Ullu-Tau Mountain Camp. Elbrus region

The tour is held in the North Caucasus, on the territory of Kabardino-Balkaria.

The Elbrus region has long been famous among tourists for the beauty of its mountain gorges. In one of these places – the gorge of the Adyr-Su river – there is a special mountain, unlike all others. A mountain with its own character, with a special energy. Her name is Ullu-Tau, "Sacred Mountain", "Mother Mountain". If Elbrus is rightfully considered the father of the Caucasus, then Ullu-Tau is the mother of these places. Ullu-Tau is an extraordinary place of power where people get healthy, desires are fulfilled here, people are charged with positive energy, and the mountain also gives people the joy of having children!

On a hike to Ullu-Tau, we will visit the foot of this sacred mountain, visit the lakes of the Adyr-su gorge, the Devichy Kosy waterfall and ride the lifts of Mount Elbrus.

A pleasant moment: this active tour takes place without backpacks, the whole trekking is light. The hike is not difficult, so it is perfect for beginners and parents with children.

Location

Stavropol territory, Mineral Waters
from
$335
+ tickets to the starting point of the tour
No need to pay now
Duration
7 Days
6 Nights
Departures
  • Group departures
    • Dates for next season
    • 1 – 7 June, 2025
    • 8 – 14 June, 2025
    • 15 – 21 June, 2025
    • 22 – 28 June, 2025
or
Accommodation
  • Tent
    6 nights
Comfort
  • Basic
Difficulty
Moderate
Involves moderate physical activity
Group
Up to 18 people
Minimum age
6 years old
Group meet at
Stavropol territory, Mineral Waters
Contact the tour coordinator
Weekdays: 8am - 8pm
Weekends: 8am - 7pm (GMT +3)
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Tour highlights

The legendary Ullu-Tau Mountain
There are 4,207 meters of stone, snow and ice in front of us! Nature has created this mountain to be so semicircular, soft, friendly and kind. Mountaineers, forget-me-nots and purple geraniums bloom at its foot
Hike to the Living Lake
We will swim in the lake, which, according to legend, gives health and new vitality
Up to the glacier!
The forest will be left behind and the mountains will gradually begin to rise around us. There will be a view of the huge glacial moraines and the Dzhalovchat glacier

Itinerary

  • Day 1 - Mineralnye Vody City – Verkhny Baksan village – Adyr-Su Gorge – Ullu-Tau camp

    11:00 Gathering of the group at the railway station in Mineralnye Vody (near the main entrance from the city).

    11:30 Gathering of the group at the airport of Mineralnye Vody (near the main entrance).

    Transfer by minibus to the village of Verkhny Baksan (2.5-3 hours). Here the usual road ends and stops at a mountain lift. This is a unique structure where the car is placed on a special platform, which rises to a height using a cable along the rails.

    At this point, the instructor and tourists walk up the stairs to the entrance to the Adyr-Su gorge, the height difference is 50-60 m (5 minutes walk). We carry personal items and groceries with us. If the mountain lift is working, then we lift things on the lift :)

    In the Adyr-Su gorge, we change the usual minibus to mountain transport. There are only 12 kilometers left on the mountain road – and we are already in the heart of the mountains. It is here, at an altitude of 2,380 m, that the highest alpine camp in the North Caucasus, Ullu-Tau, is located.

    We will live in this place for the next four days. It takes 5 minutes to walk from the transport to the tent camp.

    Moving and border formalities take a long time, we will be on site by evening. Today we will have time to walk around the camp, near the Adyr-Su river and at the end of the day we will admire Ullu-Tau Mountain in the sunset rays.

    The tent camp is located at an altitude of 2380 m.

    1 more photo
  • Day 2 - Adyr-su River Valley, Silver Spring, Dzhaylyk alpine camp, Koyavgan waterfall
  • Day 3 - Trekking to the foot of Ullu-Tau mountain
  • Day 4 - Kullumkol River Valley, hike to the Living Lake
  • Day 5 - Observation Green Shelf, Gumachi Glacier and Gumachi Waterfall
  • Day 6 - Glacier of the Jalovchat gorge
  • Day 7 - Return to Mineralnye Vody
Difficulty
Involves moderate physical activity
Tour organizer's comments

The difficulty level of the route: moderate (60% of the route), medium (40% of the route). The route is recommended for beginners. 

The route is trekking. Trekking is walking through mountainous (rugged) 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 480-610 m per day. On one day of the route, the altitude difference will be 840 m. Climbing up 480-610 m is about like climbing 160-200 floors.

Accommodation

Accommodation
  • Tent
    6 nights
Comfort
  • Basic

Accommodation in a private tent at paid tourist parking lots.

