Elbrus (2 100 m / 6 890 ft).

There are twin and triple rooms in the hotel, with toilet and shower.

On this day you can hire equipment which will be necessary during next day: trekking boots, telescopic poles, glasses, jacket, thermos, etc. Dinner with a guide, overnight at the hotel

Accommodation in a hotel

Electricity available

Good mobile signal

Shower available

Breakfast at the hotel.

Acclimatization hike up to cable car station Cheget-3 (3 000 m, 9 840 ft) on Mt. Cheget or Terskol Peak (3 150 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 equipment.

Overnight at the hotel.

Accommodation in a hotel

Electricity available

Bad mobile signal

Shower available

Breakfast at the hotel.

The rise by the cable car from Azau station to the Old Horizon (Staryy Krugozor) station.

Accommodation at the mountain hotel Cheeper Azau located at an altitude of 3 000 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 climbing to the the highest cable car station in Europe Gara-Bashi (3 847 m / 12 620 ft) or to the Mir station (3 455 m / 11 340 ft), depending on weather and the physical condition of the group.

On the way visiting the scenic Sarykaya-Su waterfall.

Overnight in the hotel Cheeper Azau.

Accommodation in a hotel

Electricity available

Bad mobile signal

Shower available

Breakfast at the hotel.

Today we go up by the cable car to the Gara-Bashi station, located at an altitude of 3 847 m / 12 560 ft, there we put on climbing equipment and make an acclimatization hike to the Pastukhov rocks (4800 m).

Overnight in the hotel Chiper Azau.

Accommodation in a hotel

Electricity available

Bad mobile signal

Shower available

Breakfast at the hotel.

Tomorrow is a difficult day and today you have the day for a rest.

After a late breakfast, we collect equipment necessary for storming the summit assault.

Accommodaion at the Heart of Elbrus shelter or the Leaprus eco-hotel.

Additional snow and ice lessons in good weather conditions.

Lunch, table games, dinner, briefing with a discussion of tomorrow's plans and an early lights out.

Electricity available

Bad mobile signal

Accommodation in guesthouses

Early breakfast.

More than 90% of participants in climbing Elbrus from the south use a snowcat for an additional fee. This vehicle transports climbers (maximum 12 people including 3 non-paying guides) to an altitude of 4700–5000 meters and saves 3–4 hours and a lot of energy. In the case of using a snowcat or snowmobiles, groups leave the hut around 03:00–04:00.

On a request of the group members (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. Gpoup 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, all the reat are also obliged to descend to the hut. In case of a forced descent to the hut before reaching the top of the main group, participants who are in good physical condition can make a second attempt to climb the same day with 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 all members of the group move only downhill. Descent from the summit to the upper hut takes 4–6 hours.

Dinner, overnight in the hut.

* 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 and have overnight at the hotel Cheeper Azau or at a hotel on the Cheget Glade. However this will require additional payment for hotel accommodation and meals, because this night is paid for the hut.

Electricity available

Bad mobile signal

Accommodation in guesthouses

This is a reserve day in case of bad weather on the previous day.*

After successful ascent attempt – descent to the hotel Snow Leopard.

Gala dinner and presentation of certificates on climbing Elbrus (additional payment).

Free time for extra excursions 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 (additional payment).

Overnight at the hotel.

*The tour price includes one ascent attempt. The attempt is considered to be the group's leaving the shelter together with the guides no later than 05:00 and climbing to an altitude of at least 4500 meters. If the attempt was not used on the planned day of ascent (due to bad weather), then the next (reserve) day is used without additional charge.

If the ascent to Elbrus has turned out to be impossible for the whole group or separate participants (because of bad feeling or other factors), the attempt can be repeated the next day, having paid one more night accommodation in a mountain shelter and services of guides.

We will do our best to make the ascent to the summit of Elbrus take place, but we cannot guarantee 100% success. If the ascent was prevented by insufficient physical preparedness of the participant or unfavorable weather conditions, the organization does not pay any compensation.

Accommodation in a hotel

Electricity available

Bad mobile signal

Shower available

Breakfast.

Transfer 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 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.

Good mobile signal