01 your first big ascent
Your first ascent
of Mount Elbrus
Made simple
Nine days on the south side of Mount Elbrus. Three accommodation packages. The programme and selected ground costs explained before payment.
RTO 024541Maximum 1:3 on summit dayFull ground budget before payment
5 642metres above sea level
Kabardino-BalkariaRussia
South route · 9 daysTerskol → refuge → 5 642A staged acclimatisation programme
The programme in numbers
Clear before
you enquire
9days
Saturday to the following Sunday. Acclimatisation in stages.
3packages
The valley accommodation changes. The high-altitude programme stays the same.
30%first payment
Of the confirmed programme price, after the office confirms the place, complete price and contract.
From 3participants
The minimum for a guaranteed published Saturday start, confirmed by the office.
Your first Elbrus
One route
Three ways to stay
The high-altitude refuge, climbing programme and safety standard stay the same. You choose the level of comfort in the valley: campsite, shared hostel or hotel room.
The First Step approach
Choose the details
that matter to you
The same nine-day programme, with your choice of valley accommodation and equipment.
The shared programmeYour choices The same safety standard1 : 3 The principleSimple
One route, nine days
Valley acclimatisation, a shared high-altitude refuge and a staged summit attempt.
No more than three participants per guide during the planned summit attempt.
Simple
and clear
at every step
Choose your valley accommodation
Three ways to stay
Choose your valley accommodation on nights 1–3 and 8. The refuge on nights 4–7 is the same for every package.
Base
Caucasus campsite
The lowest-cost valley option with shared campsite facilities.
Valley accommodation on nights 1–3 and 8. The high-altitude refuge is shared by all packages.
Programme priceUSD 710EUR 610 · reference
Economy
Panda hostel
A shared-room valley option with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities.
Valley accommodation on nights 1–3 and 8. The high-altitude refuge is shared by all packages.
Programme priceUSD 775EUR 665 · reference
Comfort
Salam / Smile hotel
A private-room valley option, subject to confirmed allocation for the selected date.
Valley accommodation on nights 1–3 and 8. The high-altitude refuge is shared by all packages.
Programme priceUSD 820EUR 705 · reference
USD is the primary international programme price; EUR is a reference. Both are fixed published amounts, not a live currency conversion: this website converts nothing automatically and takes no payment. The reference exchange rate used to publish these prices was checked on 29 August 2026. The written offer fixes the payable amount, currency and payment method before payment. Room categories, facilities, meals and final allocations are confirmed in the quote before payment.
What is included and what is separate
The full
ground budget
The programme and selected extra costs are shown before payment.
See the complete cost guide →Rental deposits are not part of the rental charge or this estimate. The rental office confirms the applicable deposit and return conditions at fitting.
Build the equipment set item by item in the rental company’s calculator, published in English ↗Add your journey
Ordinary planning amounts per participant, in RUB.
Your selection
Base accommodation
9 days · south side
Included in the programme
Programme leader and mountain guides; maximum 1:3 summit-day guide ratioincluded
Group airport and local programme transfersincluded
Selected valley accommodation on nights 1–3 and 8included
High-altitude refuge on nights 4–7included
Cable-car sections used by the programmeincluded
Valley breakfasts, plus provisions and a cook working with the group at the refugeincluded
Group registration, communication, group first-aid kit and equipment checkincluded
Turnaround procedureincluded
Separate or variable costs
National-park entry—
Personal equipment rental—
Optional snowcat—
Insurance—
Valley meals—
Return travel—
Baggage—
Individual logistics—
Personal reserve—
First payment after confirmation30% of the confirmed programme price
Selected ground budget—
The trip budget is totalled in Russian roubles, because every line except the programme is paid in roubles to its own provider. Only the programme price has a published US dollar and euro figure. USD is the primary international programme price; EUR is a reference. Both are fixed published amounts, not a live currency conversion: this website converts nothing automatically and takes no payment. The reference exchange rate used to publish these prices was checked on 29 August 2026. The written offer fixes the payable amount, currency and payment method before payment.
Enquire about this selection →The route to the summit
Nine days
Saturday to Sunday
A staged programme builds altitude gradually and keeps one reserve procedure inside the nine calendar days.
