• Russia in general and the Caucasus area in specific are different from what you might be used to in regards to culture, & nature. In practice this could mean: different communication styles (sometimes considered rude, sometimes refreshingly open), very bad or non-existing roads, transfers that are hours later than expected, cars breaking down, Police asking for bribes etc. This is part of the experience and though we will try to make the trip as enjoyable as possible, there will be unexpected and sometimes negative moments, though expect some unexpected positive moments as well :)
• The mountain and weather will dictate the actual schedule. We use the above as a guideline, but likely the schedule will be adapted for the safest, most enjoyable and most successful climb possible.
• We will try to traverse as planned if there is interest, but when due to safety reasons (storm on North side etc) this is not deemed possible by the guides, we will descend the South side. Safety comes first.
• As we cannot determine the exact date of the summit/traverse, the hotel we will be staying afterwards could be very basic as we can only reserve a few days beforehand or not at all, so please be flexible.
• Note: Most people were surprised by the Russian food which is, well, different. Maybe not even so much
  the food itself, but the timing of it: Get surprised by chickensoup or spaghetti or oatmeal for breakfast and enjoy the Borsj. For some it was difficult to eat hot meals in the morning, other remarked it as 'suprisingly good'. Good and plentiful nutrition is needed as it provides much needed energy reserves for the hikes and climbs. If you have a restricted diet or are vegetarian, it might be wise to bring some extra food or snacks.
• In general Elbrus is underestimated and many climbers come unprepared and untrained. On the South side this has been solved by taking cable cars and hiring snow-cats, resulting in pollution, noise, smell and a climb of only 800 vertical meters. On the North side it is clean, fresh, but summitday is very long and you have to do everything yourself, so prepare by training and getting fit.

Included:

- Visa support and invitation. Note that we cannot be held responsible when your Russian Embassy refuses your visa

All transfers in Caucasus

- All nights in Caucasus, in Hotels, lodges, tents and huts, double room/tent where applicable

- All meals in Caucasus besides last dinner

- All permits in Caucasus

- All guides in Caucasus

When booking the Moscow services:

- Airport pickup in Moscow, transfer to hotel *

- Night in 3*** hotel (B&B), double room*

- Transfer to airport *

- flight Moscow - Mineralnye Vody and return if booked as well

- Airport pickup in Moscow, transfer to hotel *

- Night in 3*** hotel (B&B), double room*

Not included:

- Russian visa (we will supply the invitation/voucher, but you must apply for your visa)

- Tips for guides

- Drinks in hotels etc

- Meals in Kislovodsk

- Single accomodation supplement

- Extra nights in hotels in case of early descent

- Transport to Moscow airport from Moscow hotel after the climb (as there will be many different departure times on different airports; it is easy to arrange a taxi at the hotel if needed.)

- Gear rental if needed

- Personal porter or guide if needed

- Any changes in the programme demanding additional expenses

- Single accommodation supplement

- Insurance (medical and other)

Itinerary in Caucasus

(When starting in Moscow, day 0 will be arrival in Moscow, transfer to hotel. Day one will be transfer to airport and fly to MRV, see below for rest).

Itinerary

If you book the Moscow package, then you will be picked up at the aiport and taken to your hotel. Hotel included (B&B), the next day you can arrange your own transport to the airport.

Feedback from our clients of the Elbrus North Side and Traverse expedition:

This is just for reference. We were the first to organise a traverse expedition on elbrus and the first commercial international North side expedition.

This is what our clients mailed us after the expedition, which might be interesting to prepare you mentally about climbing elbrus and being in Russia in general. Note that this year we will have different guides, even more xeperienced.

Main themes are:

- The North side might be a bit tougher, but a much better and rewarding climb

- Elbrus is underestimated, you need to be fit

- Food in Russia can be unexpected but tasteful; there were some culture shocks.

