Elbrus: Climb the Highest Peak in Europe with International Mountain Guides

Our two-week expedition is a great way to climb Mt. Elbrus (18,841'), Europe's tallest mountain, and to see some of Russia. We'll fly as a group to St. Petersburg. After our climb, we'll head to Moscow and depart for home from there.

Most organizations travel in and out through Moscow and you'll miss an opportunity to see one of Russia's most impressive cities. Our Russian hosts will meet us at upon our arrival in St. Petersburg and handle all logistic arrangements within their country.

Expedition Highlights

We'll spend two night and one day visiting St. Petersburg. We then fly to Mineralnye Vody and travel by bus to the Caucasus Mountains. Our base of operations is a hotel in the small town of Terskol. We will take several days acclimatizing, training and making practice climbs in the Caucasus. Good training terrain is available near by and we'll make use of it while acclimatizing and preparing for our attempt on Elbrus.

We then make our attempt on Elbrus. Summit day on Elbrus is STRENUOUS but not very difficult technically. It is close to a 5,000 foot day. Ice ax arrest, basic cramponing and rope travel are required skills.

We'll spend two nights on Elbrus prior to our summit attempt. The huts are basic but adequate.

The trip ends by our flying from Mineralnye Vody to Moscow. We'll have a chance to tour Moscow for a day and we will spend one night there. We have organized tours of both St. Petersburg and Moscow with an English speaking guide.

Our local guides are great climbers and great companions. They know their country well and support us through all phases of the trip. Having long-term friends and connections like these makes our trip special. It is very important to work with solid local help in Russia. This adds greatly to our enjoyment and success. Join us to "knock off" another of the Seven Summits.

Elbrus: Ski One of the Seven Summits

This is a fantastic opportunity to climb and ski one of the world's coveted Seven Summits! Nestled in the Caucasus Mountains, 18,541 foot Mt. Elbrus is the tallest peak in Europe. In addition to spectacular scenery and amazing skiing, we will also get to experience one of Europe's richest cultures.

Our itinerary is exactly the same as for our summer climbing trips. But, our focus is different. We're there not only to summit but to ski from that summit. Lead by professional ski patrolman and IMG guide, Aaron Mainer. Excellent conditioning and a strong skiing ability are needed.

Although Elbrus is not technically demanding, participants should be prepared to climb nearly 5,000 vertical feet. This will include a pack with standard mountaineering gear in addition to a pair of skis or a snowboard. Although most of the descent will be on moderate slopes of less than 30 degrees, we will encounter a variety of snow conditions; including powder, ice, breakable crust, and spring corn. We will have several contingency days in order to take advantage of the best snow and weather, but participants should be able to ride down in a controlled and efficient manner regardless of conditions.

Have you been thinking about skiing one of the Seven Summits? Then, this is the trip for you. Be ready to climb hard and to ski hard. Now's the time!

elbrus climb

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