010203040506070809
Mineralnye Vody to the Elbrus valley
The main group transfer leaves Mineralnye Vody Airport (MRV) at 15:00 and is planned for flights scheduled to land by 13:30. A second group departure at 19:30 runs from two passengers and only after written confirmation from the office. Check-in, team meeting and personal-equipment review.
Read the day-by-day programme ↗Cheget acclimatisation hike
First acclimatisation walk to roughly 3,000 m: finding a calm pace and checking how you feel.
Read the day-by-day programme ↗Devichyi Kosy waterfall and the observatory area
Acclimatisation hike to the waterfall and higher, roughly 3,100 m, then back down to the valley. The route and endpoint are adjusted to conditions and the group.
Read the day-by-day programme ↗Move to the high-altitude refuge
Cable car up to the shared refuge at about 3,888 m, the same for all three packages. A cook prepares meals for the group at altitude; provisions are included. Refuge check-in and equipment check, plus a short acclimatisation walk if the guide decides conditions allow.
Read the day-by-day programme ↗Main acclimatisation climb
Towards the Pastukhov Rocks, roughly 4,700 m. The guide changes the target when weather, snow or participant condition requires it.
Read the day-by-day programme ↗Rest and summit preparation
Recovery, equipment, movement order, communication and turnaround rules.
Read the day-by-day programme ↗Summit attempt
A night start towards the West summit, 5,642 m. The guide decides whether to continue, based on conditions and the state of the group. Reaching the summit is not guaranteed.
Read the day-by-day programme ↗Reserve procedure and descent
A repeat attempt for the whole group or a designated operational subgroup is decided by the programme leader. An individual repeat is charged separately, depends on guide availability and conditions, and is not guaranteed. Otherwise we descend to the valley.
Read the day-by-day programme ↗Return transfer
Departure from the valley between 06:30 and 07:00; arrival at MRV by 10:00 is usual, not guaranteed. Book your return flight with a margin, and only after written confirmation from the office.
Read the day-by-day programme ↗Programme schematic, not a navigation map
Gain altitude
one stage at a time
This schematic explains the programme: valley acclimatisation, the refuge, the main acclimatisation climb and then the summit attempt. The guide adjusts the order to conditions and the group.
See the day-by-day programme01
The principle
The summit is a goal
A safe return comes first
The complete price, guide responsibilities and turnaround procedure are explained before payment.
Rule 01Returning safely comes first
The shared safety standard
What never gets removed to lower the price.
01
Gradual acclimatisation through the planned programme
02
Maximum 1:3 guide ratio on the planned summit attempt
03
Group registration, communication and a group first-aid kit
04
Personal equipment checked before the high-altitude section
05
Turnaround decisions made by the guide
06
A reserve procedure subject to conditions and the programme leader’s decision
Qualified guide documents, group registration, communication, a group first-aid kit, personal-equipment checks, turnaround rules and an evacuation procedure. The guide’s decision on weather, timing, route or a participant’s condition is binding and is not cancelled by payment, by the snowcat or by what the group wants.
Read the safety framework →Responsibility made clear
Who is responsible
for your ascent
The guide’s role, company details and contract are explained before payment.
The guide for your departure
Read the guide’s responsibilities and how the summit subgroup works.
1 : 3 on summit dayThe guide’s role →OOO Gorny Gid
The contract, company details and complete price are provided before the first payment.
RTO 024541 Unified Federal RegisterCompany details →Before you choose a date
Start with
your question
GUARANTEED SATURDAY STARTS
Choose the trip. Build the full ground budget. Send an enquiry
Every published start runs from Saturday to the following Sunday. 22 starts in 2027 are already listed. The office still checks accommodation, current public fees and the written contract before payment.
Starts from 3 participants
No booking deadline is imposed by the website. Actual remaining capacity is confirmed by the office. A start fewer than 10 business days away is marked as a late enquiry: the usual balance timing no longer applies and the office confirms the payment terms.
