Elbrus Mountain Camp: описание

The “Elbrus Mountain Camp” is a hiking tour organised by the St. Petersburg’s “Adventures Club” and is hosted every summer in one of the most beautiful Russian national parks – “Prielbrusye National Park.” The park is located in Caucasus around Mt. Elbrus – one of the two highest peaks in Europe. This 6-days active hiking program is filled with freedom, new friends and impressions, and it will certainly be one of the most pleasant and exciting adventures of your summer!

The crown jewel of the Southern Russia; the favourite resort of Russian nobles and officers before the Great Russian Revolution of 1917; the place of exile for romantic poets like Lermontov and Pushkin; the most popular health resort of “a new Soviet man” - today the Caucasus continues to share its sunny days and its endless brilliant peaks with adventurers of every background and experience!

The program is intense but, at the same time, is suitable for all ages. It is designed in such a way that, gradually and without any unnecessary inconveniences, ensures your pleasant stay and inspires you to conquer the new heights in life!

Out-and-back and loop hiking trails, mountain rivers and waterfalls, Caucasian cuisine, ski lifts and snowmobiles, new friends or a new love (who knows!), and, of course, beautiful peaks are waiting for you! Everyone will find what they want to find on this tour! Welcome!

Day 1

First day: transfer from the city of Mineralnye Vody to the high-mountain village of Terskol; hotel check-in; brief tour through the village of Terskol, short walk to the Azau Falls

Your guide will meet you at the airport of Mineralnye Vody at 12:00.

Meeting point at the airport is located near the large fountain opposite the airport entrance.

After picking you up, our comfortable minibus will take you to the altitude of 2,300 meters above sea level in the high-mountain village of Terskol. Travel time will be about 4 hours, so be sure to take some water with you.

Upon arriving in the village of Terskol (Azau Glade, 2,300 meters above sea level), you will be accommodated in the 4* Hotel. Breakfasts and dinners are included! You will have everything you need for a comfortable accommodation in high-mountain conditions.

After you have some rest, your guide will meet you in the lobby and you will have a lunch together. After that you will go on a sightseeing tour to navigate Terskol village and admire the Azau Falls which is located in a rocky amphitheatre near the Russia-Georgia border area not far from the hotel.

After a day on the go and a walk to the Azau Falls, you will have the whole evening for a good rest and will feel your first and such a heady mountain air. A number of cosy cafes and small restaurants near the hotel will offer local cuisine which includes kebabs, khichins, shurpa, lagman, Caucasian wine.

Day 2

Second day: a hiking trail to Mt. Cheget

Early in the morning your guide will organize your daily dozen exercises, a hearty breakfast and will brief you on how to wear and equip yourself for the day. After that you will walk through the morning pine forest to the foot of the Mt. Cheget.

Your trail to the mountain will start from the glade having the same name (Cheget Glade). On this second day you will feel what a real mountain hiking trail is. But remember that the path has been used for a while by many tourists of all ages, and that your guide will always be there to support you on your second day of acclimatization. Believe us - the result of your effort will worth it. The majestic, and, perhaps, the best view of Mt. Elbrus opens from the slopes of Mt. Cheget. As if the scenery from a fairy-tale movie, Mt. Cheget will become only a frame of a much more magnificent picture - the gray-headed, dignified and handsome Mt. Elbrus!

As you will be climbing, you will see the Baksan River Valley, the entire village of Terskol, the mysterious nature-made pyramids - Kogutai twin peaks, Mt. Nakra and Mt. Donguz-Orun, and “The Seven” Glacier which is so attractive to lovers of esoteric cultures from all over the world. A place of history and a place of inexplicable force that will impress you!

In order to not forget about our daily bread because of our high thoughts, on the slope of Mt. Cheget you will find the famous cafe "Ay", which was cult among the Soviet romantic songwriters, and where shurpa, herbal tea, and many other Caucasian dishes of your choice will be on your table at your request.

After a hearty lunch, you will return to the Cheget Glade and visit famous local “woolen market” - bright, Caucasian-style, hospitable and cosy paradise for handicrafts lovers and for those who like Caucasian sweets. After browsing the market, your guide will take you to the hotel, where dinner and relaxation will await you, and those who wish will have an opportunity to book a famous Russian bath – Banya.

Day 3

Third day: a hiking trail to the “Maiden Curls” Falls

Like the previous one, this day will start with a daily dozen exercises and a hearty breakfast. After that (and again, early in the morning) you will go to the “Maiden Curls” Falls.

The Falls is in the left tributary of the Garabashi River, essentially being the liquid form of one of the Mt. Elbrus’ glaciers. So, on this day you will have a chance to experience the cool but, at the same time, such burning hugs of the old Mt. Elbrus, having a swim in the grotto behind the Falls!

