Elbrus Region PRO. Trekking to new lakes

A week-long trekking through the most amazing places of the Elbrus region. 

The hike takes place very close to the Main Caucasian Ridge, so the highest and most amazing mountains of the Elbrus region will be in front of our eyes! We will go deep into the Adyl-Su gorge to see Lake Bashkara. Let's go to the Shkhelda glacier and find out what a Shkhelda Smile is. Let's go for a walk through the alpine meadows in the Yusengi gorge and go trekking to the largest lake in the Elbrus region — the sky-high Syltran-kel.

Location

Russia, Stavropol Territory, Mineralnye Vody
from
US$ 616
+ tickets to the starting point of the tour
No need to pay now
Duration
7 Days
6 Nights
Departures
  • Group departures
    • 25 – 31 Aug
or
Accommodation
  • Hotel
    6 nights
Comfort
  • Basic+
Difficulty
Moderate
Low physical intensity for amateurs and non-experienced travelers
Group
Up to 18 people
Minimum age
14 years old
Group meet at
Russia, Stavropol Territory, Mineralnye Vody
Contact the tour coordinator
Weekdays: 8am - 8pm
Weekends: 8am - 7pm (GMT +3)
Or text us in messengers

Tour highlights

Dizzying climbs
We will devote one day to a cable car ride with a magnificent view of Elbrus
The wonders of nature
We will see the contrast of the summer and winter periods, when in one frame you can catch a harsh glacier and delicate flower petals
Active recreation with comfort
We will walk through gorges, alpine meadows and lakes light, and then relax in a cozy hotel

Itinerary

  • Day 1 - Meeting. Chateau-Erken Castle, Baksan Gorge

    11:00-11:30 — gathering of the group at the airport and at the railway station in Mineralnye Vody.

    Having gathered all together, we are going to the Elbrus region! 

    On the way to the mountains, we will stop by to see one of the new attractions of these places — Chateau-Erken Castle.

    Chateau Erken was built according to the sketches of the founder of the local wine concern Tembulat Erkenov. 

    Fragile willows grow along the shores of the lake, which bend their branches to the water itself.

    The castle on the water looks great and is an excellent photo location! 

    The castle is decorated with red towers, and black panthers sit and stare at tourists at its entrance. 

    We look at the Chateau-Erken castle from the outside and walk around the area around the lake.

    The castle is private property, so if for any reason the entrance to the castle is closed, the instructor will show the group another interesting location.

    Transfer to Baksan gorge (2.5-3 hours), check in at the hotel.

    Active part: 2 km on foot.

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  • Day 2 - Trekking in the Adyl-Su gorge, to the Smile of the Shkhelda glade
  • Day 3 - Yusengi Gorge
  • Day 4 - Cable car to Mount Elbrus
  • Day 5 - Lake Syltran-kel
  • Day 6 - Adyl-Su Gorge, Lake Bashkara
  • Day 7 - Return to Mineralnye Vody
Difficulty
Low physical intensity for amateurs and non-experienced travelers
Tour organizer's comments

The difficulty level of the route: moderate (25% of the route), medium (75% of the route).

The route is trekking and provides for walking along a mountainous (rugged) the terrain. This type of active recreation involves daily climbing and dropping heights (ascents and descents).

The route passes through forest trails, dirt roads, alpine meadows, large and small stones. The routes will have an altitude difference of 400 to 600 m per day. 

On one day of the route, the altitude difference will be 800 m. Climbing up 400-600 m is about the same as climbing 130-200 floors.

Route length: 59.5 km.

Accommodation

Accommodation
  • Hotel
    6 nights
Comfort
  • Basic+

The tour includes accommodation in the village of Terskol, the Salam hotel or a hotel of a similar class. Double and triple standard rooms, in-room amenities, hair dryer, TV, Wi-Fi.

If necessary, an additional fee for single accommodation in a hotel room is 16,000 rubles. The surcharge is indicated for the entire holiday period.

"Salaam" 6 nights

The Salam Hotel is located in the city of Terskol. Guests can park their personal car in a paid parking lot with video surveillance. Sightseeing trips to the most beautiful places of Kabardino-Balkaria are also organized, and transfer services are available.

There are 15 rooms of various categories for guests to stay here. All of them are equipped with comfortable furniture, TVs with satellite channels. Each has its own bathroom with a shower cabin.

There is a cafe on the territory of the hotel, which is open to visitors from seven in the morning to eleven at night.

For those who are interested in mountaineering and downhill skiing, equipment rental is available. 

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Tour conditions

Group
up to 18 tourists
Minimum age
14 years old
Duration
7 days 6 nights
Group meets at
Russia, Stavropol Territory, Mineralnye Vody

Included in price

  • road crossings along the route;
  • hotel accommodation: double and triple standard rooms, in-room amenities, TV, Wi-Fi;
  • two meals a day. Ready-made breakfasts (day 2-7) are served at the hotel according to a set menu (the menu is not individual!). Lunch (day 2, 3, 5, 6) in the form of dry rations in the mountains (sausage, cheese, tea, cookies, chocolate, sweets);
  • group equipment rental: boilers, gas burners (for making tea for lunch in the mountains from June to August), a group first aid kit;
  • eco-collection in the Elbrus National Park;
  • Elbrus Cable Car tickets;
  • the services of an instructor-guide.

Paid extra

  • air and railway tickets to Mineralnye Vody and back;
  • lunches during the transfer (day 1, 4), dinners (there are several cafes near the hotel, the cost of dinner is 350-450 rubles);.
  • the surcharge for single occupancy in a hotel room is 16,000 rubles/for the entire period of rest;
  • insurance (optional).

