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All trips suspended until further notice, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine |
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Course
overview
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At
over 800m higher than Mont Blanc, Elbrus
is the “Seventh Summit” of Europe.
In terms of technical difficulty, it is
easier than Mont Blanc, although the importance
of acclimatisation is greater, as it is
higher. |
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The
mountain is an extinct volcano, conical in
shape, with a crater rim on which the twin
summits are perched. The higher west peak
is reached by a steep snow climb from Sedlowina
saddle, the col separating the peaks. |
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You
require no previous climbing or mountaineering
experience for this expedition, as you are
taught all necessary ice axe and crampon skills
on the mountain, but you should be a competent
trekker who is familiar with 9-12 hour days
with up to 1800m of height gains. Fitness
is more important for the north route. |
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This expedition
will appeal to those who have ascended Mont
Blanc, or one of the other major Alpine peaks,
who want to step up a gear in terms of altitude.
While the mountain is one of the Seven Summits,
it is one of the most enjoyable to climb,
as the Alpine approach is used, and there
is no need for siege style tactics, porters,
or time consuming walk in's. |
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This
ascent of Mount Elbrus is made from the north.
It is a wilder side of the mountain, with
no hotels, restaurants, cable cars or snow
cats. You reach the summit completely on foot,
using the route of the first ascent nearly
200 years ago. The 90km approach to basecamp
from Kislovodsk is made by 4x4 over rugged
terrain to Dzhily-Su where the route begins.
The summit day is tougher, with 1900m of height
gain, and the round trip takes approximately
16 hours, so you need to be fitter than for
the normal route from the south. |
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You fly in and out of the local Caucasus town
of Mineralyne Vody, from where you are transferred
to the Baksan valley. The itinerary aims to
maximise time on the mountain, whilst minimising
the amount of time that you have to take off
work for the expedition. |
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Dates: these
are listed in the column on the right, and
they show the live availability from our secure
online booking system. When you book online,
you receive immediate confirmation, your Elbrus
expedition trip dossier, trip specific kit
list and invoice. |
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Expedition
notes
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Our
formula is to restrict the group sizes, so that
there are a maximum of 15 clients. The small group
sizes enable us to run specialist ascents, where
the group can bond well, and each expedition member
has great access to the local guides. |
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Whilst
every effort will be made to adhere to the planned
itinerary, it must be realised that in this type
of adventurous travel, changes to the itinerary
may occur. Your final itinerary may differ in respect
of the places where you stay overnight. Please bear
this in mind, especially in the Caucasus! |
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On
the ascent of Elbrus, you are guided by local guides
who have detailed local knowledge. Local guides
are not ‘guiding’ or qualified in the
same stringent way as IFMGA International Mountain
Guides, but work in a far more traditional sense
as route finders and assistants to our expedition
members, so a higher degree of adventure and autonomy
is required than on our Alpine trips. |
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Our
trips are privately run exclusively for Icicle
clients where there are six or more people booked on a date. All the trips are guaranteed even for one person, and if there are five or less
of our clients on a trip, you are matched with other
clients from our partners. We use local logistics
agents for visa invitations, guides, transport and
accommodation. You are guided by an English speaking
local guide on these trips. |
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With
adventure travel, the unexpected is the norm in
these areas and, despite painstaking planning and
organisation, our adventure holidays can never be
taken for granted like regular holidays. Many of
the
places that we visit do not have the same quality
of emergency health and safety services that we
are used to in the developed world. Internal flights
can be cancelled, road transport is generally uncomfortable
and unreliable, and hotels and any star ratings
often do not approach the equivalent standards of
the West. If you are not prepared for this, you
should not book on this style of trip. We see these
factors as a selling point, and it really defines
for us what adventure travel is all about. |
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Elbrus
expedition itinerary
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| Day |
Itinerary |
Night |
Meals |
| Fri |
Fly
to Mineralyne Vody Airport, to arrive for the group
airport transfer departing at 14.30 (allow an hour
after flight arrival for baggage collection, etc).
The airport transfer takes approximately three and
a half hours to the Baksan Valley. Transfer to the
town of Kislovodsk, the last town before the lower
steppes of the Caucasus. Spend the rest of the day
sorting gear and preparing for the climb. Overnight
in Kislovodsk. Dinner with the group. Night in hotel. |
Hotel |
D |
| Sat |
After
breakfast, you depart for basecamp. The vehicle
is loaded with the gear, and a four hour drive takes
you into the heart of the lush foothills of the
lower Caucasus to Mt. Elbrus Base Camp (2500m).