The Falls is located at an altitude of 2,750 meters and while falling from the so-called "mutton forehead" it splits into many jets, resembling “maiden curls.”

After you reach the Falls, you will have enough time to relax under its shadow, to have a snack, and to take many wonderful photos.

In the afternoon, your guide will take you back to the hotel and let you go to the evening rest.

Day 4

Fourth day: a hiking trail to the Mt. Elbrus slope.

We probably shouldn't remind the readers that on this day your program will start with a daily dozen exercises and a hearty breakfast. But this day will be different from all the others and it will definitely be remembered for a lifetime. On this day, you will go to the snowy and harsh slope of the Mt. Elbrus, rising above the sky!

The starting point of your trail will be the lowest cable car station in the Azau Glade. A new modern gondola lift will take you to the altitude of 3,000 meters above sea level to the “Krugozor” station, from where you will enjoy a truly epic view of the slopes and peaks of Mt. Elbrus. Then you will trip another 500 meters to the “Mir” station, where you will see a panorama of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range.

After that. you and the guide will change to the next line of the cableway, which will take you to the “Garabashi” station (3,847 meters). Due to the gradual ascent and previous days of acclimatization, your body will quickly get used to this height. At the station you, along with the guide, will dive onto a snow-covered all-terrain vehicle (the so-called “snowcat”) and will rush through snow and ice at an angle of 30-40 degrees to the remnants of the legendary alpine bivouac “Shelter of the Eleven”, founded under Russian Czar Nicholas II.

Here, from the altitude of 4,150 meters above the sea level, you will see a view accessible only to high-mountain eagles and aviators - a grandiose panorama of the mountains of the Central and Western Caucasus. In the north there will be peaks of Elbrus. In the east, southeast and south there will be the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range and its northern spurs. And behind it there will be the ridges of the Svaneti Valley of Georgia, the mystical and alluring Mt. Ushba, and the ridges of the Western Caucasus.

After walking along the snow-covered slopes and taking excellent photographs, you will go down to the “Mir” station where you will order a hot lunch and share your feelings and emotions with your friends.

Day 5

Fifth day: a hiking trail to the "Sand Castles" of the Irik River Valley.

In previous days, you will be well acclimated and will be prepared to go to the mountains for the whole day. You will also do your daily-dozen exercises with much more enthusiasm (believe us!), after which you will have your breakfast and, together with your guide, you will start this day journey by car to reach another small village near Terskol called the village of Elbrus. From there you will start your hiking trail up to the Irik River Valley.

The Irik River Valley is a so-called “hanging” valley, which means rather steep (but short and quite sparing for all members of the group) and very picturesque ascent. On the way, you will admire the opening panorama of the Baksan River Valley and the views of the village of Elbrus. You will also enjoy the stone garden created by the nature and will see the mysterious sand castles created by the force of the mountain wind.

Upon completion of a short climb, you will fall into a beautiful valley that is not affected by human civilization. Literally - you will feel yourself on another planet, the discoverer of other worlds. Suddenly, after the sandy relief, fragrant pine forest and alpine meadows will open for you. In the midst of this magnificence, your guide will offer you to make a meal with a pacifying view of the Greater Caucasus that pacifies the body and soul.

On the way back, you, like legendary Caucasian warriors, will restore your strength with water from the “Narzan” natural fountain, originating somewhere in the depths of old mountains. After that you will be driven back to the hotel by bus.

Day 6

Sixth day: hotel check-out, transfer from the village of Terskol to the city of Mineralnye Vody with a stop at the thermal springs on the way

Our intense and interesting journey will come to an end on this day. On this day, with a feeling of complete satisfaction, with huge amount of positive impressions, and together with new friends, we will say “Good Bye!” to welcoming Caucasus. In the morning you will have your breakfast, gather your thoughts and things and check-out from the hotel.

At 9:00 you, together with your guide, will take a minibus to the city of Mineralnye Vody.

On the way, you will make a stop to take a dip in the hot (thermal) springs.

Mineral nitrogen-carbonic water springs with a temperature of about 47 degrees Celsius come to the surface from a depth of about 4,000 meters. The water is used to treat the skin, the nervous and circulatory systems. There is an open-air swimming pool there.

You will arrive back to Mineralnye Vody before 3.30pm. Those of you who will have free time after this will be able to use it to get acquainted with this lovely little town and its sights, as well as to buy groceries on the return trip.

If you will suddenly feel that you need to extend your vacation even for a day (and we are so familiar with this aching feeling of vacation coming to an end!), we really advise you to stay for a day or two in the city of Pyatigorsk (it is very close, half an hour from Mineralnye Vody) and visit this beautiful city where famous Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov spent his last days and was shot in a duel in 1841. This city’s farewell kiss will burn with warmth on your smile till your next summer!

Please note the program may be slightly changed due to weather conditions or other rational factors.