Trekking in Upper Balkaria

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Special offer! The tour offers a 10% discount for summer arrivals and 15% for arrivals in September and October when booking and making a 45% prepayment before 02/28/2026.

Upper Balkaria is a real paradise for sophisticated tourists who want to explore new, unique places in the Caucasus that are not spoiled by a lot of tourists.

We will see Lake Giybashkel, one of the most beautiful lakes in Kabardino-Balkaria — a real discovery for lovers of nature and silence. In addition, we are waiting for the ancient towers that adorn the slopes of the mountains. A trip to Balkaria promises to be unforgettable due to the small number of tourists, the absence of urban bustle and the opportunity to plunge into the spirit of wildlife and ancient traditions.

Location

Stavropol territory, Mineral Waters

from

Discount available

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Weekdays: 8am - 8pm
Weekends: 8am - 7pm (GMT +3)

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Tour highlights

Ancient towers of Balkaria

We will go up to the ancestral tower, walk through the streets of the medieval village, of which only small ruins now remain

Beauty at sunset

If we're lucky, we'll see Mehtygen's gold on the way back. This is an interesting solar effect that happens only at sunset

Picnic on the lake shore

We will go down to the beautiful lake Giybashkel and have lunch on its shore

A trip on the UAZ

We will drive an all-terrain vehicle to the Main Caucasian Ridge to admire the snow-capped peaks.

Outdoor activities with comfort

We will walk through gorges, alpine meadows and lakes light, and then relax in a cozy hotel.

A walk through the Cherek gorge

Cars pass through the mountain tunnel here, and we will walk along the old road that leads along a deep mountain gorge.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrival. Cherek gorge, Upper Balkaria village
11:30-12:00 (Moscow time) Gathering of the group at the railway station and at the Mineralnye Vody airport.
Transfer by minibus to Verkhnyaya Balkaria (170 km, about 3-3.5 hours).
On the way, we will stop at a very spectacular place — on the Cherek gorge!
Cars pass through the mountain tunnel here, and we will walk along the old road that leads along a deep mountain gorge.
You can also buy delicious and healthy Caucasian souvenirs here.
After a walk through the gorge, transfer to a hotel in Verkhnyaya Balkaria.
Active part: 2 km on foot.

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Day 2 - Ushtulu Gorge and Glacier
Verkhnyaya Balkaria is the last village in this gorge.
Today we are driving an all-terrain vehicle closer to the Main Caucasian Ridge to admire the snow-capped peaks and trek to the Ushtulu glacier.
Ushtulu is a wide, beautiful gorge.
In summer, its green, grassy slopes are very reminiscent of fabulous landscapes somewhere in distant Scotland.
The Karasu River runs along the bottom of the gorge, into which side tributaries sometimes flow.
In summer, these rivers will cross several times over rocks and bridges, and in autumn many streams are already drying up.
By lunchtime, we'll get closer to the Ushtulu glacier and admire it from a fairly close and safe distance.
Active part of the tour: 14.8 km on foot, altitude difference 2250-2570 m, trekking duration 6-7 hours.

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Day 3 - Amirkhan-kala Tower, waterfall and glacier of Rzyvashki
Upper Balkaria is often referred to as the edge of the towers.
There are both classic towers and very unusual ones.
The Amirkhan-Kala tower, which was built on a huge stone, belongs to the latter.
After climbing the path above the tower, we go to admire the two-cascaded Rcyvashki waterfall.
The waterfall is located on the opposite mountain slope and looks especially beautiful in autumn when it is surrounded by colorful trees.
A stunningly comfortable trail leads into the gorge.
We will walk along the river, along a wooden bridge and come out to the shepherd's hut.
We'll stop along the way and admire the surrounding mountains!
Sometimes it can rain in this gorge in autumn, at night the temperature drops below 0 and after that during the day we see a stunning effect — thousands of water droplets freeze on the branches of the trees and they seem to put on a silver outfit.
That's why we named this place the Gorge of the Silver Trees.
At the end of the journey, you will find a very beautiful mountain range decorated with glaciers.
But sometimes, after lunch, the fog descends and, like a curtain, closes the glaciers from our eyes.
Active part of the tour: 17.6 km on foot, altitude difference 1170-2020 m, trekking duration 7-8 hours.