You establish a basecamp, then take a short acclimatization
hike to explore the remote valley and stretch your
legs after the many long hours of travel. |
Camp |
BLD |
| Sun |
Acclimatisation
hike up to 3100 m. You'll see the fascinating stone
mushrooms that are up to 5m high. This region is
a great place for rock climbing. Descend to the
basecamp. Overnight in the basecamp. |
Camp |
BLD |
| Mon |
Carry
loads up to the high camp. You pack up a portion
of the supplies and make a carry to high camp (3800m).
After depositing a cache and enjoying the views,
you descend back to the basecamp for the night. |
Camp |
BLD |
| Tue |
Move
to up to the high camp. An early start gives ample
opportunity to enjoy the climb up to high camp.
The route from basecamp takes you above a narrow
gorge and out of the high grasslands into the alpine
zone, affording stunning views of the glaciers of
Mount Elbrus and the lower steppes of the Caucasus
to the north. The last stretch of the climb leads
through the jumbled rock moraine along side the
Mikelchiran Glacier before cresting a steep pitch
to reach camp. |
Camp |
BLD |
| Wed |
Acclimatisation
hike to the Lenz Rocks (4800m). The route brings
you onto some moderate glacial terrain. You will
be roped up in order to protect yourselves from
the several crevasses that must be crossed. Return
to the high camp for the night. |
Camp |
BLD |
| Thu |
Summit
Day! After an alpine start we climb from the high
camp across the upper portion of the Mikelchiran
Glacier until you reach the Saddle at 5300m. Mount
Elbrus has two large summit domes and the Saddle
separates the East Summit from the West Summit.
Both are comparable in size and height. After
enjoying the summit and its impressive views of
the Caucasus mountain range, you descend back
to the high camp. |
Camp |
BLD |
| Fri |
Today
you breakdown the high camp and descend back to
basecamp for the night. This day can also be used
as an extra summit day in case you encounter bad
weather or need additional time for acclimatisation. |
Camp |
BLD |
| Sat |
Transportation
from Dzhily-Su to Kislovodsk where you will enjoy
hot showers and a good night's sleep. Note that
if you return to Kislovodsk earlier scheduled, you
will have to pay extra for individual transportation
to Kislovodsk and for additional nights at hotel
(subject to availability, as this is a popular spa
town). Night in hotel. |
Hotel |
BL |
| Sun |
Breakfast
in the hotel, before the group return airport
transfer to Mineralyne Vody airport, to arrive
c. 10.30am. This is suitable for flights departing
after 12.30. If your flight departs much later
than 12.30 then a private airport transfer can
be arranged for an additional charge (see exclusions
section below). |
n/a |
B |
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| ITINERARY
NOTES: Where possible we follow itineraries. Mountain
adventures are weather and conditions dependant,
so occasionally we are forced to alter the plans.
If this is the case, suitable alternatives are offered.
Please use this itinerary as a guide to the types
of route / activity you attempt. |
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| Course
Prices |
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Standard
course |
6 full days Elbrus guiding, 1:5 max ratio
8 days holiday total, Saturday-Saturday |
£1499 |
Live
availability |
Click
on the planner logo to the right to
see the real time live course availability
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Secure
online booking system |
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Course Inclusions: 1)
Elbrus guides for daily leading and instruction, 2) Pre
expedition Information dossier, 3) Equipment discount
voucher for our UK shop, 4) 2 nights of hotel accommodation
(twin or triple rooms) in Kislovodsk in a 3* hotel with
breakfast, and other nights in tents / hut on full board
basis, 5) Road transport in region and airport transfers
(communal with rest of group, to leave airport at 14.30
on day 1 and drop off by 10.30 on last day - different
transfer times available see note in exclusions), 6) All
costs for expedition leaders, local guides and porters,
7) We provide all communal equipment (you provide your
own clothing, mountaineering boots, and climbing equipment),
8) Transfer from Kislovodsk to basecamp and back, 9) Invitation
letter for Russian visa, 9) Climbing certificate for successfully
summiting Elbrus, 10) Free (with UK postage) Icicle expedition
kit bag. |
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| Exclusions: 1)
Travel to & from Mineralnye Vody airport, 2) Evening
meal on the last night in area (budget on c. £20
per night), 3) Airport transfers outside communal times
(as outlined above) these are c.£85 each way, 4)
Single room upgrades in hotel (subject to availability,
c.£85 extra), 5) UK and foreign airport taxes, optional
trips, souvenirs and tips, 6) Extra nights in Kislovodsk
(not usually required), and all lunches and dinners in
Kislovodsk, 7) Your personal laundry, telephone calls,
and any purchases in mountain huts / hotels / bars / restaurants,
8) Hire of personal equipment (such as sleeping bag, boots,
crampons etc.), 9) Porter services for personal belongings,
10) Single occupancy at hotel or in tent, 11) Extras before
course: personal activities insurance, & excess baggage
charges, 12) Visa application costs. |
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Icicle
expedition kit bag for FREE
All those booking on
this trip are entitled to a free Icicle expedition
kit bag. This tough c.65 litre capacity kit bag
is designed for full expedition usage and is made
out of durable fabric, and features carry straps.