011 May – 9 May 20279 days · south side
028 May – 16 May 20279 days · south side
0315 May – 23 May 20279 days · south side
0422 May – 30 May 20279 days · south side
0529 May – 6 Jun 20279 days · south side
065 Jun – 13 Jun 20279 days · south side
0712 Jun – 20 Jun 20279 days · south side
0819 Jun – 27 Jun 20279 days · south side
Show every published Saturday start
0926 Jun – 4 Jul 20279 days · south side
103 Jul – 11 Jul 20279 days · south side
1110 Jul – 18 Jul 20279 days · south side
1217 Jul – 25 Jul 20279 days · south side
1324 Jul – 1 Aug 20279 days · south side
1431 Jul – 8 Aug 20279 days · south side
157 Aug – 15 Aug 20279 days · south side
1614 Aug – 22 Aug 20279 days · south side
1721 Aug – 29 Aug 20279 days · south side
1828 Aug – 5 Sep 20279 days · south side
194 Sep – 12 Sep 20279 days · south side
2011 Sep – 19 Sep 20279 days · south side
2118 Sep – 26 Sep 20279 days · south side
2225 Sep – 3 Oct 20279 days · south side
Before your first ascent
Questions
and clear answers
Do I need previous mountaineering experience?
Previous mountaineering experience is not required for the normal south-side programme. You do need suitable health, steady uphill fitness, appropriate equipment and the ability to follow the guide’s instructions. If you have a chronic condition, discuss the planned altitude load with a doctor before booking and tell the office about significant limitations through the separate protected process.
How long is the first-ascent programme?
The planned programme lasts nine days, from the Saturday airport transfer to the following Sunday return to Mineralnye Vody. It includes staged valley acclimatisation, high-altitude refuge nights, a summit attempt and a reserve procedure.
Which route does the programme use?
The programme uses the classic south side of Mount Elbrus. Daily endpoints may change because of weather, snow, route conditions or participant condition.
Is reaching the summit guaranteed?
No. The programme provides a managed summit attempt, not a guaranteed summit. The guide may turn around an individual or the group because of weather, timing, route conditions or participant condition.
What is the guide-to-participant ratio?
During the planned summit attempt, no more than three participants are assigned to one mountain guide. On acclimatisation days, groups of up to 15 participants are led by a programme leader; larger starting waves are divided into operational subgroups.
Where do participants sleep?
The planned itinerary uses valley accommodation on nights 1–3 and 8, and a shared high-altitude refuge on nights 4–7. The confirmed offer states the selected valley category and current refuge arrangement.
How does the airport transfer work?
The planned main group departure leaves Mineralnye Vody Airport at 15:00 and is designed for flights scheduled to land by 13:30. A second group departure at 19:30 runs from two passengers and only after written confirmation from the office. On Day 9 the return transfer leaves the valley between 06:30 and 07:00 and usually reaches MRV by 10:00, which is not guaranteed; book the return flight with a margin.
Can I rent climbing equipment locally?
Yes. Sizes and required items can be requested before arrival, followed by an actual fitting in the valley. Rental charges, deposits and confirmed stock are stated separately rather than assumed.
Useful before you travel
Plan your first Elbrus
Programme, preparation, equipment and the complete budget in one place.
01Full trip cost
Programme, equipment rental, insurance, optional costs and your ground budget.
↗02Your first ascentPreparation, altitude, equipment and the guide’s decisions.
↗03When to climbSeasonal planning differences without treating averages as a forecast.
↗04InsuranceCheck activity, altitude, territory, rescue and evacuation cover.
↗05Getting to ElbrusPlan your journey and check compatibility with the confirmed transfer.
↗06Your mountain guideThe summit-day ratio, guide responsibilities and turnaround decisions.
↗ELBRUS LIGHT PACK
Elbrus Light Pack: the first steps of your independent trip arranged
Elbrus Light Pack is a separate product for independent travellers and small groups. It does not include guiding or an ascent programme and does not change anything included in the nine-day climbing packages.
Elbrus Light Pack is a separate enquiry-only product priced at USD 190 per person and sold by OOO Gorny Gid. The written offer confirms availability, the exact hotel and transfer, the final amount payable in RUB and payment instructions. The website neither books the service nor takes payment.
Request the Elbrus Light Pack →