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Day 4 - Lake Giybashkel
You will look forward to this day first, and then you will remember it with pleasure.
In our opinion, Giybashkel is one of the most magnificent lakes in Kabardino—Balkaria!
The path here is not easy: the path will always lead up, in places we will walk along a grassy slope.
Lake Giybashkel is located according to the principle of the Sofia Lakes in Arkhyz: first you need to climb a mountain pass and from there you can see the lake for the first time from a height!
After reaching the pass, we will then go down to the lake and have lunch on its shore.
Today is going to be a long, eventful and very impressive day.
Active part of the tour: 12.4 km on foot, altitude difference 2420-3300-3150 m, trekking duration 9-10 hours.

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Day 5 - Abaev Tower, Zerkli Suu Waterfall
A light and simple walking day.
In the morning we go to the tower of the Princes of the Abayevs.
This tower is the hallmark of the village, which is often visited by tourists.
Going up to the tower, we will walk through the streets of the medieval village, of which only small ruins now remain.
Then we will go to the Zerkli Suu waterfall.
A forest path leads to this location and leads to a gorge, in the depths of which there is a waterfall.
Zerkli Suu has several picturesque cascades, from which a mountain river is born.
Active part of the tour: 7 km on foot, altitude difference within 150-200 m, trekking duration 5-6 hours.

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Day 6 - Mount Mehtygen. Nakhashbita Glacier
We will see this mountain every day!
With her huge, stone crown, she will constantly attract our gaze.
The name of this mountain is Mehtygen.
Today we will go as close to Mehtygen as possible.
We'll stop at the observation deck along the way and take dozens of great pictures of the mountain!
Then we will descend into the gorge of the Psyngasu River and trek towards the Nakhashbita glacier.
The glacier is located on the Sugan ridge, and on the opposite side of the ridge is our beloved Digoria.
In the gorge, we will walk to the point where the Nakhashbita glacier is visible.
We'll make a big stop at this place, have lunch, and head back.
If we're lucky, we'll see Mehtygen's gold on the way back.
This is an interesting solar effect that only happens at sunset.
The rays illuminate the mountain so much that it turns golden!
Active part of the tour: 12.1 km on foot, altitude difference 1970-2440 m, trekking duration 7-8 hours.

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Day 7 - Departure
In the morning we will move to Mineralnye Vody.
12:30-13:30 Arrival in Mineralnye Vody.
Depending on the weather conditions, the physical condition of the participants and other factors, the trekking route may be changed.

Difficulty

Does not require specific skills, but one must be in a good physical shape

Tour organizer's comments

Difficulty level of the route: moderate (20% of the route), medium (60% of the route), difficult (20% of the route). A comparative table of the difficulty levels of the Club's routes.

The route is trekking and involves walking through mountainous (rough) terrain. This type of outdoor activity 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 300 to 600 m per day. For two days of the route, the altitude difference will be 850-880 m.

Going up 300-600-850 m is about the same as going up 100-200-280 floors.

The route runs at an altitude of 830-3220 m.

Route length: 65.9 km.

Accommodation

Hotel

6 nights

Comfort

Midscale

The tour includes accommodation in the Altuu Hotel or a hotel of the same class.

The cost of the tour for 1 person is 68,400 rubles.

There is a 20% discount for children. The discount is given to children whose age at the time of participation in the tour is up to and including 14 years.

The surcharge for 1-bed accommodation in a room is 12,800 rubles / the entire rest period.

If it is necessary to accommodate three people in one room, the owners of the hotel add a modern cot.

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Tour conditions

Group

From 6 to 18 tourists

Minimum age

8 years old

Duration

7 days 6 nights

Group meets at

Stavropol territory, Mineral Waters

Included in price

road crossings along the route;
passes along the route by mountain transport (UAZ);
accommodation in the village of Verkhnyaya Balkaria in the Altuu hotel or a hotel of the same class. 2-, 3-bed rooms. Room amenities;
2 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 2-6) in the form of dry rations in the mountains (sausage, cheese, tea, biscuits, chocolate, sweets);
group equipment rental: boilers, gas burners (for making tea for lunch in the mountains from June to August), group first aid kit;
environmental fees in the Kabardino-Balkarian Nature Reserve;
the services of an instructor-guide.