It's important to know

Personal equipment you need for the tour

The list of equipment for tours from April 20 to May 19 and from September 21 to November 15.

The air temperature during this period:

- early morning and evening 0...+3C;

- in the afternoon +5...+9C (from April 20 to May 19, after October 15);

- in the afternoon +10...+12C (from September 21 to October 15).

If the winter was snowy, in May we will still walk on snow in the gorges. At the end of October, the first snow may already fall in the gorges. In this case, you should have insulated trekking shoes. There is always snow on Mount Elbrus 2000 m (where we will climb by cable car) on May holidays and at the end of October.

Check with the instructor for up-to-date information about the weather in the Elbrus region and the presence of snow in the gorges a week before the tour.

We draw your attention to the rules of choosing clothes for the trip: in the Caucasus, you can wear trousers and T-shirts. Shorts and T-shirts should not be taken for a trip to the Caucasus.

  • Hat, gloves
  • Jacket. The air temperature in the gorges in the early morning and evening is 0...+3C, in the afternoon +5...+7C. On Mount Elbrus (above 2000 m), the air temperature can range from -8C...0C.
  • Fleece. We recommend taking 2 fleeces: one for walking on the route (it gets a hiking smell quickly enough), the second clean and fresh fleece for walking in the hotel.
  • T-shirt
  • Thermal underwear
  • Buff. Protects the neck from burning, can be used as a headdress or scarf.
  • Warm running trousers
  • Lingerie
  • Socks
  • Trekking shoes up to the ankle and above
  • Self-heating foot warmers (optional)
  • Flip-flops (for walking in a hotel)
  • Swimsuit, towel (for bathing in thermal springs)
  • For girls on request: dress for a photo shoot on the background of mountains =))
  • Waterproof clothing or raincoat from the middle of the thigh and below
  • Trekking poles. Sticks significantly reduce the load on the knees. Physically strong and healthy tourists are recommended to have sticks with them. Tourists who have problems with knees, joints and overweight must have trekking poles.
  • If necessary, the club provides trekking poles for rent.
  • Passport / birth certificate of the child. It is mandatory to have the original documents (not a copy).
  • Camera/video camera and charger.
  • Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, razor)
  • Hairbrush
  • Sunglasses
  • Toilet paper (useful during the day, on the route)
  • Mug, spoon, plate. In the mountains, tourists drink tea from a mug that comes with a thermos or take a separate mug. The plate is useful to put chopped and small products (vegetables, cheese, olives, etc.) into it during lunch. The mug and plate should be non-breakable.
  • Wet wipes
  • Thread, needle
  • Backpack for walking (volume 25-35 liters). The backpack contains the tourist's personal belongings (fleece, raincoat, thermos, etc.), as well as public products for lunch, which are issued by the instructor (the weight of the products is 400-600 grams).
  • Podpopnik
  • Shoe Dryers
  • Sunscreen, hygienic lipstick
  • Individual first aid kit. Required: elastic bandage, patch.
  • Thermos flask volume 0.5-0.75 l
  • Cash
  • A headlamp. The daylight hours are getting shorter in autumn, so sometimes a flashlight can be useful on the route in the evening

The list of equipment for tours from May 20 to September 20:

  • Cap / panama hat
  • Jacket. The air temperature in the gorges early in the morning and late in the evening is +8...+12C. On Mount Elbrus (above 3000 m), the air temperature can range from -5C...+6C.
  • Fleece. In May and autumn, we recommend taking 2 fleeces: one for walking on the route (it gets a hiking smell quickly enough), the second clean and fresh fleece for walking in the hotel.
  • T-shirt
  • Lightweight long sleeve shirt. The shirt will protect your arms and neck from burning.
  • Buff. Protects the neck from burning, can be used as a headdress.
  • Running trousers
  • Lingerie
  • Socks
  • Trekking shoes up to the ankle and above
  • Flip-flops (for walking in the hotel)
  • Swimsuit, towel (for bathing in thermal springs)
  • For girls on request: a dress for a photo shoot on the background of mountains =))
  • Waterproof clothing or raincoat from the middle of the thigh and below
  • Trekking poles. Sticks significantly reduce the load on the knees. Physically strong and healthy tourists are recommended to have sticks with them. Tourists who have problems with knees, joints and overweight must have trekking poles.
  • If necessary, the club provides trekking poles for rent.
  • Passport / birth certificate of the child. It is mandatory to have the original documents (not a copy).
  • Camera/video camera and charger.
  • Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, razor)
  • Hairbrush
  • Sunglasses
  • 0.5L plastic bottle (for drinking water on the route)
  • Toilet paper (useful during the day, on the route)
  • Mug, spoon, plate. In the mountains, tourists drink tea from a mug that comes with a thermos or take a separate mug. The plate is useful to put chopped and small products (vegetables, cheese, olives, etc.) into it during lunch. The mug and plate should be non-breakable.
  • Wet wipes
  • Thread, needle
  • Backpack for walking (volume 20-25 liters). The backpack contains the tourist's personal belongings (fleece, raincoat, water bottle, etc.), as well as public food for lunch, which is issued by the instructor (the weight of the products is 400-600 grams).
  • Podpopnik
  • Shoe Dryers
  • Sunscreen, hygienic lipstick
  • Individual first aid kit. Required: elastic bandage, Band-Aid.
  • Hat, gloves (for trips in September, October)
  • Thermos flask volume 0.5-0.75 l
  • Cash
  • A headlamp. The daylight hours become shorter in autumn, so sometimes a flashlight can be useful on the route in the evening.
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Dates and Prices

  • from US$ 616
    25 – 31 Aug 7 days 6 nights
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