Mt Elbrus Climbing Expedition itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and Orientation
Arrive at MinVody Airport. Our team will meet you and transfer you to a comfortable private hotel located on the picturesque Cheget glade in the Elbrus region. After settling in, enjoy a delicious dinner at the hotel.
Day 2: Exploring Cheget
Embark on an exhilarating ascent to Mount Cheget, reaching an altitude of 2750 meters. From there, hike to the captivating Cheget Peak and the serene Lake Donguz-Orun. Lunch packages will be provided on your journey. Return to the hotel to unwind and indulge in a satisfying dinner.
Day 3: Acclimatization Adventure
Choose an acclimatization hike that suits your preferences: either venture into the Terskol gorge, heading to the "New Horizons" shelter at 2900 meters, or opt for a scenic hike along the Terskol river valley. Enjoy a hearty lunch before returning to the hotel for dinner.
Day 4: Ascending to Gara-Bashy
Embark on an exciting cable car journey to the "Gara-Bashy" tourist hotel at an impressive altitude of 3800 meters. Utilizing the "Elbrus" and "Gara-Bashi" cable-ways, you'll be treated to breathtaking views. Accommodation for the night will be in cozy Gara-Bashi barrels. After lunch, acclimatize further by hiking to "Shelter-11" at 4000 meters. As the day draws to a close, return to the Gara-Bashi base for a nourishing dinner.
Day 5: Reaching Pastukhov Rocks
Challenge yourself with an acclimatization hike to the awe-inspiring Pastukhov rocks, standing at an impressive altitude of 4800 meters. Enjoy lunch on the way with provided packages. After reaching this notable milestone, return to the Gara-Bashi base for dinner, feeling accomplished.
Day 6: A Well-Deserved Rest
Take a well-deserved day of rest to recharge and relax. Enjoy the amenities of the hotel or take leisurely walks in the surrounding area.
Day 7: Summiting Mt. Elbrus
The pinnacle of the expedition has arrived. Today, you'll conquer the summit of Mt. Elbrus, rising majestically to an impressive height of 5642 meters. With carefully prepared lunch packages, fuel your climb as you embrace the challenges and triumphs of reaching the top. After this monumental achievement, return to the Gara-Bashi base for lunch before beginning your descent into the valley.
Day 8: Contingency and Descent
This day is reserved for unforeseen contingencies or additional rest. Following any necessary adjustments, make your descent to the hotel in Cheget.
Day 9: Journey Home
Bid farewell to the stunning Elbrus region as we provide a comfortable transfer back to the airport, concluding your remarkable journey.
We have crafted this itinerary to ensure a memorable and rewarding Mt. Elbrus Expedition. Should you have any queries or desire further customization, please don't hesitate to reach out.
The cost includes:
1. Transfers airport Minvody - hotel - airport Minvody.
2. Accommodation in private hotel Laguna 3* on glade Cheget according the program 4 days. Standard Twin rooms.
3. Accommodation in barrels Gara-Bashi according the program 3 days
4. Meals 3 times a day - breakfast and dinners in hotel, lunch packages. In barrels FB.
5. All internal transfers.
6. Cable-ways according the programs to Elbrus and Cheget.
7. Guides :
- One local guide for acclimatization and climbing, english speaking.
- Extra guide on summit day for a a big group from 9 pax.
- One guide leader From India for big group
8. Cook and all food in barrels.
9. Visa support, registrations, park fees.
10. Summit Certificate.
Not included :
❌ Extra guide for acclimatization day
❌ Potter for carry your food & water till base camp
❌ Accommodation above the base camp
❌ Visa security and Visa fee.
❌ Breakfast & lunch on arrival day
❌ Personal gear - ( sleeping bag, crampon , snow shoes , ice - axe , Snow gloves , ski glasses , warm jackets - temperature )
❌ Air flights. (International & Domestic Flight tickets)
❌ Personal equipment. Its possible to take any missed equipment for rent here near the hotel.
❌ Snow-cat for summit day. The cost of one ascent till Pastukhov rocks (4600-4700m) or till 5100 meters.
❌ Personal risk insurance
❌ Early arrival / late departure accommodation.