Here are all the detailed responses as received (not everybody answered all questions). As you can see tastes and opinions differ a lot between people with regards to climbing, guides, food and accommodation, but overall all aspects were rated very positive.

Was the information given beforehand sufficient and accurate? Why (not)?

• "Good enough, after all this is not a cruise or a business trip with set agendas.
• "Most of the information was accurate and helpful. The Russian visa information should have been
  better as I had to go through the application process a couple of times prior to getting approval."
• "Yeah, you told us everything we needed to know about getting the visa and preparing for the trip."
• "yes. It was more than I needed. Having met the rest of the trip members they probably gained from
  it. Didn't need plastic boots after all! though we did have a perfect summit day."
• "Information was accurate and helpful. Maybe a guide line of fitness would help old fat people
  like me."
• "Positive"

Elbrus North: was the expedition to the North side of Elbrus as expected? Why (not)?

• "was great, beyond expectations"
• "A bit harder than I expected. You were right about Elbrus it is underestimated"
• "No. I underestimated the mountain and my conditioning wasn’t what it should have been. That said,
  I enjoyed the challenge and would do it again."
• "It was great. Remote, no tourists, unspoilt, rough round the edges, all the makings of a good
  trip."
• "The trip was better than I ever imagined."
• "Surpassed all expectations, much more beauty and fun than expected"
   

Did you enjoy the program, so including the hikes to the springs and acclimatisation hike to the
hut?

• "absolutely, acclimatisation was good, no rush, time enough to learn to hike again and get into the
  right condition even running up the hill to be on the summit in time to be able to traverse the
  mountain was afterwards big fun (at that moment it felt more like suicide)."
• "Yes those trips gave us a great opportunity to see some of the fantastic countryside, as well as
  giving the less experienced members such as myself a chance to wear in their boots and do some last
  minute fitness work!"
• "Yes, those excursions were good as they gave time to unwind and get to know the area and
  everyone."
• "I have absolutely no complaints. Hikes were all good. Summit day was tough but that was expected,
  and prepared for."
• "Loved the hikes and scenery and would keep them for future trips as they were good bonding times."
• "Tremendously. The hike to the springs was a beautiful warm-up, the hike to the hut made acclimatisation easy and painless. I even enjoyed the trip to basecamp with a broken car, almost toppling cars and seemingly unscalable rivers."

Looking back, would you prefer climbing from the North (as we did) or from the South? Why?

• "I would advice everybody to go from the North side as the South side looked pretty boring with
  one big skislope and the North side was much more quiet"
• "The north, you get more out of the climb, although summiting could be easier from the south side"
• "Obviously I didn't get a chance to see the South side but from what I've heard the North was
  better. Descending on the south if possible probably gives the best of both worlds."
• "I really don’t know the south side enough to compare, but I certainly wouldn’t want to use the
  cable car to ascend. There is no point to the trip just to do that."
• "From the North. A great day out."
• "Personally, North. I feels way more remote and deserted, is majestically beautiful and people are in general much happier. I know that for me climbing the south side would have been a disappointment."

How tough were the hikes up until summitday, was this as expected?

• "Good walks, not too heavy and not too light, good to get into the right shape for the summit day,
  not expected but hoped for."
• "A bit harder than expected, but not that hard."
• "The hikes were reasonably tiring at times which was good. They were probably pretty much as
  expected yeah. I think I struggled most with the acclim. hike to the rocks but this definitely helped
  prepare me for summit day."
• "I thought they were great. Good acclimatizing. It prepared us well for the summit day."
• "As expected, if not easier. Even though, summit day was killer..."
• "The hikes were pretty much as expected. You explained the effects of altitude as we went along so
  this was a great help and encouragement."
• "I never gave it that much thought, but they are ok as long as you're at least a little bit trained."
   

How tough was summitday, was this as expected?