Paid extra

air and railway tickets to Mineralnye Vody and back;
Meals: lunch (day 1), dinners. There are several cafes in our hotel and nearby where you can have dinner.;
the surcharge for 1-bed accommodation in a room is 12,800 rubles/the entire rest period;
insurance (optional).

It's important to know

The list of equipment for tours from June 01 to September 20.

Air temperature: early morning and late evening +8...+12C, afternoon +18...+25C (sunny day), +12...+16C (cloudy day).

Please note the rules for choosing clothes for a trip: in the Caucasus, you can wear trousers and T-shirts. You should not take shorts and T-shirts for a trip to the Caucasus.

cap / panama hat;
jacket. The air temperature in the early morning and late evening is +8...+12C;
fleece;
T-shirt;
a light shirt with long sleeves. The shirt will protect your hands and neck from burning.;
The 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 a hotel);
swimsuit;
for girls optional: dress for a photo shoot on the background of mountains;
waterproof clothing or raincoat from the middle of the thigh and below;
passport / birth certificate of the child. It is mandatory to have the original documents (not a copy);
camera/video camera and charger. In several gorges along the route that enter the border zone, it is forbidden to use a quadcopter for filming.;
toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, razor);
hairbrush;
trekking poles. The 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 excess weight must have trekking poles.;
sunglasses;
0.5 L 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 sliced and small foods (vegetables, cheese, olives, etc.) into it during lunch. The mug and plate must be unbreakable.;
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 provided by the instructor (the weight of the products is 400-600 grams);
the tourist seat;
shoe dryers;
sunscreen, protection factor SPF 50 and above. Hygienic lipstick;
individual first aid kit. Required: elastic bandage, Band-aid;
cash money;
hat, gloves. It may be cool in the evening and on cloudy days.

The list of equipment for tours from September 21 to November 15.

Air temperature: early morning and late evening +1...+7C, afternoon +10...+18C (sunny day), +8...+12C (cloudy day).

jacket. The air temperature in the early morning and late evening is 0...+8C, in the afternoon +10...+14C (until October 15), +5...+12C (after October 15th);
hat, gloves;
fleece. In autumn, we recommend taking 2 fleece coats: 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;
The buff. Protects the neck from burning, can be used as a scarf or headdress.;
Running trousers (before October 15), insulated running trousers or running trousers + bottom of thermal underwear after October 15;
lingerie;
socks;
trekking shoes up to the ankle and above;
flip-flops (for walking in a hotel);
trekking poles. The 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 excess weight must have trekking poles.;
swimsuit;
optional for girls: dress for a photo shoot on the background of mountains;
waterproof clothing or raincoat from the middle of the thigh and below;
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;
thermos flask (volume 0.75-1 l);
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 sliced and small products (vegetables, cheese, olives, etc.) into it during lunch. The mug and plate must be unbreakable.;
wet wipes;
thread, needle;
backpack for walking (volume 25-35 liters). The backpack contains the tourist's personal belongings (fleece, raincoat, water bottle, etc.), as well as public food for lunch, which is provided by the instructor (the weight of the products is 400-600 grams);
the tourist seat;
shoe dryers;
sunscreen, protection factor SPF50 and higher. Hygienic lipstick;
cash money;
individual first aid kit. Required: elastic bandage, Band-aid.

Dates and Prices

$943

12 – 18 Jul 7 days 6 nights

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$943

16 – 22 Aug 7 days 6 nights

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$943

$849
-10%

6 – 12 Sep 7 days 6 nights

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$943

$849
-10%

4 – 10 Oct 7 days 6 nights

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Reviews Leave a review

A
Alexei

about provider

13 Mar, 2026

The tour organization was excellent!
N
Nikolai

about provider

28 Jan, 2026

I liked everything. The providers were always in touch and ready to help whenever any issues came up.
V
Vera

about provider

21 Jan, 2026

Excellent organization and a strong customer-focused approach! All the information was communicated clearly and on time. I’m already looking forward to the next trekking tour :)