Tent camp 6 nights

Accommodation in a private tent at paid tourist parking lots.

There is an equipped toilet in all parking lots. 

In the alpine camp "Ullu-Tau" in the evenings there is an opportunity to take a hot shower. Hot water is provided at certain hours. In the evening, it is possible to charge mobile phones and batteries.

Tour conditions

Group
up to 18 tourists
Minimum age
6 years old
Duration
7 days 6 nights
Group meets at
Stavropol territory, Mineral Waters

Included in price

  • road crossings along the route by minibus;
  • travel along the route by mountain transport (UAZ or GAZ-66);
  • accommodation in a private tent at paid tourist parking lots; 
  • three meals a day according to a set menu (the menu is not individual!): breakfast (day 2-7) and dinner (day 1-6) are prepared in the camp, lunch (day 2-7) in the form of dry rations in the mountains (sausage, cheese, tea, cookies, chocolate, sweets). Every day, tourists on duty are assigned who are engaged in cooking;
  • environmental fees in the Elbrus National Park;
  • rental of group equipment (campfire equipment, boilers, gas burners, awning, group first aid kit);
  • the services of an instructor-guide.

Paid extra

  • tickets to and from Mineralnye Vody;
  • lunch during the transfer on the 1st day;
  • personal equipment (tent, sleeping bag, karemat). If necessary, we will provide rental of camping equipment;
  • charging batteries and a hot shower in the parking lot in the village of Terskol (100-200 rubles);
  • insurance (optional).

It's important to know

Personal equipment you need for the tour

Air temperature: early morning and late evening +8...+12C, in the afternoon +18...+25C (sunny day), +12...+16C (cloudy day). The air temperature in the tent at night is +4...+9C.

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.

  • Tent
  • Backpack / bag / suitcase for things
  • Sleeping bag (comfort temperature 0...-5C). The air temperature in the tent at night is +4...+9C.
  • Karemat
  • Podpopnik
  • Hat, gloves
  • Cap / panama hat
  • Jacket. The air temperature in the early morning and late evening is +8...+12C.
  • Fleece
  • 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
  • Underwear, socks
  • Trekking shoes up to the ankle and above
  • Shoes for walking in the camp. The grass in the camp is wet with dew in the morning and evening. We recommend that you have closed shoes, for example, galoshes
  • Swimsuit
  • 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. 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, towel)
  • Comb, sunglasses
  • 0.5L plastic bottle (for drinking water on the route)
  • Toilet paper
  • A plate, a mug, a spoon. The plate and mug must be non-breakable (plastic or iron).
  • Headlamp
  • 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 products for lunch, which are issued by the instructor (the weight of the products is 400-600 grams).
  • Portable Power Bank charger for charging a mobile phone (optional)
  • Sunscreen, hygienic lipstick
  • A protective cream against insect bites. There may be mosquitoes in the evenings. There are no ticks.
  • Cash
  • Individual first aid kit. Required: elastic bandage, Band-Aid.
Are plane tickets included in the tour price?
Is insurance included in the price of the tour?

Dates and Prices

The tour dates are not confirmed yet. Please, for clarification
  • $335
    1 – 7 Jun, 2025 7 days 6 nights
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    No need to pay now
  • $335
    8 – 14 Jun, 2025 7 days 6 nights
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    No need to pay now
  • $335
    15 – 21 Jun, 2025 7 days 6 nights
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    No need to pay now
  • $335
    22 – 28 Jun, 2025 7 days 6 nights
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    No need to pay now
  • $335
    29 Jun – 5 Jul, 2025 7 days 6 nights
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    No need to pay now

Reviews

    KE
    Kaoaseva Elena
    28 Mar, 2022
    about provider
    The trip to Baikal was a success! The organization of the tour was impeccable. Thanks to the manager in the Big Country Yulia Trubinova. All the planned trips were at a good level, the accommodation also corresponded to the promised, i.e. with all amenities. Many thanks to our instructor of the Voskhod tour club - Alexey Dusenko and all the participants of the tour. Thanks to them, the tour turned out to be very interesting, rich and diverse for me. Of course, Baikal must be seen firsthand, photos and videos will only remind you of these days, and will not convey all the beauty! It is also remarkable that we were very lucky with the weather. The sun was shining, the ice shone like crystal. I am very glad that I was lucky enough to see all this and meet such wonderful people!
    28 Mar, 2022
    M
    Margaret
    19 Mar, 2022
    about provider
    Wonderful!
    19 Mar, 2022
    E
    Elena
    14 Mar, 2022
    about provider
    I didn't understand what the role of the organizer was, but there were no unpleasant moments, so the organizer is good
    14 Mar, 2022