Select you route to climb Mount Elbrus

Original page is here
Other MCS Alexclimb climbing routes in the North Caucasus

For any information please contact the organizer via WhatsApp or Telegram +44 7727 445099

MCS AlexСlimb Mountain Climbing School operates all the 6 classic routes to Mount Elbrus

Elbrus East Summit from the east – not often visited route.
Climbing does not present technical difficulties, but requires a good physical shape. Participants will have to face the real difficulties of an alpine expedition - with self-carrying cargo, setting the high-altitude camps, overnights in the tents, cooking their own meals. 
Duration of the tour 7 days; the price is from 750 Euro / person.

Elbrus West Summit from the west – most interesting but least popular Mount Elbrus route, due to its length and technical complexity.
That is a good choice for experienced and physically trained climbers. Ascent route goes by the western slopes, bypassing the gendarme "Utug".
There is no infrastructure on this route, the mountain nature is totally untouched by civilization. 
Duration of the tour 8 days; the price is from 1200 Euro / person.

Mount Elbrus the north - classic climb, but often crowded
The main part of the climb goes along the path of the first conquerors of Elbrus - the expedition of General Emmanuel in 1829. Since then, little has changed. The Martian landscapes, bizarre natural formations “rock mushrooms”, the flat plateau “German airfield”, a silver spring opening in July, warm mineral baths - all that amazing beauty is not yet spoiled by civilization. If you love the mountain purity and are ready to sacrifice comfort for a real adventure - this mountain tour is ideal for you. Duration of the tour 6 days; the price is from 650 Euro / person.

Mount Elbrus south route – the most popular and easiest climbing route. Its popularity is due to the optimal infrastructure - the availability of maximum tourist services within walking distance - hotels, chair lift, cable cars, snowmobiles and so on. Duration of the tour 5 days; the price is from 500 Euro / person.

Elbrus Traverse from West to East - technically difficult and physically demanding route on Mount Elbrus, with the opportunity to climb both peaks. It requires prior acclimatization, high-altitude mountaineering experience, good physical fitness. Tour duration: 12 days, cost: 2.000 Euro

The "Cross of Mount Elbrus" is a classical traverse of the Mount Elbrus massif from north to south, with an ascent of both peaks.
The ascent is a longer and more difficult route from the north, without the aid of a cable car or snowcats, the descent is on the south side. This is a classic route for the Elbrus traverse, easier physically and technically than the traverse from the west. The route can be climbed in alpine style (light backpacks). 
Tour duration is 6 days, cost from 1.400 Euro

Mount Elbrus is the highest point of Europe and Russia in the mountain system of the Caucasus. Mount Elbrus has two prominent summits - East (5621 m) and West (5642 m). The distance between them in a straight line is about 1500 m.

In the distant past, both peaks were part of the crater of one volcano, towering at least 1000 meters above the modern level.

But a few hundred thousand years ago, a powerful seismic explosion destroyed the upper part of the volcano cone and formed the shape of the mountain that we are used to see today - a gentle sloped two-headed dome with a deep saddle between its summits.

Exploring Mount Elbrus

• 1829 – the first successful ascent to the East Summit of Mount Elbrus - as part of a scientific expedition organized by the Russian Academy of Sciences under the leadership of General G.A. Emmanuel;
• 1874 – ascent of the higher West Summit, accomplished by British expediton led by F. Grove;
• 1890 and 1896 – ascents to the both Summits of Mount Elbrus undertaken by the military Russian topographer A. Pastukhov;
• 1910 – Swiss climbers O. Hoog and C. De Ramm climbed both Summits of Mount Elbrus as part of a single ascent, completing the so-called "Cross of Mount Elbrus";
• 1942 – German mountain military troops under the command of H. Grott, during the military operation in the Caucasus (WWII), hoisted fascists flags on the both Summits of Mount Elbrus;
• 1943 – German flags were removed by Soviet militaries, the flags of the USSR were hoisted on the summits of Mount Elbrus;
• 1967 – the first annual record of quantity of the people climbing the both summits of Mount Elbrus: 2536 climbers.

Elbrus - the mountain accessible to everyone

Starting from the 20s of the XX century, ascents to Elbrus began to be more and more widespread. To this day, three main factors contribute to this:

• Convenient transport accessibility of the mountain;
• Relative technical ease routes (by mountaineering standards);
• Developed tourist infrastructure (hotels, camp sites, cable car).

The presence of these components is an absolute advantage of mountain tours to Mount Elbrus, making them extremely compact in terms of time. In addition, you do not need a lot of gear, for the standard routes there is no need to carry a heavy backpack.

A stable phone and internet connection to the very summit of Mount Elbrus allows you to share your impressions of the trip with your friends at any moment.

Organizing climbing expeditions

Regardless of which route you choose, the main priority of MCS AlexClimb Mountain Climbing School - is safety.

The group is led by professional mountain guides, only high-quality certified gear is used, as well as the most up-to-date navigation equipment. We use in our tours only:

• Modern high-quality and comfortable tents;
• Convenient cooking and camping equipment;
• New ropes and safety equipment;
• Modern satellite navigation systems;
• Different modes of communication and safety alarms - mobile, satellite, radio - a guarantee of your comfort in any situation.

We guarantee that you will enjoy our mountain tours! Choose the route for climbing Mount Elbrus and send to us the request!

Author of the text, climbing programs and photographs: Alex Trubachev
International mountain guide, rock climbing and ice climbing coach

MCS EDIT 2025