Mount Elbrus with Omar Samra

Test your resolve on the highest mountain in Europe. Elbrus is a double-cone volcano that stands as a watchtower between Europe and Asia. This is by no means an easy climb - strong winds and extreme cold are obstacles along your way to the summit. Don’t worry though, all the skills you need to take on Elbrus can be taught on the expedition. All you need is a good level of fitness and a whole lot of grit

Itinerary:

Day 1: Upon arrival to Mineralnye Vody (MRV), we’ll be met by our drivers at the airport and travel by bus to Terskol in the Baksan Valley at 2,000 m. We’ll be spending the night in town.

Day 2: In the morning, we go on an acclimatization hike to Cheget Peak at 3,600 m, located close to the Terskol Valley. Today’s an easy day, and we’re back to hotel early enough to do a gear check and make sure everyone is set. We’ll be spending the night back at the hotel.

Day 3: After a good breakfast, we take the bus over to Azau Station at 2,356m and take a 40-minute cable car ride up to the white wide-open snowfields of Elbrus. We will pass several refuges standing at different altitudes and, after about 1.5 hours of hiking, we reach the famous refuge of 11 at 4,100 m that was burnt down in 1998. Here we spend a couple of hours on snow training and go back down to the hotel.
Overnight in hotel in town.

Day 4: We pack our stuff and head back the cable cars taking us to our home for the coming few days on the mountain. We settle our things at the hut then climb a little higher than the day before, gaining more altitude in preparation for the final acclimatization push. Overnight on the mountain.

Day 5: This is the final acclimatization day before the final push for the summit. Ascent to the infamous Pastukhova rocks will take between 3 to 5 hours and descent 1 to 2 hours. Today we will also discuss the summit plan and tactics. Overnight on the mountain.

Day 6: We take a rest day before the final summit push and also go over some necessary mountains and safety skills for the summit climb ahead. Rest is also great for more acclimatization. Overnight on the mountain.

Day 7: Today’s summit day! We leave base camp at about 3am. When ascending, we can take a lift with a Snow Cat to the top of Pastukhov Rocks (4,750 m). From the saddle (5,300 m) between the two summits, a snow slope of 30 – 35 degrees (about 150 m) leads to the summit plateau, from where the stunningly contrasting views to south and north open up. After reaching the summit and taking some awesome pictures, we will head back to the huts for a quick lunch and start descending back to the hotel.
Overnight at hotel.

Day 8: Today is reserved in case we need to reattempt the summit. If we complete a successful ascent on day 7, today will be spent in the hotel with a celebratory party in the evening!

Day 9: Today we’re being transferred to the airport to catch our flights back home

Price Per Person: $2,700

Includes:

• Price based on 6 pax
• Meals as mentioned in the itinerary (Breakfast = B, Lunch = L, Dinner = D)
• All transport
• All accommodation
• Group climbing and first aid equipment
• Professional and English speaking Russian Guides
• Ski-lift and mountain climbing permits and fees

Excludes:

• International flight
• Visa Fee
• Excess baggage & Airport Taxes
• Personal expenses (Phone calls, drinks, gifts and laundry)
• Personal Health & Travel insurance
• Vaccinations (We send a detailed list)
• Personal gear on our gear list
• Snow Cat on the summit night
• Gear rental available at additional cost (Let us know if you would need any)
• Costs associated with an early descent off the mountain
• Tips and Gratuity