mt. Elbrus - FAQ

Mountain Adventures - the Caucasus

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How far will we have electrical power (to charge the videocamera batteries!) in the Elbrus trip? We would like to know it to decide if we have to bring the solar panel charger with us.

There is an electricity in Ullu Tau Camp, in hotels in Terskol/Azau/Cheget, in Barrels, in Diesel Hut, in Priyut Maria, but
there is no electricity on the North side of Elbrus — in the Uncle Nick's Hut, so it's better to bring the solar panel charger.

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Is it better for clients to have Euros or Dollars (or Russian Currency)?

It doesn't matter but it would be perfect if clients have some cash in roubles for alcohol and other personal expenses before arrival to Caucuses . You can exchange currency in Moscow (if you stay here) or it's possible to exchange currency in Terskol as well.

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On your schedule you only have one day planned for the summit. What happens if weather or other conditions keep us from summitting? Are there contingency days?

You are speaking about a 8 days program!! It is a short program for people who have really no much of time for their vacations but who needs maximum days for acclimatization. Anyway you have a spare day 7-th (of course, it will be a hard day because you have to descent to Terskol the same day). If you feel you are good with acclimatization we can reduce day 3-d, for example, and use it as spare day for summit (would be better to decide it before your arrival). In fact, most of our clients prefer a programs from 9 days till 15 and more.

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How many people will accompany us, specifically will there be porters to carry our stuff?

For 4-5 persons we propose 1 mountain guide and 1 cook in Barrels Refuge.
Porters. In general you don't need porters' help because you have some transfers (hotel-Cheget station-hotel, hotel-Azau station-hotel
etc…)and when you do ascent you spent nights in Barrel Refuge and go to the summit only with necessary equipment. When you are in
Barrels you eat a good meals cooked by our cook: breakfast + lunch or lunch pack + dinner).
If you want to make easier your ascent you can book a ratrak (snowcat) to transport you in the morning of summit day from Barrels to below Pastukhov rocks (till ~ 4500 m). The additional cost is 300 Euros per ratrak (when ratrak is booked driver spend a night in Barrels and if the weather is bad and do not have summit attempt next morning you must pay 50% anyway).

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When would the trip be? Do we have enough people that we could pick our own dates?

If you say that your group is 4-5 persons — that's enough to fix your own dates. Please let us know how many days you would like to
spend on Caucuses and are you going to stay in Moscow or St-Petersburg (it would be perfect if you know your flights
already). You can use Aeroflot company to fly to Mineralnie Vody with connection in Moscow . Aeroflot ticket offices in the World: http://www.aeroflot.ru/eng/info.asp?ob_no=718

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Is there any electricity in the Chalet in Adylsou and Adyrsou (220 v)?

There is an electricity in the Ullu-Tau Camp in the night for 2-3 hours (~19:00-22:00)

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Is it possible for you to arrange our flights from Moscow onwards?

We can arrange your flights from Moscow onwards.

But if you are going to have your flights the same day (without overnight in Moscow) it is better for you to arrange it yourself and it is better to use Aeroflot for the all correspondent flights, because:

  • if any problem with flights (later arrival etc) Aeroflot promise all necessary service free as: new correspondent flight ticket, hotel, transfers to hotel and back;
  • you arrive Moscow from your country to terminal Sheremetievo-2 and depart with a domestic flight from Sheremetievo-1. Transfer between them are expensive, but if your both flights are with Aeroflot, the transfer is included (free);
  • on the first point of arrival Russia you have to present your luggage for customer control. It takes a time and with all luggage it is better to use Aeroflot transfer, because they are responsible to arrange all the procedures in time.

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> A client asks me if it's possible to withdraw monay at Mineralny vody  with a credit card ?  Or at Moscou airpot between 04.00 and 08.00 am ?  If not, in order to pay some meals, waht do they have to bring : USD,  RUB ?

?

Now that point has very easy solutions!
There are plenty of cash machine everywhere!
So there is a good chance to do it in Moscow!
If not - usually we are visiting a bank (with cash machine and with exchange office -longer story!) which is 15 minutes driving from airport.
There is as well a possibility to withdraw money later at Baksan Valley near Cheget ski station or at Terskol town!

