Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrival

   • Land at Mineralnye Vody Airport – preferably before 3 pm. 

   • Take a 200 km (3-hour) ride to a mountain hotel, situated at the beginning of the Baksan Valley, almost on the slopes of Mt. Elbrus.

   • Meet and have dinner with your Russian guide.

2. Day 2: Cheget Peak

   • Do an acclimatization hike to Cheget Peak. 

   Descend to a mountain hotel for overnight stay. 

3. Day 3: Maid’s Braids waterfall

   • Start with a morning acclimatization hike to Maid’s Braids Waterfall (2,700 m) and further on, to the observatory (3,100 m).

4. Day 4: Refuge

   • Take a lift or cable car ride to the Refuge where many huts and accommodation options are available.

   • Make an acclimatization hike at an elevation of 4,400 m, till the end of the ridge. 

   Overnight stay in the huts at Refuge.

5. Day 5: Hike to Pastukhov’s Rocks

   • Do an acclimatization hike to Pastukhov’s Rocks (4,700 m).

6. Day 6: Rest Day

   • Use the day for rest and relaxation, and also for making final preparations for climbing Mount Elbrus, on the next day.

7. Day 7: Mount Elbrus

   • Climb up to reach the summit of Mt. Elbrus (5,642 m). You will begin early, between 2 - 4 am. There will be the use of a Snowcats, depending upon trekking conditions. The proportion of Russian guides and clients is strictly in the ration of 1:3.

   • Descend to a hut on the northern side of the mountain. 

8. Day 8: Reserve day

   • Use the day for rest or reserve day, in case a need arises during the climb up to Mount Elbrus. 

   • Else, you will descend to Emanuel glade point for further transfer to Terskol.

9. Day 9: Transfer from Terskol

   • There will be airport transfers from Terskol at 7 a.m., so plan your return flights accordingly. On the way, if there is time, you can stop at Pyatigorsk city before reaching the airport and also see the birthplace of well-known Russian poet Lermontov.