• "Pretty tough, we had to be on the summit before (I thought) 12 o'clock, to be able to arrive at
  the cablelift before 15 hrs, so we walked pretty fast, but after 2 aspirines the sun was shining
  again."
• "It was tough, but that should be expected. I just think that I wasn’t fully recovered from my
  stomach surgery earlier this year."
• "I expected summit day to be tough but I think due to the fact I had very little experience i
  didn't know how it would feel. It was really tiring but felt great to push myself and carry on."
• "It was tough to fit it all into one day. I’m currently training for the New York Marathon, but it
  really would have been ideal to train for that before Elbrus. If that were the case, perhaps I could
  have kept up with the ‘Speedy Gonzalez’ crowd."
• "I swore alot and even though I felt I was pretty fit for the trip I would say it was hard, but
  very enjoyable. Way tougher than Mont Blanc, even though I had been to altitude in the last 3
  months."
• "Summit day was strange for me. I went from cruising to hopeless in what seemed no time. On
  reflection I was going great when T stopped but cannot remember if we stopped at Lentz rocks or
  not. It was tougher than I imagined but Everything was new to me. Altitude, ice and I was not fit
  enough but will be if I decide to go again."
• "Summitday was pretty tough for me, but it didn't last too long. I probably would have enjoyed it more on a bit slower pace, but it was manageable."
   

Overall speaking, was your experience and the included and offered service worth the price paid?

• "Absolutely"
• "Yes"
• "Absolutely. Before the trip it did seem like quite a lot of money but once we were there you can
  appreciate how much work, organisation and cost it takes to run the trip."
• "As you know my Kilimanjaro trip had extraordinary service (flushable toilets, private tent, etc.)
  but the cost were higher. It was catered to a ‘hiking tourist.’ This was the first time I experienced
  mountaineering and I was fine with it. I expect my future hikes to be more like this one in terms of
  service."
• "Yes"
• "Hard to say. Life on a mountain always seems more intense so combined with the time in Moscow it was definitely worth the money for me. It would be nice to spend an extra day on the mountain if weather allows and I would urge people to spend at least two full days in Moscow to get the best out of the trip."
• "The trip was worth every ruble. I considered the price very fair. I see no reason for it to be
  cheaper. I considered it great value for money."
   

How would you describe and rate the Russian accommodation:

(a) Hotel Izmailova Alpha, Moscow

• "Excellent"
• "A true Russian experience i think! We were even charged for being 20 minutes late checking out our rooms, which of course involved more paperwork! It was all part of the fun though, the rooms were nice and I have it on good authority (from a certain Mr F.) that the strippers were too!"
• "Ok for what it was."
• "Good"
• "The accommodation was fine in both locations. The staff in both hotels were trained at the Basil Fawlty college of hospitality but that is well out of your control and without their input I would not have the nickname 'Hugo'. It all added to the experience and stories. When you sent me the email before I left, apologizing for what would happen in advance with the check-in that was a great warning and you should continue to do that otherwise their attitude would have been a real shock for people like me who arrive a few days before and did not have you to check them in. All in all I thought the accommodation was good and would not change a thing.

(b) Hotel Chilim, Kislovodsk

• "Excellent (especially the receptionist :-) "
• "Need to change the receptionist :-) "
• "Also good. Nice and clean."
• "Ok for what it was."
• "Good facilities, could benefit fom AC"
• "Average hotel, not at all bad, heaven after coming down the mountain. (6)"

(c) Elbrus BaseCamp

• "It's a shame we didn't have to put up our own tents and cook our own meals, ;-)
  good meals, good tents, great disco, astonishing sauna, lovely girls, nice volleyball field, need I say more?"
• "Moscow was good, base camp was good, the hut although could be better especially that Elbrus attracts non hard core mountaineers like myself."
• "Very good, especially the sauna and the disco tent :) "
• "I liked it."
• "Both base camps were good and I had no idea what to expect. I was not disappointed in either. The food was not what I was used to but it gave me plenty of energy and I never had an upset stomach during the whole trip which is important. It all added to the experience. If fruit was available I would have preferred that at lunch but that may be hard to procure and transport."
• "Great place. The tents were large and in very good condition. The food was great, the sauna wonderful, the views spectacular and the girls in the disco mind-blowing. (10)"

Guiding and leadership

(a) Was there enough guidance during the trip, both in Moscow as well as in the Caucasus?

