Mount Elbrus Climb. Short classic weekend climb

AlpIndustria guides for all the program
Transport. All transfers according to the program (Minvody airport – hotel – airport, transfers in the region)
Accommodation. Single hotel rooms (1 night HB)
The mountain hut (3840 m) accommodation on Elbrus (2 nights FB)
An english-speaking guide
Elbrus cableway return tickets according to the program
Food. Full board in the Caucasus (2 meals a day in hotel restaurants). Lunch in cafes. Pocket lunch while touring and climbing.
Certificates on Elbrus expedition.
Cook service on Elbrus.
Rental kitchen equipment.
Tickets for cableway during the program.
Local and state tourist taxes:
• Passport registration;
• Border area Pass;
• Visa invitation.

Single accommodation
Additional food and drinks
Additional transfers and cableway tickets (not included in the program)
Equipment rental
Snowcat for climbing to the Pastukhov’s Rocks (600 euro per snowcat)
Snowcat for climbing to 5000 m (1000 euro per snowcat)
Extra night in Elbrus hotel if coming from Elbrus earlier than it was planned.

Not included:
Domestic and international air fare. Insurance.
Important:
Only ONE attempt of climbing Elbrus is included.

International passport, migration card, visa (for foreign citizens).

Climbing Mt.Elbrus is an active kind of sport in the mountains potentially dangerous for life and health for all the participants of this program. Our guides will provide the necessary level of safety in case you follow the Safety Instruction. The guide has a radio, GPS, a mobile telephone, all necessary group equipment.
Decision of stopping the programme when the weather and snow conditions impose a threat to lives of the participants is in exclusive competency of the guide accompanying the group on the route and can not be discussed. The guide is responsible for providing safety on all kinds of mountain relief.
All guests should have medical insurance in case of incidents or immediate illness which can cover medical and other expenses in emergency.

We cannot but mention that in wintertime the Elbrus slopes above the Pastukhov Rocks usually look like a huge icy field more than 500 m long. That is why moving along the ice surface requires definite alpine experience. That is why we recommend to the tourists who would like to climb the Elbrus in winter to have at least tourist or alpine training and experience in moving along an ice relief using crampons, you should have a rope and ice-screws with you and have some practice in using them. You should understand well what you are doing.
It often happens that people come to climb Elbrus in winter without required preparation. In this case we strongly recommend you to hire a professional individual guide while climbing Elbrus in a company which can be trusted (Alpindustria) and which will take care of your safety during the climb.

We deal with the hotels "Ozon”***, “Povorot”***, “Chiran”**. These are the modern comfortable hotels with all the necessary structure, cozy rooms (double room), polite and respectful staff. At the mountain hut (3840m ) accommodation conditions are modest. There is sleeping area and a kitchen (dining rooms), an outdoor toilet. Beds with mattrasses and pillows, tables, electric heaters are on your availability. Temperature: +18 C, it is colder near the floor (+5 C), sleeping bags are recommended.

The description of the route of an ascent Mt. Elbrus Western 2a category of complexity.