If somebody would prefer to bring cash instead of credit card - it is not so important what kind of money he'll bring with him - for European citizens it would be quite natural to bring EURO!

Best regards
Nick

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As well we have been getting news of another outbreak of violence in Chechnya and neighboring Ingusetia. Do we need to concern ourselves with this problem? Has this violence ever occurred where we are going? I have clients that worry about this.

I think you can calm down your clients, as

  • Our company organizing the tours to the Caucasus during many years.And we sent and visited ourselves this region even when the situation there was much"hotter"!!! And there were no any accidents during that time.
  • The length of the Caucasus is about 1200 km and Elbrus region is situated about 600 km from Chechnya and neighboring Ingusetia. Not very close!
  • The Elbrus region is a frontier zone (with Gorgia) which is specially defended by the military men and that is why the entrance there is not very easy (you will see it in the airport of Minvody). That is why we pay much attention while constructing the tour to the passport registration and border permit!!!

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We would like to stay at Azau hotel and at refuge «hut number 11»

Regarding Azau hotel, it was not repeared yet. For our guests we prefer to accommodate them at Volfram hotel (Terskol village) or at Sultan hotel (Cheget meadow). The "hut number 11" (Priut - 11) was burned down already 5 years ago. At the same place (50 meters from the ruins) now there is Diezel hut.

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Do we spend any nights in tents during the trip? If Yes, do you provide or do we need to supply?

No, for some programs during summertime we do it and we have tents for
it, but for winter program and for your program there is no any nights
in tents.

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Do you have a recommended kit list?

Sorry, did not understand — kit, if it is equipment, so please, look at: equipment list

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Do we need to bring sleeping bags (lightweight silk liner) when staying in Mountain Huts/Barrels. What is provided in this accommodation?


Yes, you need to bring sleeping bags. In Ullutau refuge they provide beds with blanckets and white lines, but it is not warm enough there
and personnaly I prefer to sleep there in my sleeping bag. In Barrels the same, but they privide beds without blanckets and white lines.

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Are there any maps of the Elbrus region? Please advise so that we can buy these before departure.


You could easily by map at the Caucasus - there plentty of them!

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Do we really have to take with us an ice-axe?

It's impossible to know in advance ice and snow situation on the slopes of Elbrus. Sometimes it's possible to ascent by ski and sometimes only on crampons and with ice axe. It will be very pity if one will not be able to climb the summit due to the lack of equipment.

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Does the TST guide have a rope for a group?

Our guide allways has one 30-40 m rope. But if you would like to have an additional one (or you think you need to), you can take it (7-8 mm, 20-30 m long)

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What are the best months to go to Elbrus? Is September good?


The best period to climb Elbrus is from June till the end of September. But one should mention, that for the period
~15.07-20.08 there is a lot of tourists in the region and the slopes are very croweded. The same situation is in the Hotels and in
Barrels hut, we should book them in advance to be sure to get the places. So September seems to us is good period. It is a bit
colder, but the weather is stable on the Caucases in that time and there are not so much people.

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What are the main problems we can find on the way to the summit?


-Altitude — Elbrus is higher than the other mountains of the region for about kilometer, it demands good acclimatisation, so
unprepared tourists may have problems with it.
-Cold — we wake up at about 2-3 o'clock in the morning on the summit day and it's the most cold time. The tempreture can be
-30 degrees, so the equipment should be very good and pass for such conditions.
-Ice fields. Some times on the way to the summit there are ice fiels about 300-500 m long with very hard ice, one should use
crampones.

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Does your mountain guide have any medical equipment and rescue equipment in case of avalanches?

Our guide has a transceiver (piep) and a shovel. He also has a first-aid kit. But we usually advise the clients also to take their own medical kits with the medicaments which they use to apply.

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Is it possible to climb Elbrus without any experience on ice?


It is possible, but it is not very good. And we should add 2-3 days for training to the programm.

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