• "I think there were certainly enough guides, even a translator!"
• "The guides were amazing."
• "Yes"
• "Not enough guidance in Moscow. Caucuses, yes there was enough."
• "Yes"
• "Being the most inexperienced and oldest climber I was probably a bit of a worry for the guides but I was given all the advise and encouragement I could have asked for."
• "You can never have too many blond cuties, but the 4 guides and interpreter did very well (10)"

(b) How did you experience and do you rate the leadership of Harry?

• "Great leader, lots of patience, good fun, a 10 (minus ;-])"
• "Well experienced mountaineer with a lot to give."
• "Fantastic. You are obviously experienced and always kept in mind that some of us had less knowledge/experience than others. This was much appreciated on my first trip of this kind."
• "The airport pickup was a nice introduction. He seemed very busy getting things organized; perhaps he would be less so on a repeat trip because the contacts have been developed."
• "Good"
• "Harry you were great to me. You probably realised I would struggle to make the summit but still
  encouraged me all the way and your attention was something I will remember always."

(c) How did you experience and do you rate the assistant leadership of Eduardo?

• "Lovely, real womanizer, good fun to! 10!"
• "Great guy. Pleasure to have climbed with both."
• "Likewise no complaints."
• "mixed. Too keen to be first after supposed to be taking up the rear, got a bit carried away on
  summit day. We were all struggling but he was on a mission
• "Very nice. I enjoyed the stories about the stars."
• "Eduardo was fantastic. Whatever you pay him consider it a bargain. I know you appreciate how
  fortunate you are to have him as a guide."
• "I really enjoyed his company, he's exceptional in pouring his knowledge of all and everything over you. Since i knew him beforehand he was one of the reasons the go on the trip, and right so."

(d) How did you experience and do you rate the guiding of our Russian guides:

 

* Marina (our translator and hiking guide)

• "Bit shy, funny girl, don't think that she was really necessary, but good to have her in the group: 8"
• "Good, especially her various climbing outfits!"
• "I guess if one is a guy, she has her assets. For me, the show was the wrong place, wrong time."
• "Her English was very good"
• "Was nice but should have shared the tent with (***) when invited."
• "Well, does anyone really care? (10)"

* Nelly:

• "Good, 8"
• "She seemed to be a really good guide, knew the route well etc and seemed to be a lovely girl as
  well."
• "Good"
• "Adequate"
• "Was fantastic in every way."
• "I haven't really experienced her in a guiding position, but as far as I could tell she's strong, smart and sweet. (10)"

* Mischa (Michael):

• "Strong, bit silent, great responsibility: 8"
• "The last few hours of summit day apart he was good. If he had told us what to do we would have
  done it but I suppose its more difficult as he's just a young guy. That aside he was good though so no hard feelings!"
• "too young to be guiding, but great talents. One day he will be an excellent guide."
• "Immature"
• "Loved the kid. The typical no bullshit Russian. Was the pick of the guides in my opinion. He said it as it was and you could like it or lump it. I love that."
• "What a strong guy, like a good russian it took him a while to warm up to strangers, but once he had he turned out to be a really nice guy too. (10)"

* Main guide Andrei:

• "Great guide, strong to, feels like the most experienced guide of the three: 9"
• "same as Nelly, really nice guy who seemed to know what he was doing."
• "Good"
• "Great. Safe, and very responsible. English is limited, but the more you get him to talk the more English he speaks! Would be happy to use him for a guide for anything else."
• "I have not forgiven him for being with Nellie :)"
• "The trip wouldn't have been the same without him. He's a guy i would follow on any mountain. (10)"
   

Overall: how would you rate this trip?