❌Tips to the staff
Other items of personal nature
Any additional cost due to flight cancellation, strikes, bad weather, etc.
Any type of Insurance coverage, tip to driver, porter, staff
Anything which is not mentioned in inclusions.
Cancellation Policy and Terms & Condition:- https://www.shikhar.com/terms-and-conditions
Note: We can help you apply for a visa, but remember that the embassy decides whether to issue it or not. If your visa is delayed or denied, Shikhar Travel won't give you a refund, and we're not responsible for that.
Note: Our program includes everything you need, with the exception of personal equipment. Transfer from/to the airport, accommodation, meals, guides. Personal special equipment, as well as specialized clothing, can be rented from us.
Food: The summit camp have a full kitchen with a cook and a dining room where you can comfortably sit down for a meal or drink tea. All food is prepared from natural products and is adequate to the «mountain» lifestyle. A thermos with hot water for making tea or coffee is always available. Meals — three meals a day, a lunch package is issued on the day of the ascent.
Guides: Each of our guides is well acquainted with this Mountain, with the physiological features of the work of the human body in these conditions, as well as with many pitfalls of the human psyche, due to the combination of environmental factors and the work that a person finds himself in here. The number of guides varies depending on the size of the group. On average, there is one guide for every 3-4 climbers. Also, the number of guides is equal to how many times the group can split up during the ascent, to descend the «tired» to the camp.
Rescue Team: Each group is registered with the rescuers who are on duty on the route in the summit camp.
Connection: Mobile coverage is available everywhere and, depending on the weather and mobile device, it works on the climbing route all the way to the summit.
Season: In general, the vast majority of ascents occur from July to October. The best time for climbing can be considered July and August, this is the peak season. By this time, all winter snow had already melted, it is warm, and there is a sufficient duration of daylight hours. In June and September, the ascent can also be quite successful. In June there may be more snow than in the middle of summer, but at this altitude it is spring here all around, and everything is in bloom, numerous mountain meadow flowers and rhododendrons. In September, the situation with snow and ice can be even more stable than during the peak season, but the daylight hours become shorter and the average daily temperature drops, often even at Cheget area can drop to zero at night.
Weather and Climate: In high camp at night, the temperature drops below zero, however, due to the dryness of the mountain air, it feels mild. During the day, streams of melt water flow here, the sun shines brightly, clouds form in the evening, but on bad weather days it is quite harsh here: the wind can reach 60-70 kilometers per hour in gusts, it even happened that it carried away the houses fixed with cables; a lot of fresh snow may fall, and revenge for a couple of days, a thunderstorm with hail may come, and then the camp is located right in its epicenter.
Acclimatization Hikes: Can take place in good weather conditions, with the sun, blue skies and light clouds. And they can pass through very difficult ones — rain, wind, hail, dampness, cold. On acclimatization days, hikes take place in any weather (the exception is a strong thunderstorm, but usually it does not last long and is simply waited out). In general, the morning and the first half of the day have the best weather conditions, in the evening the weather can become more daring, so the main part of the work takes place in the first half of the day.
Acclimatization Access: To snow and ice coincides with the ascent route, and, in addition to adaptive goals, also pursues the goal of mastering or updating the skills of walking on snow and ice in crampons, walking in a bundle, optimizing other processes associated with work during ascent.
All these walks and transitions are quite long and energy intensive, so you need to try to have a good rest in between, in order to try to approach the moment of ascent in optimal shape, acclimatized, but not too tired.
Weather on summit day: On the slopes it can be quite severe and even so it is considered acceptable. For example: a wind of 20 m/s – it is a normal working weather, those who doesn’t know that its permanent here can turn back thinking that he was blown off. Over the slope the situation with the wind may be different. It happens that before the lower Pastukhov rocks it is relatively calm, and from the border of rocks abruptly begins to blow. Sometimes vice versa – in the camp the strongest wind and slightly higher on the slope it becomes calmer. The air temperature in the upper part of the route can drop to -20 degrees, and in the sun can also be same number but in different direction. When the sun does not shine and comes the wind and clouds you are as if in the freezer. When the sun fries – as if in a stove. So you need to be prepared for such features.
