Climb Mount Elbrus Northside - Itinerary

Travel Day: Depart U.S.A. Depending on flight times and connections, travel to Moscow, Russia typically takes almost 24 hours from the U.S. Please be sure your arrival in Moscow coordinates with the first day of the program.

Day 1: Arrive in Moscow. A group transfer is arranged from the airport to our hotel at 12:30 p.m. We can arrange a personal transfer for you if your flight arrives after 12:30 p.m. This will be at an additional cost, but is much less expensive than taking a taxi. Once we check-in to our hotel, the afternoon is free to rest and explore the city. A team orientation meeting is held at 6:00 p.m. We spend the night in Moscow at the Hotel Katerina.

Day 2: Today is spent exploring the city. We take a bus/walking tour to visit Red Square, the Kremlin, Pushkin Museum, Gorky Park, and Lenin’s Tomb. The afternoon is free to explore the city. We spend the night at the Hotel Katerina. (B)

Day 3: After breakfast, we drive to Moscow’s domestic airport for our flight to Mineralnye Vody. From the airport we drive an hour to the town of Kislovodsk, the last town before the lower steppes of the Caucuses, where we will spend the night in a local hotel. We spend the rest of the day sorting our gear and preparing for the climb. (B)

Day 4: After an early breakfast, we depart for the mountain. A four-hour drive takes us into the heart of the lush foothills of the lower Caucuses to Basecamp (7,000 ft). Once we establish our Basecamp, we will take a short acclimatization hike to explore the remote valley and stretch our legs after all those long days of traveling. (B, D)

Day 5: Carry to Camp 1. We pack up a portion of our supplies and with light packs make a carry up to Camp 1 (12,300’). After depositing our cache and enjoying the views, we descend back to Basecamp for a good nights rest. (B, D)

Day 6: Move day to Camp 1. An early start gives us ample opportunity to enjoy the climb up to Camp 1. The route from Basecamp takes us above a narrow gorge and out of the high grasslands into the alpine zone, affording stunning views of the glaciers of Mount Elbrus and the lower steppes of the Caucus to the north. The last stretch of the climb leads through the jumbled rock moraine along side the Mikelchiran Glacier before cresting a steep pitch and putting us in camp. (B, D)

Day 7: Acclimatization Day at Camp 1. We are going to review basic mountaineering techniques such as ice axe arrest, crampon techniques and roped travel, and then take a short hike to visit several stunning geologic features near Camp 1 that tell of Mt. Elbrus’ volcanic past. (B, D)

Day 8: Carry to High Camp at Lenz Rocks. We will again shoulder a portion of our supplies and carry them to our high camp in anticipation of our upcoming summit attempt. The climb from Camp 1 to High Camp brings us onto some moderate glacial terrain. We will rope up in order to protect ourselves from the several crevasses we must cross and climb up the gentle snow slopes to Lenz Rocks at 15,200.’ After caching our supplies, we return to our tents at Camp 1. (B, D)

Day 9: Move to High Camp. Another early start will put us into High Camp by early afternoon. Final preparations are made for Summit Day, and we settle in early in anticipation of tomorrow’s summit attempt. (B, D)

Day 10: Summit Day! After an alpine start we climb from Lenz Rocks across the upper portion of the Mikelchiran Glacier until we reach the Saddle at 17,700.’ Mount Elbrus has two large summit domes and the Saddle separates the East Summit from the West Summit. Both are comparable in size and height, but the West Summit is slightly higher, and our objective. Our route gets a little steeper as we gain the upper summit plateau, and then we follow the ridge to the Summit. After enjoying the summit and its impressive views of the Caucasus mountain range, we descend back to our High Camp. (B, D)

Day 11:This extra day is scheduled into the itinerary in case we encounter bad weather or need additional time for acclimatization. Having this extra day has proven to dramatically improve the team’s success. (B, D)

Day 12: We break camp and start our descent, retracing our steps back to Basecamp. An early afternoon shuttle takes us back to Kislovodsk where we will enjoy a delicious celebration dinner, hot showers, and a good night’s sleep. (B)

Day 13: We have an early transfer from our hotel to Mineralnye Vody for our flight to St. Petersburg. There are no plans for this afternoon, except relaxing and enjoying one of Russia’s most beautiful cities. We spend the night at the Hotel Arcadia in St. Petersburg. (B)

Day 14: We take a half-day tour of the stunning city of St. Petersburg. Must see attractions include a visit to the Hermitage, the Church of the Savior of Spilled Blood, and walking along the banks of the city’s many canals. The afternoon is free to shop and explore St. Petersburg. We meet again in the evening for a boat cruise on the canal, and spend our final night in Russia at the Hotel Arcadia. (B)

Day 15: Return flights from St. Petersburg to the U.S. (B)

Key: B, L, D = Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included.