Meeting at the Mineralnye Vody airport no later than 14.00. Our English-speaking guide or manager will be awaiting you outside of the arrival hall at the airport. Bus ride (3 h.) to a mountain hotel in the Baksan valley near the foothills of Mt. Elbrus. There are single rooms for single travelers or rooms of luxury range with double beds for married couples in the hotel, with toilet and shower. Overnight at the hotel (2100 m)

Accommodation : a mountain hotel in Valley (or similar)

Meal : (On Own)

 Acclimatization hike up to cable car station Cheget-3 (3000 m, 9,840 ft) on Mt. Cheget or Terskol Peak (3150 m, 10,260 ft), depending on a physical condition of participants and weather (the decision is made by the guide in coordination with participants). This is the last day before you leave the valley and after hike you can visit equipment store in order to hire something. Your guide will assist you by choosing right equipment. Overnight at the hotel. 
 

Accommodation : Baksan (or similar)

Meal : Breakfast; Lunch (Camp Meal); Supper (Camp Meal)

- Reference Hotel Pictures

This is the day when you move to the mountain hotel Cheeper Azau, located at an altitude of 3000* meters (9,840* ft) near the cable car station Old Horizon (“Staryy Krugozor”). You can leave all not necessary stuff at hotel. It will not be necessary to carry your backpacks self because the group will reach the hotel using ski lifts. There will be only a short distance 30 m to walk from the cable cars to the hotel. 

* - an intermediate overnight stay at this altitude is very important because it ensures smooth acclimatization of the body, while using the abrupt change in the overnight height from 2200 m (Cheget glade) to 3800-4100 m (the height of all assault huts), which is common in many programs headache and insomnia, but also serious disorders in the body. 

After lunch, we will make an acclimatization hike to the highest mountain station of the cable car Gara-Bashi in Europe (3847 m / 12 620 ft) or Mir station (3455 m / 11 340 ft), depending on weather conditions and the physical condition of the group members, according to paths visiting the picturesque Sarykaya-Su waterfall. Overnight at Chiper Azau hotel.

Accommodation : Chiper Azau (or similar)

Meal : Breakfast; Lunch (Camp Meal); Supper (Camp Meal)

Trekking Time : 3-4 hours

Altitude Gains & Losses : +900/-900 meters

- Reference Hotel Pictures

Today we go up the cable car to the Gara-Bashi station, located at an altitude of 3847 m / 12 560 ft, there we put on climbing equipment and make an acclimatization hike to the Pastukhov rocks (4800 m). Overnight in the hotel Chiper Azau.

Accommodation : Chiper Azau (or similar)

Meal : Breakfast; Lunch (Camp Meal); Supper (Hotel Restaurant)

Trekking Time : 3-4 hours

Altitude Gains & Losses : +400/-400 meters

- Reference Hotel Pictures

Day of relaxation. Tomorrow is a difficult day, so today, after so many days of hard work, you can finally get some sleep. After a late breakfast, we collect everything we need to storm the summit and climb to the "Leaprus" eco-hotel, where we will have additional snow and ice activities (subject to satisfactory weather conditions), lunch, board games, dinner, briefing with a discussion of tomorrow's plans and an early lights out.

Accommodation : Leaprus (or similar)

Meal : Breakfast; Lunch (Camp Meal); Supper (Camp Meal)

- Reference Hotel Pictures

 Summit day. More than 90% of participants in climbing Elbrus from the south use a snowcat for an additional fee in summer. This vehicle transports climbers (maximum 12 people including 3 non-paying guides) to an altitude of 4700-5000 meters and saves 3-4 hours and a lot of energy. In the case of using a snowcat or snowmobiles, groups leave the hut around 03:00-04:00 (03:00-04:00). For most groups, climbing the western summit of Elbrus, 5,642 m (18,510 ft), takes 7-9 hours.

At the request of the group members (in the amount of at least 3 people) it is possible to refuse to use the snowcat and, without any additional fee, make an attempt to climb with one or more guide assistants. Access to the route of participants on foot in this case is 3-4 hours earlier than the main group. At the same time, participants on foot should be aware that if one of the participants in this mini-group feels unwell or has other reasons to refuse to continue climbing by one of the participants, the remaining 1-2 participants are also obliged to descend to the hut. In the event of a forced descent to the hut before reaching the top of the main group, participants who are in good physical shape can make a second attempt to climb the same day when using a snowcat. If the number of people wishing to climb without using a snowcat is less than 3 people, it is necessary to use the services of an individual guide for an additional fee about 300 euros. 

The summit is usually reached at 10:00-13:00 (10 a.m – 1 p.m), depending on the rate of climb of the group. From 14:00 (2 p.m.) the movement of all members of the group is carried out only down. Descent from the top to the hut takes 4-6 hours, after which you will have dinner and overnight.

Generally we stay at the hut this night. If all members of the group come back from the top before 15:00 (3 p.m.) we can discuss the possibility to descend and have overnight at the hotel Cheeper Azau or at a hotel on the Cheget Glade. However this will require additional payment for hotel accommodation and meals, because this night is paid for the hut.  

Accommodation : Chiper Azau (or similar)

Meal : Breakfast; Lunch (Camp Meal); Supper (Camp Meal)

- Reference Hotel Pictures

 This is a reserve day in case of bad weather on the previous day. When the group takes an attempt of reaching the summit on this day, it is also necessary to descend to the valley same evening by all means, though it may be hard because the ski lifts stop working at 4 p.m. Overnight at hotel.

Accommodation : Chiper Azau (or similar)

Meal : Breakfast; Lunch (Camp Meal); Supper (Camp Meal)

Trekking Time : more than 8 hours

Altitude Gains & Losses : +900/-1900 meters

- Reference Hotel Pictures

 Drive to Mineralnye Vody airport early in the morning to be in time for the flight which departs at 11:35. If you need to be at the airport earlier or your flight departs much later than 11:35, you can order an individual transfer.

Accommodation : Hotel in Минеральные Воды

Meal : Breakfast