It normally retails at £50. Postage within
the UK is included in the prices. If you live overseas,
it's not a problem at all. We'll let you know the
price for postage. Want a second bag? Order another, click
here. |
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Current
course availability
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Course Dates
Elbrus via north
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Client
feedback
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A
brilliant expedition. If there was any
critisism, it would be that you don't
make enough of how interesting this
extraordinary region is, on your website
Terry
K , Elbrus
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This
was the penultimate of my seven summits,
and it's only Kili to go, which I'm
doing with you in a few months. Thanks
so much for this trip. Really great
local team, and a well organised trip
Samuel
S , Elbrus
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A
great trip, and interesting to see Moscow
on my way through, but far more interesting
to spend time in these amazing mountains
Graham
J , Elbrus
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| Testimonials |
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| Press
& media |
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| Films
& videos |
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| Photo
gallery |
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| Travel
visas for Russia |
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visa is obligatory for entry and travel within Russia
for tourists, and should be carried with you throughout
the trip as it (and all other paperwork such as passport,
insurance or climbing permits) can be requested and checked
at any time. When booking this trip, please ensure that
you provide your full name, date and place of birth, citizenship,
passport number and its date of issue (ensure it is valid
for 6 months after your trip). You should supply a copy
of your passport and your insurance to Icicle before you
travel. The Russian travel visa can be obtained in the
UK direct from the Russian Embassy (click
here). Our local Russian agent is accredited with
the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and will issue
a visa support invitation letter, usually 8 weeks before
your trip. This you need to apply in person / by post
at the Russian Embassy for your visa, or some opt to use
a visa agent company (e.g. Action Visas / Visa Swift),
to collect it in person for you. Ensure that you allow
at least 6 weeks before departure to arrange your visa,
to allow for the bureaucratic process (it usually takes
c. 4 weeks). If you would like to spend time in Moscow
before travelling to Mineralyne Vody you should ask us
to arrange your night(s) of accommodation through our
local Russian operators so that they can write a visa
invitation letter for the full trip including Moscow (if
you arrange your Moscow trip direct you will have to ask
your accommodation provider for a separate visa invitation
letter). Further details are in the Icicle Elbrus trip
dossier that you receive upon booking the trip. |
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| Flights
to Mineralnye Vody |
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| When
flying from Europe, the easiest route is via Moscow Sheremetyevo
(SVO) airport, then onwards to Mineralnye Vody (MRV) regional
airport. There are no direct flights, and we advise that
you avoid routes via Moscow Domodedovo (DME) or Moscow
Vnukovo (VKO), because Moscow Sheremetyevo (SVO) is the
main hub airport, and it lessens the risks of baggage
delays in transit. You can check out flights and routes
on Skyscanner (http://www.skyscanner.net). Return tickets
at present from London Heathrow (LHR) cost in the region
of £360 with Aeroflot (correct Sept 2014). This
Icicle trip price includes the airport transfers to and
from Mineralnye Vody airport to the Elbrus region on a
shared transfer basis leaving on the first day at 14.30
and taking you back to the airport at 10.30 on the last
day, different times are available at your cost (see section
on exclusions below for private airport transfer costs). |
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| Suggested
reading and kit |
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View
full course equipment list,
with examples of kit, click
here |
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| Why
choose our trips? |
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See
our climbing blog, by clicking on the Wordpress
logo to the right. |
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Itinerary
flexibility to allow you to take full advantage
of the weather windows on any day, to maximise your
summit chances. |
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Our
prices are fixed in £ Sterling, to protect
you from exchange rates, so you can budget accurately. |
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There
is a choice of routes to opt for, depending on the
weather, conditions, and your experience. |
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| Any
further questions? |
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A
key part of choosing a company is being able to come and
talk about your plans with an experienced course advisor
face to face. In an increasingly virtual world, we know
our clients value speaking to real people, getting open
and honest advice. The vast majority of our clients are
British, and our office and outdoor store is based in
Windermere in the English Lake District.
 
Get
in contact to arrange a meeting, and come in for a coffee
to discuss your course in person with a trip
advisor. |
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