• "10"
• "Great I wish I didn’t have problems on summit night."
  "I had an absolutely amazing time so 10! It was all really different and new for me but i loved
  every minute of it. Hopefully when money permits I'll be able to do something else similar."
• "Very good"
• "A must do! (9)"
• "The trip was a 10 for me."

What could be improved, before as well as during the expedition?

• "less questions with the questionnaire, a billiard table maybe? Would be nice when it is possible to
  buy flexible return tickets from Kotslakov to Moscow, but I guess that I already know the answer, and
  otherwise the price will be 'a bit ' higher.
• "One thing my earlier Kilimanjaro trip had, was a training program to build up fitness, this is
  very useful as it give you an indication of how fit you need to be"
• "Not much at all. Perhaps recommending babushka-proof bags for keeping snacks in?"
• "For me personally, I thought it was about right for a mountaineering experience. Although the
  suggestions above cover my improvements."
• "Without direct contact with Harry I would have been unsure of what to pack and what not.
  I would have enjoyed an extra day on the mountain."
• "Nothing comes to mind"

Would you recommend this trip in Russia and 7summits.com to your friends? Why (not)?

• "Yep, great route, good guiding, good accommodation, relaxed, you don't have to arrange anything
  yourself, pretty luxurious."
• "Definitely recommend it. I can't think of any way it could have been a better experience, it was a
  great group and lots of fun."
• "Yes. I would make it clear to the person that their expectations should be consistent with a
  ‘mountaineering’ experience."
• "Yes"
• "Yes, I have, although some found it expensive."
• "I would recommend this trip and 7 summits to anyone, please feel free to give my phone# and email
  to any Australian customers for a reference. It is a lot of trust to send money to a web site and a
  phone call from this end would settle many nerves.

Could you summarize all the above, describing your overall experience?

• "The Elbrus expedition was great any all aspects. The Russian culture was great to experience. All
  promised rudeness came true, loads of vodka, military, concrete buildings, old symbols, babushka's,
  etc. The nature was beautiful: nice waterfalls, rivers, flowers, mountains, great peaks, glaciers,
  snow, excellent views. Excellent service: we didn't have to do shit. Only walk, drink and piss. No
  tents carrying tents etc, melting water or cooking you food. great meals to! Nice group, good fun,
  all nationalities present, relaxed atmosphere. But to many wanna be singers :-). And last but not
  least an excellent crew: professional, relaxed, humoristic, patient, etc, etc.
• "An absolutely amazing trip. Well organised and really cool people. Can't thank you enough!"
• "Awesome summit day, good physical challenge, amazing views. Emotional summit as always, followed
  by lots of beer, Russian dancing, then a comfy bed."
• "The trip was great as I said. The only disappointing aspect for me was I was not as physically
  prepared as I needed to be that is my problem and I now know what is needed and what to expect. As
  this was my first expedition I have nothing to measure it against but if all future trips are as good
  I will be travelling a lot in the coming years. Hope this helps with future trip planning and your
  exciting future"
• "This was a real fun trip. Being in Moscow was an amazing experience. The mountain wasn't easy, but the trip from the north side is very pretty. Again, the best bit were the people. Harry managed to collect a group of people that were totally different in their origin, age and life style but one in their joy of being in the mountains. An unforgettable trip!"

Anything else you would like to share?

• "Thank you"
• "Thanks for an absolutely awesome trip! You were a great leader and a great guy."
• "I decided on your trip because yours was the only one from the north side. You pointed out that
  climbing from the south was more crowded and often meant using the cable car and i thought this kind
  of seemed like cheating! Although if you'd offered me a ride on a cable car 7 hours into summit day
  I'm sure I would have been all for a bit of cheating!"
• "Food was good, though having chicken soup and a kebab for breakfast was rather strange when you
  hadn't been drunk the night before!"
• "Thanks har!"

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