Trip Information |
Duration: 11 days
Departures 2006: 27 July 2006
Tour condition: Grade C. The 3-4 days are devoted to the ascent of Elbrus. Although no advanced mountaineering experience is required for the ascent of Elbrus, it is necessary to be familiar with the basic use of crampons and ice-axes. There will be several opportunities to practice them during the first days.
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Day 1 |
| Arrival in Moscow. Our English-speaking guide will meet you at the international airport. Transfer to the hotel. Your first night in Moscow. Optional – bus tour “Moscow at night” or pub crawl. |
Day 2 |
| Check-out from the hotel. Transfer to the airport to catch your flight to Mineralnye Vody, where you will be met by our English-speaking guide. On the way from the airport we pass local cities and villages and in two hours arrive in the valley of the Baksan river. Here we can already see the snowcapped summits. After dinner in the hotel we have a walk through the beautiful Baksan valley as far as Narzan Glade, a source of natural mineral water. |
Day 3 |
| After breakfast we go to Cheget glade, which is overlooked by the mountain with the same name. We start climbing to the top of the mountain (3,300 m). The route is not technically difficult but long (15-25 slope degree, approx. 3-4 hours). Overnight in the hotel. |
Day 4 |
| After breakfast a minibus will transfer us to the alpine base Jantugan in Adil-Su valley (approx. 1 hour). Depending on weather conditions we will either go to the Gumachi pass or to the Kashkatash plateau. |
Day 5 |
| After breakfast we go by minibus to Azau settlement and then up to the "MIR" station (3,500 m) by cable lift. We can either use the chair lift again to get to our accommodation, the “Bochki” refuge (3,750 m) or we can go there by foot, which is better for your acclimatization. Alternatively, we will stop in a so-called "Generator" Hut. (You can also hire the ratruck which will take you or/ and your luggage to the Hut for an extra charge.) We leave our luggage there and walk higher up to 4,500 m for further acclimatization. |
Day 6 |
| After breakfast we start climbing up the Pastukhova rocks (4,800 m, approx. 3 hours). The route is not too steep with the last 500 m being the steepest at 20 to 25 degrees, but it is a tough going at this high altitude. Be prepared for long, hard walking. If we have good snow conditions you will not need to use crampons or a rope. |
Day 7 |
| If the sky is clear we will wake up very early, at 3 a.m., to start our climbing. If you feel fit and well, you can miss the walk to Pastukhova rocks by hiring the ratruck, which takes you there in 30 min. From Pastukhova rocks the slope is not more than 20-25 degrees, but the high altitude starts to affect your stamina. You should climb as your breathing and heart rate allow, not faster, monitoring yourself and if possible without stopping or only briefly. Over 5,000 m the route turns to the left and we start traverse the slope in the direction of the small flat “saddle” plateau, which we will reach in 2-3 hours. A final big effort is needed to reach the top, which we can do by going either to the East or West Summit.
East Summit (5,624 m) - it is an easier option because the icy slope from the saddle is not so steep (maximum 30 degree). The route leads to the top without any technical difficulties. However this route takes some time. West Summit (5,642 m) - this is a more difficult choice because a steep clear ice slope (30-35 degrees) leads to the summit plateau. We will need to use crampons, ropes and in some cases ice-screws here. But after hard work we will arrive at the long (approx. 1 km) flat top plateau, leading us directly to the peak.
While descending you must be even more careful than when you were ascending. In case of the ice on the slope above Pastuhova rock we use the fixed rope, even if it takes much longer than just coming down. And as soon as we arrive at our Hut, we start to celebrate our successful ascent. We are the winners!
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Days 8 - 9 |
| We keep these days in reserve in case of bad weather. In the case of a successful summit attempt on day 7, you can climb some of the easier nearby peaks in Baksan valley. Overnight in the hotel or on the slope of Elbrus. |
Day 10 |
| Breakfast in the hotel. Free time. In the afternoon transfer to the airport Mineralny Vody for your flight back to Moscow. Arrival in Moscow and transfer to the hotel. Free time. Overnight in the hotel. |
Day 11 |
| Check-out from the hotel. Today we will have the whole day to explore the major highlights of Moscow. After visit to the Red Square and Kremlin, a short bus tour around Moscow is waiting for us. In the evening you will be transferred to the airport to catch your flight home. |
Optional Services |
| Tractor to take the group/ luggage from the “MIR” station to the “Generator”: £65 one way Tractor for the group from the “Generator” to the Pastukhova rocks: £140 one way National Park fee: £30 per person Single supplement in Moscow 3* hotel: £20 per night Russian visa: £75, this includes the consular fee of £30 and our charge of £45 per person per visa to cover our standard processing costs. |
Please Note |
| “Bochki” refuge is placed on Garabashi hill on the slope of Elbrus at approx. 3,800 m. There are 10 big tanks here (in Russian – “Bochki”) with wooden shelves inside for approx. 6-8 people and some space at the entry for equipment. They are quite comfortable and became the main accommodation place for climbers. The “Generator” was initially a real generator for making electricity but now it is not operated and has been fully reconstructed both outside and inside. There are two floors in the building. On the first floor there are three accommodation rooms and a room with a table and a gas stove, on the second floor there are big spaces on both sides for 5-6 people each and four "corner" rooms for 2-3 people in each. |