1. Barrels (3780 m) to Shelter (4050 m) route takes 1.5 hours. Move along the snow-and-ice fields. There can be cracks in the area of the plateau before the ascent to Shelter 11. Be careful!
2. Shelter (4050 m) to Pastukhov Rocks (4600 m) route takes about 2 to 3 hours. The rise trails between two rocky ridges (4300 m), further it's a snow-and-ice rise (15 to 20 degrees, 50 m) with an exit to the plateau under Pastukhov rocks. The climb to the "Pastukhov Rocks" is along the closed glacier (20°). There are no cracks here. There exists an approach along the plateau under the bottom stones of Pastukhov Rocks (5 degrees, a rock-fall is not ruled out in a summer afternoon). Then climb to the top of Pastukhov rocks through the snow-and-ice slope of 15 to 20° steep.
3. Pastukhov Rocks (4600 m) to Slanting Shelf (5000 m) route takes about 1 to 1.5 hours. The snow-and-ice rise of 500 to 600 m has a slope of 15 to 20°. The ascent is straight up, avoiding the bends of ice (but you should not go far to the left, not to fall under the faults on the southern cirque glacier) and by turning to the left, we go out to Slanting Shelf (5000 m).
4. Slanting shelf (5000 m) to Motorcycle couloir (5340 m) route takes about 2 to 2.5 hours. It is rather a flat traverse with a smooth climb. The steepness of slope on the inclined traverse is 15°, and in some places, up to 25°.
5. Motorcycle couloir (5340 m) to Saddle (5350 m) route takes about 20 to 30 min. Take a detour around the foot of the eastern peak (400 to 500 m) below. On this site, you can sense the smell of sulfur dioxide emitted from fumaroles on the southern slope. In case of an adverse wind, it poses a serious hurdle to the hikers. Traverse to get to the saddle, and move cautiously on the trails, as there can be cracks. On the left, under the slopes of the western summit, at the beginning of snow trough there is the structure of an old ruined hut, and in front of it at the top of the eastern summit, a new hut has been built, designed solely for rescuing persons caught up in inclement, extreme weather conditions during the ascent (construction of the hut was completed in August 2010).
6. Saddle (5350 m) to the point of entry into the summit plateau (5550 m) route takes about 1 to 1.5 hours. At 50m from the hut, turn right and along the fairly steep snow slope (30 to 35°), climb up to the rocky ridge. There may be an ice patch before the ridge. At this point, there can be movement on the railing.
7. Summit plateau (5550 m) to the top of West Elbrus (5642 m). Start here to climb up and left on the summit plateau. Through a 400-meter flat area, we reach a low dome of the top (40 minutes to 1 hour).
8. The western peak of Mount Elbrus is a small, snow and ice rise of 15° steep with a stone pedestal at the top.
9. Descend via the ascent route.

Attention! In case of weather getting rough, it becomes difficult to focus on long and smooth slopes of the Elbrus! When lenticular (lens-shaped) clouds appear above the top or cloudiness over Ushba and Donguz-Orun, it is necessary to either postpone or cancel the hiking. The time period from the first signs of bad weather to complete loss of visibility may take up to 3 hours.

During the trips the guide has the first aid kit. It is possible to contact the Rescue service in any place. It is necessary for you to have individual medicines.

Temperature in the Valley varies from 20 to 30 degrees. It can be from +15 to -5 on the mountain at an altitude of 3500 m, and from +10 to -15 on the top depending on the weather. In bad weather conditions we try not to venture out. In winter it can be up to -20 in the valley, but this is rare, usually -5 to 10 degrees. On the mountain, the temperature can drop up to -40 at an altitude of 5000 m.

For transfer we use comfortable sedans (depending on the group size) or minibuses (for 10-15 people) like Mercedes, Volkswagen or Ford. Transfer "airport – hotel – airport" is a group transfer and it works once on the arrival day and once on the departure day. In case of necessity we can book an individual car for extra fee. We use the cableway skilift to come to the Barrels. You can book a snowcat to reach the Pastukhov's rocks.

Full board in the Caucasus is 2 meals a day in hotel restaurants. Pocket lunch while touring and climbing.
We offer you complete and balanced meals useful for people exercising up in the mountains. They include vegetables, meat, fish, bread, cereals, tea, coffee and milk.
If you have food restrictions (for example you are a vegetarian), you should warn us beforehand. We’ll try our best to make you feel comfortable.

Moscow – Mineralnye Vody – Moscow flight, international flights.
In case of an early descent from the high-altitude shelter before the period stipulated in the program, hotel accommodation.
Money paid for shelters, booked in advance in accordance with the tour program is not refunded. We earnestly hope that you understand these conditions well. In peak season, seats in the shelters are not adequate for all guests, so we book the seats in advance considering the required number of reserve days.
Local souvenirs.
Self-catering in the valley (the average price for lunch/supper starts from 300 rubles per head). In the valley, there are many cafes and restaurants, mostly of Caucasian cuisine.
Climbing by a snowcat on the day of ascent costs 600 euros per snowcat (a group of up to 10 persons).
Excursion ticket by chairlift to Cheget costs 450 rubles per person and by shuttle ropeway to Azau costs 750 rubles per person.